Been to the docs

[dawnmc]

Hi I'm new, and confused and to be honest in shock. Ive been told I'm diabetic, have high blood pressure and cholesterol. Was asked how I felt about being given statins - my mother and my partner are both on them, with very bad reactions, and yes I know that millions take them with ill affect but...
My bg was 11.7, next one was 9, I jokingly said ooo thats coming down. ha ha. :clap:
The nurse gave me a basic diet sheet to put me on before I see the DN. I'm confused, I'm a vegetarian I have a healthy diet, the only thing she suggested was knocking the honey I put on my raw rolled oats on the head.
From what I can see my diet will be like Atkins but without the meat, which doesnt seem too bad, but obviously not as much fat eg cream butter. Am I right or am I wrong?
Sat down and cried yesterday and I'm a pretty tough cookie, it was like ok what else can you throw at me.
I live in the country with no car (had to sell that) stuck in the house, and I'm not entitled to benefits, so I said to the nurse I couldnt afford prescriptions, she said if i was diabetic I would get anything else free WhOOPPIDOO. Sorry for the last bit just feeling sorry for myself. Onwards and upwards. Thanks for reading. :thumbup:

 

[daisy1]

Hi Dawn and welcome to the forum I think most of us felt depressed when we were diagnosed so you are not alone. In time it gets better as you get used to it and learn how best to manage this diabetes. I am sure that some members will be along soon to answer your specific questions. In the meantime, to help you look after yourself, here is some basic information given to new members. Ask as many questions as you like as you are sure to get some answers.

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.

 

[smidge]

Hi dawn and welcome!

It is all very confusing at first, but you'll soon get used to it. The advice Daisy's given you is the best place to start. You really do need to test after your meals at least at first to work out what food is ok for you and which you need to cut down or cut out. It won't always be obvious! For example, many of us cannot eat oats, others tolerate them very well. The only way you'll know is by testing. Unfortunately, many doctors are refusing to prescribe testing meters and strips for Type 2s, so you might have to buy your own. I know money's tight, but it really is important. More bad news, you only get free prescriptions if you're on medication for your diabetes, not if you're diet and exercise controlled - sorry. Talk to your doctor and tell him you want to be pro-active in managing your diabetes. - you might be able to persuade him to let you have the testing kit. Good luck and take care.

Smidge

 

[Helenababe]

Hi Dawn, and welcome,

Don't appologise for feeling sorry for yourself. I did, and did my share of crying. We're only human, and being diagnosed with diabetes is a shock to the system, and very confusing at the beginning. I hope these forums will help you.

Helena