Confirmed Type 2.

I knew I'd face challenges dropping carbs and comfort foods. I looked around for substitutes for my favourite foods, decided my sweet tooth probably wouldn't disappear easily if ever (based on previous long-term low cal diets) so just switched to sweeteners (but reduced the sweetness over time).
The biggest thing was swapping from a bar a day of milk chocolate to 2-3 squares of 85%.

I donated a lot of food from my fridge, freezer and cupboard and restocked it in week one.

I found the NHS dietician no help for low carb, in fact she was strongly against it in spite of the research.
Later on, I did get some therapy for a different reason but asked about my eating too as part of that.

lilxamz said:

After a long three week rollercoaster I have finally seen a GP today who confirmed my HbA1c at 80 meant he believes I have type 2 diabetes. I had Gestational Diabetes in 2018 when I had my Twins in December. I don't remember having a blood test afterwards to see if I was still diabetic. I also never had a blood test to check on this yearly either. GP is unsure why I slipped through the net and wasn't contacted for them but it's possible I've had diabetes since 2018.

I'm on Metformin now and referred to a dietician but he doesn't want me to change my diet until I've seen the dietician. There is no way it's safe for me to do that considering the amount of carbs and sugar I would usually eat on a daily basis.

Think I'm going to need a therapist or something to help me mentally cope with all this new information and say of life. How did you process all the changes you needed to make when first diagnosed?

Click to expand...

Hugs.

For me, well, I cried a lot, and then I read a lot. I read everything I could get my hands on, and used our diabetic cat's meter to check whether something actually worked or not. (Carbs did not work for me, fats and protein did). My husband was, together with my mom, my support system. They didn't know anything about diabetes, but they were willing to learn right along with me. That helped. I'd read, and during our morning phone call I'd tell mom what I'd learned, and in the evening after even more reading, I'd have a similar conversation with my husband over dinner. I think repeating things to those two really helped me get a grip on what I was learning. As you've found, a diagnosis is a shock/trauma, and it can cause memoryproblems and the like. Repeating what I'd learned back to them, make me remember better and faster. I didn't have this place, which would've helped enormously, but ah well, bygones. The main thing I took away from using a meter: I have a say in this. I decide what I eat, and when I make the right choices, my body responds well to those choices. I am not a doomed diabetic, I am one who is in control of her condition. No reason why you can't be the same way! You've got power here, and YOU decide when and if you go for a dietary approach. Odds are the dietician'll just come up with more EatWell nonsense, so why wait for that when you can or want to be proactive? And your doc is in no hurry, as, if you've been diabetic for a long time, a few more weeks/months won't matter. Shrug, shrug, shrug. But they DO matter. Not just in terms of physical damage, but also, well... Empowerment. You do what you need to do to feel like you've got this thing under control. It'll help you power through this. You decide. Rely on your meter, and get this thing kicked in the b*tt.

You've got this covered.
Jo

Having had some difficult times while in hospital for something else, and being put on insulin without consultation or information (never even told I was diabetic) I came out of the corner fighting as soon as I left, went on metformin as a placatory gesture to my GP, saw the DN who was no help, read up a storm, found this forum and got stuck into learning. After a short time was able to halve the metformin dose (my goodness it made me ill), then two months later, cut it out completely. By the time of the following Hb1Ac I was in the pre-diabetic range, and now am in "normal" readings but only normal because of the changes I've made. I will always be diabetic, but I can maintain this lifestyle with ease and for ever.

The route is similar but not identical for every T2. Some of us will have to stay on the meds longer or always. That's fine. Some of us will reject the idea of changing their diet. That is their choice. But whatever we choose, this forum is a terrific source of information and support. And WE have the power.

When first diagnosed I also initially followed the advice from the diabetes nurse e.g. eat lots of fruit, switch to healthier carbs (brown rice, wholewheat pasta etc.) but fortunately realised after a couple of weeks (with the help of this forum) that it definitely wasn't helping (I had some of my highest ever blood sugar readings during that period), so instead switched to low-carb and then started to see my blood sugar results start to drop significantly.

I was diagnosed on lockdown day so no access to any NHS help, proved to be best thing ever.
I read, researched, watched low carb summits on YouTube, found this forum. Rest is history.

Jo's summary above is brill
"The main thing I took away from using a meter: I have a say in this. I decide what I eat, and when I make the right choices, my body responds well to those choices. I am not a doomed diabetic, I am one who is in control of her condition."

Also I found in my online medical history that I was recorded as pre-diabetic in 2006!!! And no one told me.
I can't change the past, but I can change today, and the future. So can you

I’ll echo everything everyone else has said, there is some excellent advice on here, I’ve lurked for a long time and learnt more through here than any practice nurse or diabetic consultant. Admittedly after 18-years as I type 2 I struggle partly due to my unsupported binge eating disorder but I’m slowly beginning to realise if I want to keep off insulin I’m going to have to take control! I’m hoping by finally sharing I’ll find the support to help me tackle the biggest challenge!

lilxamz said:

After a long three week rollercoaster I have finally seen a GP today who confirmed my HbA1c at 80 meant he believes I have type 2 diabetes. I had Gestational Diabetes in 2018 when I had my Twins in December. I don't remember having a blood test afterwards to see if I was still diabetic. I also never had a blood test to check on this yearly either. GP is unsure why I slipped through the net and wasn't contacted for them but it's possible I've had diabetes since 2018.

I'm on Metformin now and referred to a dietician but he doesn't want me to change my diet until I've seen the dietician. There is no way it's safe for me to do that considering the amount of carbs and sugar I would usually eat on a daily basis.

Think I'm going to need a therapist or something to help me mentally cope with all this new information and say of life. How did you process all the changes you needed to make when first diagnosed?

Click to expand...

Well as they say It's a jungle out there (at least initially) and scary until you are armed with knowledge. My first symptom was occasional tingling in the tips of my fingers, but maybe only once every few weeks. But then one day I had a shock when I could see my laptop screen clearly without my glasses! It made no sense! My Optician sent me for a diabetes test and it was confirmed. Not one person in my extended family has ever had it and I was only a stone over my perfect weight, didn't drink or smoke etc so I was stunned and very upset. This forum saved me (as my practice nurse put me on a carb diet)!!! Heaven knows where I'd be now had I not found this wonderful site! I am pleased to say that my numbers have remained at 37/38 for two years now x