About to be diagnosed.
- Thread starter lovable
- Start Date
- Messages
- 23,618
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
- Dislikes
- Disrespectful people
Welcome to the forum lovable.
I'll tag @daisy1 as she will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive when joining the forum, try not to worry and your never alone when this forum is around, we have all been in there and know how your feeling right now. Best wishes.
I'll tag @daisy1 as she will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive when joining the forum, try not to worry and your never alone when this forum is around, we have all been in there and know how your feeling right now. Best wishes.
- Messages
- 5,187
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi Lovable,
There's currently around 3.2 million of us in the UK, so you're not alone. In fact it's difficult to get away from us!
Nice teeth by the way. Catch you later.
There's currently around 3.2 million of us in the UK, so you're not alone. In fact it's difficult to get away from us!
Nice teeth by the way. Catch you later.
JAY1JAY1
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 623
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Diabetes
Hi lovable and welcome ,
Your not alone ,we will be here for you if you need us , but why scared there is absolutely no need to be ,I can understand your feelings it is very confusing to start with , first see what the doctor says and tell us the details then we can see what your up against and try to help if we can the doc may say nothing to worry about so one step at a time results first . And please DONT worry there is a lot we can do .
Keep well say safe JJ
Your not alone ,we will be here for you if you need us , but why scared there is absolutely no need to be ,I can understand your feelings it is very confusing to start with , first see what the doctor says and tell us the details then we can see what your up against and try to help if we can the doc may say nothing to worry about so one step at a time results first . And please DONT worry there is a lot we can do .
Keep well say safe JJ
kateincornwall
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 645
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- People who lie , animal cruelty , boredom and pineapple !
Hi and welcome , I understand your distress and confusion, but you will find so much help, support and information on here to help you .
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@lovable
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here is some information to get you started and give you confidence. Ask all the questions you like and someone will help. We have all been through it so understand how you are feeling.
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 over 140,000 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 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here is some information to get you started and give you confidence. Ask all the questions you like and someone will help. We have all been through it so understand how you are feeling.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 over 140,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
Gezzabelle
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,280
- Type of diabetes
- Prediabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi and welcome to the best forum around I was in your shoes a few weeks ago....trust me ....it does get easier and with all the help you will find here you will never feel alone. You will have a hundreds of questions....just ask them and someone here will help. Try not to worry too much....easy to say I know but take it one step at a time...it's less daunting that way
I was in your shoes a few weeks ago....trust me ....it does get easier and with all the help you will find here you will never feel alone. You will have a hundreds of questions....just ask them and someone here will help. Try not to worry too much....easy to say I know but take it one step at a time...it's less daunting that way
Welshgooner
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 185
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Tottenham and High BS scores
Welcome
Its a frightening thought I know but you are in good company with people ready to share and advise.
Its a frightening thought I know but you are in good company with people ready to share and advise.
moonchip
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 218
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hello @lovable
I feel your pain acutely as I'm only 4 months or so in front of you. It is an horrible & scary thought and one which everyone on this board has also faced. You're far from the first and you certainly won't be the last to have to go through it.
But please try not to get down over it - its certainly NOT the end of the world, even if it seems it right now
You've just inherited thousands of new 'pals' and everyone on this board helps one another. We may be 'faceless' names scattered though out ether-space but we're all real people who have been where you are now.
From my heart, you're in the best place you can be - bar none - by joining in on this forum and learning.
A lot of what you'll get told by your health care providers may not necessarily be the best information for you, as you'll see as you read through the wealth of information and advice on this site.
Take a deep breath, grab a brew and have a read through some of the excellent posts on a multitude of subjects.
Daft as it sounds, being diagnosed may be one of the 'best' things that has happened to you if you're willing to grasp the opportunity with both hands and change things for the better. That may sound like a daft thing to say but I have never felt better in myself than I have for the past 3 months
Join in & educate yourself for your own benefit - and welcome to the forum
PS: I'm 'faceless' as I could do stunt-double work for Shrek !!
Sooze
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 46
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hi Lovable and a warm welcome ! You're in good company Don't ever feel alone, we have all been where you are now and certainly for me the fear left when I found this place and I know should any concerns arise I can holler on here and someone will always answer with sound advice
Don't ever feel alone, we have all been where you are now and certainly for me the fear left when I found this place and I know should any concerns arise I can holler on here and someone will always answer with sound advice 