Newly diagnosed T2D and PCOS

Stronggirlsclub

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello everyone,

My husband and I have been trying for a baby for the past 2 years without any joy. Last week I saw a practice nurse to begin some fertility investigations. This morning she called to tell me that she suspects I have diabetes and PCOS and that I had a HBA1C of 105mmol.

I know this is incredibly high, and whilst the official diagnosis won’t come until I’ve had my second blood test in 2 weeks time, I am confident that I will get this diagnosis.

Ive worked within the diabetes research for the last 10 years, so this diagnosis is horribly ironic. It also means that I know a lot about the biochemistry of the disease but nothing about the day to day management.

My concerns right now are that I am approaching my 33rd birthday and really feel like my biological clock is ticking. I know that it’s not safe to conceive with BG that high so the immediate focus for me is to drop weight (current BMI 32.5) and work on my blood sugar.

Is there anyone who has been in this position?

Can anyone offer any words of comfort? I really wasn’t expecting this.
 

Sam50

Well-Known Member
Messages
228
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
hello and welcome to the forum. You will find lots of helpful advice and support here. I'm sure Daisy will be along shortly with the info for new members.

Many people on here follow a low carb mode of eating which many find very helpful in controlling blood sugar and losing weight. My Hubby was diagnosed T2 last summer with an HbA1C of around 93 ( I think from memory) and by low carbing got it down to 50 odd in 5 months and is awaiting his next test. He also lost 2 stone in weight and got his BP back in the normal ranges. As a lifestyle change it is very effective !

Take a deep breath and read around the posts on here. It's a lot to take on board when you are first diagnosed but you will find lots of help here. xx
 
  • Like
Reactions: ziggy_w and Rachox

Sam50

Well-Known Member
Messages
228
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
hello and welcome to the forum. You will find lots of helpful advice and support here. I'm sure Daisy will be along shortly with the info for new members.

Many people on here follow a low carb mode of eating which many find very helpful in controlling blood sugar and losing weight. My Hubby was diagnosed T2 last summer with an HbA1C of around 93 ( I think from memory) and by low carbing got it down to 50 odd in 5 months and is awaiting his next test. He also lost 2 stone in weight and got his BP back in the normal ranges. As a lifestyle change it is very effective !

Take a deep breath and read around the posts on here. It's a lot to take on board when you are first diagnosed but you will find lots of help here. xx
I forgot to add-buy yourself a blood glucose meter (Amazon sell CodeFree for around £12 but there are others) so that you can test yourself before and after eating to see how you are doing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rachox

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,808
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi Strong girl, love the name, if you’re as determined as your name suggests, I think you’ll crack this. I was diagnosed post kids, but can reassure you that it’s entirely possible to get your blood sugars and weight down.
I'm now nearly 11 months from being diagnosed type 2. Once I was over the initial shock, I saw it as the proverbial kick up the bum to get healthier. I was started on Metformin tablets and tolerate them well now after a bit of stomach upset in the early days. I wasn't advised to eat low carb by my GP or Diabetes education course (something you’ll get referred to), but stumbled on this forum by chance and took up a low carb life style with self monitoring. I started by eating less than 100g carbs/day to begin with and then after 6 weeks reduced it to 50-70g/day, nowadays I tend to keep under 60g. Caution needs to be taken on certain drugs going low carb but on just Metformin it’s ok. The best way to see what foods suit you is to test right before a meal and then two hours after the first bite, you’re looking for a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l and to be within these recommended ranges http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
This has worked for me, to date I've lost 5 1/2stone (still more to go) and got my HbA1c down to a non diabetic level, all due to the fantastic support and advise I got here. Read around the Forum and ask any questions that occur to you.
I’ll also tag in @daisy1 for a useful info post.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ziggy_w and Sam50

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome @Stonggirlsclub

I am well past children. I have adult grandchildren so cannot help in that respect.

I strongly advise you to buy a blood glucose meter as this will help you with your food choices like nothing else can. You will find the current NHS dietary advise is nonsensical for T2 diabetics as it advocates the "eatwell plate" of what they term a balanced healthy diet. This involves a lot of starchy carbs and fruit, which are very, very difficult for us. So you need to be prepared for a lot of conflicting information. This is why meters are so important because we can test before and after eating to see at a glance what that meal has done to our glucose levels and be able to act accordingly. Without a meter you are working blind and may never know that the humble potato or orange could do so much damage. You need to see for yourself!

Next, I advise you to ask for print outs of all your blood test results. It is very important to know all the results, not just blood glucose, but also cholesterol, lipids, kidney & liver functions and so on. If you are in England you can also ask if test results are put on line by your surgery. Most surgeries do this, but not all. You would then have to ask how to register for it.

Take a deep breath and read right round these forums. We are all diabetics of one sort or another, so who best to take advice from?
You can read all the success stories. Many of us have reversed our diabetes and been able to reduce or come off medication completely, and many of us have lost tons of weight. There is light at the end of the tunnel. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sam50 and Rachox

Debtryketo

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I had pcos, gestational diabetes twice, only able to conceive after 'ovarian drilling' - but metformin was in it's infancy 14 years ago for pcos. Finally progressed to T2 diabetes without any education. Now I'm educated about low carbing my hba1c has dropped (so far) from 65 to 43 - go low carb as a way of life.
 

Stronggirlsclub

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thank you everyone for the replies. They’ve been really useful.

I have tried low carb in the past as I always found it the quickest way to drop weight but was never able to stick to it. This diagnosis will hopefully give me the motivation I need. Is there a specific starter plan or anything I could follow?
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you everyone for the replies. They’ve been really useful.

I have tried low carb in the past as I always found it the quickest way to drop weight but was never able to stick to it. This diagnosis will hopefully give me the motivation I need. Is there a specific starter plan or anything I could follow?

There is a low carb programme as part of this site, but there is a one-off fee for it. https://www.lowcarbprogram.com/?utm_source=hp&utm_medium=dd&utm_campaign=lcp

I wonder if the reason you couldn't stick to your previous low carb diets was because you were also trying to do low fat? Good fats make such a big difference to it, but you will learn about this as you read round.

There are some "what have you eaten today" type threads that may give you some ideas, and on this site there are plenty of recipes and lists of suitable foods.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods#foodlist
 

Stronggirlsclub

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
You are probably right about the fat. I lost a lot of weight following slimming world back when I could follow the red plan, and whilst this limited carbs, it also limited fat so was hard to sustain.

Thank you so much for the links. I’m already loving this forum and can see that it’ll make the world of difference.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
You are probably right about the fat. I lost a lot of weight following slimming world back when I could follow the red plan, and whilst this limited carbs, it also limited fat so was hard to sustain.

Thank you so much for the links. I’m already loving this forum and can see that it’ll make the world of difference.

I think one of the nicest things in my low carb diet is I can eat a cooked breakfast (usually at lunch time) without seeing it as a guilty sin and a heart attack on a plate. :) Or a piece of juicy steak with a salad and mushrooms fried in butter. :) Or strawberries (in moderation) with double cream. Mmmmmm yummy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sam50

Biggles2

Well-Known Member
Messages
324
Can anyone offer any words of comfort? I really wasn’t expecting this.
Hi @Stronggirlsclub and welcome to this wonderful forum! My words of comfort: you have come to the right place! There is so much you can do to meet this challenge head on. Many of us have had wonderful success managing our insulin resistance with a low carbohydrate diet.
Here is a link to a thread on PCOS on this forum:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/pcos-and-insulin-resistance.101610/page-2
This Diet Doctor link has useful information about the low-carb approach for PCOS:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/benefits/pcos
If you are not familiar with the work of Dr. Jason Fung check him out:
https://idmprogram.com/samantha-polycystic-ovary-patient-profile/
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brunneria

Biggles2

Well-Known Member
Messages
324
the immediate focus for me is to drop weight (current BMI 32.5) and work on my blood sugar.
I found that things worked the other way around for me: by making blood sugar management my immediate focus (through a low-carb diet of approx. 30gm/CHO/day) my BMI went from 37.3 to my current 20.2 which I have maintained for 3 years.
I don't need to test any more, but I find it is a wonderful motivator. I never focused on the need to lose 45kg; instead, my goal was to keep my post-prandial blood glucose under 5.5mmol/l. My goal was very short-term and thus very achievable. If I had focused on weight, it would have taken me at least a year to achieve my goal. My last HbA1c was 29.
You can do this!!!
 

Stronggirlsclub

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I found that things worked the other way around for me: by making blood sugar management my immediate focus (through a low-carb diet of approx. 30gm/CHO/day) my BMI went from 37.3 to my current 20.2 which I have maintained for 3 years.
I don't need to test any more, but I find it is a wonderful motivator. I never focused on the need to lose 45kg; instead, my goal was to keep my post-prandial blood glucose under 5.5mmol/l. My goal was very short-term and thus very achievable. If I had focused on weight, it would have taken me at least a year to achieve my goal. My last HbA1c was 29.
You can do this!!!

Wow you have done brilliantly....very inspirational.

I’ve bought a blood glucose machine and am testing pre/post prandially and my latest reading was 11.2 2 hours after a lunch of chicken and salad. I’m not expecting changes over night, and as I only found out about my diabetes this morning, I’m still processing, but it seems like a very difficult task to get my blood glucose under 5.5. I’m sure I’ll get there eventually as I am very motivated....just feels impossible right now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Biggles2

NaijaChick

Well-Known Member
Messages
219
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi Strong girl, welcome to the club. I’m in the same position of TTC and being diabetic. While the ladies will advise on food, I’ll advise you on the TTC side. If your prescribed Metformin, take it and try to stay on it. It was help till you get an appointment with the Pre-natal diabetic clinic. You need to be referred ASAP, it can take up to 3 months to get an appointment. During that time, monitor your BG x7 daily and write down the results, this will save you two weeks where your sent off to test, so that they will know if you need insulin or not. Start the weight loss from now too, they tend to take you more seriously if your losing weight.Good luck with everything.
 

daisy1

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

Hello Strong Girl 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 like 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 235,000 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.
 

Stronggirlsclub

Well-Known Member
Messages
85
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi Strong girl, welcome to the club. I’m in the same position of TTC and being diabetic. While the ladies will advise on food, I’ll advise you on the TTC side. If your prescribed Metformin, take it and try to stay on it. It was help till you get an appointment with the Pre-natal diabetic clinic. You need to be referred ASAP, it can take up to 3 months to get an appointment. During that time, monitor your BG x7 daily and write down the results, this will save you two weeks where your sent off to test, so that they will know if you need insulin or not. Start the weight loss from now too, they tend to take you more seriously if your losing weight.Good luck with everything.
Hi Naija

Thank you so much for replying, and I’m sorry you’re also facing the same struggles.

I really appreciate your tips. I have another blood test in 2 weeks and at that point I assume that I will get a diagnosis and be started on Metformin.

Infertility was a scary prospect when I went to see the nurse last week....but facing that alongside diabetes is so much worse.

I’d really like it if you could tell me a little more about your experiences/the process so far, unless you would rather not of course.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I really appreciate your tips. I have another blood test in 2 weeks and at that point I assume that I will get a diagnosis and be started on Metformin.

With an HbA1c as high as yours, you may well find yourself being prescribed a stronger drug than Metformin, so don't be surprised if this happens. It may not.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
It is not impossible - without trying all that hard I saw 5.6 after dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, just over one year from diagnosis I was probably in that region for perhaps 6 months before that but by that time I was not testing very often - I knew what I could eat.
I would advise that you concentrate on the blood glucose readings rather than weightloss - with normal blood glucose you can get your metabolism back into balance. Weightloss is much easier once you have done that.
 

NaijaChick

Well-Known Member
Messages
219
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi Bluetit,
As she is TTC, that won’t happen, after Metformin it’s insulin as anything else may harm the baby.

Strong girl, I didn’t know the role that diabetes plays in conception till I went to my GP as tried with ex but it wasn’t happening. I’m now single so doing the journey alone and saving for a round of IVF abroad.

The thing is that Metformin regulates your cycle, I’m now able to know when I’m ovulating but have no one to help with the baby making. Everyone’s journey is different. Have you had your ovaries scanned and your hormones done? This will let you know where you are, also see if you can get a referral to the conception clinic as you have been trying for a while. Good luck