About six months ago I wrote a jubilant blog about how well managed my diabetes was.  I can distinctly remember that trip to my local diabetic clinic because they also told me I had lost almost three stones in weight.  I stood there in shock at this great news.  It gave me such a confidence boost, that I felt like a randy male peacock spreading his feathers to all and sundry as I made my way out of the doctors.

Six months on and yesterday my trip to my diabetic clinic couldn’t have gone much worse. Well, I guess it could have but it doesn’t really feel like that at the moment given the massive perfectionist that I am.

My blood pressure was too high, my HbA1c blood test(average blood sugar) was too high and my cholesterol was higher than it should be.  I also feel a bit fat again(in reality I’m not overweight, but have put some weight back on).  Rather than leaving my doctors feeling like a resplendent looking peacock, this time I felt like scruffy Compo from Last of the Summer Wine!

When I got the phone call that my local diabetic nurse wanted to see me after having these latest blood tests, then I fully knew my diabetes wasn’t as good as it had been.  ‘Andy The Diabetic Detective’, is going to have to make a comeback because rather than my HbA1c reading being below the desired seven(it was 5.5 last time), now I was told it was 8.0.

I put this down mainly to two things. Firstly, during the last six months I’ve upped my mental health medications as well as taking a new one for my stomach(to protect the lining from an NSAID that I take). Secondly, I’m waking up in the middle of the night a lot and am mistakenly thinking I’m having a hypoglycemic attack when in reality I’m not, which thus involves me eating three to four digestive biscuits and making my blood sugars go too high.  It is going to take a bit of organising but I know I can sort my diabetes out once again and get it back down below seven.

My blood pressure was too high as I’ve said, being 130/90, the latter one should be no more than 80.  This is a bit of a concern so I’m going again in three weeks time to have it tested again.  I think it’s due to having OCD and so when I get to the doctors I am all tense and wound up.  If it is too high again then I guess I’ll be given tablets to bring it down.

I was pretty shocked that my cholesterol was 5.5 when it should be below 5.0.  Shocked because I have never had any issues with it before.  My urine was full of sugar(too much) and like I indicated in the above, I feel I have put most of that three stone that I lost back on.

I think I have taken my eye off the ball so to speak regarding my diet, hence my cholesterol, urine and weight not being right.  It is going to take some willpower on my part to rectify these things but rectify them I shall.  I am going eat clean again and reduce the amount of rubbish that I have recently been eating e.g pickled sauce, too many digestive biscuits, too much sugary fruit and way too many butter candy sugar-free sweets.

I am going to try and get my diabetes back to how good it was just over six months ago.  I want my next diabetic clinic appointment to go a lot better than this latest one did.  I am going to alter my diet and carry on doing the keep fit walks that I have just restarted doing.  Can I do this, can I go back to being that resplendent cocky peacock that is brimming full of confidence? HELL YES I CAN!!