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Hello - Newly Diagnosed With T2d

E

engie1967

Active Member
Messages
34
Location
Cambridgeshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello Everyone - I'm a little shocked to be here. You see, I didn't realise I had been diagnosed until I got a letter about a diabetic eye check followed in the next post by an appointment for my annual diabetes review. Shocked, but not surprised, I guess to be honest it is news I've expected for a while.

When I didn't hear any more after my blood tests back in May, I thought I'd used a ' Get out of jail free' card but last week, when I attended the annual diabetes review, the diagnosis was confirmed. I'm either in denial or philosophical about it because the news hasn't upset me, I know why it has struck me and I realise that I only have myself to blame.

Last month, I turned 49 and I've been overweight most of my life and since my 20s, very overweight. For some reason, it's been something I have felt powerless to control. I'm getting help now but 30 years too late to keep me out of this forum.

Don't get me wrong! I'm pleased to be here, it seems like the kind of place where I can learn about Type 2 Diabetes and start to make sense of it all.

I know I need to get slimmer and fitter if I'm to avoid the complications of this thing. I'd like to learn from those of you who have walked this path before me and begin to understand what I've got myself into; what to do about it and to find out of there is an escape route.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you.
 
Hi @engie1967 and welcome to the forum.

I will tag @daisy1 for her to provide some basic information which will help you.
Have a read around the forums and take it slowly as it easy to suffer from information overload when you are recently diagnosed.

Ask away if you have any questions, someone will answer.
 
@engie1967

Hello and welcome to the forum :) Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. In particular it contains advice about carbs and levels and includes a link to the Low Carb Program which you might like to try in due course. Ask as many questions as you like 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 well over 210,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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.
 
The best thing you can do right now is to read daisy1's post just as soon as she gets it up for you which shouldn't be long. Follow the links and read everything. All the basic information is there. You need to buy a meter if one was not supplied to you and learn how to use it. I am not in the UK so hopefully someone else will let you know the most cost effective one to get. I know it is overwhelming right now but you can ask any questions you have and someone will answer you. Welcome to the forum.:)

:p:D:confused: There now she was busy posting it while I was typing .
 
I wasn,t shocked when I found out I was type2. The best thing I did do, was join here. I have had so much help from members. I do admit that I fell of the wagon for awhile but am now back on track. I was very over weight. I will admit now, at my heaviest, I was 24st and have got down to 1 6st 9lb. its been slow but getting there.
We are here for you
 
Having read a few posts, I realise that I have no idea about my blood sugar. Should I be testing? And if so when and with what? Blood or urine or both? There's more to this than meets the eye!
 
I think most of us here would agree that regular testing is the key to understanding what you "can" and "should not" be eating.
Test before you eat a meal and then at first 1 and 2 hours afterwards (the 2 hours is probably the most important). You will then see the effects of what you ate on your blood sugar levels.
Many of us follow a low carb higher fat diet which helps lower blood sugar levels and keeps them there (a nice side effect of this is often weight loss). Personally i follow a very low carb diet (as few as possible).The cheapest meter for ongoing costs is the SD Codefree, You will see it mentioned a lot here as most of us are self funding testers and the strips are the cheapest. You could ask your doc or DN if they will provide one but if they do it is unlikely they will provide enough strips to test as frequently as we do ,especially at the beginning of your journey.
The testing we do is blood so you will have to prick your finger for each reading. The meter comes with a lancing device so don't worry it really is just a tiny prick. Nothing to be afraid of.
Hope that helps a bit.
Regards
Mark
 
@engie1967 - Hi :). The SD Codefree Blood Glucose Meter is used by a lot of forum members because the test strips are the cheapest. If you have not been provided with a meter from the Diabetic Nurse or your GP, then I would suggest you buy one. Here is the link:
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-monitoring
State you are Diabetic for vat exemption and for the UK you need mmol.
 
My diabetes was only diagnosed yesterday it was a shock but it has explained some things what causes it
 
@PeterGC - Hello and Welcome to the Forum. I will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive. In the meantime have a read around the threads, and don't be afraid to ask questions, there will always be someone to answer. :)
 
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