Type 2
- Thread starter Drummer0609
- Start Date
bulkbiker
BANNED
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- 19,575
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
What nurse really wanted to say was we can't afford to give you a machine and test strips so we'll leave you in the dark while your Type 2 gets worse. Would seriously recommend self funding if you are able.
I'll tag
@daisy1 for the intro to low carbing and
@AM1874
who has very useful info on meter strips and discounts..
A whole lot of us have adopted a low carb way of eating which has had a significant impact on our blood glucose levels.
There is a low carb program on this website and you can also check out the extremely useful info on
www.dietdoctor.com
Feel free to ask any questions but maybe have a read around the threads on the site so you can see what others do.
Don;t worry it is controllable for almost everyone.. and now you're here amongst knowledgable friends.
Welcome.
I'll tag
@daisy1 for the intro to low carbing and
@AM1874
who has very useful info on meter strips and discounts..
A whole lot of us have adopted a low carb way of eating which has had a significant impact on our blood glucose levels.
There is a low carb program on this website and you can also check out the extremely useful info on
www.dietdoctor.com
Feel free to ask any questions but maybe have a read around the threads on the site so you can see what others do.
Don;t worry it is controllable for almost everyone.. and now you're here amongst knowledgable friends.
Welcome.
Squire Fulwood
Expert
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- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Guzzler
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If you choose not to test then you are working blind. Testing will teach you your response to different foods and as we are all different our responses are different. I use the SD Codefree metre and test just before the first bite of a meal then two hours after the first bite. The rise should be no more than 2mmol and ideally no more than 1.5mmol. Record your readings and your meals in a food diary so you can which foods 'spike' your blood glucose levels.
Diabetes nurses often tell people not to test because they think some will become anxious about readings but the top reason is that if they tell you test and have to put meters and test strips on prescription the costs would be enormous. So, test and test again to learn more about foods you can eat and foods you should avoid or cut back drastically. Good luck.
Diabetes nurses often tell people not to test because they think some will become anxious about readings but the top reason is that if they tell you test and have to put meters and test strips on prescription the costs would be enormous. So, test and test again to learn more about foods you can eat and foods you should avoid or cut back drastically. Good luck.
AM1874
Well-Known Member
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- 1,383
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
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- Not much
Hi @Drummer0609 .. and welcome
You have certainly made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.
The key point to take on board now is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..
I see that @bulkbiker has already tagged @ daisy1 has for you and I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need on what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Ignore what Nursie has told you .. it is a top priority that you get yourself a test meter and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.
The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available
I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them
Hope this helps
You have certainly made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.
The key point to take on board now is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..
I see that @bulkbiker has already tagged @ daisy1 has for you and I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need on what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds
Ignore what Nursie has told you .. it is a top priority that you get yourself a test meter and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.
The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available
I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them
Hope this helps
DavidGrahamJones
Well-Known Member
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- 3,263
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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- Other
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It's already been said, the fact that my DN and diabetic specialist that I was referred to recently both recommend monitoring and both are advocates of the low carb diet. In fact when I went to see the specialist only a few months ago she had a low carb book on her desk ready to give to me. I wonder why they don't all sing from the same songbook?
I wonder why your nurse thinks that the HbA1c is adequate in finding out what your BG is doing. In the beginning especially, while you're seeing what's good and what's not, it's essential. It's mostly obvious but sometimes there are surprises which is why I think monitoring is essential.
All the best, btw, practice smiling sweetly, in case she gives you any more silly advice.
You need a machine! Your lucky to have one. What other disease has a feedback device you yourself can see if you are doing better or not? We have to have this most powerful tool to help treat a serious disease. 50% of type 2 diabetics will develop early dementia and 70% will die of heart attack. You can lose limbs, your sight, kidneys, stroke, and cancer.
pleinster
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- Type of diabetes
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I agree with the others that you need to get a meter and one that you can afford in the long term so check on the price of the strips that you need. Then it is important that you use it to find out what is happening in our body. Test before eating and two hours after, keep a note of the readings and what you have eaten. You will soon start to see patterns. Try to keep the increase across a meal time to less than 2, if it is more then you have eaten something that your body can no longer cope with. It is a steep learning curve initially but view it as spending time finding out about your body, it is a bit of an adventure. There are lots of people on here who will try to support you and if you decide to adopt a low carb lifestyle (which a lot of people find works ) then there are other sites too like Diet doctor that are good for helping sort out which foods to target. Good luck.
pleinster
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- Type of diabetes
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I agree very much with the importance of keeping a record of what you eat alongside your meter readings. I tested my levels up to 8-9 times a day for the first few weeks just to establish some patterns so i could adapt my approach. I would advise also including a note of any drugs you take and when you take them as this may also yield some interesting info. One small point - personally two hours after eating is a bit too soon for my metabolism...so I test 2.5 to 3 hours post eating. 2 hours or so is a great guideline but it's not carved in stone as we all differ...that said, if levels are not going down very well by the 3 hour mark, you are definitely eating the wrong grub.
Freema
Expert
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- 7,346
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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- Diet only
Having the raised average blood glucose of over 6.5 and also having High spikes to more than 2 mmol over What it was before the meal are both very damaging and the main reason for the adding diseases so of course one need to measure to know How to take action and avoid the worst spiking foods
Ajax
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- 100
- Type of diabetes
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- Insulin
I no longer use a glucometer ..but instead use the HbA1c values issued at my twice-yearly ✻diabetes reviews✻
My food plan is a ✻capsule menu✻ ..it never varies ..neither does my exercise pattern.
My HbA1c values have tried to creep up ..but have been punched in the face by an incremental increase in medication.
I can only write this is a personal capacity ..as I don't have the authority to advise others what to do.
My food plan is a ✻capsule menu✻ ..it never varies ..neither does my exercise pattern.
My HbA1c values have tried to creep up ..but have been punched in the face by an incremental increase in medication.
I can only write this is a personal capacity ..as I don't have the authority to advise others what to do.
daisy1
Legend
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- Type of diabetes
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@Drummer0609
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask questions 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 250,000 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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask questions 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 250,000 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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
DavidGrahamJones
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As I mentioned earlier, smile sweetly, you end up being stuck with these people for the length of time you use a particular practice. Humour them.
It is only my opinion but we on this forum very quickly forget that we are not normal in that we take a pro-active attitude to our health and monitoring is essential in that approach. The NICE guidelines which the health professionals try to work to don't actually forbid monitoring, they just don't make a big thing about it. The guidelines are here:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28/chapter/1-Recommendations#self-monitoring-of-blood-glucose.
I think if you mentioned that you have chosen to self monitor more closely and carefully than they (the medics) want to, they shouldn't be saying otherwise, if I've read the guidelines correctly. The following is the relevant bit:
1.6.16 If adults with type 2 diabetes are self‑monitoring their blood glucose levels, carry out a structured assessment at least annually. The assessment should include:
- the person's self-monitoring skills
- the quality and frequency of testing
- checking that the person knows how to interpret the blood glucose results and what action to take
- the impact on the person's quality of life
- the continued benefit to the person
-
the equipment used. [2015]
Hello drummer, and welcome. The only thing I would add to the excellent advice is that along side recording your food in the diary I would also include notes about health and mood. Although there is often not alot we can do about some of these things they do a lot of messing about with blood sugar.
And I had an interesting chat at my retinopathy screening yesterday with a woman a couple of years older than me who was dx 3 years ago. She is the first person with t2 that I have spoken to since my dx in June.
She has never tested her own bgl and sees no reason to start. She never asked the dn and it was never mentioned.
She also does not know her own hba1c, and is content with being told " its fine." Although her medications have been increased she has been told that this waswas normal and just how diabetes "works".
She did do a course, didn't know the name of it and now avoids sugar. She did say that she learnt that sugar is in lots of things she hadn't realised before, so that was a good thing.
She also didnt seem to have any knowledge about the dreadful long term effects of poorly controlled diabetes.
I was amazed. How can anyone be so content to let other people make the most important decisions of their lives? Her grandchildren are the same ages as mine and she is still working. I got the impression that t2d is just a bit of a nuisance and something to be done once and then ignored for most of the time, like getting your eyes tested and then having to wear glasses.
She was in a hurry and I think became more than a little cross with me as I quite obviously got more and more surprised by her answers. I know that she thinks daily testing is only some t1s need to do.
I know that davidgrahamjones says that the t2ds on this forum are not the norm, but this is the first time I have seen it.
And I had an interesting chat at my retinopathy screening yesterday with a woman a couple of years older than me who was dx 3 years ago. She is the first person with t2 that I have spoken to since my dx in June.
She has never tested her own bgl and sees no reason to start. She never asked the dn and it was never mentioned.
She also does not know her own hba1c, and is content with being told " its fine." Although her medications have been increased she has been told that this waswas normal and just how diabetes "works".
She did do a course, didn't know the name of it and now avoids sugar. She did say that she learnt that sugar is in lots of things she hadn't realised before, so that was a good thing.
She also didnt seem to have any knowledge about the dreadful long term effects of poorly controlled diabetes.
I was amazed. How can anyone be so content to let other people make the most important decisions of their lives? Her grandchildren are the same ages as mine and she is still working. I got the impression that t2d is just a bit of a nuisance and something to be done once and then ignored for most of the time, like getting your eyes tested and then having to wear glasses.
She was in a hurry and I think became more than a little cross with me as I quite obviously got more and more surprised by her answers. I know that she thinks daily testing is only some t1s need to do.
I know that davidgrahamjones says that the t2ds on this forum are not the norm, but this is the first time I have seen it.
