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First post from Rog

Rog

Rog

Well-Known Member
Messages
256
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Hello All, first post from me , was at docs today after having dry mouth and urinating more than normal. Unfortunately the doc did a urine test and their was sugar in it, got blood tests done and getting results tomorrow, feel pretty low and scared tonight . Any advice would be appreciated . Rog
 
Rog said:
Hello All, first post from me , was at docs today after having dry mouth and urinating more than normal. Unfortunately the doc did a urine test and their was sugar in it, got blood tests done and getting results tomorrow, feel pretty low and scared tonight . Any advice would be appreciated . Rog
Click to expand...
Hi @Rog & welcome to the forum, you have certainly come to the right place for lots of help and information plus a lot of support.

I will tag @daisy1 , she will be along with a long list of very helpful information we give to all new members. Will probably the morning now.

Please look a round the forum and don't be afraid to ask what ever questions you need to.

Don't panic as it will take a while for you to get your head around all this.

Hope this helps.
 
Hello Rog and welcome to the forum :) I have taken your post out and started a new thread for you.

Hope your results come out OK today. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. You may have seen it from the previous thread but here it is on your own. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.

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 over 140,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Hi and welcome , no need to be scared but it can be a bit confusing to start
With ,we will help all we can ask away , keep well stay safe JJ
 
Rog said:
Hello All, first post from me , was at docs today after having dry mouth and urinating more than normal. Unfortunately the doc did a urine test and their was sugar in it, got blood tests done and getting results tomorrow, feel pretty low and scared tonight . Any advice would be appreciated . Rog
Click to expand...

I had an even bigger shock than you when I was diagnosed. I took advantage of the free NHS health check for those between 40 and 74 thinking I was fine and was gobsmacked to find I has a very high BG and HbA1c as I had no symptoms at all. The DN couldn't believe with those levels I had not had any symptoms. These forums are a mine of information to help you. You will get advice from people who are pro active in taking control of their diabetes rather than the standard NHS advice where it is "a chronic progressive disease" and they just keep adding more and more drugs as you get worse. That doesn't have to be the scenario; loads of people have reversed their diabetes with diet (and weight loss if necessary).

Good luck, you are fortunate that you have started your journey here so it should be a much smoother ride.
 
Welcome Rog! there' a barrel of information on this site so I'm sure you will get all your questions answered as they crop up on your diabetes journey.

Good luck :)
 
Hi and welcome. It sounds like you will be diagnosed as a diabetic. Don't panic as you are amongst many, many others and with the right management you will not need to worry about long-term complications. If you have a bit of excess weight then T2 will be the most likely diagnosis. If you are quite slim, have lost weight recently and possibly young then Late onset T1 becomes possible. Whatever way, having a low-carb diet will always help. Tablets can be added if even the right diet doesn't bring your blood sugar into the right region. Let us know how you get on with the GP and any questions you have.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. It's a scary and worrying time, but there are some wonderful people on the site providing help and support. I am still new to this myself but this site has been invaluable in helping me see this is a new beginning for me. Have a good look round and ask as many questions as you want.
 
Hello and welcome.
I was scared so I know how you feel.
But all will be fine.
Stay with the forum,lots of help and advice.
 
Rog said:
Hello All, first post from me , was at docs today after having dry mouth and urinating more than normal. Unfortunately the doc did a urine test and their was sugar in it, got blood tests done and getting results tomorrow, feel pretty low and scared tonight . Any advice would be appreciated . Rog
Click to expand...

Hi Rog,

I had symptoms, then a month ago had the NHS test, and I was pre-diabetic.
In the last 3-4 weeks I've turned things around through diet (mainly) and exercise. I've even now stopped going to the loo 5 times a night, which in my books is a major leap forward :-) Hang on in there, there is LOTS you can do. Don't believe any medic who says this is a relentlessly irreversible condition. That's really old skool thinking.

Keep us posted of your progress. There are many people here with amazing expertise who can help you think things through.
 
Hi Rog

Nearly one week into metaformin 2 x 500mg and I promise you the panic abates the moment you begin to take control. Anxious unknown moments still abound but use this forum, read & join in, knowing you are not alone is like a safety blanket.

Wishing you health, balance and a low bg count

Xx
Barb
 
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