Hey all

[seansmit17]

Not exactly newly diagnosed... Found out i had type 2 back in February 2011.

Suppose ive been in denial about it lol

Anyway, Thought id share my story on how this all started.

First of, im 26 (27 tomorrow xD) and im a little overweight.(Need to lose about 2 stone)

So, I started to feel a bit unwell, tired, rundown etc for a few days and then i started to drink more and more and then pee more and more. I would end up having a nap in the evening i was that tired. I was up almost every hour at night as my heart was racing all the time and kept me up and also to pee and then have a glass of water or what ever was about.

But i was drinking things like Milk, Coke, Apple juice and that just made things worse for me, tho i didn't know it at the time.

After a few more days i decided to ring NHS Direct and see what they had to say about my symptoms.

They told me i should just go see my GP as soon as i could but before the call ended they wanted to know what my heart rate was since i said it was high and keeping me up at night.. It was 130bpm!

Well, an ambulance was on its way at this point.. kinda scared me a bit!

My blood sugar was tested in the ambulance and it just said "HI". When i got into hospital they tested it again as well as other things. In the mean time i was put on an IV of a few things to help get my blood sugar level down and was also later given insulin injections to help.

A doctor came over to see me and kept asking me if i felt ok, Apart from feeling weak and tired i was ok. The reason he was asking.. Turns out i should of been unconscious! My bloody sugar was a massive 47mmol :shock:

But the IV and insulin did its job and with in the hour i was down to 30mmol and another hour later down to 25mmol.

Spent a few days in hospital and was sent home with Metformin to take. After another week at home and on the meds i was down from 15-20mmol to below 10mmol

So there you have it! Still here thanks to NHS Direct. I was told by my doctor that if i didnt go call them when i did and just went to bed i may well of not woken up... ever :cry:

But... 47! Still cant get over how that!

 

[daisy1]

Hi Sean and welcome to the forum You've certainly improved your levels since diagnosis and looks like you had a narrow escape there. I don't know if they told you anything about looking after your diabetes, but here is some information which the former monitors wrote for new members to help them get started on their diabetes care. I hope you will find this interesting and useful. Have a good read around on subjects that interest you and ask as many questions as you like as there is always someone here to help. Happy birthday tomorrow by the way

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.

 

[seansmit17]

Thanks

was some useful info there

 

[anna29]

Hi seansmit17, hope you had a nice birthday?
Welcome to us all here, glad you found us.
Blimey with your story you were a lucky lad I mean with keeping concious with your state of BG levels. :shock:
How are you keeping and feeling since this?
Anna.x

 

[seansmit17]

Hi seansmit17, hope you had a nice birthday?
Welcome to us all here, glad you found us.
Blimey with your story you were a lucky lad I mean with keeping concious with your state of BG levels. :shock:
How are you keeping and feeling since this?
Anna.x

Dont know how i managed to stay conscious.. i was even sleeping with bg of 47 and still woke up lol

Been fairly good since, tho ive only managed to lose about half a stone.

Not doing to good today tho. Partying last night etc so my BG is 19 at last check. But i know that will be down to about 13 in the morning and then back to normal later in the day

 

[Tumble]

Hey just a quick question how does a doctor decide if you are Type 1 or 2? When I went to the doctor I was tested at HI on the monitor also and was told instantly that I was type 1 and sent stright to the diabetes clinic at the hospital. Do they do tests or does it depend on the doctor? Sorry if it's a stupid question! I'm just curious. Thanks

 

[seansmit17]

Symtoms are slightly different for the 2.

They should so dome tests to confirm

If you are Type 1 then that means your body is not making any insulin.

If you are Type 2 then your body is still making insulin but either its not making enough, its not working right (insulin resistance)