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Another newly diagnosed

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esmecullen

Active Member
Messages
33
Location
Plumpton Green, East Sussex
Hi

Was diagnosed with type 2 a fortnight ago after a few months of feeling really awful, dizzy spells, tiredness, being continually thirsty and going to the loo nearly every 15 mins, continual headaches and just feeling totally run down. It was quite a shock to find out it was type 2 as I thought I was really careful with my diet, I've always watched what I've eaten since reaching goal weight with weightwatchers over 10yrs ago, though I do like to occasionally have a junk food meal, usually about once a month

Its a relief to know what is actually wrong with me now after feeling so drained for nearly 4 months, I'd thought it was due to a heavy workload and/or having that bug over christmas.

My GP has put me on metformin 500mg once a day and I've made some other changes to my diet . Hope to learn more from here about keeping myself heathy and fit

Anyhoo just wanted to say hello
 
Hi esmecullen and welcome.

If there's any information about your diabetes that we can help you with please ask - no question is too silly!
 
Hi esmecullen
Tell us more and we'll be as nelpful as we can
For instance
How old are you?
What are your numbers?
what means of control are you using?
Do you have a blood sugar meter?
Also
Can I ask you that if you start to feel really unwell and your blood sugar reads high,(above 20) you take yourself straight to A&E
 
Hi hanadr

I'm 51 but never act my age

I have kept my weight down for quite a few years, so it was quite a shock to learn I had type 2

Lets see......... when I was diagnosed (2wks) I had a count of 9.8 mmol/l though today I'm down to 9.2 mmol/l....... its coming down slowly

I've got a Accu-check monitor

I'm on metformin 500mg once a day and am trying to adapt my diet

Yes I will take myself off to A&E if it ever gets that high

Hope the info helps
 
Since you described your symptoms in a way that made it look as if they came on quite fast, I was concerned that you might be T1 and not T2. However your numbers and age make it less likely.We've had a few folks recently who have been T1 and told they were T2. In that case, if things go wrong, they tend to happen fast. It's not always the doctor;'s fault. It' not easy to tell, but there are signs that should alert them.
If Metformin is helping get your munbers down, It is most likely T2.
what do you eat?
Your diet plays a very important role in your BG numbers. Metformin can't bring them down by much.
 
Sorry hanadr I gave a condensed version of things!! Looking back at when my symptoms started it is longer than 4 months.......... it was 4 months that I really began to notice that something was wrong.

With hindsight, symptoms have been showing for about a year and a half but I'd put it down to my job been quite stressful, I had been getting dizzy spells on and off for around a year, also I was going through the menopause (receiving a low doseage HRT for this), so I think I put down the feelings of tiredness and dizzy spells down to that, then at the end of October the dizzy spells were coming more frequent, along with headaches and practically falling asleep as soon as I got home and I had this feeling that these dizzy spells and other symptoms were nothing to do with being menopausal, but didnt think of seeing my doc.

My friends had noticed that I'd go to the loo quite frequently and that I'd go though tea, coffee and water like there was no tomorrow, it was a standing joke that I lived in the loo!!

It was a friend who said to me that I really should get myself checked out because being continually tired, the thirst and going to the loo every 15mins, headaches, etc was not normal.............. she said that perhaps it could be glandular or something similar. She said that even if the doc said it was just stress, at least something could be done. Not in a million years did I think of diabetes, so it was quite a shock when my doc said it was type 2.

As to what I eat............ I always thought that I ate healthily.........the nurse has suggested that I make some alterations to the food I buy, so have changed to wholemeal bread, Bertolli light spread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice, added things like kidney beans and other pulses to the store cupboard, always used skimmed milk and low fat yoghurts. I'm now cutting down on the amount of carbs that I used to eat.......... I know it will take some time to get the balance right and that it will be a process of trial and elimination and a lot of testing. I'm a little confused though as the suggestion sheet on foods I was given by the nurse says that carbs should be eaten with each meal but I've noticed on here that it is advocated to eat less??

Sorry if this post is more garbled than the previous ones :) But so glad there's a place like this that I can come to if I'm confused or jsut need support
 
esmecullen said:
I'm a little confused though as the suggestion sheet on foods I was given by the nurse says that carbs should be eaten with each meal but I've noticed on here that it is advocated to eat less??
Click to expand...

That all depends whether you want your diabetes to be poorly controlled and rapidly progressive like most diabetics, or well controlled with reversal of many symptoms like most people on the internet

Average A1c in the UK and US is somewhere just shy of double figures. Average A1c in newsgroups and forums is probably around 6. Your call!
 
Hi
I was diagnosed type 2 on 3rd Jan this year. Had been unwell since retiring as a primary school headteacher on 19th Dec. Doc said it was flu, and it went on like that until the Friday after Christmas when my hubby threatened to call ambulance as I couldn't see, was hallucinating and looked like a starved Biafran. Doc who came out immediately called hospital and booked a bed - apparently he could smell pear drops and knew I was diabetic - glad he did cos I didn't!!! At hospital my blood sugar was 32. I was pumped with liquids and insulin. Am now injecting twice a day and being monitored by the hospital. What a start to a newyear!! I am finding it a whole new way of living. The clash is between the dietician who says I am over weight and the diabetic centre who say I am fine!!! I eat no fat or sugar now and I can't see how I can lose weight unless I cut meals which I am no longer allowed to do. My family are too pleased to see me getting back to looking something like myself.
 
Hi Teacher,
Welcome to the club have a look through the forum, if you have any questions ask away, someone will have an answer.

Regards Graham
 
Hi Teacher and welcome to the forum.

As Graham said, have a look round the forum - there is a wealth of information there, particularly about diets that are suitable for diabetics.

Please just ask away if you have any questions, but best place to do that is in the Ask the Experts or Diabetes Discussions forums as your questions will be read by a wider audience.
 
Hi teacher. I too am aretired teacher. a few years in my case.
You say you don't eat fats or suar.
Fats are good for you. Starch turns to sugar in your body and so you need to cut starches as well as sugar. If buying labelled food. look at the Carbohydrate count. anything above 10% is probably best left on the shelf, unless you only eat a teaspoonful.
Try the Atkins or South Beach diets. Either will help with blood sugar and get weight off safely.
Are you T1 or T2?
Sometimes aggresssive insulin therapy can put T2 into remission.
How often are you monitoring?
What are your numbers?
 
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