Found out I was type 2 on Monday. Started off all positive 'OK so I now have the incentive to lose weight (BMI ~28)'. When I asked the doctor about seing other specialists -in particular a dietician (I'd like to try diet control only 1st, fasting sugar was 11 -is this horrifically high?) I was told I needed to start by seeing the practice nurse... only to find out she had no appointments for nearly 3 weeks. I started reading up about diet, blood sugar, education courses etc. Then I went on to complications & statistics at which point I got scaredI now feel completely alone and abandoned, and very, very scared. My husband doesn't seem that concerned, and is sitting downstairs watching TV whilst I type this posting with tears pouring over the keyboard! I wasn't prepared for this wave of misery to hit me after 3 days. Is this normal or am I totally pathetic?
am I pathetic?
- Thread starter suewho
- Start Date
sparkyrich
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Not pathetic and totally normal reaction.
It's information overload at first, things do get better and easier. Try not to worry too much and feel free to vent in here - the forum is home to some incredibly supportive people ( and a few others ;-) ).
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
It's information overload at first, things do get better and easier. Try not to worry too much and feel free to vent in here - the forum is home to some incredibly supportive people ( and a few others ;-) ).
Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
paul-1976
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suewho said:
Hi Suewho!
Not pathetic at all! :wink: It's a big shock at first and you do feel like you're diagnosed and then just left to it and feeling low about it all is normal..I know I did..Your BMI at 28 whilst being 'Officially' slightly overweight is not terrible at all! :wink:
Stick around and have a good read at your own pace and remember you're in good company!
Best wishes
Paul
mo1905
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Yep, you're normal ! Most of us go through various stages of emotion once diagnosed. Denial, depression, anger are all very common. The good news, however, is the majority will lead to acceptance. Knowledge is the key. You need to read lots and ask lots. Your current blood glucose levels are high but nothing out of the ordinary. The main thing is you now know why you've not been feeling good. You can start to make small changes. These changes can make a BIG difference to your body. Until you speak to your dietician or doc, try to reduce the amount of carbs you eat. Also, try to get regular exercise, even if it's a 15 min walk, build on it.
I can promise you that things will soon make sense. I can't promise that you won't still have the occasional "tearful" day, but they should be rare.
Take care and keep us posted.
Mo
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I can promise you that things will soon make sense. I can't promise that you won't still have the occasional "tearful" day, but they should be rare.
Take care and keep us posted.
Mo
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Squire Fulwood
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You are very far from pathetic. A lot of people go blank and insist that there has been a mistake until they finally come to accept their condition. In your case you seem to have understood exactly what is going on and had an information overload. Try to slow down a little. Nothing really bad is going to happen and there is much you can do to help.
You are keen to get on with it and want to see your Health Care Professionals. Be prepared for a possible sense of frustration when you do. Some of the advice might seem unhelpful but you will come to terms with it just like the rest of us have.
Good luck and don't forget that you can ask questions on this forum.
You are keen to get on with it and want to see your Health Care Professionals. Be prepared for a possible sense of frustration when you do. Some of the advice might seem unhelpful but you will come to terms with it just like the rest of us have.
Good luck and don't forget that you can ask questions on this forum.
WhitbyJet
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*Big Hugs*
You are not pathetic, but dont worry now, nothing is going to happen to you overnight, the complications that you have been reading about take some time to develop, and normally after quite some time of uncontrolled diabetes.
You have joined this forum, you will learn how to manage your condition (read the forum, then take away the best bits and devise your own plan, be prepared for trial and error).
Dont despair, dont feel alone, we are here for you x
You are not pathetic, but dont worry now, nothing is going to happen to you overnight, the complications that you have been reading about take some time to develop, and normally after quite some time of uncontrolled diabetes.
You have joined this forum, you will learn how to manage your condition (read the forum, then take away the best bits and devise your own plan, be prepared for trial and error).
Dont despair, dont feel alone, we are here for you x
zaphod37
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Hi Suewho
Its only been a few weeks since I was diagnosed and it is overwhelming at first, The doctor basically told me I needed to lose weight and exercise more. I did get to see the practice nurse a week after diagnosis and have podiatrist appointment on Monday. Things are starting to move for me albeit slowly.
I understand how you feel as there is a lot of information to take in and some shocking complications. I realized that I needed to work out a plan and strategy for a few weeks to see if it worked for me, if it didn't I would try something else. It was a positive, i was doing something ant I think that helped a lot.
There are a vast amount of diets and what have you and I read a lot on here about low carb diets but I was a little unsure so I compromised, instead of going all out low carb, I simply reduced the amount of carbs I was eating, I purchased a meter and test strips (my GP doesn't see the need to test) I began testing just before I started to eat and then 2 hours after my meal. I do this now for every meal I have, its a lot of testing I admit, however I am now building up a list of food I can eat that doesn't spike my blood sugar past safe limits. I have to stress that this is whats working for me and it may not work for everyone. I am doing something positive now and I am felling better about things. I have lost 10lbs in about 2 weeks and have managed to keep my blood sugar within limits... most of the time anyway.
I have to say that if it weren't for the good folk of this forum I would be a lot worse off and a very worried and stressed man.
It will get better once the initial shock has worn of and you find something that works for you.
Good luck and take care.
Mark
Its only been a few weeks since I was diagnosed and it is overwhelming at first, The doctor basically told me I needed to lose weight and exercise more. I did get to see the practice nurse a week after diagnosis and have podiatrist appointment on Monday. Things are starting to move for me albeit slowly.
I understand how you feel as there is a lot of information to take in and some shocking complications. I realized that I needed to work out a plan and strategy for a few weeks to see if it worked for me, if it didn't I would try something else. It was a positive, i was doing something ant I think that helped a lot.
There are a vast amount of diets and what have you and I read a lot on here about low carb diets but I was a little unsure so I compromised, instead of going all out low carb, I simply reduced the amount of carbs I was eating, I purchased a meter and test strips (my GP doesn't see the need to test) I began testing just before I started to eat and then 2 hours after my meal. I do this now for every meal I have, its a lot of testing I admit, however I am now building up a list of food I can eat that doesn't spike my blood sugar past safe limits. I have to stress that this is whats working for me and it may not work for everyone. I am doing something positive now and I am felling better about things. I have lost 10lbs in about 2 weeks and have managed to keep my blood sugar within limits... most of the time anyway.
I have to say that if it weren't for the good folk of this forum I would be a lot worse off and a very worried and stressed man.
It will get better once the initial shock has worn of and you find something that works for you.
Good luck and take care.
Mark
daisy1
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Hi Sue and welcome to the forum
I shed a lot of tears when I was first diagnosed and didn't want to believe it. But coming on this forum was the best thing I could do, and the best thing for you too. As you see what you are going through is similar to how we felt at first but you will start to feel better about it and just get on with it. I don't want to add to your information overload but feel that this information that we give to new members will help you to get started. Ask lots of questions and someone will be able to answer.
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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
I shed a lot of tears when I was first diagnosed and didn't want to believe it. But coming on this forum was the best thing I could do, and the best thing for you too. As you see what you are going through is similar to how we felt at first but you will start to feel better about it and just get on with it. I don't want to add to your information overload but feel that this information that we give to new members will help you to get started. Ask lots of questions and someone will be able to answer.
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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
suewho said:
Pathetic of course you are..............IN YOUR MIND!! Of course in reality you are not, just a shot in the dark here, your husband is NOT a paramedic or a doctor right? If he was he would realise not only the NOW 'mental' affect getting such news but also the FUTURE affects of this condition if YOU do not take it seriously. It is not his fault, diabetes has become commonplace in our society, in fact so common place that it is generally dismissed by everyone WHO DOES NOT HAVE IT!!!
Once 'hubby' starts to notice how serious YOU take it, (and as you gain knowledge you will), he will no doubt realise how important it is, it will not be long before he starts to question whether you can eat this or eat that (this is called SUPPORT), and that is your chance to say not today thank you, or yes as it happens today I can....AND I WILL!
So, you have diabetes like many millions of others, and there is the clue my friend..........................YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
On this forum you will find every type of diabetes sufferer, each has his or her own story to tell, each has a different way of dealing with it, but deal with it WE WILL!! Did you bring it on yourself? NO not at all, I know people who are way at the top of the obese scale who do not have diabetes, with a BMI of 28 you are not even close. Diabetes is a disease that is not catching (although it can be hereditary), so you are not a threat to anyone except yourself.
Now is the time when those numbers on your bathroom scales are just a little more important, when the decision to have a second (or even a third :mrgreen: cream cake) should be answered no, not today. So, we are not contagious, we 'try' to watch what we eat, and we get on with our lives.
We need to look after ourselves a little better than the next person, and not just for today but for our future health.
I take the 'everything in moderation approach', do I cheat? OH YES, on occasions I do but, I counter this by the fact I packed up smoking when first diagnosed and rarely drink. After 21 years as a diabetic I am still here, my condition has VERY slowly worsened and am I out partying this weekend, you bet your life I am!
Pathetic you are not, get in there girl, read up on diabetes as knowledge is power, sift out anything that does not apply to you, keep your hospital/doctors appointments and become your own personal diabetes manager. And even a manager needs help from time to time, this forum is your crutch, lean on it when you feel your not up to another day.
Dave MH
Reading some recent posts from newbies reminded me of how low and devastated I felt when I was diagnosed. So where am I now, 8 months on?...Well, 2 and a half stone lighter, blood sugars near normal and fitness level in the excellent category. Physically I've never felt better. Psychologically? Well. In August I had a feeling of doom and could see nothing except dark clouds gathering on the horizon. Are they still there? I've no idea since I've (finally) stopped staring out the window looking for them! Good luck to all the newbies out there who may read this, you too CAN hopefully learn to cope, better than you ever thought possible. xxx
Well done Sue!
Perhaps you could post a bit about what you achieved and how you did it under Success Stories to give others some inspiration?
It is worth the effort but hard to see it at the start.
Cara
Perhaps you could post a bit about what you achieved and how you did it under Success Stories to give others some inspiration?
It is worth the effort but hard to see it at the start.
Cara
Bluetit1802
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