TACKLING TYPE 2 DIABETES
“My Story”
I had been on the fringe of Type 2 Diabetes since my early 70,s until 18 months ago
when after a standard Blood Test; the one where Blood is taken and then you take a
Glucose laden drink and wait a required time before further Blood is taken, the
results showed that I was definitely a Type 2 Diabetic.
I saw the Diabetic Nurse at Potterells and after having my weight taken and a
detailed discussion of my lifestyle, I was prescribed the standard daily dose of
Metformin and advised to make a start on changing my eating habits by reducing my
daily intake of Carbohydrates, taking regular exercise and to make a determined
effort to lose 2 Stones in weight.
Bear in mind I have suffered with High Blood Pressure since I was in my early 20,s;
blood pressure is in the family and on my 70th Birthday I suffered a heart Attack
which necessitated the insertion of two Stents into one of my Coronary Arteries.
Before leaving the Surgery, the Nurse asked me if I would be prepared to attend a
Diabetic Awareness Course which would require my presence for a two and a half
hour session one day a week for six weeks. The venue was at the Free Church in
Church Road almost opposite Sainsbury’s Store in Welwyn Garden City.
I agreed to take part and about a week later I received a formal invitation from XPert Health the company organising the programme and a personal welcome letter
from the lady running the course who went by the name of Janice.
The course kicked off at 1.00pm on the 16th July last year.
After close liaison with the Nurse at Potterells, X-Pert Health provided me with a UK
Diabetes Health Profile which listed my Height/ Weight/ my BMI weight for height
measure/ Waist size/ Blood Pressure/ Fasting Blood Glucose? Average Blood
Glucose/ Cholesterol of which bad cholesterol was measured/ Triglycerides
measure/Kidney function and my prescribed Metformin dose.
This data was presented to me on arrival and I found myself amongst approx. 30
ladies and gents of all ages, some with Type 1 and on daily Insulin, the rest
diagnosed with Type 2.
At first it was difficult for everyone attending, we were all strangers, but Janice the
course leader put us together in groups of four then sat with each group and asked
each one to go through their health profile and to formally state that individually
they would as from that day, take responsibility to improve their diabetic control,
lose weight, reduce their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduce their
diabetic medication. She told us that after taking the course, some people had
managed to come off their diabetic medication altogether and that some had even
reported an increased freedom to eat and drink and a greater enjoyment of food.
Over the six weeks, I learned so much not only about myself and my lifestyle but I
gained a determination that I was going to take responsibility for my Type 2
Diabetes myself and do my best to get it under control
After two sessions, everyone attending knew each other and we were able to discuss
our personal eating weaknesses and with Janice’s tremendous support and advice,
how we could control the temptations of Chocolate and Sugar. We learned how to
read food content information on Tins and packages and recognise the foods that
were good for us and those that would make our Diabetes worse. We learned about
what Diabetes does to our bodies and internal organs, the devastating side effects it
can have. Every week, individually we told the group how we had got on with losing
weight, in my case, I decided to stop completely eating Bread and Potatoes and
have stuck with it since last July. If you stop something, you have to replace it with
something, so I started to eat only Rye Bread/ German Pumpernickel and increase
my Green vegetable intake and replace Potatoes with Sweet Potatoes.
I got a grip on my alcohol intake; I do enjoy a glass of Whisky and a Beer, but I
drink them with moderation and I know now when to stop, to go three or four days
without alcohol, to be in control.
The one area in which I have not been successful is in the taking of exercise. Over
the past year I have been diagnosed with a further restriction in a Coronary Artery
and any even medium exercise brings on Chest pains and breathlessness so until
that is sorted, the Bike remains padlocked away in the Garden Shed.
I can do nothing but praise Janice and the X-Pert Health course I attended and
recommend if you are similarly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, speak to your GP or
Nurse and request that you be offered the opportunity to attend a course. Will it
work for you? Well, I have lost a Stone and a half in weight and my daily Metformin
dose has been halved, so if I can do it, so can you. Good luck.
Gordon Stringer.
April 2015