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Discussion & help on depression & mental health related issues

Lifestyle change for me i suppose. Had a heart attack last tuesday night. Made it to hospital with chest pains. Had all the tests. Bit of of a shock when told it was an actual heart attack. Im quite an active person with walking and riding bikes. Do like a drink and a smoke but nothing heavy.
Had the dye put through and stent put in friday.
Makes you think how quick things can change. Told Doctor im convinced Everton contributed lol.
Oh well. Not gone yet.
So pleased you are okay. Best wishes.💙
 
53 mate so probably had my run with the drink and fags. Though i still did a fair few miles on the bike.
Body obviously giving me a nudge though.
That's scary! You're still a youngster, mate... 🤯

Take it easy this week. Hope you're feeling much come the weekend.


Just thought I'd post some Roald Dahl on this Monday morning for the start of a new week, if anybody needs some encouraging words...

Ugly Thoughts.webp
 
I'm in a strange headspace, I'm not sure if it's quite a depression or just a bit of restlessness. Either way I don't like it and feel the need to express it somebody.

I'm finding my life very unsatisfying. I don't get out as much as I'd quite like, I don't feel like I meet enough people, and I don't enjoy being as reclusive I used too. Just feels like I don't do much except work, eat, sleep, repeat. My job is very stressful, to the point where I've seriously considered chucking it a few times (in previous years I would have). I don't seem to have any patience and I know I've been snappier with people.

I've lost 20lbs the last since the Spring, but I don't feel healthier. If anything I feel my diet is worse than ever. I'm constantly peeing, even needing to get up in the night several which I never used to do. I feel constantly dehydrated.

I don't know what is causing all this low mood and physical lethargy. Only at the beginning of this year I was on paper far worse off. I was unemployed, had dwindling fiances, was way out of shape and spent all my time shut-in. A lot of that has changed (for the better) yet I still feel something is really wrong.

I'm not sure of the answer.

An update. I was diagnosed with diabetes the other day after spending all of Friday and most of yesterday in the hospital. I have a calcium problem too, I had bloods taken Thursday evening and then got a call at midnight telling me to get to A&E. They hooked me up to an IV then further bloods tests found my glucose level was very high, diagnosis levels. They think it's likely type 1. I'm 30 years old.

It's been a very hard few days mentally. Feel like my world has been totally upended and will be crap from now on, even though I do luckily have family who are trying to help and reassure me.

Does anyone else have diabetes? I've had to download the LibreLink app and put a sensor on. But now I've gone down the rabbit hole (looking on Google and reading things that scare me about it). In 48 hours I must have looked at my glucose number 150 times since. I can't stop looking , then suffering terrible anxiety when I see it's reading high the bulk of the day (I've been told to only start the once a day insulin needles for now). It's all got me really down tbh.

Anybody else have similar experiences previously and have good advice they'd be willing to share? Thanks.
 
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An update. I was diagnosed with diabetes the other day after spending all of Friday and most of yesterday in the hospital. I have a calcium problem too, I had bloods taken Thursday evening and then got a call at midnight telling me to get to A&E. They hooked me up to an IV then further bloods tests found my glucose level was very high, diagnosis levels. They think it's likely type 1. I'm 30 years old.

It's been a very hard few days mentally. Feel like my world has been totally upended and will be crap from now on, even though I do luckily have family who are trying to help and reassure me.

Does anyone else have diabetes? I've had to download the LibreLink app and put a sensor on. But now I've gone down the rabbit hole (looking on Google and reading things that scare me about it). In 48 hours I must have looked at my glucose number 150 times since. I can't stop looking , then suffering terrible anxiety when I see it's reading high the bulk of the day (I've been told to only start the once a day insulin needles for now). It's all got me really down tbh.

Anybody else have similar experiences previously and have good advice they'd be willing to share? Thanks.

i think mate when you get your condition under control you may then feel better?

hopefully mate x
 
An update. I was diagnosed with diabetes the other day after spending all of Friday and most of yesterday in the hospital. I have a calcium problem too, I had bloods taken Thursday evening and then got a call at midnight telling me to get to A&E. They hooked me up to an IV then further bloods tests found my glucose level was very high, diagnosis levels. They think it's likely type 1. I'm 30 years old.

It's been a very hard few days mentally. Feel like my world has been totally upended and will be crap from now on, even though I do luckily have family who are trying to help and reassure me.

Does anyone else have diabetes? I've had to download the LibreLink app and put a sensor on. But now I've gone down the rabbit hole (looking on Google and reading things that scare me about it). In 48 hours I must have looked at my glucose number 150 times since. I can't stop looking , then suffering terrible anxiety when I see it's reading high the bulk of the day (I've been told to only start the once a day insulin needles for now). It's all got me really down tbh.

Anybody else have similar experiences previously and have good advice they'd be willing to share? Thanks.
I don't have diabetes. It's good you've got a diagnosis so early. It's a lot to take in. It is normal to feel overwhelmed with a situation so serious, but, with time and some experience you'll get hold of it. There's people in the 90's with diabetes. Once you learn to balance sugars and carbs you'll be fine. You are a young man (I assume) and have lots of your youth left to enjoy. This isn't a perfect situation but it is in no way disaster. There's diabetes meetings, nurses, drop in clinics, and all that schmear, once you get hold of it, you'll be calling the shots.

Lots of water, regular exercise, limiting booze and other naughty treats, fresh fruit and veg. A good solid sleeping routine. Following the medical advice to a T.

You can and I'm sure will do this, there's thousands of diabetics that can and do. Chin up, it aint the end, it's only the beginning. ;)
 
An update. I was diagnosed with diabetes the other day after spending all of Friday and most of yesterday in the hospital. I have a calcium problem too, I had bloods taken Thursday evening and then got a call at midnight telling me to get to A&E. They hooked me up to an IV then further bloods tests found my glucose level was very high, diagnosis levels. They think it's likely type 1. I'm 30 years old.

It's been a very hard few days mentally. Feel like my world has been totally upended and will be crap from now on, even though I do luckily have family who are trying to help and reassure me.

Does anyone else have diabetes? I've had to download the LibreLink app and put a sensor on. But now I've gone down the rabbit hole (looking on Google and reading things that scare me about it). In 48 hours I must have looked at my glucose number 150 times since. I can't stop looking , then suffering terrible anxiety when I see it's reading high the bulk of the day (I've been told to only start the once a day insulin needles for now). It's all got me really down tbh.

Anybody else have similar experiences previously and have good advice they'd be willing to share? Thanks.
You have suffered a bit of a knock back with your diagnosis and are rightly feeling apprehensive about the future. It will take time to come to terms with your new situation but you will. ex Spurs player Gary Mabbutt and Teresa May are amongst the thousands of people living with diabetes who didn’t let it hold them back, you will be one of them too. Best wishes.💙
 
53 mate so probably had my run with the drink and fags. Though i still did a fair few miles on the bike.
Body obviously giving me a nudge though.
It’s surprising the number of people I know of , or know about ,who suffer heart attacks or strokes despite being fit and having a reasonably healthy lifestyle. Your “ body giving me a nudge” analogy is a good one , what I’ve found amazing is just how much people keep going strong even years after the event , good luck with your “ nudge” 🙂
 

An update. I was diagnosed with diabetes the other day after spending all of Friday and most of yesterday in the hospital. I have a calcium problem too, I had bloods taken Thursday evening and then got a call at midnight telling me to get to A&E. They hooked me up to an IV then further bloods tests found my glucose level was very high, diagnosis levels. They think it's likely type 1. I'm 30 years old.

It's been a very hard few days mentally. Feel like my world has been totally upended and will be crap from now on, even though I do luckily have family who are trying to help and reassure me.

Does anyone else have diabetes? I've had to download the LibreLink app and put a sensor on. But now I've gone down the rabbit hole (looking on Google and reading things that scare me about it). In 48 hours I must have looked at my glucose number 150 times since. I can't stop looking , then suffering terrible anxiety when I see it's reading high the bulk of the day (I've been told to only start the once a day insulin needles for now). It's all got me really down tbh.

Anybody else have similar experiences previously and have good advice they'd be willing to share? Thanks.
Hi mate, thanks for the update.

Though I'm not glad to hear you have had a spell in hospital, I do think it's good for you long term to be in the clear with a diagnosis so you can start the process of dealing with the shift.

And it is a shift. It will rock you as it would anyone who has cognitive dissonance about our time here. The good news is it is manageable. I don't have diabetes but my best friend as a kid had type 1 from four years old and if he can learn how to take his bloods in front of his mates in class in the 80s and deal with all the other nonsense, I know you can too. Since then (36 years, FFS!) there's been a load of advancements, research, and medical development in technology like automated pumps and glucose monitors that keep an eye on your blood sugar at all times.

There's a strong diabetes community in the UK, and you may even be familiar with Ed Gamble, the comedian, or Chris Parnel, the Rugby player. Even these fellas would never say it is easy and there'll definitely be days when you're sick of it I'm sure, but you're still here and you may find some positives in being more mindful about your body, what you put into it, and what you do with it.

Anxiety with a new diagnosis, especially a lifelong one, is normal. Stay off Google though mate (medical stuff is deffo not one for jfgi) and stick to doctors and communities.

We're here if you need to talk or share more.
 
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An update. I was diagnosed with diabetes the other day after spending all of Friday and most of yesterday in the hospital. I have a calcium problem too, I had bloods taken Thursday evening and then got a call at midnight telling me to get to A&E. They hooked me up to an IV then further bloods tests found my glucose level was very high, diagnosis levels. They think it's likely type 1. I'm 30 years old.

It's been a very hard few days mentally. Feel like my world has been totally upended and will be crap from now on, even though I do luckily have family who are trying to help and reassure me.

Does anyone else have diabetes? I've had to download the LibreLink app and put a sensor on. But now I've gone down the rabbit hole (looking on Google and reading things that scare me about it). In 48 hours I must have looked at my glucose number 150 times since. I can't stop looking , then suffering terrible anxiety when I see it's reading high the bulk of the day (I've been told to only start the once a day insulin needles for now). It's all got me really down tbh.

Anybody else have similar experiences previously and have good advice they'd be willing to share? Thanks.
My lad was diagnosed when he was 3, so I’ve been living with it for 7+ years mate. I also do some work with the local charity to me. I’m no expert but happy to help where I can. DMs are always open.
 
Sorry @EFCPaul

I was getting ready to hit the sack so that reply was probably a bit more abrupt than I intended!

When my lad was first diagnosed I basically mourned him because I thought he’d never be able to do the stuff that “normal” kids do. As someone else has already pointed out, a quick Google of sports stars and celebs who have lived with T1 since childhood soon helps you realise that you can not only survive but thrive with it.

For me, most important when the dust settles is understanding how you want to manage it. Will you restrict your carb intake for the most part, or continue to enjoy what you want to eat and rely more on insulin? I didn’t want my lad to have a negative relationship with his scran so we chose the latter and, while it’s the trickier of the two approaches to get right, his control has been excellent for the most part.

The technology is mind-blowing already and will only continue to advance and make your life easier. Try to avoid beating yourself up over every instance of dodgy sugars and have a box of 12 packs of Jelly Babies on your Amazon subscribe and save every month!!!

You’ll have it under control in no time mate and, again, for those times you need an ear, I’ll be about.
 
It’s surprising the number of people I know of , or know about ,who suffer heart attacks or strokes despite being fit and having a reasonably healthy lifestyle. Your “ body giving me a nudge” analogy is a good one , what I’ve found amazing is just how much people keep going strong even years after the event , good luck with your “ nudge” 🙂
Yup, my dad had a minor heart attack aged 58. He’s now over 80 and still fit and well, out and about constantly.
 
My mother died last Friday ; not totally expected as she was 91 (her birthday was the next day.) The usual emotions, as you would expect, have followed. We brought her home for the last month so she could die in her familiar surroundings, as she wished. It was a slow decline, with unfortunately a rather distressing ending.

I can't speak highly enough of the the medical professionals who cared for her in her final days : her doctor, available 24 hours a day ; the care workers who washed and changed her, and the Macmillan nurses who gave comfort and solace both before and after her death.

The NHS comes in for a lot of criticism, but from this experience I am, to be honest, overawed by the care shown. A large amount of medicines, personal clothing, food, a bed with bedding were provided, free of charge. Labour had better be aware of any radical changes to the care offered to people who are are in their last days of life. I don't know how I would have coped, not only with the care shown, but the expense of the help offered, all free. They should walk very carefully indeed in their zealous pursuit of 'reforms '.

It's been difficult in the following days. Her husband, my stepfather, is 90 and himself not in the best of health. Sympathetic telephone calls, visitors and bereavement cards just add to his despair. He had a fall the day after the death so can't really do much around the house, so I cook his meals and generally look after him. It's not if I'm alone, siblings and friends come to visit and he puts on a veneer of normality. Once were alone it's another matter. A gloom descends upon the house, and it's not easy to cope with. To be honest I can only see one outcome in the coming weeks/months.

I'm a total atheist but something really eerie happened in the last week of my mother's life which has thrown me a touch. She had a personal alarm which she could press which would alert me that she needed something. All three occasions occurred at 03.00 a.m.

The first strange happening was when she pressed the alarm and said, " The train's here but I don't want to get on it. "

A couple of days later she said, " I've missed the train, when is the next one ? "

Then, just before she died, she said, " I've caught the train and it's moving. "

She was on morphine (kept the bottle for my dotage) but only for the preceding day of her life. Maybe it was the fevered dreams due to her condition that made her hallucinate, but there's a nagging feeling...

I've received all the well meaning platitudes from well meaning people, but it does get you down a bit when gloom envelopes you, and you look forward to going to the shop for half an hour, but no longer because you have to get back, in case...
 

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