Another T2 Newbie

Drummersi

Member
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20
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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Diabetes, funnily enough.
Spiders.
Hi all.

So here I am. Diagnosed two days ago with T2 diabetes. My doctor recommended this website and forums to help me learn.

I understand that it's a marathon and not a sprint. And, even with other family members that have T2 supporting me, its all still quite daunting, especially when you're trying to fight through the post diagnosis fog. But I'm optimistic that with time I'll get on top of it all.

So hello to everyone.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome. I heartily suggest having a read around on the threads on the forum then come back with any questions you may have.

I will tag @daisy1 for our intro to the effect that carbohydrate has on your blood sugar levels.

A lot of us find that by educating ourselves about our condition then we get better control.

Welcome and good luck!
 

kokhongw

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,394
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all.

So here I am. Diagnosed two days ago with T2 diabetes. My doctor recommended this website and forums to help me learn.

I understand that it's a marathon and not a sprint. And, even with other family members that have T2 supporting me, its all still quite daunting, especially when you're trying to fight through the post diagnosis fog. But I'm optimistic that with time I'll get on top of it all.

So hello to everyone.

Welcome to the forum and post any questions you may have on your journey to reclaim your health.
 
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Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome!

Well done to your doc for recommending this place, and well done for actually looking us up. :D
 
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KezG

Well-Known Member
Messages
239
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Tripe, most shellfish.. mussels, cockles etc...
Hi all.

So here I am. Diagnosed two days ago with T2 diabetes. My doctor recommended this website and forums to help me learn.

I understand that it's a marathon and not a sprint. And, even with other family members that have T2 supporting me, its all still quite daunting, especially when you're trying to fight through the post diagnosis fog. But I'm optimistic that with time I'll get on top of it all.

So hello to everyone.
Hello and welcome.. a positive attitude and approach indeed. :)
 

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
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Tablets (oral)
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*
Hi @Drummersi and welcome to the forum. It's a shock when you get that diagnosis and takes a bit of time to get you head around it all. Have a read round the threads and you will see a lot of us have found that adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (LCHF) approach to eating has lowered our blood sugars.
Do you know what your HbA1c (blood sugar) level was? If not you should get it from your GP surgery so you know where you are starting from.
 
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AM1874

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,383
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not much
Hi all.

So here I am. Diagnosed two days ago with T2 diabetes. My doctor recommended this website and forums to help me learn.

I understand that it's a marathon and not a sprint. And, even with other family members that have T2 supporting me, its all still quite daunting, especially when you're trying to fight through the post diagnosis fog. But I'm optimistic that with time I'll get on top of it all.

So hello to everyone.
Hi @Drummersi ... and welcome
I was diagnosed T2 on 7th Feb .. and I was shocked, worried and feeling lost. Very quickly, though, the folks on this forum have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey. Still early for me but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly :)

You may find the following posts useful ...
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/taking-the-driving-seat.116651/
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-to-expect.117018/page-2#post-1399186
Hope this helps
 

JRF

Well-Known Member
Messages
55
Welcome to the site. I was only diagnosed back in January and since then have found the support and advice invaluable.
Read as much as you can, ask any questions and then make your own decision.
Jean
 
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JPonter

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
welcome, I'm recently diagnosed T2 as well. This site is the absolute best resource I have found, following the advice on here around carbs (contrary to what the NHS told me) has seen a lowering of blood sugar in just a few weeks.

Best of luck
 
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Drummersi

Member
Messages
20
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diabetes, funnily enough.
Spiders.
Thanks to you all for the quick reply. My initial figures (I'm new to this so forgive me if I'm wrong) for the three month average was 93. Is that the hba1c? My first stabber test was 8.7. At the minute I seem to circling in the 8s although I'm only taking one metformin a day at the minute as I get used to them and by the middle of next week will be on 3 a day.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Do be aware that some people don't ever get used to Metformin -I am one of them and have a part pack of the tablets in the drawer for when I might need the most efficient laxative I have ever known. I was overjoyed to find that diet will do the job most effectively, at least for me.
I have even found some fairly low cost low carb (by comparison) chocolate I can eat when needed. There is life after diagnosis.
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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Cruelty towards animals.
@Drummersi

Hello Drummersi and welcome to the Forum :) To help you to get started, here is the Basic Information we give to new Members and I hope you will find it useful. This includes a link to the Low Carb Program which can be helpful to you. 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 well over 147,000 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all 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.
 

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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My initial figures (I'm new to this so forgive me if I'm wrong) for the three month average was 93. Is that the hba1c?
Yes that would be the HbA1c result. It is high, but people on here with higher figures have brought them down to pre-diabetic or non-diabetic levels, some within three months others have taken longer.
Non diabetic is below 42, pre-diabetic is 42-47, and diabetic is 48 and above.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks to you all for the quick reply. My initial figures (I'm new to this so forgive me if I'm wrong) for the three month average was 93. Is that the hba1c? My first stabber test was 8.7. At the minute I seem to circling in the 8s although I'm only taking one metformin a day at the minute as I get used to them and by the middle of next week will be on 3 a day.

It sounds from what you say that you are relying on your Metformin to reduce your blood sugars. I'm afraid Metformin doesn't work that way. It helps in other respects, such as helping to reduce insulin resistance and weight loss, but only insulin itself can reduce blood sugars (either your own or injected). Diet is the key to control and reduced blood sugars, and by that I mean a reduction in carbohydrate.

Using your meter to test out what happens when you eat is the only real way to do it. Test before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite and see what the actual rise is. Anything above 2mmol/l and there were to many carbs in that meal. Once you are more used to all this and you see your numbers coming down a bit, try to keep any rises under 1.5mmol/l and at no time higher than 8.5. These are the figures to aim for at least initially:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

If you keep a food diary including portion sizes and record your levels alongside, you will soon learn which foods and in what quantities affect you, so you can reduce the carb portion or eliminate it.

We call it eating to your meter, and if done properly, it works!
 

Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
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Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
Hello @Drummersi and Welcome to the Forum :). And remember to always wash your hands before each testing of your Blood.
 
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Knighthawk22

Well-Known Member
Messages
113
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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Diabetes ahaha !!!
Hello @Drummersi welcome I am sure you will find a wealth of information on the forum, this is a great place with some very knowledgeable people any questions just ask your among friends on here.
 
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