Help and Information Requested Please

Catherinebkl

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi everyone, My name is Catherine and I have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.As I work within the health profession it has been presumed that I already posses the knowledge on this condition.As a person with this condition it has got me thinking about how other people with health issues feel. I am wondering if there is anyone on the forum that would not mind answering a few questions for my research .

My first symptoms were : feeling thirsty and tired and repeatedly getting thrush.
What were your first symptoms ?
 
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Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Hello and welcome. Wouldn't it be wiser to research the condition itself so as to improve your health/prognosis before all other research?

May I ask which approach you have decided to take in tackling this condition (assuming you have decided)?
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,811
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Welcome Catherine! I was a nurse until I took early retirement in 2016. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed Type 2 in May last year that I realised how lacking my training in Type 2 was. I’m with @Guzzler sort yourself out before considering your professional research.
I’ll tag in @daisy1 for her welcome info post.
There’s loads of help available here for you have a read around and ask any questions that occur to you.
 

Mal37

Well-Known Member
Messages
282
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Social situations
I agree with Guzzler but, for the record, my first symptom was the occasional tingling in the very tips of my fingers. I never even considered a diabetic link since I had no other symptoms ande no cases in either family line, so ignored it.
Then ... out of the blue one evening .. I could see my laptop screen perfectly without my glasses on!!! It seemed quite weird.
I mentioned it a week later at my annual eye check and he sent me for a test to outrule diabetes ... and I was told that I have it!
I still to this day have absolutely no other symptoms! Hope this is useful?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I was feeling tired and old, but had no classic symptoms.
I was due for my thyroid check and I think that the wrong box was ticked, something went wrong anyway as I was surprised to be called to the surgery rather than traveling to the hospital as usual, and then when I asked about it, no result for thyroid test.
 

Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
May I ask you about your symptoms leading up to diagnosis, please? And what field you practise in, I am just wondering what your research involves i.e. technology, psychology, advertising, diets and weight loss etc etc.
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Catherinebkl

Hello Catherine and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will 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 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.
 

Catherinebkl

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I agree with Guzzler but, for the record, my first symptom was the occasional tingling in the very tips of my fingers. I never even considered a diabetic link since I had no other symptoms ande no cases in either family line, so ignored it.
Then ... out of the blue one evening .. I could see my laptop screen perfectly without my glasses on!!! It seemed quite weird.
I mentioned it a week later at my annual eye check and he sent me for a test to outrule diabetes ... and I was told that I have it!
I still to this day have absolutely no other symptoms! Hope this is useful?
Thank you for your reply, it has been useful.It goes to show that not everyone gets the symptoms that is generally associated the diabetes
I was feeling tired and old, but had no classic symptoms.
I was due for my thyroid check and I think that the wrong box was ticked, something went wrong anyway as I was surprised to be called to the surgery rather than traveling to the hospital as usual, and then when I asked about it, no result for thyroid test.
I agree with Guzzler but, for the record, my first symptom was the occasional tingling in the very tips of my fingers. I never even considered a diabetic link since I had no other symptoms ande no cases in either family line, so ignored it.
Then ... out of the blue one evening .. I could see my laptop screen perfectly without my glasses on!!! It seemed quite weird.
I mentioned it a week later at my annual eye check and he sent me for a test to outrule diabetes ... and I was told that I have it!
I still to this day have absolutely no other symptoms! Hope this is useful?
 

Catherinebkl

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello and welcome. Wouldn't it be wiser to research the condition itself so as to improve your health/prognosis before all other research?

May I ask which approach you have decided to take in tackling this condition (assuming you have decided)?
The most important approach i am taking is to lose excess weight and with that i am now on the Low GI Diet . I am also doing more exercise and trying to eat more foods that are green in colour not red ,as according to my GP ,red foods contain more sugar.
 

Catherinebkl

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I was feeling tired and old, but had no classic symptoms.
I was due for my thyroid check and I think that the wrong box was ticked, something went wrong anyway as I was surprised to be called to the surgery rather than traveling to the hospital as usual, and then when I asked about it, no result for thyroid test.
Was that the only test you had to see if you were diabetic ?
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Was that the only test you had to see if you were diabetic ?
Yes, with a Hba1c of 91 the doctor said that I was a very bad diabetic and that he would expect a type one to have a Hba1c of 48 - the psychological effect of seeing 47 at 80 days was quite considerable. At 6 months I got 41, also a significant number being in the normal range.