Diagnose Type 2 Today

[Joan of Arc]

Hi All.

Im 46 and from Lincolnshire.
I had been telling my Type 1 Diabetic Neighbour that I had been feeling a little odd over the past few weeks in that I had been visiting the loo loads and drinking like a fish,
"Give me Your finger" she sighed while reaching for her blood glucose monitor !!!
the test came back at 14.4, She advised that I pop back in the morning before breakfast and we would take another look.. this time 17.8...
"Get yourself down to the doctors Sharpish" she advised !

So......... Today......... following an offical blood test which showed a reading of 19.8, I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I have been prescribed Metformin, Ramipril and a statin... I am booked into Diabetic Clinic but not until 15 Dec so im trying to find out as much as I can in the meantime

Im obviously very new to all of this but already I am reading that there are mixed views about taking statins - i was wondering what people here thought about taking them? .

I have been lent 3 books.. Diabetes for Dummies..Diabetic Cook book for Dummies and Dr Bernstiens Diabetic Solution..... do any of you recomend anything better?

I have read a little of Dr Bernstiens book which seems to recommend a low card diet ( different to the one usually recommended for diabetics i believe ) it seems like a way of eating that i could adapt to fairly easily and it seems very effective- what are the thoughts of the people here the about low carb diet.

I look forward to your advice and talking with you all
very many thanks
Kind Regards

 

[hanadr]

I am TOTALLY convined by Bernstein. I can tell you his method WORKS. Some people on here think he's too strict, But I've got used to it.
Hanaa

 

[totsy]

hya and a warm welcome to the forum,
sorry about your diagnosis, have a really good look around the forum and ask as many questions as you need to

 

[mikey]

Hi Joan,
sorry to hear about your diagnosis. but you couldn't have found a better forum to help you.

When you are first diagnosed it is all a bit confusing because you hear so many things that don't seem to make sense. The best thing is to keep it simple.
The conventional advice is to eat starchy carbohydrates with every meal, but many of us find that this simply does not work.
These carbohydrates convert to glucose in the blood and make matters worse.
If you reduce the amount of carbohydrate you eat you will reduce the amount of sugar in your blood.
Some things, like sugar, are obviously not good but things like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes can be as bad or worse.

A good plan is to record what you eat and use a blood glucose meter to see what each meal does to your blood sugar.
Ask you diabetic nurse for a meter and some test strips and start learning what works best for you.
Test your blood first thing in the morning before breakfast and then two hours after you have eaten. Do the same with lunch and dinner.
If you write down what you have eaten at each meal you will start to see the foods that work best for you and you can adjust your diet to suit.

I know all of this probably sounds like a pain in the bum, but it puts you back in control of your condition and I found it gave me a more positive outlook.
Many people have found that if they control the amount and type of carbohydrate they eat, they can reduce or even eliminate the need for medication.
You might like to have a read through the low carb section of the forum and particularly the "success stories" thread.

I'm not sure what to say about statins because I had a confusing experience with them.
At first I took them religiously but later on I would forget to take them.
My cholesterol levels fell a little at first but when I changed my diet they fell a lot faster.
My doctor doesn't prescribe them anymore because of the improvement.

The books you have are an excellent way to learn about diabetes although I find DR B a little too strict for me.
You might want to make one addition to your library though, a collins carb counter from W.H.Smiths is a great way of learning about hidden carbs.
Making changes to your lifestyle can be difficult so it may be best to take things one step at a time.
Reduce you carbohydrates over time, start to exercise a little at a time and just try to improve things gradually.

I hope some of this is of help to you but please keep asking questions because there are so many experienced people on this forum and everyone of them will help you.

Kind regards,
Mike.

 

[wallycorker]

Hi,

My advice to start with is to cut back dramatically on the starchy carbohydrate - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. That usually leads to a big improvement in many Type 2s.

Best wishes - John