Struggling to accept all this

KevFish_er

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi,

I was diagnosed as type 2 in July 2016 and have really struggled to make the required changes in my life.

I've been ill since August, multiple chest infections and am currently signed off work following pleurisy.

I haven't been eating right, I feel I don't have my diabetes under control.

I'm seeing a specialist next week to get things on track but hoping I'm not the only one who struggled post diagnosis and would appreciate any advice anyone may have

Thanks for reading x
 

miahara

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,019
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,

I was diagnosed as type 2 in July 2016 and have really struggled to make the required changes in my life.

I've been ill since August, multiple chest infections and am currently signed off work following pleurisy.

I haven't been eating right, I feel I don't have my diabetes under control.

I'm seeing a specialist next week to get things on track but hoping I'm not the only one who struggled post diagnosis and would appreciate any advice anyone may have

Thanks for reading x
Hi Kev! Sorry you've been having such a rough time. Your repeated infections won't have helped you manage your blood glucose levels as infections can really screw things up.
How are you managing your D? what medication/s are you taking and are you monitoring your BG levels? Have you tried to reduce your carbohydrate intake?

Dave
 

daisyduck

Well-Known Member
Messages
988
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome. There are loads of helpful people on here who have all gone through what you are feeling.
Tons of information available , just ask and someone will pop along and answer you.
I'll tag @daisy1 who will post a beginners guide for you.
Most of us have great results from cutting our carbohydrate consumption. Personally I have lost 2 stones. reversed fatty liver disease and reduced my type 2 level to just above prediabetes .. on diet alone. it's very easy to follow and doesn't feel like a diet at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Liam1955 and Prem51

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@KevFish_er

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


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 147,000 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 free 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. They're all 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.
 

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
*
Hi @KevFish_er and welcome to the forum. You will get a lot of good advice and support on here. Have a read round the threads and you will see that a lot of us have controlled our T2 diabetes by adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF) approach to eating.
 

RosieLKH

Well-Known Member
Messages
735
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi Kev,
Well, I suppose the good news is that it's taken under a year and you're taking the first steps to getting to grips with type 2 by coming and posting on here. I took a lot longer I'm afraid, as I believed taking the meds would sort me out. Since I've been on this website and have taken to the low carb way of life things have started changing for me and I am getting control of my blood sugars. It's been a bit up and down, with me going on and off sticking to the diet, but changing a lifetime way of thinking has been hard for my poor brain. Getting my head around not eating low cal has been the thing. I'd always felt guilt with food - I shouldn't be eating this - so cheese, cream, butter, bacon etc were not the things I previously ate. I used to have fizzy low cal drinks, low cal yoghurt etc, but now I am going for as little processed food as I can, no sugar substitutes, full-fat everything.

After years of not sticking to low cal diets and slowly getting bigger and bigger I have managed to lose weight - very slowly compared to some - but sustained loss - not going up in 2 years now. For me it has been a lot to do with getting my head around a new lifestyle around food, but came at a time when I was changing other areas of my life, which I think has helped.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Good luck with making changes. Read loads on here. Ask questions - people are very helpful and knowledgeable. Oh, and I use the My Fitness Pal website/app to record my foods (on and off - I don't do it religiously any more) as it's good for letting you know how many carbs you're taking in (as long as you check whoever entered the food put in the carbs!).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Prem51

Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
Hi @KevFish_er - The SD Codefree is just one of the popular Blood Glucose Meters used by members on the Forum. The Test Strips are the cheapest to buy, and even cheaper if bought in bulk. Take a look on the link below:
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose/
State you have Diabetes for VAT exemption. And in the UK we use mmo/L
If buying in bulk these are the discount codes:
5 packs = 264086. 10 packs = 975833.
__________________________________

Another Blood Glucose Meter that is popular with Forum members - just take a look.
www.spirit-healthcare.co.uk
 
Last edited:

Freema

Expert
Messages
7,346
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
welcome here KevFish_er :)
this is a fantastic place to get help support and informations, stay here and ask questions of what you need guidance in <3
 

FreddieC

Member
Messages
7
It's always hard at first. I remember how difficult it was for me to stop enjoy a cold beer. But eventually I had to make the hard choice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Prem51

Parisemo

Active Member
Messages
38
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,

I was diagnosed as type 2 in July 2016 and have really struggled to make the required changes in my life.

I've been ill since August, multiple chest infections and am currently signed off work following pleurisy.

I haven't been eating right, I feel I don't have my diabetes under control.

I'm seeing a specialist next week to get things on track but hoping I'm not the only one who struggled post diagnosis and would appreciate any advice anyone may have

Thanks for reading x
You are lucky you only have type 2. I have had type 1 for a very long time. I did not look after myself when a teenager and am now registered blind with other complications. You have so many recipes on this site that all your family can eat. Look after yourself or type 1 will creep up. Its not a life centance just a life change. Be grateful it is only diabetis and not terminal cancer. X
 

donnellysdogs

Master
Messages
13,233
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
You are lucky you only have type 2. I have had type 1 for a very long time. I did not look after myself when a teenager and am now registered blind with other complications. You have so many recipes on this site that all your family can eat. Look after yourself or type 1 will creep up. Its not a life centance just a life change. Be grateful it is only diabetis and not terminal cancer. X


Please note.... you cannot get type 1 creeping up from being a type 2......

Type 2's can become insulin dependent but you cannot become a type 1 from not looking after yourself as a T2!!!