Hello

Lola1972

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi Everyone, I was diagnosed last Wednesday following a blood test after feeling really under the weather. My doctor didnt even mention the word diabetes so when he rang and told me I was totally shocked. I was given an appointment to see the diabetic nurse and was put on metformin as she said my glucose was extremely high. I already have fibromyalgia and arthritis and have had a spinal fusion after 3 recurring herniated discs and been left with nerve damage down my left leg. I am only 44 (45 next Saturday) and am feeling in a state of shock. I am not due to return to the diabetic nurse for 3 months so am feeling in limbo. I am hoping I will find support and advice on dealing with diabetes. I have started to change my diet to low fat, low sugar and low salt but am looking forward to checking out new recipes and cheats on snacking . Any advice on what blood testing kit I should get? Many thanks in advance.
 

Dairygrade

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Having diabetes
Welcome Lola to the forum you will get plenty of advice on here good luck.
 
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AM1874

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,383
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not much
Hi @Lola1972 .. and welcome
I was in a similar position as you when I was diagnosed T2 about 4 weeks ago .. shocked, a bit scared, no real idea of what was happening to me and lots of questions. Since joining this forum, though, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. @daisy1 will be along soon with a wealth of information for you

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

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
13,466
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Any advice on what blood testing kit I should get? Many thanks in advance.

Hi @Lola1972 and welcome to the forum.

Regarding testing, there are a whole range of options - there's a section on this website about meters, and also one of the forums is about testing, so you might want to take a look at those. The meters themselves are not usually expensive (some are free), but the strips can be very expensive. For this reason I chose the SD Codefree which has some of the cheapest strips. There's also a new meter called the Tee2, which also has similarly priced strips.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...oll-or-mgdl/?gclid=CLmCoe2Sy9ICFW4z0wodxfEHFw

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

There are discount codes for the Codefree strips if bought in bulk:

5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
 
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Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
*
Hi to @Lola1972 and @brayonjackson and welcome to the forum. There is a lot of good advice and support on here, have a read round the threads and ask anything you want to.
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Lola1972 @brayonjackson

Hello 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 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.
 

Lola1972

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi @Lola1972 .. and welcome
I was in a similar position as you when I was diagnosed T2 about 4 weeks ago .. shocked, a bit scared, no real idea of what was happening to me and lots of questions. Since joining this forum, though, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. @daisy1 will be along soon with a wealth of information for you

You may also find the following post useful ...
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/taking-the-driving-seat.116651/
and for test meters ...
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-to-expect.117018/page-2#post-1399186
Hope this helps
Thanks @AM1874 for the information on testers will definately get one sorted as it will hopefully give me more idea about what works and what doesnt as far as food goes. I am sure this forum is going to be a valuable assett in the coming weeks and months.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks @AM1874 for the information on testers will definately get one sorted as it will hopefully give me more idea about what works and what doesnt as far as food goes. I am sure this forum is going to be a valuable assett in the coming weeks and months.

You said you have started a new diet, low fat, low sugar, low salt. Sadly, this doesn't work too well for diabetics. It the carbohydrate in food that causes the problems, not the fats, and nor indeed salt. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals, anything made with flour. We also have to be very careful with fruit and milk, and of course sugar..

This will help you. Read the page then click the links to "What to eat" and "what not to eat". There are also loads of lovely recipes on there. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

You don't need to cut all carbs out, just the ones that affect you, and reduce the portion sizes of the others, stay clear of processed food, ready meals and take-a-ways. A meter will tell you better than I can. Throw away any low fat products you have and eat the real thing. (Butter, cream, cheese, full yogurts are all back on the menu, including bacon and eggs) Check all nutrition labels on packaged food and look for the "total carbohydrate" amount. (ignore the "of which sugars".) Only buy items that have less than 10% carbs, preferably even less than that.

Have a good read round the forums at all the low carb success stories, and hopefully soon you will be able to add yours. :).
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Watch out if you remove carbs efficiently - you will need some salt or you'll get dreadful cramps.

The much touted 'healthy' diets are not what a diabetic needs - your body can cope with fats and probably proteins, but not carbohydrate.
I am really sensitive to carbs, so have to avoid grain, starchy vegetables, most beans and peas and only small amounts of low sugar fruits.
It is a really nice diet to have to follow, I find, and I have found a glucose meter most helpful to back up my thoughts on what I can and can't eat. I had to buy one and fund the strips etc. myself, but my numbers are now almost normal.
 

hurf0rd

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
Other
As regards testing, I think you're right to highlight it, because I think being able to test really is the key to managing diabetes.

All glucometers will measure your sugar, but the decision is whether you want stuff, over-and-above this. There is the glucometer itself, which is a one-off purchase on a few tens of £ (guideline), and you'll also need test strips (typically you'll use one of these every time you test your blood, and then throw it away, so you can regard these as consumables). These tend to get sold in batches of, for example, 50, and will cost, say, £20-£25 (purely as a guideline). So, you can see, the cost of the glucometer itself pales into insignificance compared to these strips. So, if cost is your priority, it might be worth chatting to your doctor/nurse to see whether they are able to prescribe something, and particularly prescribe the strips. Anecdotally, a lot of them won't these days. So have a look at the cost of the strips in particular.

An alternate approach might be to look at connectivity to things. For example, I use a Beurer glucometer because I can plug it straight into my PC through a USB port. They do some free management software which sucks the data in - so basically I never have to faff around writing anything down. I don't have to remember numbers and this combination will keep historical stuff safe forever. I believe that now, their latest glucometer will do all this via Bluetooth, connecting to your smartphone. Accutrend also do something that connects via IR to a USB receiver that they sell separately. Of course, all this connectivity comes at a price!

But yeah, think about what your priorities are, over-and-above just measuring your bloods.
 
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Freema

Expert
Messages
7,346
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Everyone, I was diagnosed last Wednesday following a blood test after feeling really under the weather. My doctor didnt even mention the word diabetes so when he rang and told me I was totally shocked. I was given an appointment to see the diabetic nurse and was put on metformin as she said my glucose was extremely high. I already have fibromyalgia and arthritis and have had a spinal fusion after 3 recurring herniated discs and been left with nerve damage down my left leg. I am only 44 (45 next Saturday) and am feeling in a state of shock. I am not due to return to the diabetic nurse for 3 months so am feeling in limbo. I am hoping I will find support and advice on dealing with diabetes. I have started to change my diet to low fat, low sugar and low salt but am looking forward to checking out new recipes and cheats on snacking . Any advice on what blood testing kit I should get? Many thanks in advance.

hey dear Lola1972

yes it is a gigantic chock to moost of us...I didn´t sleep for 3 days... but in this forum you learn to take control and if you get on the low carb high fat diet which is promoted in here you´ll be able to get blood glucose down to a non-diabetic level rather soon, most can do that and also learn to make a lot of treats that are in fact low carb and one will not feel so deprived of every thing in the longer run..
welcome here
 
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