My Latest Diabetes Review

Last year I was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. It was a pretty crappy time. I still maintain that my pancreas is an arsehole. Three months ago my Hba1C was 57mmol/ml after a routine diabetes review which is not good and my medication was upped to the max (for Metformin). Today I got the results of my most recent review, and it’s good news.

I’ve had some real struggles managing by blood glucose, despite my health team recognising that I’ve been doing all that they asked, and more. After my last review and another crummy result, I decided to try blood glucose testing. As a type 2 diabetic I am not automatically eligible for this and so I decided to swallow the cost and fund it myself. What a difference it makes.

Over the past few months, I’ve learned a lot about what spikes my blood glucose levels, foods and otherwise. Already on a restrictive diet due to other issues  I eat no junk and prep everything by hand. I was really surprised by how one portion of some foods would be fine where one and a half would not be. Using a blood glucose monitor has helped me understand a lot about myself (because all diabetes are unique) and manage everything more effectively.

This morning I received the results of my most recent review. I have gone, in three months, of having a Hba1c result of 57mmol/ml to 46mmol/ml. This a fabulous result, fabulous!

Dear Mrs Cawood,

Your recent blood test results were all satisfactory, indicating that your Diabetes is currently well controlled…..

To say that I was thrilled when that popped through the letterbox is a great understatement, not least because it means that I don’t need to keep going back every three months as my diabetes review date has been pushed back to six months.

I’ll post another time more about Hba1c, what it means and so on but in simple terms it means my diabetes is very well managed for the first time and I feel like I have a handle on what I’m doing. A very large part of this has been down to self-testing my blood glucose levels.

I’m hoping to convince my diabetes nurse that I would be a worthy candidate for an NHS monitor as opposed to spending a fortune privately buying test strips, lancets and what not myself. We’ll see.

For now, I’m just grateful for a good result. Onwards and upwards (or downwards please, the numbers need to keep coming down)!

 

 

Sexual Healing

Today’s post is all about sexual healing. No, not Marvin Gaye, but rather issues in the bedroom. This helpful post has been written by those lovelies at Lloyds Pharmacy who are pretty nifty at helping people sort out all kinds of issues.

3 Problems That Could be Hindering your Love Life

Perhaps you’re in a relationship that’s on the rocks, or maybe you’re struggling to find that special someone. Let’s face it, there is a whole range of things that can derail your love life. Here, we take a look at three and offer some tips on how to prevent them from getting in the way of true romance.

Unresolved issues between the sheets

Sexual issues can be embarrassing to talk about, but they’re more common than you might think. As many as a third of women experience difficulties between the sheets, and this figure rises as people age. From a drop in sex drive to pain during intercourse, women can suffer a variety of problems. Among men, erectile dysfunction is widespread, with most men experiencing this issue at some point in their lives.

These difficulties can stop you from pursuing romance, or if you’re already in a relationship, they might drive a wedge between you and your partner. The important thing is to know that you don’t have to suffer in silence. Help is available. You can book an appointment with a doctor or speak to a pharmacist to get the bottom of what’s causing the problem. These experts should be able to advise you on the treatments available. They might suggest making lifestyle changes, or identify an underlying health problem that you need to address. They could also recommend a targeted treatment like Viagra, which is commonly prescribed to men who are experiencing erectile dysfunction. There are alternatives to this well-known erectile dysfunction medicine too. For example, men can also buy Cialis from LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor and other reputable pharmacies.

Discovering the cause of your sexual problem and finding a treatment that works can make you feel more relaxed and positive about the physical side of relationships.

Poor Communication

Bad communication is one of the most serious barriers to a happy love life, so if you struggle to get your point across or you’re not very good at listening, now’s the time to take action. There are some good habits that it pays to get into. For example, make time in your schedule to give that special someone your undivided attention. If you live with your partner, simply putting your phone on silent and turning off the TV can give you the time and space you need to have meaningful talks. Make an effort to spend quality time together too. Whether you enjoy a catch up over a romantic meal out or you have a chat over a long stroll, this should give you the perfect opportunity to discuss anything that’s on your mind.

Also, if you have disagreements with your other half, try to keep a cool head and see things from their point of view too.

Sexual Healing: An Unwillingness to Trust

If you struggle to trust, you might find it impossible to feel secure in a relationship. Perhaps you’ve been lied to or cheated on in the past, or maybe your partner’s behaviour is making you feel suspicious now. There may be things you can do to stop this from ruining your relationships though. For example, if your lack of trust is based on previous experiences, it might be worth getting counselling to see if you can change your thought patterns and become more trusting.

Being open and honest with your partner about any concerns you have could help too. Bottling up your anxieties will just make you feel worse, and there may be surprisingly simple explanations that help to put your mind at rest.

There’s no panacea for relationship problems, but if you’re prepared to work at issues like these, you stand a good chance of keeping your love life on track.

Ok,  with a title like that I can’t not include a little Marvin-style Sexual Healing after all, can I?