Hi Newbie here

[Anthia]

Good Afternoon,
I am new to this, I had a call from my GP surgery last week and the receptionist told me I am a new diabetic patient but I cannot see anyone until next week. I went through my GP records on line and it said type 2.
I am 47 and over weight so I know that will be the first issue.
What I am wondering is what is the usual first steps when diagnoised?
I had gestational diabetes with my last two pregnancies 8-10 years ago so I knew there was always a risk this would happen but I was put on insulin for both pregnancies and so it was a very different way of dealing with things.
Thank you for reading.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hello and welcome!

Whilst weight can be an issue, it isn't the first issue. The first is to get the blood sugars down by eating a T2 suitable diet. To help with this, it is a good idea to buy a meter (the one you had with your pregnancies is going to be out of date). By testing before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite you will see immediately what that meal did to your levels, giving you the opportunity to tweak things. Used alongside a food diary this will be of enormous help, but beware that your GP/nurse will no doubt try to discourage you from testing as this is the NHS line.

As you can see your records on line, what was your HbA1c?

A good place to start as regards diet is the website dietdoctor.com. and here is some basic information offered to all newcomers https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/

Have a good read round and ask whatever questions you like.

 

[Resurgam]

First steps are quite varied - I was given a prescription for some pills and no useful advice - others get three months to lower their glucose levels.
Although I am officially in remission I do like to check my blood glucose levels, so I bought a new meter and strips recently - a Tee 2, which seems OK so far and the strips are not all that expensive - I got the kit and 150 extra strips, and a box of lancets for under £40.
If you seek out the same brand online be aware that you register on he suppliers website, they send a confirmatory email to respond to and then you can order without paying VAT - as a diabetic. This is not mentioned.
Even if you are - as my doctor described me - a very bad diabetic - eating low carb foods can reduce levels right back to normal, and I lost weight very easily too.

 

[Anthia]

Thank you both,

My GP records show this

Test result Glycated Haemoglobin Report, Abnormal,
HbA1c level (DCCT aligned) (XaERp) 7.5 %
Haemoglobin A1c level - IFCC standardised (XaPbt) 58 mmol/mol

Is it usual to go straight to medication?

 

[Resurgam]

That is not really high. I got down from 91 to 41 in 6 months - at 58 you probably going to need to cut back rather than cut out all high carb foods - which I still need to do to stay close to normal.
With any luck you should be able to see your numbers falling as soon as you make a start with testing and adjusting meals.

 

[jjraak]

Hi @Anthia welcome to the club no one wants to join.
BUT it is the very best of forums once you've had to enrol.

A meter as recommended is essential, and yes others will so NO...but i hav efound it invaluable in deciding what i CAN eat, what i need to cut down on if i really WANT to eat it, and what i really CAN'T eat, if i i want to keep my BG under control.

I was 56mmol HBA1c back in aug 2018..tooka few weeks following the guidelines given me by doc
6 weeks went by and i was starving hungry, depressed AND gone up to 57mmol HBA1c...

i quickly searched on line for help, found the forum, so you are way in front of me, at this point.

By jan 2019 i had got down to 42mmol HBA1c, and this july i made 40mmol HBA1c
all with the help of the forum and going LCHF...

And i was a slow learner, many have beat that in time and score, so all very do-able.
(check signatures under some of the poster posts.)

help is in abundance here, with plenty of kind words or a pointer to a link/video that explains something a little clearer than we could,

It all adds up over time to help us get back to better health and Lower Blood Glucose scores.

Welcome to the Club.

 

[Anthia]

Thank you all, sounds like lots to learn but there is hope.

 

[Caprock94]

Like mentioned, 7.5% isn’t a really high number. Good chance you can get down to normal range in a few months with low carb. I was diagnosed at 8.5%. Down to 5.9% in 3 months on low carb (not full Keto). It was still a pretty drastic change from my old high carb diet, but it wasn’t as hard as I expected. You can do this!

 

[Rachox]

Thank you all, sounds like lots to learn but there is hope.

Hi Anthia and welcome! Just popped by to say hello! There is a lot to learn but it’s not a race, so take your time, it’s often said here that it’s a marathon not a sprint. And there most definitely is hope!

 

[Bluetit1802]

Thank you both,

My GP records show this

Test result Glycated Haemoglobin Report, Abnormal,
HbA1c level (DCCT aligned) (XaERp) 7.5 %
Haemoglobin A1c level - IFCC standardised (XaPbt) 58 mmol/mol

Is it usual to go straight to medication?

The decision about medication will depend on your nurse/GP. Some would prescribe Metformin tablets, others would give you 3 months to show improvement without medication. In any event, at the end of the day, the decision is yours, not your doctor's. If you prefer to try diet only for 3 months, then tell him. Plenty of us on here have never had any meds. I'm one of them.

 

[Anthia]

The decision about medication will depend on your nurse/GP. Some would prescribe Metformin tablets, others would give you 3 months to show improvement without medication. In any event, at the end of the day, the decision is yours, not your doctor's. If you prefer to try diet only for 3 months, then tell him. Plenty of us on here have never had any meds. I'm one of them.

Fabulous, thank you. I know medication will affect my job so I will ask to try without for a bit. Unfortunately my job is also a factor of type 2 because of shift work LOL You just can’t win really!!!

 

[1spuds]

Another vote for a meter and testing.Shows you very clearly what you can eat,and what to not eat.Without testing,how would you know the bad guys?

 

[Anthia]

I will check out for a meter for testing and work out what works. I know white bread needs to go, mostly because I couldn't cope with it when pregnant.

I am lucky I don’t have a sweet tooth and don’t drink pop. My issue will be breads.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I will check out for a meter for testing and work out what works. I know white bread needs to go, mostly because I couldn't cope with it when pregnant.

I am lucky I don’t have a sweet tooth and don’t drink pop. My issue will be breads.

Not just white bread. All breads contain carbs, and unless you find a low carb bread the resulting spikes will be the same whether it is white or brown or pink. My issue is also bread. Gone are the lovely small crusty rolls I used to buy half baked, gone are buns and barm cake breads and the baguettes. I am further down the road than you and can now manage a slice of lowish carb bread (Hovis lower carb at the moment) There are others in supermarkets but not easy to find and often in short supply. A meter will soon tell you whether an odd slice of bread is OK or a no-no.

 

[Anthia]

Not just white bread. All breads contain carbs, and unless you find a low carb bread the resulting spikes will be the same whether it is white or brown or pink. My issue is also bread. Gone are the lovely small crusty rolls I used to buy half baked, gone are buns and barm cake breads and the baguettes. I am further down the road than you and can now manage a slice of lowish carb bread (Hovis lower carb at the moment) There are others in supermarkets but not easy to find and often in short supply. A meter will soon tell you whether an odd slice of bread is OK or a no-no.

Oh crusty bread rolls, I will miss them with real butter, extra mature cheese and sweet chilli jam.

I used to eat a slice burgen bread toasted with peanut butter when pregnant, that was my breakfast and carb treat but I was on insulin then so needed some carbs.

 

[bulkbiker]

Oh crusty bread rolls, I will miss them with real butter, extra mature cheese and sweet chilli jam.

I used to eat a slice burgen bread toasted with peanut butter when pregnant, that was my breakfast and carb treat but I was on insulin then so needed some carbs.

You can still have the cheese and butter though... so all is not lost!

 

[Anthia]

You can still have the cheese and butter though... so all is not lost!

 

[Rachox]

You could even make your own sugar free/low carb sweet chilli sauce :
https://www.lowcarbsosimple.com/sugar-free-sweet-chili-sauce/

 

[Anthia]

You could even make your own sugar free/low carb sweet chilli sauce :
https://www.lowcarbsosimple.com/sugar-free-sweet-chili-sauce/

Oh that is fabulous, thank you.

 

[HSSS]

at 58 you probably going to need to cut back rather than cut out all high carb foods - which I still need to do to stay close to normal.

Sadly doesn’t always work like that. I’m not convinced it’s a linear relationship. Some very high hb1ac seem to come down quickly and easily at moderate carbs others are like me, I’ve been under 40g carb since diagnosis at 55mmol and have just crept down to 40. If I was more moderate I’m sure I wouldn’t have achieved this.

I don’t say this to be a downer just to let you know everyone is individual and you you just need to,work out what’s right for you.