Just Diagnosed.

Sansmile

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all, I was just diagnosed last Friday purely by accident. I had an appointment with practise nurse for something completely differant and a urine test revealed diabetes. My blood sugar level was 16.5. I was suddenly overwhelmed with all this information. This past week I have completely changed my diet and been shocked by the sugar levels in supermarket foods. I have started the tablets 500mg each morning and will be building up to 2 morning and evening over the next month. Since Saturday I have got my levels down to 10 and lost 3lbs of weight in the process. It’s all new and quite a shock but in a way it’s a Godsend, as it’s really made me look at my diet and lifestyle. Look forward to reading and catching up with posts in here.
 

Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Hello and welcome to the forum. Tagging @daisy1 for the info pack offered to all newcomers.

It sounds like you're off to a good start, well done!
Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like.
 

Mal37

Well-Known Member
Messages
282
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Social situations
Yes it's wake up call Sansmile and I am glad you are being so positive already!
It took me MONTHS to accept and start to deal with it, and mine was just as much out of the blue as yours, so very well done!
 

Cloudlesssky

Well-Known Member
Messages
273
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Good to see you have found the site so quickly and I'm sure you'll find it really helpful.
Yes, a wake up call, but you see to have a really positive attitude already, despite the surprise!
Hope to see you around the site.
 

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
*
Welcome to the forum @Sansmile. It is a shock when you get that diagnosis and takes a bit of time to get your head around it all, but it sounds as if you have a blood glucose meter and that you have got off to a good start.
Have a read round the threads and ask any questions you want, the people on here are friendly and you will get a lot of good advice and support.
 
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JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all, I was just diagnosed last Friday purely by accident. I had an appointment with practise nurse for something completely differant and a urine test revealed diabetes. My blood sugar level was 16.5. I was suddenly overwhelmed with all this information. This past week I have completely changed my diet and been shocked by the sugar levels in supermarket foods. I have started the tablets 500mg each morning and will be building up to 2 morning and evening over the next month. Since Saturday I have got my levels down to 10 and lost 3lbs of weight in the process. It’s all new and quite a shock but in a way it’s a Godsend, as it’s really made me look at my diet and lifestyle. Look forward to reading and catching up with posts in here.
It's usually a shock, but you've certainly taken the bull by the horns! Well done and welcome!
 
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enzina

Well-Known Member
Messages
289
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
pain, being dependent, egoistic people & jealousy
Hi Sansmile,

Super you are already taken action! This forum is brilliant, i found the best advise and support here.

All the best .
 
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liarsdance

Well-Known Member
Messages
221
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello and welcome! You've come to the right place for support and information :) Like you, I was shocked to be diagnosed but I really do feel it was a blessing in disguise and a seriously overdue kick up the proverbial ;) I have turned my life around and wish you all the best on your journey to do the same.

~Heath
 
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Terrytiddy

Well-Known Member
Messages
835
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi @Sansmile welcome to the group. Good that you have started to change things and well done on weight loss:) There is a lot to take in but don't worry, you are in the right place for all the help, advice and support that you need.;) We have all been where you are so we are here for you.:happy:
 
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Sansmile

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi @Sansmile welcome to the group. Good that you have started to change things and well done on weight loss:) There is a lot to take in but don't worry, you are in the right place for all the help, advice and support that you need.;) We have all been where you are so we are here for you.:happy:
You have done brilliant Terrytiddy and will be a real inspiration for me.
 
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Pinkorchid

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,927
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Sansmile You are doing amazingly well getting your BG levels down and loosing weight so early in diagnosis so whatever you are doing is working for you so keep it up
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Sansmile
Hello Sansmile 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 like and someone will 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 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.
 

Chronicle_Cat

Well-Known Member
Messages
555
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome. I also shocked by the diagnosis - my doctor did a routine blood panel on me in June (which I had put off because I had major surgery earlier).

It's hard but I think it is best to respond positively like you have. :) You're off to a great start.

The only I can suggest is to try to get a blood glucose meter (not sure if you have one) and keep a diary of what you eat, it makes a lot of difference as you can see the effects of certain foods.

BTW, these forums are very helpful.
 
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dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all, I was just diagnosed last Friday purely by accident. I had an appointment with practise nurse for something completely differant and a urine test revealed diabetes. My blood sugar level was 16.5. I was suddenly overwhelmed with all this information. This past week I have completely changed my diet and been shocked by the sugar levels in supermarket foods. I have started the tablets 500mg each morning and will be building up to 2 morning and evening over the next month. Since Saturday I have got my levels down to 10 and lost 3lbs of weight in the process. It’s all new and quite a shock but in a way it’s a Godsend, as it’s really made me look at my diet and lifestyle. Look forward to reading and catching up with posts in here.
It's a shock, buy plenty of help on here
 

Kittycat_7_

Well-Known Member
Messages
492
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi and welcome,
Well done for your positive attitude, you've done really well getting your figures down already and losing weight.
I think it comes as a shock to most people.
Take care
 
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