another newbie

[victoria84]

Hi all i just thought i would introduce myself and ask a little question.

i was diagnosed on 25th of April as type 1 insulin dependant. it was all a blur was diagnosed in the space of 2 days. Went to my G.P. as was feeling very unwell and had done for 3 weeks, he sent me for emergency blood tests and was in to see a diabetic specialist 2 days later. i have had 2 appts with diabetic nurse already and will have a appt every week untill regulated. i also see a dietician after the nurse appt.
I have read some of the posts on this site and must say i feel very lucky that i have so much support from the health care specialists and this support should be offered to all newly diagnosed.
I would like to say i amazed at all the information set out on here and how informative i have found it all and applaud everyone for all the support and advice given ( i have read nearly all info on here before having the guts to introduce myself lol)

One question i do have now that i have waffled on is when will my bloods finally come down? Does anyone have any idea of the time period it takes i have gone from 20s and lowest im getting at the moment is 11.7 in the mornings

im already taking 22 glargine back ground and am on novo rapid with meals. I have been told how to carb count and am drinking extra water where possible, also is there anything else i can do to help this? i have been low carbing for 3 days now.

 

[mo1905]

Hi Victoria and welcome. Sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis but glad you've found your way here. So much information and advice. As for your question, everyone is different but you should expect to see good progress after a couple of weeks. A lot will be down to the individual and how well you are managing diet etc. Not sure of your situation but exercise will help regulate your BG levels and will also help with circulation. Do you currently take any exercise ?
Anyway, good luck and keep us updated ;-) Mo

 

[victoria84]

i have been apprehensive about leaving the house since diagnosis as i only want to be at home if i take a turn for the worse if you see where im coming from. i have only been out for my appts which is why im so eager for lvls to drop and stabilise. though my house and garden is spotless i never sit down for too long now always itching to do something cleaning wise though i dont know why i have so much energy now. Is that normal?

 

[daisymoomoo]

Hi Victoria84
It can take a little while to bring your sugars right and there will be adjustments in your long acting insulin and to your ratio for short acting. Once these are in place your sugars will reflect this. Don't lose heart x
Viv

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Normally the DSN will play it safe and start the insulin at a level that avoids risk of a hypo. Obviously that assumes a certain level of carbs so be aware that the insulin needs to be balanced with the carbs. I'm only on one a day Basal but my DSN said to aim for around 6mmol when waking in the morning; I think that is the rough target for most Basal users. If you were noticeably over weight at diagnosis then it could take a few weeks to settle, otherwise it could be much quicker. Once it's settled you will need to be guided by your DSN on whether to increase your insulin or not to achieve the agreed morning target.

 

[daisy1]

Hi Victoria and welcome to the forum

Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you want as there is always someone who will 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.

 

[victoria84]

thanks viv, that makes me feel better x

i am only just over weight on the bmi daibell does this affect how much background insulin needed?

thanks for info Daisy 1.

All great info guys thank you so much xx

 

[daisymoomoo]

Everyone is different, it does take time. My ratios have changed recently and i'm diagnosed 25years. It really helps to do the DAFNE course when it is run next - it really helps to get some understanding of the condition. Good luck with the next few months. x

 

[Daibell]

Hi. The number of units of insulin you need for either Basal or Bolus will depend on your sensitivity to insulin. If you are noticeably overweight you would probably be insulin resistant and have a lot of insulin in the blood not being easily useable. You would need to inject more units than a lower weight person until you were able to lose some weight. I'm generalising but it does depend on whether you lack or have excess insulin in your blood.