Confused

Melinda14256

Member
Messages
12
Was diagnosed in july and have only just seen a nurse for my first diabetic app. She told me symptoms i have are not due to the diabetes ( very frequent urination at night, drinking lots, dry mouth, blurry vision at times and just feeling generally grotty) yet the doctor said they are. Told they won't give prescription to self monitor.So much to take on board. On a very low budget and burying my head in the sand
. . . Help . . . .
 

Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
May I ask if you have had blood tests and what were the results of those tests?
 
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Kittycat_7_

Well-Known Member
Messages
492
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,
I'm newly diagnosed too, I have the same symptoms. Listen to your dr he is right.
It's upsetting to be diagnosed, it gets easier with more knowledge.
You will have regular blood tests and appointments at your surgery.
I got a free monitor from spirit healthcare came with ten testing sticks.
Are you starting on a low carb diet? Or did they prescribe you medication?
This forum is great for support. As your blood sugars lower you will start to feel better.
Take care
 

Melinda14256

Member
Messages
12
Thank you kittycat_7_
No meds need to sort out my diet . . . Just confused when she is supposed to be the 'diabetic trained nurse' she said its my age and to get my eyes tested !
 

Kittycat_7_

Well-Known Member
Messages
492
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Thank you kittycat_7_
No meds need to sort out my diet . . . Just confused when she is supposed to be the 'diabetic trained nurse' she said its my age and to get my eyes tested !

How shocking a diabetic nurse said those things. All diabetics have to be screened for retinopathy you will be send a letter with where to book it.
Even children can get type two so it's not your age.
Take care
 
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Melinda14256

Member
Messages
12
She said the frequent urination was probably because i was drinking too much in the evening and that my levels weren't high enough for side effects. A friend tested me and i was 13.7 a couple of hours after a meal.
 

Kittycat_7_

Well-Known Member
Messages
492
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
She said the frequent urination was probably because i was drinking too much in the evening and that my levels weren't high enough for side effects. A friend tested me and i was 13.7 a couple of hours after a meal.

Hi,
The diabetes causes a terrible thirst, and thus frequent urination especially at night.
13.7 is high.
Hope you can see a different nurse.
Your levels will be fluctuating
Take care
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I think that you should speak to the doctor as his nurse has obviously lost touch with reality. You have classic symptoms of diabetes and should be given proper advice.
An eye test should be arranged for you - not for your sight but for a check on your retina - as high blood glucose can cause damage there. Raised levels can cause blurry vision, but once you can get control that should hopefully subside. If you've had raised levels for some time you might need new glasses - if you have them, but not straight away, or you might have glasses which are OK for a few weeks only.
Changing your diet so as to exclude high carb foods should sort out most of your problems quite fast. High carb doesn't need to be expensive - if you go for the best steak and chicken fillets it would be, but shin of beef casserole and packs of chicken thighs have worked for me. I did have sirloin steak the other day, but that was part of a box from the local butcher and there's not many steaks and far more shin.
 

paulus1

Well-Known Member
Messages
843
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)

Melinda14256

Member
Messages
12
Thank you for the replys I'm only 44 so have a good chance to improve things. It runs in the female side of our family but i am overweight. I'm supposed to be seeing 'the diabetic nurse' in a couple of weeks but don't have much faith in her.
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Melinda14256

Hello Melinda 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 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.
  • 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.
 
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Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. From what you say and those symptoms you probably are diabetic. The nurse appears clueless and you need to make contact with the GP if the next nurse visit is no improvement. Ensure that you have an HBA1C test done 1-2 weeks before your appointment and ask for the results. Use online access for your test results if you can. If you can, buy your own meter and strips and test every so often 2 hours after a meal. The reading should be below 8.5mmol to be in good control. Blurred vision thru diabetes will clear by itself but you are entitled to annual retinopathy tests anyway. As you may gather a low-carb diet is an important part of managing T2.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi doc says I am readings were 63 then 64 a few months later. Spent most of the morning reading posts on here, much more informative than doc or nurse. Have started a food diary and going to order monitor.

Great you are doing this, Your meter and food diary will become your best friends. When you get your meter use it to the very best advantage. We will help you with that.

The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.

Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here and the meter is free.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)
 
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