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Hello

W

wyrdspirit

Member
Messages
10
Location
Falkirk, Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi Everyone

I am new to the forum but was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 in 2008. It has been a difficult few years as I have been in denial and suffered from depression and anxiety in relation to the diabetes. With the appropriate care and treatment I have come through the black cloud and can see the light again.

I now accept that I am diabetic and that this is something I need to get under control as quickly as possible. I am due my diabetic review which I am dreading because I have a hard time sticking to my medication...for some reason I still forget to take it. I have no means of self testing. My GP stopped giving me strips a couple of years ago. They said it was not necessary for type 2's to self test. I am on a limited budget and can't afford the extortionate prices for the testing strips.

I have lost over 4 stone in weight since I was diagnosed and am now taking active steps to reduce my weight further, by doing lots of walking and hiking up hills & glens. I am still classed as obese. I know I have to get my diet sorted out but get little help from my GP who just says to cut out sugars and fatty foods. I have been reading some of the threads on the forum and feel that I have learned more in the last couple of weeks than I have in the last 5 years.

My GP's reaction to my glucose levels not being under control is to increase my medication. Increasing medication makes me ill so its up to me to make the changes that mean I can reduce my medication. I just need the right support and advice to do it :)

Jules
 
Hi Jules and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members which I think you will find useful. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will help.


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 30,000 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 ... rains.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 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.
 
Welcome Jules.

There is so much good information on this site.

You have come to the right place....
 
Thank you daisy1 for the very useful info. I have made a note of it for future reference :)

Hi zolabud. Thanks for the welcome. I am already starting to feel more positive about managing my diabetes with the info I am reading from the forum and website :)
 
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