Pre-Diabetic (Again!!)

Over the last couple of years, I’ve become intimately acquainted with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).

While my maternal grandmother had T2D and experienced complications like the loss of a couple of toes in her late 70s, I never really considered my own risk. After all, I’m not overweight, and I generally followed what I thought was a fairly healthy diet.

However, a severe infection a couple of years ago, which ultimately led to the amputation of my lower right leg, unveiled a hidden predisposition to diabetes. And the infection made the condition so much worse!

What has become clear is that I was likely pre-diabetic at the time of the infection. Pre-diabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as T2D.

The severe infection, caused by an untreated cut to my foot, escalated to sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s response to an infection. In my case, this stress profoundly impacted several organs, including my pancreas, which is vital for producing insulin.

The result was an astonishingly high blood sugar level of 73 mmol/L when I was admitted to the hospital. To put this in perspective, a normal blood glucose level is typically below 5.6 mmol/L, and a diagnosis of diabetes is made at 7.0 mmol/L or higher. When my niece, a nurse, was told about the level, she initially thought they had told her my blood sugar level was 17, not 70!

At first, I was on insulin multiple times a day, and even then my sugar levels fluctuated wildly.

Gradually, through persistent effort and significant lifestyle changes, my blood sugar levels began to stabilize.

I completely eliminated soft drinks, and reduced my carbohydrate intake from bread and rice. But it’s all about moderation. “You can have a piece of chocolate, not the whole block. You can have a glass of wine, not the whole bottle”, I remember a dietician saying,

Last week I went to see the endocrinologist, and I’m thrilled to report that my efforts have paid off. The latest blood test has revealed my HbA1c level has dropped into the pre-diabetic range.

Having achieved two separate tests within the pre-diabetic range means that, strictly speaking, I am no longer classified as diabetic. While my blood sugar levels are still elevated compared to a non-diabetic people, and I remain at a higher risk of developing T2D again if I don’t maintain these lifestyle changes, this achievement is a massive victory.

The feeling of nausea, which often signals either high or low blood sugar, is another challenging symptom, and which continues. I’ve only had one severe episode of hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar), which occurred in the hospital and registered a dangerously low 2.2 mmol/L. This required immediate intervention with sugary lollies and coke to rapidly elevate my blood sugar.

Almost two years later, I am no longer dependent on insulin injections and am now managing my condition with oral medications taken twice daily.

Despite the good news that came through last week, the journey is not over yet.