I think I am diabetic.

[xyzzy]

I think it sounds like I may as well miss the diabetic nurse out. It sounds like they are trying to kill us!

Don't miss him (or her) out, but make sure you do your own research and form your opinion.

I know I will have to see them really. As I get the hang of all this I am sure the results will speak for themselves :wink:

If you ask her if you should test your blood sugars yourself I'd get ready to duck as there's a definite tendency for some nurses to explode quite spectacularly on that one. That one can really be a light blue touch paper and retire a very long distance

However you may get one who is fine so shouldn't judge.

 

[Anonymous]

If you ask her if you should test your blood sugars yourself I'd get ready to duck as there's a definite tendency for some nurses to explode quite spectacularly on that one. That one can really be a light blue touch paper and retire a very long distance

However you may get one who is fine so shouldn't judge.[/quote]

When I was having my first fasting test there was a lady waiting to see the DN. She came out with a selection of monitors to choose from as they couldn`t get any strips for the one she had. I am cautiously optimistic. Of course the person could have had type 1. We shall see if I can get the doc to let me have one right away. I can be very persistent

 

[xyzzy]

I can be very persistent

Seriously you may need to be.

I have done everything including stating the N.I.C.E guidelines regarding T2's getting test strips to my dsn and showing her without a shadow of doubt that I do what those guidelines say. Still nothing and she freely admits its because of cost. The trouble is they can overrule the guidelines by simply saying they don't think it would be the right treatment for you. I think the vast majority of T2's on the forum who do test have to pay for it themselves. Did you sign the e-petition when you joined the forum? I even offered to part fund my testing and still got nowhere.

 

[Anonymous]

I have indeed signed the petition.

I hope you don`t mind me asking, but which machine have you got, and how much are the strips and lancets? I suppose I had better be prepared for the knock back.

 

[Camilla]

Hi.
I recently went to see my rheumatologist, and as usual they checked my urine. There was high traces of glucose in my wee, so they sent me for a blood test. It took the best part of three week for the results to get to my Dr. The reading was 10. something. My doctor ordered a fasting glucose test, which was done last Monday. On Wednesday morning he rang me to say I needed to repeat the second part of the test, so I picked up the script for another glucose drink. Yesterday I had that blood test. I asked the nurse for the pre3vious test results, and pre glucose it was 10.3, and after is was 18.2.

Last night the on call Doc rang asking me to go to the local cottage hospital as the lab had rang because this time my blood sugars were 24.3. He said I was diabetic, which obviously I am, and to follow a diabetic diet. I will see my gp on Monday, but at this point I am in a bit of a daze, and have no idea what I can eat :shock:

I don`t even know what I am hoping for by posting. I read the stickies for being newly diagnosed.

You are diabetic and quite seriously so. But don't worry. By changing your diet for the better you can do a huge amount to help yourself. A lot of us find that eating a low carb diet with adequate protein and fat is an effective way to bring down blood sugars. That means cutting out or eating very much smaller portions of all starchy foods e.g. potatoes, cakes, bread, sweet things, milk (full of sugar) etc. You really need to read some good books and articles on the subject to educate yourself about truly good nutrition for diabetes.

You certainly need your doctor's advice and probably tablets to help bring yours down but in the long term you can do an incredible amount by reducing carbohydrates. Have a read of how a lot of us have brought our diabetes under control and then decide how you can make the right changes yourself.

The normal level of blood sugar is basically 5mm. That is the target to aim for as fasting level in the morning and it should not go above 7.8mm after meals. If you aim for that range, you will be doing very well.

Try not to worry, it will take several weeks, even months, to come to terms with this condition. Lots of us are here to advise you on every aspect and your doctor will also reassure and help you. Meanwhile you will find yourself feeling upset and crying, I certainly did at first. The numb shock and fear will get better after a while. Come and tell us about it when you feel like that. We are here.

Take care.

 

[Camilla]

hi

i found out about 2 weeks ago that im type 2 and went to see the diabetic nurse last week and she said i can eat anything bt just watch what it is and have a little of it ....im still comfued at how many cads your aload a day . she tald me i can have chocolate the best one to have is the little freddo chococlate bar once a week will be fine and one small cake will be fine .

I am afraid the truth that diabetics can no longer really eat as they used to. That is something of a soothing untruth that diabetic nurses say. Our pancreas cannot cope like normal people's does. In order to act to get your blood sugar down to normal you will need to plan and eat a careful controlled diet. The lowering of carbohydrates is extremely important. I found it best to stop eating sweet foods like chocolate and cakes completely at first, such foods will undermine your efforts to get into the healthy range of blood sugars. You need to find out which foods you can tolerate without spiking, it takes time to do that.

I doubt you will be given a meter. Only usually insulin dependent diabetics get them free. I ordered mine immediately after diagnosis off Amazon and began testing every day. That is the only way to begin to get real control.

 

[xyzzy]

I inherited mine from my Type 1 son it was his spare!

The one that lots of forum members are currently recommending is one called an SD CODEFREE. It's available from healthcare.co.uk and the cheapest place to buy in is on their eBay shop. On eBay you can buy the meter, a spikey thing and case plus 60 test strips for around £18. It has got good reviews for accuracy etc. People are buying this model because the test strips are loads cheaper than other meters. Again strips are £4.99 per 50 strips from their eBay shop. I would recommend you buy as many test strips as you can afford when you originally purchase the meter as you'll save on P&P. Make sure you buy the UK mmol/l version and not a US mg/dl version or else the numbers that come up will be confusing!

I did actually buy one with the intention of swapping from my old one. It worked fine but in the end I gave it to a deserving relative and kept my old one as you kind of get attached to the one you're use to.

 

[Camilla]

I have indeed signed the petition.

I hope you don`t mind me asking, but which machine have you got, and how much are the strips and lancets? I suppose I had better be prepared for the knock back.

Accu Chek Compact Plus is a good one, around about £15.00. The strips cost about £25.00 for a pack of 51. They are expensive for sure, but I found after a few weeks of using them to find out how what to eat, you can reduce the checking. I checked 4 or 5 times a day at first but now only check twice a day because I know I am totally under control. Other meters may be cheaper of course. But I like the Accu Check because it is all in one, quick, easy. The strips come ready to load a roll of 17 at a time and come out automatically to use and easy to dispose of. The lancets are great, I got about 200 of them for under £5.00. You don't need to change the lancet every time, mine are changed once a week - but you must do as you see fit after reading the booklet of instructions.

 

[borofergie]

I inherited mine from my Type 1 son it was his spare!

I recently found out that one of my good friends is a T1 diabetic. I wrote to him on Facebook saying that insulin was for wimps and that real diabetics just took tablets. He replied "yeah, yeah, comeback when you get the real thing, and not just the free trial version." It made me laugh...

 

[Camilla]

I think it sounds like I may as well miss the diabetic nurse out. It sounds like they are trying to kill us!

I think so! But each of us have minds of our own, our bodies are ours and we have the right to treat them as we wish. Healthcare is advisory after all, not orders. I have done all my own reading and research, greatly assisted by this forum and others too. Therefore I control perfectly well by diet alone. It takes determination and can be done.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone for the further replies.

Camilla. I have decided to start the high fat, low carb diet. It seems pretty simple once I have got my head around carbs in veg etc. I have bookmarked helpful links, so I think I know what I am doing.

xyzzy. I have seen the Codefree, and it does look like a good buy. There is one on ebay that you can get with 300 strips and lancets for £50. I am still hoping for one from the docs. I have an appointment for 2 40 today.

 

[Anonymous]

I saw the doctor, who said that 24 isn`t that high a reading after the glucose drink. Everything I have read said the opposite. Even my pretest reading of 10.8 is high enough for a diabetes diagnoses as far as I can see. I amm seeing the DN on Wednesday. I hope she is more knowledgeable than he was. :evil: