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Hi Newly diagnosed and confused

S

Sandy52

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I have just been to see the Diabetic Nurse. I had a phone call from the surgery to make the appointment.My level was 49, just over the 48 cut off. I was sent away with a couple of booklets and some very good advice but will not be having another blood test for a year. I expected to be purchasing a blood sugar monitor and testing every day. I am worried that my level will continue to rise and I will not know about it. Is this how things are done. Thank you for reading.
 
Hello and welcome. Don't worry, you can do something about your HbA1C of 49. A glucose monitor is a very good idea. You can use it to work out which foods are raising your blood sugar too much. You can get lots of help and advice here. My advice would be to educate yourself on all the latest info about diabetes. This may contradict anything your doctor tells you. If your doctor has sent you away with no advice and no drugs that will be to your benefit as long as you make the decision to get on top of this by yourself. My favourite book is The Diabetes Code by Jason Fung and I also watch Youtube talks on low carb diets - in particular lowcarbdownunder. Hope this helps. You MUST take your results seriously and do something about it though.
 
Sandy52 said:
I have just been to see the Diabetic Nurse. I had a phone call from the surgery to make the appointment.My level was 49, just over the 48 cut off. I was sent away with a couple of booklets and some very good advice but will not be having another blood test for a year. I expected to be purchasing a blood sugar monitor and testing every day. I am worried that my level will continue to rise and I will not know about it. Is this how things are done. Thank you for reading.
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Hello and welcome,

Did you only have the one HbA1c, or did you also have a fasting blood glucose test that was 7 or more?

When someone is borderline, which an HbA1c of 49 is, there is normally a second test to confirm the first. If that is also over 47 then you are diagnosed diabetic, and future blood tests should be 3 monthly initially, moving to 6 monthly once stable and acceptable, and then 12 monthly after that. I believe your nurse is treating you as pre-diabetic, which may not be the case. I think you need to chase this up because if you are diagnosed as diabetic you will have annual retinal eye screening and foot checks - which are very important.

You do need to buy a blood glucose meter and use it to test out your food choices. We can help you with this once you have a meter. Otherwise you are working blind and your levels may well continue to rise.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum Sandy, here is a link to our useful info post:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/
You are only just into the diabetic range, however you are in the diabetic range so your nurse should have followed NICE guidelines for diabetics, which includes HBA1c tests every 3 - 6 months until stable, retinal screening etc.. Here is a link to the guidelines:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28
If I were you I would familiarise myself with the guidelines and make a new appt with either the nurse or your GP to insist on them following them.
Personally I would agree that investing in a meter and doing some methodical testing before and after meals will help you get your levels back to normal by learning which foods you can’t tolerate.
 
I would like to add to my previous post by asking what the "very good advice" was, and which sorts of food the booklets mention..
 
Thank you for the replies. I did have 2 blood tests (1 fasting) and both were 49. I have been referred for retinal screening and for my feet. I could not understand why I was going to be left for a year before I had another blood test. I expected the nurse to do a finger prick and check my blood sugar level but she said that is not done now. Could I ask if I am now classed as pre-diabetic or am I now classed as type 2 diabetic. My late husband was type 2 diabetic so you would have thought I would have managed to prevent this happening.
 
Sandy52 said:
Thank you for the replies. I did have 2 blood tests (1 fasting) and both were 49. I have been referred for retinal screening and for my feet. I could not understand why I was going to be left for a year before I had another blood test. I expected the nurse to do a finger prick and check my blood sugar level but she said that is not done now. Could I ask if I am now classed as pre-diabetic or am I now classed as type 2 diabetic. My late husband was type 2 diabetic so you would have thought I would have managed to prevent this happening.
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I’m glad you have your retinal screening and foot check organised but you definitely should be having another HbA1c in 3 - 6 months. 49 is in the diabetic range.
Here’s some info about the HbA1c including diagnostic ranges
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-test.html
I’m afraid if you ate the NHS recommended Eatwell plate along with your late husband then it won’t have done you any favours. We type 2s find it is too carb heavy for us. You weren’t to know so please don’t blame yourself.
 
Sandy52 said:
Thank you for the replies. I did have 2 blood tests (1 fasting) and both were 49. I have been referred for retinal screening and for my feet. I could not understand why I was going to be left for a year before I had another blood test. I expected the nurse to do a finger prick and check my blood sugar level but she said that is not done now. Could I ask if I am now classed as pre-diabetic or am I now classed as type 2 diabetic. My late husband was type 2 diabetic so you would have thought I would have managed to prevent this happening.
Click to expand...

You are diabetic. As you have been referred for retinal screening, you have been put on the diabetic register. Hence, your next blood test should be in 3 months. You need to take this up with your surgery as per the NICE guidelines.
 
I was diagnosed last year, and had so many appointments in the first few weeks I hardly had time for anything else. I saw a dietitian, the hospital diabetic eye clinic for retinal scans, etc, a surgery nurse for a foot check then a podiatry appointment for a full foot check, a review at one month with my surgery diabetic nurse, blood tests, review again with nurse after 3 months. Then six months.
Even prediabetic patients here get better care than waiting a year!

As for the meter and diet, there is lots of advice here.
I got into remission by going low carb - following thousands of successful cases.
I joined the low carb program for help and support as it offers a full 12 weeks of advice, meal plans and videos plus loads of downloads and recipes and a forum. The fee can be paid via an NHS voucher ('prescription') if you are interested. Just search this site for the info to hand to your doctor.
 
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