newly diagnosed type 2

kittenjo

Newbie
Messages
2
hi been reading a few posts on here
feel like i been very lucky with my doctors
monday 19th nov .. did a blood test on myself ( used husbands as he is border line diabetic for years so checks once a month) i had not been feeling well put down to my age (48) got talked into doing one it was 10 first thing.
did another one later on 2 hours after food it was 16.2
saw nurse wed 22nd nov .. talked for 15mins told me need some tests
thurs 23rd morning blood test and pee done (pee was ok)
fri 24th late afternoon phoned me wants to see me fri 30th for a half hour appointment
fri 30th
nurse was great told me i have type 2 diabetes. that thinks pills will be the best for me. told me i will have to test my blood once a day at different times ( put in a booklet ) told me feet will be tested next time, an appointment will come for eyes test soon, and a course of 2 afternoons to teach me more about diabetes in next 3 months. given monitor strips and small sharps bin. told to fill it a form so i dont have to pay for meds/test strips/ monitor. talked about food cut down sugar and to keep carbs down.
see her again 14th jan but if i have any worries to ring and if she not there will call me back
i came away not feeling worried. pills are working with a lot less carbs and cutting most of the sugar out.
after a couple of days bloods gone down a lot. blood been lowest 5.6 highest 7.9 i feel so much better
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
Hi kittenjo and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members which I hope you will find useful. Ask all the questions you like and somebody 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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.
 

hallii

Well-Known Member
Messages
554
Sugar is not good, even small amounts can cause a rapid rise in BGs. It is best to avoid all sugar and sugary foods.

There are acceptable alternatives such as Sucralose (89p Aldi) if you need the sweet taste.

You will find that over time you do not notice the lack of sweetness and do not crave it. It does take time , I no longer eat any form of sugar other than some fruit sugars (in the fruit).

Many find that the white cereals (Flour. oats, rice etc) are almost as bad as sugar for causing BGs to rise and potatoes should be eaten in moderation ( 3 new potatoes a day for me, note no old ones).

A modified diet that restricts the carbohydrate intake will bring down Bgs to almost normal levels, throw in a bit of exercise (20 min walk at a brisk pace) and things will get even better.

It's not rocket science but it does take a bit of time and experience to get a feel for things. Do not expect things to happen overnight, it takes time, maybe months, and that is the best way to do it, you body needs time to get used to the new regime but it will.

So stick at it and be patient, it will work, maybe two or three months should see your BGs right down, you will lose weight by low carbing, today I had my 6 monthly weigh in and bloods etc for the full review in a few days. I have lost another 2kg on top of the 4kg I lost last time.

Try writing things down, your diet for the week, BG readings after meals, medication taken etc., it helps to avoid any "falling off the wagon" .

Plan ahead, do not use "going out" or "special occasions" as an excuse to eat the wrong things, it is easy to cope with these occasions when you have planned ahead.

Your OH should also follow the regime, "pre-diabetes" or "glucose intolerant" is a bit like saying " almost pregnant", it just isn't so.
It is simply a matter of having diabetes but your body is still coping (just). A T2 diabetic can manage non diabetic BG levels by strict diet and exercise, that doesn't make him/her suddenly "pre diabetic" it simply means that they are under control.

Keep us informed, ask many questions, we like it :D

H
 

eggplant

Active Member
Messages
42
Hi Kittenjo

Welcome to the forum. Your first DSN meeting sounds very like my first one, although my BG levels were slightly higher and I had to take insulin as well as the meds you're taking. Agree with Hallii - avoid sugars and keep a note of what you eat, it'll help your testing make more sense and help you learn what you can safely eat without raising your BG levels too much. Good luck with getting back on the straight and narrow (or should that be the stable and lower) with your BG levels. Good that you got test strips on prescription - they really make a difference - did for me. :lol: