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New member no longer in denial

Klangley

Klangley

Well-Known Member
Messages
153
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
2 weeks ago I walked into my doctor’s surgery to find out the results of a blood test. I had been having some gastric issues and gave in to my wife’s nagging to see a doctor. I had always suspected I had some form of Gluten intolerance. The good news was I didn’t have Crones disease, but then very casually he said, ‘the tests were very clear, you are a diabetic’. That totally floored me. My Father and Grandmother were both diabetics so I am all too familiar with the potential negative consequences of that diagnosis (having said that my dad is 85 and used to smoke at International level). I can’t remember a huge amount of what the Doctor actually said after that, but the figure 84 was mentioned, I am assuming that is the mmol/mol figure.

I am 52. My job is very stressful by anyone’s standards and I spend a lot of time on long-hall flights with all that means for poor diet and increased alcohol intake (I bore easily). With all that, a family history and a BMI of 30+ you probably think I should not have been shocked. However I certainly was, shocked doesn’t really go far enough. I guess though all of you on this forum know what I mean.

Until this weekend I have been in denial. I have the results of a second HbA1c test through on Friday and was trying to convince myself that the first test was wrong. However, I bought one of those Blood Glucose Test kits over the weekend (Accu-check mobile). The first reading was 11.1 and then about 2 hours after dinner 12.7, so I guess there is no denying it. Similar results Sunday, although after a 4 mile walk I did note the figure was 7.1 (a clear lesson there). On Friday I guess I will be discussing medication with the Doctor…..I am not a great fan of taking medication (apart from red wine obviously).

So you have a new, although slightly reluctant, member. I feel as if I have got to write this to thank those on this site who have shared their own experiences so openly. Some of you may not realise how much I helps someone in my position. I think I have visited the Site every day in the last 2 weeks. I have learnt loads. Above all though it shows you are not on your own.

For now I have embarked on a low carb diet and increased my exercise regime significantly. Thanks again to all forum contributors.
 
Klangley said:
2 weeks ago I walked into my doctor’s surgery to find out the results of a blood test. I had been having some gastric issues and gave in to my wife’s nagging to see a doctor. I had always suspected I had some form of Gluten intolerance. The good news was I didn’t have Crones disease, but then very casually he said, ‘the tests were very clear, you are a diabetic’. That totally floored me. My Father and Grandmother were both diabetics so I am all too familiar with the potential negative consequences of that diagnosis (having said that my dad is 85 and used to smoke at International level). I can’t remember a huge amount of what the Doctor actually said after that, but the figure 84 was mentioned, I am assuming that is the mmol/mol figure.

I am 52. My job is very stressful by anyone’s standards and I spend a lot of time on long-hall flights with all that means for poor diet and increased alcohol intake (I bore easily). With all that, a family history and a BMI of 30+ you probably think I should not have been shocked. However I certainly was, shocked doesn’t really go far enough. I guess though all of you on this forum know what I mean.

Until this weekend I have been in denial. I have the results of a second HbA1c test through on Friday and was trying to convince myself that the first test was wrong. However, I bought one of those Blood Glucose Test kits over the weekend (Accu-check mobile). The first reading was 11.1 and then about 2 hours after dinner 12.7, so I guess there is no denying it. Similar results Sunday, although after a 4 mile walk I did note the figure was 7.1 (a clear lesson there). On Friday I guess I will be discussing medication with the Doctor…..I am not a great fan of taking medication (apart from red wine obviously).

So you have a new, although slightly reluctant, member. I feel as if I have got to write this to thank those on this site who have shared their own experiences so openly. Some of you may not realise how much I helps someone in my position. I think I have visited the Site every day in the last 2 weeks. I have learnt loads. Above all though it shows you are not on your own.

For now I have embarked on a low carb diet and increased my exercise regime significantly. Thanks again to all forum contributors.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum,lots to comprehend over the coming months, but someone will be along soon and give you all the help info you may require.....
 
Well done & welcome. I'll ask @daisy1 to give you some great advice on managing your diabetes. When you've had a good read you will see how you can turn your life around. Take it easy and give yourself time to take it all in.
 
@Klangley

Hello and welcome to the forum :) Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. You have done the best thing for yourself by joining this forum. 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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Klangley said:
2 weeks ago I walked into my doctor’s surgery to find out the results of a blood test. I had been having some gastric issues and gave in to my wife’s nagging to see a doctor. I had always suspected I had some form of Gluten intolerance. The good news was I didn’t have Crones disease, but then very casually he said, ‘the tests were very clear, you are a diabetic’. That totally floored me. My Father and Grandmother were both diabetics so I am all too familiar with the potential negative consequences of that diagnosis (having said that my dad is 85 and used to smoke at International level). I can’t remember a huge amount of what the Doctor actually said after that, but the figure 84 was mentioned, I am assuming that is the mmol/mol figure.

I am 52. My job is very stressful by anyone’s standards and I spend a lot of time on long-hall flights with all that means for poor diet and increased alcohol intake (I bore easily). With all that, a family history and a BMI of 30+ you probably think I should not have been shocked. However I certainly was, shocked doesn’t really go far enough. I guess though all of you on this forum know what I mean.

Until this weekend I have been in denial. I have the results of a second HbA1c test through on Friday and was trying to convince myself that the first test was wrong. However, I bought one of those Blood Glucose Test kits over the weekend (Accu-check mobile). The first reading was 11.1 and then about 2 hours after dinner 12.7, so I guess there is no denying it. Similar results Sunday, although after a 4 mile walk I did note the figure was 7.1 (a clear lesson there). On Friday I guess I will be discussing medication with the Doctor…..I am not a great fan of taking medication (apart from red wine obviously).

So you have a new, although slightly reluctant, member. I feel as if I have got to write this to thank those on this site who have shared their own experiences so openly. Some of you may not realise how much I helps someone in my position. I think I have visited the Site every day in the last 2 weeks. I have learnt loads. Above all though it shows you are not on your own.

For now I have embarked on a low carb diet and increased my exercise regime significantly. Thanks again to all forum contributors.
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From my own experiences over the past 2 weeks I know that business travel isn't exactly conducive to good glucose management. Not exactly much choice on an airplane and at your destination you're eating in hotels and restaurants that aren't exactly geared up for catering to diabetic needs - I wish you luck with this.
 
@daisey1, thanks so much for the welcome and information.

@urbanracer, I note the airlines have a menu choice for everything but low carb. Still early days for me. I am monitoring before and after dinner to see which foods I react more badly to. I guess I will have to selectively working through the menu choices and not sample everything on the wine list :(
 
Klangley said:
@daisey1, thanks so much for the welcome and information.

@urbanracer, I note the airlines have a menu choice for everything but low carb. Still early days for me. I am monitoring before and after dinner to see which foods I react more badly to. I guess I will have to selectively working through the menu choices and not sample everything on the wine list :(
Click to expand...

For me as a T1, if I don't want to inject, I end up choosing something with chicken in it an discarding half of the rice, pasta, bread or whatever it comes with. I don't know if things work differently for you (or T2's in general) but the alcohol in wine lowers my blood sugar and reduces my insulin requirement. (Safe to say it is not an excuse to get blotto on an airplane).
 
Hi and welcome to the club :). I am fairly new here and can say that this place has saved my sanity! Its such an overwhelming feeling at first, its all you seem to think about.

I have found the members on here to be so helpful and supportive. Ask any questions and people are always happy to answer.

Glad you have a monitor, its definitely the way to go with sorting out your diet. I also find that red wine is fine ;)

Deb
 
Hi and welcome. You sound like you are on the right track now, well done.

A little bit of red wine is fine, I think. But if you want to avoid having too much on the plane, then you could find ways to keep yourself occupied such as listening to music or podcasts or watching videos you have downloaded to your phone or other device. The sooner airlines allow full internet access during all flights the better, lol. If you were allowed to do that you could spend more time on the forum :)

I have found long haul flights very dehydrating because of the airconditioning, so remember to drink as much water as you can.
 
@urbanracer I used to avoid bread and pasta because I always used to feel 'strange' after eating it, very bloated and just uncomfortable. I put this down to some sort of Gluten intolerance, now I have a different view on what might have been the cause! As you say I think I will just eat around those carbs and have the cheese rather than anything sweet. Red wine has always been my drink of choice anyway so that is one small silver lining to the cloud. Now have to remember 1 or 2 glasses rather than 1 or 2 bottles!

@debdebc thanks for the encouragement and advice deb. This forum has certainly helped me to get things in perspective.

@CatLadyNZ I know what you mean about dehydration. I try and drink lots of water on the way to the Airport and have as much water as I can manage on the flight itself. Still......only a certain number of movies you can watch on a 12 hour flight

On Sunday I went for a long walk with the family, probably 5 miles. Before dinner my mmol/L was 7.1. Two hours after dinner it was 12.3. I suspect that parsnips and carrots may have been to blame - obviously I had no high carbs like potatoes. But I put that down as a success in that I think I have learnt something valuable.

Following day first thing in the morning before breakfast 9.3, before dinner 7.9 and 2hrs after diner 8.7. This time the veg was red onion, peppers and tomatoes. So that seems as if these veg are sort of 'safe' for me. In between that was a large amount of exercise.

So I was feeling reasonably pleased with myself. Then this morning before breakfast my reading was up from the 8.7 I had gone to bed with to 9.4. Is that normal? Presuming I didn't sleep walk to the fridge, how can my blood sugar go up? I am confused, admittedly that is not unusual. Perhaps a question I should post somewhere else.....
 
Hello and welcome. It may all seem very daunting and scary right now for you but it does get better. You couldn't have come to a better place than this forum to find all the help and support you need. Sounds like you are already off to a great start with the changes you have made :) Welcome aboard the crazy bus :D...it's a long uphill journey but we are all here for the long haul :)
 
Gezzabelle said:
Hello and welcome. It may all seem very daunting and scary right now for you but it does get better. You couldn't have come to a better place than this forum to find all the help and support you need. Sounds like you are already off to a great start with the changes you have made :) Welcome aboard the crazy bus :D...it's a long uphill journey but we are all here for the long haul :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Gezzabelle. I hope I can do as well as you have. Love the Avatar by the way.....I am a big Liverpool fan!
 
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