Feeling a bit isolated.

[Moo63]

Hi,

I was diagnosed last week with type 2.

I'm so glad to have found this forum as it appears that there's quite a bit to get your head around and I'm not exactly feeling supported by my local surgery right now.

When I called for my results they said they'd get someone to call me back that day but no-one did so I had to call again the next day in order to get someone to call me back. After some confusion I eventually talked to a diabetic nurse and she was so blasé about it. She said "Yeah just tweak your diet, lose some weight and there's a note here to say that we'll see you in three months for another blood test." I was like "No wait, hang on, is that it? What is it exactly that I'm supposed to be doing with my diet? What do you suggest I have for my breakfast? What about bread? What about my evening meals? What about fruit?" To give her credit she did then talk me through various food options but the rest I'm having to pick up online. I also have raised levels of something or other in my liver but it wasn't explained and as I was trying to digest everything I forgot to ask but I'm assuming it could be fatty liver. That will also be tested again in three months time.

I had a heart bypass three years ago and so I asked if I could talk to a doctor about the possible effect of my current meds on diabetes. A doctor called and reassured me about that and when I asked if I should be on medication for diabetes or monitoring myself she said, not yet and no. I've ordered a monitor kit anyway because I'm wondering how I can possibly know whether I'm eating correctly if I have no way of checking.

So basically I've been left to my own devices for three months which although leaving me feeling a little miffed, I was ok with on the whole. I've spent the past few days here on the forum gathering information which I'm very grateful for so thank you to everyone.

Then today I've been doing more online reading about diabetes and have discovered the importance of taking good care of your feet and that you should inform your doctor if you have any ingrown toe nails. No-one mentioned foot care to me and I have two ingrown toe nails and I know this will probably sound really petty but what with everything else I'm feeling really disheartened right now and am wondering if there is anything else I haven't been told. (I also read that because of my heart issue my chances of having a heart attack are the same as someone without diabetes who has already had a heart attack, so that hasn't exactly made my day)

Would it really be too much to expect to be given a leaflet or an information sheet by your doctor? I get the impression that they're not really interested unless you've still got raised BS after three months.

I'll get off my soap box now.

All the best
Julie

 

[daisyduck]

Welcome Moo63 .
Sadly that does seem to be the experience a lot of us have. I was eventually sent on a 2 day course but that was very confusing I've learned far more from these forums than from any doctor or diabetic nurse. The people on here are all living with the condition and are a lovely bunch and a mine of information.
Try to stay positive and ask any questions you have.. there will always be someone along to answer you x

 

[Freema]

no every new diabetic ought get some real good support and instructions about food and medicine, I think you should phone Again and ask if there is some educating for diabetics in your area..

but most of all you must right away start changing your eating habbits ..

eat lots of greens nuts and lean white meat like chicken and turkey all you can eat, cottage cheese all you can eat and low fat youghurt without sugar... and if you like whey 100 with no sugar added for shakes ... and start reading what others with a success in getting their blood glucose Down what they are actually eating

what you will find in this forum is that really many people here have managed to control their blood glucose, but that mostly all has done that by eating very very few carbs every day ..like under 20 grams or 30grams or 40 grams per day .. or just under 100grams everyone is different in how many carbs they can regulate away themselves ..even when getting the medications for diabetes 2..

but the healthier you get by getting a low blood glucose the better is your chances of not comming to suffer badly from all the damages that diabetes can create in your body...

stop eating all sugars and White breads and ordiary pancakes and watermelons as well, no bananas

but eat cherries greens and some berries , avocado

 

[Squeekyboy]

Hi,

I was diagnosed last week with type 2.

I'm so glad to have found this forum as it appears that there's quite a bit to get your head around and I'm not exactly feeling supported by my local surgery right now.

When I called for my results they said they'd get someone to call me back that day but no-one did so I had to call again the next day in order to get someone to call me back. After some confusion I eventually talked to a diabetic nurse and she was so blasé about it. She said "Yeah just tweak your diet, lose some weight and there's a note here to say that we'll see you in three months for another blood test." I was like "No wait, hang on, is that it? What is it exactly that I'm supposed to be doing with my diet? What do you suggest I have for my breakfast? What about bread? What about my evening meals? What about fruit?" To give her credit she did then talk me through various food options but the rest I'm having to pick up online. I also have raised levels of something or other in my liver but it wasn't explained and as I was trying to digest everything I forgot to ask but I'm assuming it could be fatty liver. That will also be tested again in three months time.

I had a heart bypass three years ago and so I asked if I could talk to a doctor about the possible effect of my current meds on diabetes. A doctor called and reassured me about that and when I asked if I should be on medication for diabetes or monitoring myself she said, not yet and no. I've ordered a monitor kit anyway because I'm wondering how I can possibly know whether I'm eating correctly if I have no way of checking.

So basically I've been left to my own devices for three months which although leaving me feeling a little miffed, I was ok with on the whole. I've spent the past few days here on the forum gathering information which I'm very grateful for so thank you to everyone.

Then today I've been doing more online reading about diabetes and have discovered the importance of taking good care of your feet and that you should inform your doctor if you have any ingrown toe nails. No-one mentioned foot care to me and I have two ingrown toe nails and I know this will probably sound really petty but what with everything else I'm feeling really disheartened right now and am wondering if there is anything else I haven't been told. (I also read that because of my heart issue my chances of having a heart attack are the same as someone without diabetes who has already had a heart attack, so that hasn't exactly made my day)

Would it really be too much to expect to be given a leaflet or an information sheet by your doctor? I get the impression that they're not really interested unless you've still got raised BS after three months.

I'll get off my soap box now.

All the best
Julie

Hi there @Moo63 I'm Sqeekyboy (Steve) Yes, that's about how it was for me, saw the nurse & she said,''my brother got rid of it by diet, so you can do the same.'' No, how I go about it or anything. I to went on a one day course that they expect you to remember everything but there was just too much info to take in. Don't worry too much though, as this takes some getting used to. Try to reduce sugary foods & drinks and not too much bread, this will help a little. Mainly, ask loads of questions on this forum, as the'll be someone here to help you, don't worry if you think the questions are a bit daft, because we all feel that way sometimes & we all feel very confused & unloved occasionally...but we are all here to help each other so keep signing in and ask questions or if you are feeling really down, just come here for a chat. Steve x

 

[Jix200903]

Hi @Moo63 ! That sounds like a miserable start to being diabetic! There's lots you can do to help yourself and put diabetes where it belongs. Everyone seems to have their own journey and everyone seems a bit different so what works for me might not work for you. What seems to be clear is that practice nurses generally have outdated knowledge. Some of the more progressive posters on this forum will be just as dogmatic about the approach you should take and you get to choose what to do.
It seems that your main objective is to get your Blood Glucose levels stable, as the higher the BG level, the stickier and gloopier your blood becomes. Aside from medications which turbocharge either your insulin production or insulin sensitivity (i.e. it works better), you can lower carbohydrates which make the glucose that fuels your body, lose weight because that slows down the glucose being absorbed, get exercise which helps the muscles to swallow up glucose in your blood. Read the pages on carbohydrates, they make good sense. I've got my hba1c (long term blood glucose) down to 48 from a high of 94. My weight is down by 2st 10lb and my blood pressure is down already. This may not work in the same way for you with your other complications and you can take a different approach. If your surgery is being rubbish, get them to send you on a training course, refer you to a dietician, diabetic podiatry service, diabetic retinopathy screening and don't take No for an answer.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. I had the same experience 12 years ago at diagnosis; I'm afraid it's common. After the first 3 months I think you will find you get a bit more attention. Ensure you book a diabetes appointment with the diabetes nurse or GP and make it two slots i.e. 20 minutes. Ask reception for a blood test 2 weeks before. They should provide the form. Sometimes surgeries have a phlebotomist or go to the local hospital. You will also need to provide a urine sample. If you get these done before the appointment then you can discuss the results at the appointment. There is a list of 14 things that should happen - go to the www.diabetes.org.uk website for that list if it's not on this website. Your feet will be checked. You should be added to a list for annual retinopathy tests at the hospital. If the low carb diet hasn't brought your HBa1C blood test result into a good range you may be prescribed Metformin tablets which are very safe and most of us have. Do ask anything else here.

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi @Moo63 i will tag @daisy1 so she can give you the info message about what you can do to help you get better control of your blood sugars. We have all been where you are now to a greater or lesser extent.My diabetes nurse told me I would end up on insulin as Diabetes was a progressive disease and there was nothing I could do. Almost to spite her I found out about the Low Carb High Fat diet and am controlling my sugars as well as loosing a shedload of weight relatively easily. So please don't despair.
Read and digest daisy's message and then have a read around on the forum (especially the success stories as they will show what we have achieved in the face of bad advice from HCP's). There is a huge fount of knowledge here and very helpful fellow travellers. Once you have had a detailed read please come back with any questions and someone will be long to answer them.
All the best
Mark

 

[Energize]

Hi Moo63 (aka Julie, my namesake )

I can understand how miffed you must be feeling after that introduction to a diagnosis of Type 2. As you've unfortunately experienced, the Diabetes Nurses seem to regard Type 2 as 'not worth bothering with' much of the time. The DNs at my surgery are much the same and I hate going for check ups each year just so they can tick the boxes.

You've hit the nail right on the head when you mentioned the nurse said "just tweak your diet, lose some weight" and your thoughts were " how I can possibly know whether I'm eating correctly if I have no way of checking." So, you've done the right thing in getting yourself a meter and can check what your blood sugars are doing. The advice here is that you check just before a meal and then check at 1 hr, then 2 hrs, after you start your meal. That way, you can see if your food has 'spiked', which is what we all try to avoid.

There is a lot to get your head around and it will take time. I wouldn't bother asking the DN what foods you should have/avoid as they recommend the 'Eatwell Plate' which includes a lot of carbohydrates which affect your glucose. May I suggest you try to cut back on bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, pastry, cakes, biscuits etc and concentrate on protiens, vegetables and actually increase your fat intake I've got a very sweet tooth but have gradually reduced carbs, added olive oil to salads etc, have fresh cream on a small amount of fruit (slows the absorption of the sugar and less likely to spike). Cream is very low carb

So, wishing you well. You will get your head around this. As already mentioned, this forum is a lovely group of people with first hand experience and a lot of good advice. Take it one day at a time and try not to let it get you down

Julie

 

[daisy1]

@Moo63

Hello Julie and welcome to the forum Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. There is much information about carbs which should help you to eat a low carb diet which will lower your levels. There is also a link to the Low-Carb Program which you might like to try. Ask more questions 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 210,000 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 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

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.

 

[Moo63]

Thank you so much to everyone who responded. I’m sorry to read that so many have gone through the same type of thing.

I'm very grateful for the wealth of advice and friendly support. I'm making notes and thanks to you I should be on the ball when it comes to the questions I need to ask in three months time.

I shall be interested to see what the monitor shows when I get to use it.

daisyduck, thanks for the welcome, I agree with you about the forums. I’m learning and I’m so grateful that there are people out there willing to share

I am changing my eating habits Freema, albeit for only a few days now but I have to start somewhere I’m trying a kind of mix between reduced carbs some days and choosing better carbs on others but I guess time will tell which works for me.

Squeekyboy, thank you for the advice and the warm welcome

I really appreciate the explanation of how things work Jix200903, it’s so helpful to know what’s doing what, thank you

Daibell, thanks for the welcome and many tips regarding my appointments. I’ve made a note of them

Bulkbiker, thank you for your message of support. I’m glad things are working well for you

Energize, thank you for the tips on the ‘eat well plate’ and your best wishes. You tend to think that the professionals know best but hey ho, that’s obviously not the case for everyone

Daisy1, thank you for your welcome and the wealth of advice. I was wondering what blood sugar levels I should be aiming for so that’s very helpful

Seriously guys, thanks once again for the time you've all taken to see me right and to make me feel welcome. It's really very much appreciated.

All the best
Julie

 

[ameeno]

Hi Julie, s
sorry this is a bit late but just wanted to say hello. I can empathise with your situation, I was diagnosed 2 month ago and have had no discussion with gp/nurse regarding foot care, eye tests and food. All the above info is just what I try to follow and it's slowly working for me.

You can ask for a print out of your blood results, I didn't realise you could do that (info from this site yet again!!!), I forget everything they say as soon as I have left the surgery and I don't think a gp telling me it's OK is enough. Print out was no problem just ask gp.

Cutting the sugar and reducing the carbs might help with the fatty liver. I hope so as my last appointment was all about abnormal liver function test results. So fingers crossed for us both that we get better results next time.

 

[debrasue]

Hi, @Moo63 and welcome to the forum!

I can totally relate to your experience upon diagnosis; my GP gave me my diagnosis by voicemail and said he would put a prescription for Metformin into the chemist's for me and get the Diabetic Nurse to see me in 3 months! Fortunately, I discovered this website the same day, got onto the LCHF diet immediately, never collected the prescription for Metformin and - 3 months later - my HbA1c was down from 63 to 42, I'd lost 10kg and reduced my blood pressure and cholesterol levels to 'normal' levels. So you have definitely come to the right place!

Unfortunately, it seems that those of us with T2 who are not on any form of diabetes medication are pretty much left to our own devices by the NHS, but as they appear to be at least 10 years behind the times with regard to dealing with diabetes, that's fine by me!

I can see that you've received some great advice on here, and the only thing I would disagree with is the advice to eat lean meat and low-fat products. In fact, if you are going to follow the LCHF plan, full-fat meat, cheese, cream, yoghurt etc. will satisfy your hunger and also slow down the rate at which your body processes carbohydrates, thus reducing spikes in your blood glucose (BG) levels. There is also some evidence to suggest that adopting the "all you can eat" principle with regard to lean protein can also result in higher BG levels in some people. The only way to find out if you are one of those people - as you have already identified - is to test!

Good luck in your journey, Julie - and keep on browsing the forum, asking questions, posting and sharing!

Big hugs x

 

[melliemars]

Hi there Julie,

I'm recently diagnosed too and what a shock it was. I was distraught about it and unfortunately, the first thing I did was join a weird LCHF group on Facebook who liked to send you pictures of diabetic feet and photos of complications to make you stay on the diet. I was out of my mind with fear.

Needles to say, I left that group and found here and it changed everything. I don't know what I would've done without the people here and the support.

This is the info I've picked up in a nutshell:

Eat the LCHF way
www.dietdoctor.com
Holland and Barrett does low carb foods
Boots does Atkins pasta and low carb chocolate bars
75/85% chocolate
Lidl protein rolls are the safest bread to eat and are cheap and delicious
Veg grown below ground has more carb
Seasoning is your friend!
It's a low carb life group on Facebook is great
amazon.co.uk will sell low carb things too if you want to test them
Dr. Bernstein on YouTube
Ask for free test strips for your meter, they get pricey.
Intermittent Fasting helps bg - Dr Fung on YouTube
Exercise every day for 30 minutes or more.
Your doctor and nurses don't get it and if they're anything like mine, don't care.
You are not alone in this, we're all going or have gone through it.
Diabetics can live a long healthy life if they take care of themselves.

I hope this helps. If you check your bgs, eat LCHF, exercise best you can, you're doing it right. Love and hugs to you xx

 

[melliemars]

P.S. It's pricey but http://www.natural-low-carb-store.co.uk/collections/snacks The Natural Low Carb Store have really nice deserts! The orange and chocolate pudding is lovely, the chocolate and macadamia bars and the Orange biscuits are realllly lovely!

P.P.S. Every recipe LCHF has that requires you to bake uses coconut flour or almond flour without fail. They mention Swerve sweetener but it's extremely expensive and there are other types that do a better job.

Almond flour and coconut flour is expensive but I guess we gotta do it.

Good luck!

 

[Moo63]

Thank you for your messages and best wishes, it’s so good of you to show support and share your stories and tips.

Hi Ameeno, I’m glad to hear that you’ve managed to find a way that seems to be working for you. Sorry to hear though that you’ve had abnormal liver function test results and yes I’ll be keeping fingers crossed that we both find some improvement soon

Debrasue, thanks also for your post. Your story is very inspiring and I cannot be more grateful for this website, it’s taught me so much already just reading through people’s experiences. As for the LCHF approach, I’m not sure but that’s not because I don’t believe it works, it’s because I have existing heart problems and I’m not yet convinced that high fat will be the right thing for me. I’m so glad it worked for you and I hope that if I can’t use exactly the same method that I can get somewhere close to it

Melliemars, thank you for your messages and list. I’m making more notes and I’m off to Lidl tomorrow to try and buy their protein rolls. What a great idea that was! Thank you so much for all of your tips and best wishes. Hugs to you too and I hope you find yourself in a good place each day

I do at least half an hour of exercise a day so at least I’m moving but I am concerned about the low carb high fat diet, for me anyway. I’m just going to have to hope that I can find something that will suit me but it’s a worry.

I used a monitor for the first time today. I had an edam sandwich made with granary bread and I used a bit of butter. Then I had a few strawberries and one small slice of cantaloupe melon. Before I ate my reading was 6 and two hours later it was 11.2.

This evening my family were having chinese and asked if I wanted any. I know it's not a brilliant idea so I said no but then I remembered reading about a diabetic who'd had chinese food and they'd coped quite well with it so I had second thoughts and decided I’d give it a try just so that I’d know in future. I had a chicken fried rice and ate less than half. My reading before eating was 5 and two hours later it was 15!

So far I'm not doing too well am I? I guess this is trial and error and it will take time. I'm hoping for more encouraging results as the days pass and tomorrow it's back to salad

All the best

 

[SueSews]

Hi,

I was diagnosed last week with type 2.

I'm so glad to have found this forum as it appears that there's quite a bit to get your head around and I'm not exactly feeling supported by my local surgery right now.

When I called for my results they said they'd get someone to call me back that day but no-one did so I had to call again the next day in order to get someone to call me back. After some confusion I eventually talked to a diabetic nurse and she was so blasé about it. She said "Yeah just tweak your diet, lose some weight and there's a note here to say that we'll see you in three months for another blood test." I was like "No wait, hang on, is that it? What is it exactly that I'm supposed to be doing with my diet? What do you suggest I have for my breakfast? What about bread? What about my evening meals? What about fruit?" To give her credit she did then talk me through various food options but the rest I'm having to pick up online. I also have raised levels of something or other in my liver but it wasn't explained and as I was trying to digest everything I forgot to ask but I'm assuming it could be fatty liver. That will also be tested again in three months time.

I had a heart bypass three years ago and so I asked if I could talk to a doctor about the possible effect of my current meds on diabetes. A doctor called and reassured me about that and when I asked if I should be on medication for diabetes or monitoring myself she said, not yet and no. I've ordered a monitor kit anyway because I'm wondering how I can possibly know whether I'm eating correctly if I have no way of checking.

So basically I've been left to my own devices for three months which although leaving me feeling a little miffed, I was ok with on the whole. I've spent the past few days here on the forum gathering information which I'm very grateful for so thank you to everyone.

Then today I've been doing more online reading about diabetes and have discovered the importance of taking good care of your feet and that you should inform your doctor if you have any ingrown toe nails. No-one mentioned foot care to me and I have two ingrown toe nails and I know this will probably sound really petty but what with everything else I'm feeling really disheartened right now and am wondering if there is anything else I haven't been told. (I also read that because of my heart issue my chances of having a heart attack are the same as someone without diabetes who has already had a heart attack, so that hasn't exactly made my day)

Would it really be too much to expect to be given a leaflet or an information sheet by your doctor? I get the impression that they're not really interested unless you've still got raised BS after three months.

I'll get off my soap box now.

All the best
Julie

Good morning Julie,
Like you I was diagnosed over 2 weeks ago. My doctor gave me the prescription for Metformin, no other info!
Eat healthily, lose some weight, don't drink!
This site is great, lots of information. Looking into the low carb idea.
Keep positive Julie, we are all in the same boat .

 

[Tabbyjoolz]

Hi Moo63, and welcome.

I'm still relatively new here too (diagnosed 19 August) but have found so much help and support on these forums and there are lots of other nuggets of information on the site itself.

Having read your description of how you found out from your surgery makes me wonder if GP surgeries are getting a little blasé about it all, or whether it's because they don't have the time to break the news properly. I was summoned to the doctor following an Hba1c blood test and when I got there discovered I had an appointment with the nurse too. I had no idea I had diabetes. The nurse saw me first and barked at me to take my shoes off so that she could examine my feet and weigh me. When I asked why, she explained, rather impatiently, "because you are diabetic, of course!"

Good that you're already using your meter. It is trial and error at first, but you soon start to see patterns. Some foods may provoke a spike, others may not be so bad, and what may cause a rise in one person might not affect another. If you're interested in going low-carb, do it gradually so that your body can get used to it.

I wish you well. It all starts off as a terrifying roller-coaster ride, but after a while you realise you have a lot more control than you think.

 

[MissMac]

Hey Julie, another one here (Julie that is but much prefer to be called Jules!).
I was diaganosed about 2 months ago now and as my previous posts would attest to, had the worse ever Practice Nurse making me feel just about ready to jump off a bridge. BUT thankfully, I had found this site and started doing research on LCHF....it's fab! I still struggle with what to eat as am so fussy but all in all I am so much less hungry than I have ever been in my life and apparently looking the best I have ever done as well! I would not worry too much about the high fat and heart health as, as long as they are good fats there is no theory to prove that it affects your heart...if that makes sense! Professor Tim Noakes is just brilliant and everyone here told me to look at the diet dr site and from there google was my friend and I have watched more lectures about Type 2 and diet and "reversal" and all that stuff.
The feeling of isolation is very much a reality when you are first told but honestly, I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful everyone is on here and how they will have answers or suggestions or just a cyber hug..sometimes that is all you need!
I posted about emotional things as well as food things and someone somewhere will have felt the same at some point. Just use this site as your bible and your support and you will not go far wrong!

I wish you well on your journey xxxxx

 

[Moo63]

Thank you ladies for your advice and support. I've had such valuable information and I can't tell you how much i appreciate it.

I'm sorry to read about your visits to the doctor/nurse, they were far worse than mine. I have thought more than once about making a noise regarding the shabby experience so many people seem to have gone through. I keep reading about how diabetes is a serious condition. Really? You wouldn't think so, the way people have been treated (or not). If it is as serious as I'm led to believe then why on earth are so many people just left to figure things out for themselves and not given solid advice and care for months? I find it quite appalling. Thank goodness for this place.

For what it's worth, you have all made THE difference as far as I'm concerned. I've begun to get my bs levels down although things are a bit high in the mornings before I've even eaten and I'm not sure what I can do about that. I read about eating a snack before bed but I don't know if that works. If I can't get it down then I guess I'll just have to wait until I see someone.

In the meantime, I'm learning and beginning to understand a bit more each day thanks to you guys and I do feel like I have a bit more control now that I have the monitor.

Thank you once again

 

[Tabbyjoolz]

I found the same with my fasting readings to start with - they'd start off at about 8 or 9 and then come down during the day. It's normal for your body to fire off more glucose in the morning to give you energy to get out of bed. In time your fasting reading is likely to come down.

We have to remember that diabetes is only one affliction out of many that GPs and their have to deal with every day. However, there is no excuse for rudeness or apathy from them either.

Remember you are the Boss of your diabetes, which needs nurturing, encouragement and needs to be brought into line occasionally. Your GP, diabetic nurse, dietician, etc. are contractors that you call in to help manage.