Diagnosed Yesterday.

[Loken]

Hi all, very new to all of this. I guess I start with I received my diagnosis yesterday of type 2. Certainly felt confused and lost when I left my GP’s. Today frustrated due to only managing 1 successfully blood sugar test.

Never really thought I would be here, then during the months of November and December I was having some issues with my water works etc. was very thirsty, all I wanted to do was to drink and I kept fallen asleep. This was intentionally dealt with antibiotics and it helped clear it up. I was told then that if it returns I needed to come back.

At the start of the year, me and my wife both started the Keto diet. Like many, the last 2 years haven’t been good to my waist line so far it’s been very successful. So a few weeks later it started again and was asked urine sample which showed up glucose. This set of the alarm bells and I started to think I maybe pre or type 2. Then a blood test a few weeks later.

Yesterday was a very odd day, started with my trip to the GP who has a strong accent what can be hard to understand at times. Then add the mask what made it even harder. Told me that my sugar levels are high, read out my results what sounded like they where double what they should have been. Asked about my diet and yes that will help with your weight loss. “But you must eat carbs…” the gp said. when some of the articles I have read so far suggested that keto can really help with diabetes. The GP just nodded, then set so more appointments, some medications and gave me a tester. Didn’t even show me how to use the thing.

Luckily my wife use to be a health care assistant at the hospital and we went though it and managed to get a reading last night of 9.1 after two attempts. This morning 8.6 with no issues, then I failed every other test I have attempted today. So I have joined this forum for advice and to learn. Sorry about the rant.

 

[Mrs HJG]

Hi @Loken I am only 2 months in, so still raw from diagnosis, (although my tales of woe are continuing), so I understand the brain-wreck you are feeling.

When you say you have failed the tests, are you getting error messages? I know I mucked up loads at first, you just need to have a big enough blob of blood (technical term), and put the very middle of the tip of the test strip into it at 90 degrees so the blood is drawn up inside, until it starts counting down; I made the rookie error of trying to place the strip flat on top or not having enough blood there at first. As you get better at it, you will not need as much blood, although I still waste at least 2 or 3 a week being too slow, (mine switches off sometimes mid test), or splodging the blood with shaky hands by mistake.

I suspect different gadgets work in different ways, but hope this might help. Good luck. (edited for typos)

 

[jonathan183]

“But you must eat carbs…” the gp said. when some of the articles I have read so far suggested that keto can really help with diabetes. The GP just nodded, then set so more appointments, some medications and gave me a tester. Didn’t even show me how to use the thing.

Luckily my wife use to be a health care assistant at the hospital and we went though it and managed to get a reading last night of 9.1 after two attempts. This morning 8.6 with no issues, then I failed every other test I have attempted today. So I have joined this forum for advice and to learn. Sorry about the rant.

Suggest you keep the carbs low
You should soon get used to the blood glucose checking ... try to start with a reasonable size drop of blood and put the part of the strip (usually the tip) in the drop of blood, the blood is drawn up by capillary action so jamming it into your finger does not help. The lancet used to prick your finger may be adjustable so you might need to increase it to get a decent size drop out. It might be worthwhile you starting the finger prick and get your wife to put the test strip in the meter rather than you rushing trying to do everything at once.
I find using the side of my fingers works reasonably well and usually does not hurt - pricking the pad on the end of my finger does hurt so I don't do it ...

 

[EllieM]

The GP just nodded, then set so more appointments, some medications and gave me a tester. Didn’t even show me how to use the thing.

MY guess is that one of those appointments might be with a DN who might give you more information?
What medications are you now taking and can you get a hold of your hba1c reading? This is very useful as a benchmark for where you started for future tests.

Oh, and welcome to the forums.

 

[KennyA]

Hi all, very new to all of this. I guess I start with I received my diagnosis yesterday of type 2. Certainly felt confused and lost when I left my GP’s. Today frustrated due to only managing 1 successfully blood sugar test.

Never really thought I would be here, then during the months of November and December I was having some issues with my water works etc. was very thirsty, all I wanted to do was to drink and I kept fallen asleep. This was intentionally dealt with antibiotics and it helped clear it up. I was told then that if it returns I needed to come back.

At the start of the year, me and my wife both started the Keto diet. Like many, the last 2 years haven’t been good to my waist line so far it’s been very successful. So a few weeks later it started again and was asked urine sample which showed up glucose. This set of the alarm bells and I started to think I maybe pre or type 2. Then a blood test a few weeks later.

Yesterday was a very odd day, started with my trip to the GP who has a strong accent what can be hard to understand at times. Then add the mask what made it even harder. Told me that my sugar levels are high, read out my results what sounded like they where double what they should have been. Asked about my diet and yes that will help with your weight loss. “But you must eat carbs…” the gp said. when some of the articles I have read so far suggested that keto can really help with diabetes. The GP just nodded, then set so more appointments, some medications and gave me a tester. Didn’t even show me how to use the thing.

Luckily my wife use to be a health care assistant at the hospital and we went though it and managed to get a reading last night of 9.1 after two attempts. This morning 8.6 with no issues, then I failed every other test I have attempted today. So I have joined this forum for advice and to learn. Sorry about the rant.

You've not had the best of starts. Your fingerprick tester will be your best friend - it will tell you what your blood sugar is right at that moment. It can be inaccurate, though, so don't panic over one high or low figure. The HbA1c is like a rolling average of what your blood sugar has been doing over the past three months or so. It too can be a bit inaccurate.

I would stick with the keto/low carb if I was you. It worked for me and it works for a lot of people - have a look in the "success stories" threads on this forum. It is not compulsory to follow advice, especially advice that will harm you. There are plenty of healthcare professionals who will recommend and support low-carb, which is itself a much older and well-established method of controlling T2.

You might also find some of my blog useful : https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/kennya.517579/

 

[Outlier]

Be proud of yourself for getting this far almost unaided (I didn't get useful information either when I was first diagnosed) doing your research, coming here, where you will find lots of support and useful first-hand information, and being pro-active. You rock! And you have a supportive wife, which shows what good choices you make.
I was very inept at the testing at first (nobody showed me what to do either) but after about a week, I got the way of it and now rarely waste a strip, though it can still happen, mostly because I'm a bit arthritic and tend to drop things. So I sit at a table and take my time when testing.
Don't criticise yourself or allow others to. You have power and direction. This is an illness, not your fault, and you can help your body find a way to manage it safely.

 

[Loken]

MY guess is that one of those appointments might be with a DN who might give you more information?
What medications are you now taking and can you get a hold of your hba1c reading? This is very useful as a benchmark for where you started for future tests.

Oh, and welcome to the forums.

Yes, the fist one is with the diabetes nurse. Regarding the hba1c, all she was my figures are almost double. Being an engineer I like to see all the relative data. Hopefully the nurse will give me the data, can you get this on the NHS app?

 

[Loken]

Thanks all the welcome. Regarding my testing I think I was trying to do it to quickly, not letting the blood pool enough on my finger. Last night and this mornings testing have been fine. How many times a day should I be testing? At the minute I think I should doing before breakfast, 2 hours prior breakfast, lunch, dinner and before bed. So that I have so kind of baseline data.

 

[Mrs HJG]

Hi @Loken glad the testing is getting easier.

If you and your surgery are registered on the NHS system/App, then your results will show there as soon as the lab releases them, (although I think they are able to restrict to the surgery if the results are likely to cause undue concern, mine does not seem to have used this option!), so have a look, it might be there already.

As for testing frequency, immediately before each meal and bedtime were the 4 requested by my nurse, but I am also doing 2hrs after tea, as this is my biggest and most variable meal of the day; I know my breakfast and lunches don't spike my sugars, and lunch is often leftovers from tea if it scored well, so measuring after this helps knowing if things can be confidently eaten again.

As you have been given the testing gear are they thinking you could be T1? Or maybe they are just not as stingy as my surgery, which could bode well going forward. I think I must have been the first suspected T1 they had had for a long time as the lancets I was prescribed had not been in circulation for over 6 months and had to be re-prescribed

 

[Loken]

Hi @Loken
As you have been given the testing gear are they thinking you could be T1? Or maybe they are just not as stingy as my surgery, which could bode well going forward. I think I must have been the first suspected T1 they had had for a long time as the lancets I was prescribed had not been in circulation for over 6 months and had to be re-prescribed

Honestly i couldn’t tell you, all I really got told was they where high and almost double what they should be. At one point Iam sure I heard a muffled 90….? But 90 what? I am going to compile a list of questions for the nurse when I see her in 2 weeks time.

 

[Karoline]

Hi all, very new to all of this. I guess I start with I received my diagnosis yesterday of type 2. Certainly felt confused and lost when I left my GP’s. Today frustrated due to only managing 1 successfully blood sugar test.

Never really thought I would be here, then during the months of November and December I was having some issues with my water works etc. was very thirsty, all I wanted to do was to drink and I kept fallen asleep. This was intentionally dealt with antibiotics and it helped clear it up. I was told then that if it returns I needed to come back.

At the start of the year, me and my wife both started the Keto diet. Like many, the last 2 years haven’t been good to my waist line so far it’s been very successful. So a few weeks later it started again and was asked urine sample which showed up glucose. This set of the alarm bells and I started to think I maybe pre or type 2. Then a blood test a few weeks later.

Yesterday was a very odd day, started with my trip to the GP who has a strong accent what can be hard to understand at times. Then add the mask what made it even harder. Told me that my sugar levels are high, read out my results what sounded like they where double what they should have been. Asked about my diet and yes that will help with your weight loss. “But you must eat carbs…” the gp said. when some of the articles I have read so far suggested that keto can really help with diabetes. The GP just nodded, then set so more appointments, some medications and gave me a tester. Didn’t even show me how to use the thing.

Luckily my wife use to be a health care assistant at the hospital and we went though it and managed to get a reading last night of 9.1 after two attempts. This morning 8.6 with no issues, then I failed every other test I have attempted today. So I have joined this forum for advice and to learn. Sorry about the rant.

I've been diagnosed on valentine's day so not long ago either. Also had problems with taking blood sugar test but after few attempts it was fine. You need to make sure you have quite a bit of blood on your finger tip and when touching it with the strip you need to make sure the end of it touches the blood, it will then absorb your blood and give you the reading. not sure if that makes sense... with regards to food I would suggest to read about low carb diet but also a glycemic index. I am still very new to this too and there are many members here who offer help and answer all your questions so do not worry, it will eventually make sense to you.
There are lots of useful information here Gooddluck!

 

[Mrs HJG]

Honestly i couldn’t tell you, all I really got told was they where high and almost double what they should be. At one point Iam sure I heard a muffled 90….? But 90 what? I am going to compile a list of questions for the nurse when I see her in 2 weeks time.

90 sounds 'high and double', if probably 90 mmol/mol, (my HbA1c was 129.5 so no freaking out!), but anything over 48 is diabetes - see: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html

As you are waiting for 2 weeks they are obviously not panicking, which is always reassuring - my nurse was straight on the phone to hospital to try and get me seen the same day, lots of muttering and leaving messages and she had insulin in me an hour later, testing ketones and handing out the tissues!

It might be worth noting down if you have been ill in the last 6 months, dates had your covid/flu jabs or anything else that might have caused your blood sugars to rise too, anything that you might not remember off the top of your head, (I say this as I am preparing my list, but so far no-one has shown the slight bit of interest in anything that is not of the NHS diagnosis flowchart).

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Loken
In my opinion the best use of a Blood Glucose Meter is for testing meals and particular foods. Test immediately before eating and then 2 hrs after first bite. We aim for a rise of no more than 2.0mmol - if it's higher than that then either what you ate is too high in carbs for your body to handle right now, or you ate too much of it.
Breakfast is the easiest meal to sort out and also one of the most important because most people are used to eating high carb food for breakfast (cereals, porridge, toast) instead of eggs, meat, fish, cheese, full fat greek yoghurt or cream with a few berries and/or nuts and/or seeds.

As has been said getting a successful BG test improves with practice, you want warm clean hands and good blood supply, so wash in warm/hot water and dry before testing. The sides of the finger pads are the best places (except for problem of balancing the drop of blood) because fewer nerve endings and thinner skin in those areas.

 

[Rachox]

Yes, the fist one is with the diabetes nurse. Regarding the hba1c, all she was my figures are almost double. Being an engineer I like to see all the relative data. Hopefully the nurse will give me the data, can you get this on the NHS app?

You can indeed see your blood test results via the NHS app. Login, then select GP Health Record, then Test Results and hey presto you should see them there.

 

[Resurgam]

I have never had a failed test, but I am a reader of the manual.
I wonder if you are doing the things in the right order.
Try placing the strip you will use where it is easy to pick up, the meter ready, the right way round for your insertion.
Stab the finger and wait to see enough blood. If it is a wimpy drop, stab again. I put the hole in the lancet holder over the drop to stab again close by.
When the blood is sufficient, place the strip into the meter.
Then we WAIT.
When the meter has woken up and done its start up routine it will show a drop of blood on the display - usually flashing. Apply the blood to the tip of the strip and watch it being sucked up. The meter will probably make its happy sound and then show a result in a few seconds.