Diagnosis Day!

Hi Everyone!
I've been having a look at this site for some weeks, since I got wind of the possibility of being diabetic. Firstly, thanks to everyone who's posted - I have learned so much from this site.
So, I've got Type 2 and a bunch of appointments have been set up for me. I asked the doctor if I could have a prescription for blood glucose monitoring strips and, as expected, was refused. I was told it was not helpful, HbA1C was a better guide. I said this was only an average and I wanted to educate myself as to which foods provoked glucose spikes and manage my diet. I thought that the 9 kg weight I had lost in the 2 weeks I'd been self monitoring was evidence of my efforts, but from the blank look I got apparently it wasn't. Doc said she wasn't allowed to prescribe, I replied NICE guidelines said it was discretionary, then she said PCT guidelines didn't allow for Type 2. So I phoned the PCT on my return home. They directed me to the www.diabetes.nhs.uk website where there was a report "Self monitoring of blood glucose in non-insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes" on which they had based their recommendation. The report recommends that "4. Individuals with non-insulin treated diabetes who are motivated by SMBG activity and use the information to maximise the effect of lifestyle and medication should be encouraged to continue to monitor." I think this is all mentioned elsewhere on this site, too. Feel like I'm going round in circles but I will be fighting this so watch this space! In the meantime, I continue to be bewildered by all the conflicting information about diet, including the latest about saturated fat causing insulin resistance (which now conflicts with the low-carb Paleo diet I've been following for the last few weeks). What's a girl to do!? :crazy: Any info, tips, experiences would be most gratefully received. Good health to us all! xx

Thanks for the warm welcomes and replies - very much appreciated. I guess I'll have to learn to keep my gob shut :silent: and nod sagely at the doctor's wise words! They seem to get away with so much rubbish, and I'm extremely allergic to BS... I'll definitely be checking out my practice's stats, ParagliderPete, should be interesting and thanks for the info. I've come across Stephan Guyenet's blog before, Geoff, during my Paleo research. Thanks for the reminder - he's done some good work. My first reaction on reading or hearing of any new research is to wonder who funded it, cynical old thing that I am. Follow the money!

Cheers, guys, good to be here :thumbup:

Another Pratchett fan, Fraddycat, now I really feel at home! :wink:

I had a look at the practice stats for <7 HbA1c, ParagliderPete, and it was 61%. Most of their diabetes stats were in the 90s - a couple of them high 90s - so I really will have to keep a lid on it as a newbie!! :shh: