Diagnosed 4 days ago-typ2- feel Im going to die:( Help

Did she give you any advice at all?

Hi Daisy, welcome to the forum. First can I say stop panicking. Your fasting test results were not half as bad as you are imagining and the test result after eating will probably be the result of what you ate and that can be sorted.

Our other Daisy will be along soon with loads of information for you to read through and someone will always be here to answer any questions you may have. Just be reassured that you have come to the right place to get help and support through these scarry first days. We have all be in the same position and understand what your are going through.

Hello Daisy.

First thing don't worry you're not a gonna by a long way yet! When I was diagnosed mine was over 20 and had been very high for quite sometime. It is perfectly feasible for most T2 diabetics to control their condition just by diet so long as you change what you are use to eating. What most newly diagnosed get is a medication called Metformin which is very safe so ask about that. It isn't a magic bullet and will only lower your blood levels by at most 1 or 2 but none the less for a lot of other reasons its a useful thing to take. The biggest thing that improves blood sugar levels and in mine and many others opinions is ten times as strong as any medication is getting your diet sorted out. It really is that simple. I see from your post what you are thinking is healthy so you're now in for a bit of a surprise as what is healthy for a non diabetic is not necessarily what is healthy for you now. First clue its not just about sugar...

It's difficult getting to grips with everything you need to know so here's what I did. I was diagnosed T2D in December last year and using the advice I found on this site I got my blood sugar levels back to normal within around a couple of months or so and I have also normalised my cholesterol levels and blood pressure as well. I have now lost over 3 stone in weight too. What I and others have done is NOT a cure as I still have to be very careful about what I eat however it has put me back in control and I feel the best I have done in years. I went to see my doctor a couple of weeks ago and he is very pleased how I am getting on and has advised me to keep doing what I have been doing since it's obviously working really well.

Diet wise its really easy. Just drastically cut down or better cut out all things with plain sugar, so biscuits, cakes, sugar in tea and coffee, pure fruit juices, non diet versions of soft drinks. Next and really importantly try halving starchy foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, cereals and any other flour based products. Replace what's now missing with extra meat, fish, eggs, cheese and especially vegetables. Vegetables that grow above ground are best although most of us find carrots fine. Things like yoghurt are fine as is a small amount of fresh fruit. I find the ones that end in "berry" are the best. If you don't mind artificial sweeteners things like Diet Coke are fine to drink. On the starchy foods that are left try swapping to brown basmati rice instead of white and brown or tri-colour pasta. The bread that most recommend is actually Bergen soya bread but some do ok with wholemeal as well.

The above diet is close to one you would be one recommended to try by the Swedish health service. It was introduced in that country last year and the American health service and several other countries health services recommend something very similar for Type 2 diabetics. In the UK the diet guidelines are now over 30 years old and are only gradually being updated. As the UK is lagging behind you may find what I and other forum members recommend will be different to what your are told is a good diet for you follow.

Next most members would recommend you test your own blood sugar levels. I see you got the "IT WILL SEND YOU MAD" advise. What they really mean is "IT WILL COST US MONEY". The test strip thing is a bit of a post code lottery and we find some progressive surgeries are pro testing and others anti. I'll warn you the anti ones can sometimes be very vocally anti as you are finding out. When they happens I'm afraid some of us end up having to buy a meter and strips ourselves. The one most people are buying nowadays will cost around £15 for the meter and then £5 for 50 strips. If you can afford to then most of us would recommend you get one.

The reason testing is important is you should try and keep your blood sugars below 8ish two hours after eating any meal. Above the 8 value is where the dangers of complications do begin to occur according to diabetic experts. So if you can't test how will you now if what you are eating is keeping you safe? The problem is every diabetic is different so my earlier advice to halve starchy foods is just a rough guide. You may find you need to eat less than half (like me) or that you can eat more than half like others.

As you get into it all and read around the forum you may see people talking about carb counting. If you want to understand what that is just ask. It is a powerful weapon that a diabetic can use to control their condition and one that many of us use to great effect.

Good luck and keep asking questions.

PS Here's two good links about what's good to eat.

First is the lady doctor who's low carb / low GI recommendations seem to form the basis of what's recommended in Sweden

http://blogg.passagen.se/dahlqvistannika/?anchor=my_lowcarb_dietary_programe_in

Second is a good beginners guide to low carb regimes that are excellent for reducing blood sugar levels and losing weight.

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

Your not going to die, at least not yet, so breathe

Your DSN is giving you the standard NHS diabetic diet ****, ignore it. Cut your carbs, that means, bread, potato's, pasta, rice, wheat and wheat based products. If you buy ready meals study the nutritional content carefully. Invest in a BG meter if your DSN didn't give you one (Amazon and Ebay are the best places). Test before meals and +2 hours to learn what you can and can't tolerate.

Your bread won't have helped at all, most of us eat Burgan soya and linseed bread as it has the lowest carb content, but only in moderation. You might also be better going onto full fat milk, cheese, yogurts etc, they are usually lower carb, and low fat are are usually only low fat as they are full of chemical sweetners.

Be careful with fruit, for most of us banana's, grapes and melons are a no no, but anything ending in 'berry' is ok, things like strawberry's, raspberry's, blueberry's etc. Choose veg grown above ground as that is usually lower carb. But test, we all tolerate different things.

Your exercise routine is really good, and that should help. Stress can cause BG's to rise, so rather than get stressed, come here and ask questions, someone will always be able to help. As Catza mentioned, Daisy will be around soon, to offer more help and tips.

Welcome to the forum and the club no one wants to be a part of

Hello Daisy, from another Daisy :wink: and welcome to the forum As you can see, there are plenty of people who will give you advice when you need it. You will soon feel better and will get used to having diabetes - I found it wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined at first. Just ask any question you like and someone will help you - you are not alone here. Here is the information we give to new members which I think you will find helpful.

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.
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Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.

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daisy222 said:

Many thanks for your advice, is like you said, they gave me **** answers, and I asked her to prescribe me measuring strips and she said that she's not allowed, cause I m not on medication. I asked if" I not measure my sugar, how do I know If it's high or low?"
She said..oh ok then measure it but only in the morning. I am not very happy with it. I asked her what to do if it goes up , she said do nothing. I cried and cried, and felt really hopeless.I read quite a lot on this forum yesterday and today, and will tried your diet advice.
But since my first blood results 2 weeks ago i am so paranoid that I eat hardly anything. I eat little bit of something every 3 hours, and noticed that low fat cottage cheese gives me the least sugar rise, with 8mmol after 2h, and 6.2 fasting in the morning The good thing is I am loosing weight. But don't know how long I can keep going.
Before I was diabetic i was trying to loose weight, I was struggling for last year. I put on about 8kg aftr I gave up smoking, so I started various diets (I lost 2 kg with Dukan diet) and with my aerobics 3 times a week I finally lost some more, only to be diagnosed with Diabetes.at the moment I weight 86 kg, but my granddad is diabetic, and the doctor said maybe this is the reason I got it. I am only 32 years old. and feel my life has ended. I never ate takeways, I had good diet before diabetes, plenty of and veg, no potatos. Only I had sweet tooth ,and maybe it killed me.I was overweight only since my 2nd pregnancy 5 years ago- 98 kg, lost some, and weighted about 80 for 2 years. I put weight back on in few months over last winter .And now as I lost some I have diabetes. It's so not fair. Sorry about that but it will take me long time to accept it

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It's a really tough thing to have to come to terms with Daisy, but honestly, it's not as bad as you think it is right now. It does get so much better and so much easier as time goes by. I remember feeling just like you do now, yet I turned my entire life around, and now see diabetes as a life saver, a kick I needed. I wanted to shout and scream, I hated the world, but not now. I have excellent control of my BG's lost so much weight it's unreal, and eat so healthily it's criminal :lol:

Read the food forum, I know there is a thread called "Viv's modified Atkins diet" read that, then look through the recipe section, I think you will be very surprised, how well we can eat, and how healthy we can become. Chin up love.

daisy222 said:

And now as I lost some I have diabetes. It's so not fair. Sorry about that but it will take me long time to accept it

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I was REALLY angry when I got diagnosed but the people here showed me how to focus the anger into turning my life around. Do you know what? Yesterday someone posted up a table of research that showed expected lifespans based on average blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Since my diagnosis I have ADDED TWELVE YEARS to my life expectancy in just 5 months and now have the same if not a better life expectancy than most of the "normal" population. Yes its been damned hard work turning my life round but its been worth every second.

So my advice is except you have T2 and accept it NOW as tomorrow you can begin to get your life back if you do.

Take care.

Daisy, chill and stop panicking, You wont die I can assure you of that or I would of fell off my perch the last giant bar of milk chocolate I ate before I was told I had Type 2 as my blood sugars must have been in the stratosphere, I'm going on two weeks diagnosed now and received exactly the same **** from NHS. just have a good read on here and ask the questions that worry you no matter how daft you think it is. I did and I am not panicking now.

Hello Daisy, Welcome to the board.

It's a bit of a shock to be diagnosed, but if you can embrace the diagnosis and challenge yourself to get the better of it, you'll do really well. Don't let your diabetes own you, you can own it!

Hi. I can see you have already had a lot of good advice today on this forum. Certainly don't panic. You have to have blood sugars in the 20s/30s in old money for it to have an obvious effect on you e.g. blurred vision, thirst, candida etc. I had all of these when diagnosed as I was way above 20. Longterm damage will result if you stay, say, in the teens but you are no-where near there yet. Your readings aren't bad so just cut down on the carbs a bit, look around the advice for a sensible low'ish carb diet, get a meter if possible and buy some strips. You will be started on medication if your Hba1c blood tests are above 7'ish in old money but hopefully a sensible diet will avoid this for a few years.

daisy222 said:

Hi, I was diagnosed with type 2 this Monday. I didn't have any symptoms, it was rutine blood test 2 weeks ago and then repeated a week ago. My fasting blood sugar was 7.1 and on the 2nt test it was 8.5.
I went to diabetic nurse, today, and panicked, becouse after checking my blood sugar 2 hours after breakfast it showed 14. Nurse said that I have nothing to worry about. But I am panicking that I am going to die soon.
Can someone tell me what is dangerous blood sugar level after meal. and if I have this high blood sugar should i go to hospital? She didn't give me any medication and I m worried what will happen if my level will go up.Also she told me not to test my blood sugar as it makes me more worried but I want to be in control, can anyone tell how long I will be able to control diabetes without medication?

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Welcome Daisy, to the club no-one wants to join. Your reaction to diabetes diagnosis is perfectly normal. When I was diagnosed I panicked. I felt I had the disease that would kill me. That was partly because my Dr told me ALL the complications that diabetes could give - including the 25% PROBABILITY of a heart attack (in 10 years.)

All that was 12 years ago. Now, at 73 I am very well & active. I play tennis & table tennis at club standard, sing with two choirs, play keyboard for my church. (Music was developed after diagnosis.) Screening tests show no heart or circulatory or diabetic complications now.

Four years ago it was different. I had followed the Diabetes UK high carb diet & complications were setting in. A low carb diet, as recommended by many on this forum, has restored my health & strength. I can honestly say that with my present control, diabetes does not affect my quality of life.

No need to find the post. As long as your get control of your T2 by doing the right things most of us believe you will live as long as someone without T2 simple as that. My doc said that my T2 is "in remission" as I now have the same sugar levels as a non diabetic and that's just after 4 months. You just need to learn what to do and how to keep things "normal" by eating the right stuff.

Well done for finding this forum. And stop worrying. You arn't going to die and its not your fault. There isn't a stereotypical image of a lazy, slobby, pie eating, couch potato diabetic.Thats just the meedja winding us up and trying to put the blame at our door, we live in a blame culture - got to be someones fault right. Well nope not really, there are theories to why some people get diabetes, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. So read and research all you can, at least we are lucky in that we have the internet now.
Good luck Daisy and do ask questions no matter how daft you think they are.

gosh - I think everyone's said it all.. But welcome to our world

Nothing to add to all the good stuff above. Just wanted to say welcome.
Cut the starchy carbs and test. You'll be fine