Hello

[didie]

Hi there

I'm very newly diagnosed with diabetes - I got the results of my blood test yesterday.

I had a small stroke on a flight from Australia on 11 June which I didn't realise for a week. The jet lag didn't go and I dropped things and stumbled, so went to the GP thinking I had picked up a virus. She picked up on my left-sided weakness and referred me to the Neurologist where I had the usual battery of tests including an MRI scan and was found to have had a small stroke.

My blood sugar was wonky, so the doctor did a glucose fasting test and when I called the surgery yesterday I was told I am diabetic which I presume contributed to my stroke. As I have an appointment next week to see the doctor, I was told that discussion of my diabetes could wait until then, so I'm feeling a bit in limbo at the moment. I presume it is Type II diabetes.

Since the stroke was diagnosed at the hospital 2 weeks ago, I have been off work. I've started walking every day (this morning I did 2.24 miles) - having previously been far too sedentary and am doing balance exercises on the Wii along with other exercises to regain the strength and co-ordination on my left side which has worked really well. I'm on Simvastatin and Clopidgrel.

The last 2 weeks have been really quite scary and just when I was thinking I might have some control back in my life with my increase in exercise, the improvement on my left side and coming to terms with the fact that I probably can't fly long-haul again, I've been floored with the diagnosis of diabetes.

I feel as though my life has been turned upside down

 

[daisy1]

Hi Didie and welcome to the forum I'm sorry to hear about your stroke and subsequent diagnosis of diabetes. You have done a good thing starting exercising providing it is with your doctor's permission. Here is some basic information written by our friends Sue and Ken, former monitors, for new members. I think you should clear it first with your doctor before following anything out of here. Plenty of people around to answer whatever questions you may have.

Here is the advice that Ken and I, as Forum Monitors, usually give to newly diagnosed Diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

For more information on CARBOHYDRATE see here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20306

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

For TIPS FOR STRIPS see here:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002#p173253

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2011 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking and before meals).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l...(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals........................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals......................... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do at least 30 minutes moderate exercise a day, it can be split into 10 min sessions to start with. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Finally a few QUESTIONS TO ASK AT DIABETES CLINIC.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17091



Sue/Ken.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi didie and welcome to the forum, I hope you get some good advice from your doctor when you see him/her.

Whilst exercise is good for diabetics I wouldnt exercise too much until you have seen your doc as sometimes if you exercise with high blood glucose (bg) it can actually send your bg even higher and if you are unsure what your bg levels are at present it might be prudent to err on the side of caution until you have started some form of treatment particularly if high bg levels were a contributing factor to your suffering a stroke.

Good luck

 

[Snodger]

hey there,

welcome.
It is very normal after diagnosis to feel as if your life has been turned upside down. These two things may help to keep in mind:
1) those feelings really do become more bearable with time, especially as you realise how much you still can do, and you learn to take control of diabetes
2) don't think of diabetes as being the negative that floored you along with the stroke. Think of it as useful; that means you can now prevent yourself having another stroke!

Snodger

 

[anna29]

Hi didie, Welcome to us all here, You have been through a lot in a short space of time, no wonder it has had an impact.It is normal to feel confused, stunned, lost, and overwhelmed in the first stage/weeks after diagnosis. Plus you are still yet recovering from the stroke too. You will need time to adjust and adapt to it all, take it one step at a time, go easy/gentley with yourself it all does begin to settle and feel less confusing over the next few weeks. Think positive write list down of questions to ask your GP/HCP Diabetes team they are really good when you do this and will help you. Also you have us all here on the forum to ask anything you wish , feel, need to. This will help you along inbetween your appointments giving you sense of support and direction. You wont feel as lost or in limbo. Please do pop back and let us all know how you are doing. Hope this helps? Anna.x

 

[Eilean13]

Hi Didie

welcome to the club nobody wants to join. This is a fantastic place for information and support IMHO. You've certainly been through the mill and I suppose being diagnosed with diabetes seems like yet another blow. I was diagnosed in early New Year and it does take a time to get used to the idea. Since then I've got my BS lowered to consistently within guidelines and have lost quite a bit of weight. The bonus for me is that dieting was my New Year resolution and this has been the first year I've ever stuck to one.

I do have days when I long for things I know will be bad for me, and have on occasion given in to temptation. But hey ho we're only human. Keep sticking with the exercise, but as Sid said, take advice from you Doctor or Diabetic Nurse before you go crazy. Hope you feel more able to get on with all this having had such a shocking time.

Diane

 

[didie]

Thanks for the warm welcome I've recovered my equilibrium somewhat after my diagnosis. I am lucky that I had the stroke with relatively minor damage and that my diabetes has been diagnosed. I could have just put my symptoms down to jet lag and ignored them and maybe have had a major stroke with terrible damage a few months down the line. Now I am determined to move onwards and upwards and take control of my life back.

This site is so incredibly informative. I've written down the very useful list of questions to ask when I see the doctor on Wednesday.