Hi, My name is Sue ........ And I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and High Cholesterol last week - to say I was shocked is an under statement. However, I am coming to terms with the fact and am now hoping to just 'get on with it'. I am currently not on medication just trying to control it with diet (apart from statins for my HC). The problem I have is that, whilst my GP was very helpful and supportive, I feel that I have so many unanswered questions. I am having further blood tests in February, but now have to first get through Christmas, New Year, a holiday in Florida and my birthday without sugar, bread, wheat, potatoes and Prosecco in my diet !! Yikes. I think it would have been much easier, had I been diagnosed in February and it is the thought of all these festivities that is so daunting. Do other people have the same worries and fears of failing as myself ?
Newly diagnosed and worried about Christmas etc
- Thread starter Suehp
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Liam1955
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@Suehp - Hello and Welcome to the Forum 
. I will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive. Have you got a Blood Glucose Meter? This is a vital piece of of a Diabetics equipment - you eat to your meter and this allows you to see what foods to avoid and those that you can eat.
Have a good read of the information that daisy1 provides, and ask as many questions as you need.
. I will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive. Have you got a Blood Glucose Meter? This is a vital piece of of a Diabetics equipment - you eat to your meter and this allows you to see what foods to avoid and those that you can eat.Have a good read of the information that daisy1 provides, and ask as many questions as you need.
Deespee23
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The Prosecco might be OK - dry white wines are generally quite low carb and might not be too bad for you!
CHEERS!
Edit - about 14.5 g carbs per BOTTLE!!! It must be Christmas after all!
CHEERS!
Edit - about 14.5 g carbs per BOTTLE!!! It must be Christmas after all!
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No I haven't got a blood glucose meter - where will I get one from and how much can I expect to pay for it please ?@Suehp - Hello and Welcome to the Forum
Have a good read of the information that daisy1 provides, and ask as many questions as you need.
I was told by a friend that Prosecco is full of sugar boo !!The Prosecco might be OK - dry white wines are generally quite low carb and might not be too bad for you!
CHEERS!
Edit - about 14.5 g carbs per BOTTLE!!! It must be Christmas after all!
Deespee23
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Resurgam
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Perhaps the best Christmas present you could have had is a diagnosis of diabetes before embarking on high carb festivities.
High glucose is damaging, you really do not want to suffer the consequences - you really do not.
You can still enjoy many things, either as they are low carb naturally or versions can be made which are lower carb than the really bad stuff. Using cauliflower rather than potatoes for mash or rice, strips of courgette rather than noodles or pasta - there are many thousands of desserts - including real ice cream, which can be made low carb.
High glucose is damaging, you really do not want to suffer the consequences - you really do not.
You can still enjoy many things, either as they are low carb naturally or versions can be made which are lower carb than the really bad stuff. Using cauliflower rather than potatoes for mash or rice, strips of courgette rather than noodles or pasta - there are many thousands of desserts - including real ice cream, which can be made low carb.
Johnjoe13
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Hello Sue, I'm new to this we site too and was diagnosed T2 about six month ago, found the people and information oh here really helpful. After testing my urine and finding glucose in there too I asked for some advise and boy did I get it. I've ordered meter from Home Health UK the SD Codefree along with 5 extra packs of testing strips, the strips are the most expensive and looking on the net at all the other makes and stuff then this type was defo for me and the best value. Not sure how to put the link to who gave me this but there is a discount code for 5 packs of strips - 264086. Oh and I would not pay extra for first class post it being Christmas, they say it's next day and my order was confirmed by them on Wednesday and still not had it.
I will say that I am also not looking forward to food this xmas having also been told to cut down and put on a statin
I will say that I am also not looking forward to food this xmas having also been told to cut down and put on a statin
Liam1955
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@Suehp - Hi . The SD Codefree Blood Glucose Meter is popular with others on the Forum. The Test Strips are the cheapest to buy and if you buy in bulk they are even cheaper. Here is the link - just click on it.
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose/
State you are Diabetic for vat exemption and here in the uk we use mmol/l.
Here are the discount codes if you are buying in bulk.
5 packs = 264086. 10 packs = 975833.
. The SD Codefree Blood Glucose Meter is popular with others on the Forum. The Test Strips are the cheapest to buy and if you buy in bulk they are even cheaper. Here is the link - just click on it.http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose/
State you are Diabetic for vat exemption and here in the uk we use mmol/l.
Here are the discount codes if you are buying in bulk.
5 packs = 264086. 10 packs = 975833.
Last edited:
daisy1
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@Suehp
Hello Sue 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 answer.
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 220,000 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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello Sue 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 answer.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 220,000 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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
walnut_face
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@Suehp Christmas will be fine, this will be my first low carb Christmas, and I am looking forward to it! No spuds, bread, pizza, pasta (or beer ) BUT plenty of meat, green veggies, wine, and cheese. Winter salads,(instead of sandwiches) coleslaw made with creme fraich. A reason NOT to have turkey curry - even though it is the rice that's the problem.
We tested http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2014/12/08/frozen-white-christmas/ last night, it will get a tweek in the next couple of weeks.
But there is much to look forward to
) BUT plenty of meat, green veggies, wine, and cheese. Winter salads,(instead of sandwiches) coleslaw made with creme fraich. A reason NOT to have turkey curry - even though it is the rice that's the problem.We tested http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2014/12/08/frozen-white-christmas/ last night, it will get a tweek in the next couple of weeks.
But there is much to look forward to
Thanks again everyone, the thing that is confusing me is that the only number I have been given is '49' - I was offered the education programme but politely declined (probably in denial) I the Doctor said I could reconsider this in February when I have my next blood tests. Looking at all the glucose range figures, think I will take him up on it !
Stuart7152
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Try not to panic I did when first T2D, but I would say the best think I would do different is spend your initial few weeks trying to careful log what you actually eat and level of physical activity. Get a food app and fitbit type device to make this process easier.
You can then plan what life style changes with some elements of facts. You may be amazed by how much you overeat without even realising. I had to use scales to measure food and was very shocked in deed on my actual intake pre T2D.
Knowledge is "King"
We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and decide what we want to do about it. It has to be a conscious decision. Either you stick with your present lifestyle and continue to move around not too well, not sleep well and be off-colour in lots of different ways, or you make a firm decision to lose weight and then set about it. People have to make a very clear, deliberate decision.
I would start your research with reviewing Professor Roy Taylor's work as one of the leading experts in the UK
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm
You can then plan what life style changes with some elements of facts. You may be amazed by how much you overeat without even realising. I had to use scales to measure food and was very shocked in deed on my actual intake pre T2D.
Knowledge is "King"
We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and decide what we want to do about it. It has to be a conscious decision. Either you stick with your present lifestyle and continue to move around not too well, not sleep well and be off-colour in lots of different ways, or you make a firm decision to lose weight and then set about it. People have to make a very clear, deliberate decision.
I would start your research with reviewing Professor Roy Taylor's work as one of the leading experts in the UK
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm
walnut_face
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I am taking a guess that 49 is your HbA1c reading have a look at the chart.
Broadly speaking a reading up to 41 is deemed 'normal' 42-48 'pre-diabetic' and 49+ diabetic.
I am hoping they will re-run that test soonish, and that you will get a lower result.
While that should give you hope, I would still make some dietary changes, by reducing carb intack, and if you are able, additional exercise.
All said, you may be in a better place than most
kittypoker
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- I do not have diabetes
Well done on coming to terms so quickly. The earlier the better!
No need to stress over Chrissie. Of course there will be carby temptations but have one potato less and one slice of turkey more, a tiny slice of pudding or quarter of a mince pie with a very large dollop of cream. And whiskey. Make good choices, test regularly and make up for any excesses on Boxing Day. Most of all, enjoy!
No need to stress over Chrissie. Of course there will be carby temptations but have one potato less and one slice of turkey more, a tiny slice of pudding or quarter of a mince pie with a very large dollop of cream. And whiskey.
Make good choices, test regularly and make up for any excesses on Boxing Day. Most of all, enjoy!
Bluetit1802
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Yes, an HbA1c of 49 isn't terrible. Your diabetes has been caught early enough for you to be able to get that figure down to non-diabetic levels fairly quickly with a little tweak of your diet and some added exercise. You have an exciting time ahead of you, what with Christmas, a birthday, and Florida! Enjoy it all is my advice. I have the same as everyone else but much smaller portions of the high carb stuff with extra veg, and for dessert I have strawberries and cream. Everyone else is jealous of me!
