Hello,

[Emily D.]

Hello,

I wanted to thank all of you for the warm community that I have seen here since my diagnosis in November. I'm no medic but this strikes me as a more sensible forum than others that I have found at home or elsewhere online. I feel like I know many of you already as I have been coming on here to educate myself about diabetes and reading many of your posts. It's very confusing in the beginning. I initially was very hopeful, imagining that I could reverse my numbers and then have "normal" carbs. The reality is sinking in now. Ah well.
I have type 2 and my HBA1c was 50. I bought the meter and I am getting lower readings already. Before diagnosis, I was having a great time in Slimming World, with all you can eat fruit salad etc and delighted with my black grapes instead of sugar. I am a bit of a fruit fiend but since November I have had to curtail that. Limiting oranges is surprisingly more difficult than limiting chocolate. On the plus side, blueberries have acquired a sweetness that my palate didn't detect in them before.
I left my doctors' surgery in turmoil, wondering how I would cope emotionally with the diagnosis. I have joined a class where we use yoga (very gentle) for meditation. It was a life-line in the first few weeks. I have also increased my walking and spend some time walking by a local river. I hope to start hiking in a beautiful part of Ireland, as the weather improves. Some days this is ok, some days it is not, but, it was very helpful to find such a supportive and understanding community as yours.
My name is after the great Emily Dickinson. I went to her house once, we hired a car and drove 3 hrs to see it --- I should have checked with the tourist office first, as they closed on Tuesdays and it was a Tuesday. Still, it is all in the poems.

 

[Juicyj]

Hello and welcome @Emily D.

There's a great wealth of support and information available which will help you, i'm tagging @daisy1 for our new members information, don't be afraid to ask any questions regardless of how silly you think it is, we are all in it to help each other

 

[rhubarb73]

Hi Emily
Here is a blog I wrote about my first 50 days post diagnosis - I certainly recognise the feelings of turmoil.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/type-2-my-first-50-days.2190/

Hopefully your hba1c will start heading in the right direction - starting at 50 isn't too bad, so hopefully you can make quick progress.

 

[Muddikins]

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all
Emily Dickinson

I am a month ahead of with diagnosis, I too hoped for a brief bit of healing followed by a return to normal. I learnt that that was not to be but also that that is a good thing. I was so ill before I cut out the carbs and now I can't stop smiling, life just improved and continues to do so, hope is singing loudly again for me.

 

[Emily D.]

Thanks Rhubarb. That's very helpful, I love your Jenny Agutter image, that was one of my favourite films as a child. It does seem like people have a little selective deafness etc. when it comes to diabetes. My brother says "well, we won't talk about that", but I think he is frightened as his doctor told him that his sugars are a little high and to lay off sugar. He is heeding the warning, so I hope that will be enough.

 

[Emily D.]

Hello Juicyj, thank you for that. I have my youngest daughter showing me how to post a reply here, so I have more than most to learn!

 

[briped]

I hope to start hiking in a beautiful part of Ireland, as the weather improves.

Ireland. Beautiful Ireland. Who needs carbs when you have an Irish river to walk along? A warm welcome to you, Emily. We look forward to getting to know you too Keep reading and posting.

 

[Emily D.]

Aw, that's lovely. Maybe it's just about reordering life and hoping for new and betters things. I am hoping for better fitness and new adventures. Sorry this reply was meant for mudkins

 

[Emily D.]

Ireland. Beautiful Ireland. Who needs carbs when you have an Irish river to walk along? A warm welcome to you, Emily. We look forward to getting to know you too Keep reading and posting.

Thank you triped, I feel like I partly know you already.

 

[jjraak]

Hello Juicyj, thank you for that. I have my youngest daughter showing me how to post a reply here, so I have more than most to learn!

practice makes perfect, @Emily D. ..as with everything we do in life.

Welcome to the forum, from London.
yep, diagnosis is a shocker.

But your making all the right moves.

i'd like to say reversal, meant back to how we were...
but its like being banished.

we can't go back..it's no longer there for us.

On the other hand, the land here while it's not immediately visible, IS a land of plenty.

You just got to learn all the new foods that are available.,
and remind yourself of all the old favourites, we all got used to calling BAD..

and the trip out..?
sounds like the kind of thing that happens to me..

enjoy... the journey is long, but the members on here sure make it easier
and infinitely more enjoyable, then doing it alone.

THEY hear your voice, where many.. even those in our close circles, don't..

 

[Rachox]

Hi Emily and welcome! It’s great here isn’t it? This forum really was my saviour and my diagnosis a blessing in disguise

 

[Emily D.]

Thanks jjraak, it is good to be heard. I have a great partner and a very kind daughter, but, people who have been there understand more. I have been eating more butter of late and it is delicious with stirfried prawns, also whipped cream over christmas. Two of my granduncles had type 2. They were farmers and had high fat diets, both lived to their late 80s and survived the lashings of butter etc. on their food. I put it down to the physical labour of their day jobs.
Banishment is awful and I'm trying to put a positive spin on it and convince myself, it is a freedom to no longer be the slave of sugar.

 

[Emily D.]

Gosh, a blessing. I'm hoping for this, perhaps it will keep greater evils at bay?

 

[daisy1]

@Emily D.
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 235,000 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 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Aw, that's lovely. Maybe it's just about reordering life and hoping for new and betters things. I am hoping for better fitness and new adventures. Sorry this reply was meant for mudkins

When I got diagnosed I'd been in a bad way for a long time... Turned out I'd been a T2 for a long time too! Was so extremely fatigued I couldn't even lift a fork. Husband cut my meat because I didn't have the strength to handle the steak knife. Morbidly obese, depressed, and regularly having my knees give out out of nowhere, making me face-plant....

Far cry from how things are today, on just a radical diet change. I can walk decent distances, with my camera-gear, walk stairs without dropping dead... So yeah... I do believe "better fitness and new adventures" are in the cards. They were for me, and I thought at 37, my life was pretty much over.

You're off to a good start. Your HbA1c is nowhere near as bad as mine was, so I think the "in remission"label will be on your profile soon enough.
Jo

 

[Emily D.]

@Emily D.
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 235,000 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 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

Thank you Daisy, there's so much information to absorb at first, that this is very useful

 

[Emily D.]

When I got diagnosed I'd been in a bad way for a long time... Turned out I'd been a T2 for a long time too! Was so extremely fatigued I couldn't even lift a fork. Husband cut my meat because I didn't have the strength to handle the steak knife. Morbidly obese, depressed, and regularly having my knees give out out of nowhere, making me face-plant....

Far cry from how things are today, on just a radical diet change. I can walk decent distances, with my camera-gear, walk stairs without dropping dead... So yeah... I do believe "better fitness and new adventures" are in the cards. They were for me, and I thought at 37, my life was pretty much over.

You're off to a good start. Your HbA1c is nowhere near as bad as mine was, so I think the "in remission"label will be on your profile soon enough.
Jo

Thanks Jo, I haven't been fit for a while and I am enjoying the small changes that have come so far and dreaming of cycling/hiking around Kerry, as it improves. My main concern is to take care of my emotions/head, so that I feel enriched rather than deprived from this experience.

 

[Prem51]

Welcome to the forum @Emily D. Your HbA1c of 50 isn't very high, mine was 49 at diagnosis and I brought it down to 44 by my 3 month retest.
You will get a lot of good advice and support on here, jut ask any questions you want to.
And well done on getting a meter to self test.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks Jo, I haven't been fit for a while and I am enjoying the small changes that have come so far and dreaming of cycling/hiking around Kerry, as it improves. My main concern is to take care of my emotions/head, so that I feel enriched rather than deprived from this experience.

It'll come. I'm enjoying my food now more than I did before, actually... That's part of the key to this thing: finding foods you enjoy, making this sustainable. Bit of trial and error sometimes, but hey... You've got time, doesn't have to happen overnight. Plus, your tastebuds will change as you're a few months into this. I love extra dark chocolate now, but before I couldn't stomach the stuff: too bitter. Now it kinda tastes like milk chocolate used to, while if I have actual milk chocolate, it's disgustingly sweet. Just as an example eh.

I do honestly have faith you'll go around Kerry the way you want to, and probably sooner than you believe possible.. And I'm hoping you'll share pictures.

 

[Emily D.]

It'll come. I'm enjoying my food now more than I did before, actually... That's part of the key to this thing: finding foods you enjoy, making this sustainable. Bit of trial and error sometimes, but hey... You've got time, doesn't have to happen overnight. Plus, your tastebuds will change as you're a few months into this. I love extra dark chocolate now, but before I couldn't stomach the stuff: too bitter. Now it kinda tastes like milk chocolate used to, while if I have actual milk chocolate, it's disgustingly sweet. Just as an example eh.

I do honestly have faith you'll go around Kerry the way you want to, and probably sooner than you believe possible.. And I'm hoping you'll share pictures.

That's very hopeful, I will post a pic if and when....