Newly Diagnosed - Type 2

Mlundie72

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 in late December 2015. To be honest I have not received any advice from my the Diabetic Nurse other than she told me that I would be referred to a Desmond Day (I'm in the Fareham area, near Portsmouth).

So far, I have had to research and find groups where advice is offered. I don't know if I am supposed to be testing my sugar levels now or wait until after this Desmond day on 30th March - just don't know what I am meant to be doing in the meantime and feel that I'm in the dark to be honest.

Just to give you a little about me I'm 43 (soon to be 44), I have a rare bone disease, fibromyalgia and arthritis and now Diabetes Type 2 has been bunged on top. My weight was always around 10 stone, however with all the medication that I'm on and the reduction in my ability to exercise, my wait has slowly but surely crept up to 14stn 5lbs. I don't smoke, I very rarely enjoy a glass of wine and I don't eat take aways etc. In general I am a healthy eater although do enjoy a nice packet of ready salted crisps from time to time - and no I am not in denial, I have been following Slimming World for quite some time and it has been frustrating for me as I typically lose then the following week put on - and some days I am eating the same food! To say it is frustrating it is an understatement.

So I have signed up to slimming world for the next 12 weeks, to give it everything I have and hopefully reduce my weight.

I am happy to receive any advice that you can give me, as some help is better than what I have at the moment!!

Thank you for listening to my rambles.

Michelle x
 
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Liam1955

Master
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@Mlundie72 - Hello Michelle and Welcome to the Forum. I will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information for all newbies. Have a good read and ask any questions you may have? Some will answer. :) William.
 

Liam1955

Master
Messages
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@Mlundie72 - Someone will answer questions posted. (It should say) And Yes Michelle do test your blood sugars. My advice is to start a Food Diary, test your blood sugar before meals and test again 2 hours later, record in the diary what foods you ate - your blood sugar before and after, you'll then be able to see which foods have an effect on your body. :)William.
 
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13lizanne

Expert
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8,262
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Type 2
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Hello @Mlundie72 and welcome to the forum. There is quite a lot of information to be had just by browsing through the various forum topics. On the home page of this website there are lots of links to "how to" type videos which are very clear. Don't worry about feeling overwhelmed by all the various information, just start slowly with the stuff which catches your interest, daisy's info is a good place to start and please, try not to worry, diabetes needn't change who you are, it can be managed and there are lots of lovely people here to "chat" to whenever you want. All the very best to you
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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Cruelty towards animals.
@Mlundie72

Hello Michelle and welcome to the forum :) Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find this useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to answer.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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Prem51

Expert
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7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Hi @Mlundie72 and welcome! It's great that you have found this forum. I went on the DESMOND course and while it was useful, I don't think the dietary advice, to eat carbohydrates with every meal, is good.
A lot of people on here, including myself, have found that a Low Carbohydrate High Fat approach to eating has meant a reduction in Blood Sugar levels and weight.
 
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JohnEGreen

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Hello and welcome Michelle there is not a lot I can add to what's been already said as I am new here also. But would agree with the advice on self testing get a meter and go for it. As ultimately it's your body your condition and your responsibility to take control no matter what others may demand of you you decide what is in your best interests after considering all the options and advice given.

John
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi and welcome. Do get hold of your own meter and test 2 hours after some typical meals. Be careful with SW as some of the branded diets still work on the basis that fats are bad and carbs are good (wrong). To enable your weight to come down you need to keep the carbs down and have enough protein, fats, veg and non-tropical fruit to keep you feeling full. If you are on any steroids they can have a massive effect on weight and blood sugar
 
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Clarebear802

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
@Mlundie72 - Someone will answer questions posted. (It should say) And Yes Michelle do test your blood sugars. My advice is to start a Food Diary, test your blood sugar before meals and test again 2 hours later, record in the diary what foods you ate - your blood sugar before and after, you'll then be able to see which foods have an effect on your body. :)William.
Hi I'm newly diagnosed (yesterday) and have been told not to test my blood sugars myself? I was even told not to buy the machine as I won't be provided with the test strips
 

jaybay

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was told there was no need for T2 to test. I bought a monitor and have used for the last three months. Result is that I have good control of my BG and my HBa1c has improved twice. I manage my carbs and now know what I can eat without too much of an increase in BG. I feel great, have lots of energy and it is due to managing my BG by using a monitor and changing my diet. in my view it is worth buying the monitor as long as you then track results and change your diet to improve your results.
 
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Liam1955

Master
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@Clarebear802 - Hello and Welcome to the Forum:). I will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all newbies receive. Have a read and if you have any questions? Just ask, some will come along and answer. In my opinion the most important piece of Diabetes equipment is a Meter. William.
 

Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
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Type 2
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@jaybay - You were sensible to buy yourself a meter, it's important to take control immediately - well done :D
 

TooManyCrisps

Well-Known Member
Messages
535
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @Clarebear802, I am newly diagnosed (6 weeks ago) and after reading lots of threads on this site (recommended to me by my GP) I started a LCHF diet and bought a meter. I write down everything I eat and drink, with times, and then test before and after meals. I can then see any patterns. I try to be very strict with the LC bit of the diet, but still shy away from the HF bit! So far I have lost a stone and I'm hoping my next HbA1C test shows a real improvement (it was 97 at diagnosis :(). Everyone on here has been so helpful.

Good luck!