Hello

Hi
I was diagnosed in my late 60s.
Started low carb and got into remission. So things can and do improve!

I bought a meter so I could check how many carbs I could eat without too big a spike in blood sugar (glucose). I counted everything at first until I got used to it.
I thought about the foods I loved and found advice about low carb substitutes.

The NHS dietician criticised low carb and told me to have breakfast cereals and brown bread - luckily I ignored her, as I knew her recommendations were out of date. Brown pasta, bread, rice are almost the same carbs as white, and it is the carbs T2s struggle with.

I have a morning cereal made mainly of milled flaxseed which is low carb.
Dinner is a protein with plenty of green veg and cauliflower (rice or mashed).
If I eat lunch it will be a green salad and cheese/ham/egg.
Then full fat Greek yogurt with a few fresh raspberries.
Bedtime I have a couple of squares of 85% dark chocolate and some cocoa made with a little milk, double cream and water.
Treats are low-carb cake or a 'crumble' made with ground almonds instead of flour and rhubarb (very low carb!).

Hi, I was diagnosed in 2019, a great new years eve present that was. Hba1c of 103, currently 38. Just had bloods today so awaiting the results. It's not all doom and gloom, there are lots of foods you can still have.

Whatever advice doctor gives you, do the opposite I did. All I received from the doctor was a a4 sheet of paper with a plate of what I need to be eating, on close inspection it had bread, pasta, rice, potatoes - mmmm high carb.

If you can't get a meter from the doctor, buy one, they are a good investment, they are handy to have. I don't prick test often only when I'm feeling drained or tired.

Good luck with whatever path you take whether it's low carb, keto etc.

Also eat veg above ground and berries.

YeOldeBat said:

Hi

I am YeOldeBat,

recently diagnosed Type 2 and to be honest I haven't got a clue about much of all this, feel like I am on a merry-go-round that wont stop to let me off and have been given little information. Its all a bit overwhelming at present,. Have looked for information and ordered a carbs and cals book, plus the what can i eat book to match. Anyway hi to you all and i do hope to learn more on here enabling me to well, survive.

I have a warped sense of humour, love music and am old

Have a god day xx

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There is no such thing as "old" in my book and thumbs up for the warped sense of humour - its the only thing that keeps me sane at times of breakdown! Sure you will find lots of lovely people on here with hints on your diagnosis journey

@Rachox meter info please

I bought my own meter, at first I tested before and 2 hrs after every meal to sort out how many carbs I could eat and which foods really spiked my blood sugar. Once I was firmly in remission I tested once a week and if I ate a new food.
I doubt I'd have done so well without it.
And at first I got false hypos - when your body is used to running with high blood sugar and reacts as if it's too low as it drops to a normal range. Without the meter I'd have added carbs at that point.
The annual foot checks and eye checks are worthwhile, and should continue once in remission (just in case). The HbA1c test done at the GP's is useful but as it is a 3 month average it won't tell you if you are having highs and lows.

I brought my own meter, although on diagnosis I was told I didn't need a meter as I'm type 2. But I thought how am I suppose to know if some foods spike me or not.

You need to do your own research on meters, as there are so many available at different prices.

My meter was free, then I brought the lancets and strips online. It currently escapes my brain as to what meter mine is.

And I am ancient.... It took me over my allotted three score and ten years to end up diagnosed with T2, and just a few months to reduce it to pre-diabetic levels and then remain there for over 9 years by eating a low cab/ketogenic diet. so I believe there's obviously hope for Old Bats too.

My GP said he wasn't permitted to prescribe test strips for meter so I buy my own.

Thanks for the tag @MrsA2 . Hi @YeOldeBat , if you want to invest in a meter, here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.

HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews if you use this link and select the meter plus 5 packs of strips, and then add the code dcuk (all lower case) at check out you may get money off, I’m not sure if this code is still valid.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/

Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/

There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips respectively. Again I’m not sure if these codes are still valid.

Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/

Discount codes for the Code Free strips, again I haven’t used them in a while.

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833



SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular however I haven’t been able to find it on their website lately.

(Old link which doesn’t work for me now but maybe works for you, if it doesn’t try the phone number below

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793 ) or Google it and you’ll find it’s available from other outlets.

The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097

Some members have got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order, with a large order of strips they often throw the meter in for free:

Phone number 0800 8815423

If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.


ABBOTT LABORATORIES

Here’s the link to the Freestyle Libre site, this is what I use these days, https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk/libre/products.html



Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

YeOldeBat said:

Hi Tricia, thanks for the reply.

I just feel like i have been herded into nurse, been told you have got to lose weight, yes i know that, get this book, no you cant have a glucose meter, even though i keep telling them i keep feeling what i think is lows, or even highs, who knows. I also have other conditions that this could make worse. They then press the eject button and off you go into the wide world like a rabbit in the headlights!
I am early 60s, but feeling like 90 lol at present!

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So have you invested in the metre yet? Highly recommend it