Diagnosed or have i?

[Machaon]

After repeatedly having to get up to urinate repeatedly at night I contacted my doctor's surgery and had a blood test. I was promised a call back from the doctor. It didn't materialise so I phoned and was told by a receptionist that I had been booked for a "diabetic review". This is a pretty appalling way to be informed especially as I won't be able to see anyone until January! So I am left hanging.

I presume I have type 2? or do I!

I'd appreciate some advice please. I am very scientifically minded so I think I'd like to get a blood glucose meter if someone could advise me.

Any other advice like diet would be a help as I won't get any medical advice until after Christmas.

I am over weight and I had already adopted lifestyle changes and my clothes are getting too big for me so I have obviously lost weight but that may at least partly be a symptom of hyperglycemia.

 

[Guzzler]

The diagnostic test for Type 2 Diabetes rests on two HbA1c tests usually taken a short time apart. The second test is to confirm the diagnosis. Did you have two venous bloods drawn? This is standard in the UK.

The tests for Type 1 Diabetes are different and as I am T2 I will let other members advise you on those tests. Until you are sure of your diagnosis then I am afraid that the advice we give you can only be general. However, as you say you are actively trying to lose weight (as opposed to losing weight without reason) and this can be attributed to dietary changes then, yes, it would be wise to invest early in a glucometer. There are quite a few on the market, I use the Codefree monitor as the test strips are the cheapest (It is the test strips that are expensive rather than the meters themselves).
The receptionist at your surgery may not have known why the review appointment was made and was unaware that you had not been given any information but I agree that it is not acceptable to be told in that fashion.

If you have had two HbA1c tests then the review will involve a foot check, referral for eye screening, weight recording and possibly meds. Without knowing your test results it is impossible to say much more than that.

I shall tag @daisy1 who will post an invaluable welcome pack for those newly diagnosed with T2 but, as I have said, in the event of your diagnosis being of another type of Diabetes the advice on diet may be different.

And finally, welcome to the forum. You will find that most members here are highly motivated and knowledgeable about Diabetes and its impacts and ways that have worked to lessen those impacts.

 

[debrasue]

Hi @Machaon - welcome to the forum.

Firstly, I echo what Guzzler says above - I am T2 and the dietary advice you may receive if you are T1 may be different.

However, I agree, that does sound like an appalling way to receive a diagnosis. If, in fact, that’s what you have received! Sadly, many of our members have similar tales to tell.

Since your review won’t take place until after Christmas, perhaps the best way to handle it would be to assume it’s correct and act accordingly. I’m tagging @daisy1 who will send you some information which may be of help.

It’s a great idea to get a meter, as it’s only by testing that you will be able to see which foods are affecting you and to what degree, so it’s a vitally important tool for those who choose to take control of their condition. There is a lot of advice on meters on these pages, including user reviews.

You have also been lucky to find this forum so quickly. There is a wealth of information on here - browse the various threads and you’ll be astonished how much you can learn in a short space of time - and enjoy doing it!

As regards diet, many of our T2 members adopt the low carb/high fat diet (LCHF). Broadly speaking, this involves avoiding - among other things - sugar (in all its forms), processed foods, flour and products containing flour, pasta, rice, oats, fruit juice, most fruit and root vegetables.

Foods which can be enjoyed include full-fat products (always choose full fat as it slows down the rate at which our bodies convert carbohydrates into glucose), such as dairy if you can tolerate it, eggs, meat, fish, nuts, above-the-ground vegetables and berries. For breakfast, for instance, it would be better to have good quality sausages (ie without cereal as a bulking agent) bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes, rather than a bowl of muesli, with wholemeal toast and some orange juice.

Check out some of the recipes on the website - there is an amazing range of items which can be made using nut flours or other low-carb alternatives.

Good luck, enjoy your journey - and don’t forget to share it with us on the forum!

 

[Resurgam]

With any luck by the time the health authorities sort themselves out you will be on your way to a lower Hba1c and BG levels - and not having to get up in the night.
The good news is that a low carb diet means that you can have the turkey, beef, ham etc, the sprouts and other veges, and there are options for low carb trifle and other things if you have any room left for them.
It is a diet which causes my weight to drop very easily, and I enjoy it greatly.
I only had one test before diagnosis, but it was 91 so I suppose there really was not much doubt about it.
However - eating low carb sorted it out very fast. My own doctor has not bothered speaking to me since diagnosis.

 

[daisy1]

@Machaon

Hello Machaon and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


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 well over 259,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[paulus1]

make yourself an urgent appointment and do some shouting.

 

[DCUKMod]

@Machaon - I would be inclined to call the surgery and ask for a telephone consultation with a GP, in the light of what appears to have been said already.

At my surgery a telephone consultation is usually available well in advance of anything face to face, and I tend to use that approach where it is unlikely a physical examination is likely to be needed (in other words, I'd be happy to discuss test results or the like, but find it less suitable for discussing a nasty little rash or cough).

I would tend to agree with your approach in seeking your own personal feedback loop from your own bloods. I adopted that approach at my own diagnosis and I believe it was pivotal in both my acceptance of my newly diagnosed condition, and the improvements I was able to make in a short period of time.

Good luck with it all.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

It has been said above that a T2 diagnosis is made on the basis of two HbA1c tests a couple of weeks apart. This isn't quite true in all cases. Sometimes one test is enough, and is often accompanied by a snapshot plasma blood glucose test. If both show a high enough level for diagnosis, the second HbA1c isn't always done.

I think a phone call to your GP is the best way forward. You can ask him which glucose tests you had and what the levels were. You could also ask for a print out of the test results, which is always a good plan as doctors tend to be vague in the belief we won't understand. It is always good to have the figures for all tests in black and white so you can analyse them at leisure.

 

[TheBigNewt]

Don't know about the UK, but here in the US I can buy a kit to do my A1C at any drugstore for pretty cheap ($20/test) using a fingerstick. I haven't gone to a lab to have my blood drawn for many years. I buy my glucose meter and strips online but they sell those kits quite cheaply at Walmart here. Sounds like if you want to rely on your NHS and not pay out of pocket it's gonna take you awhile to me.

 

[Machaon]

Thanks very much everyone. I'd like to have the time to respond to everyone,but I don't at present. I will attempt to get a telephone consultation with a doctor tomorrow, but it is easier said than done. You have to ring early in the morning and is extremely difficult. You can ring hundreds of times without any success. You just get an engaged tone and have to hang up and try again. It took me more than one morning just to get to the point where a receptionist rang me to say, falsely, that I should collect the blood test form and then get a call from the doctor with the results., which is what, of course, should have happened.

 

[TheBigNewt]

Doctors don't have time to call with test results trust me. And I bet your docs have even less time than me.