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Hi from a very confused and anxious newbie.

J

Jisuba

Member
Hi everyone, I've only just found this site and it's brilliant. I need your help because I don't have a clue whats going on really.

I was told 1 month ago I am type 2 diabetic although i had no symptoms. My GP (or rather nurse because the gp has not seen me once) has given me a couple of leaflets, taken bp, weight, been very kind, referred me for a zillion hospital/doctor appointments and sent me on my way. I asked her today about testing and she waffled away but basically said 'it's not necessary at this stage'. I want to know - not knowing is frying my brain.

This was the information I asked for (it wasn't volunteered) so please can anyone help me ...
glucose tests at hospital
8.8 before and 13.9 after (I have no idea what they mean and if these figures are high/dangerous, and what they are actually a measurement of)
weight 11st 4LB and bmi was 31 (down today to 10st 9lb bmi 28 so i'm doing one thing right)
cholesterol 4.3
fitness - poor (changed all that, exercising every day now)

It's just all a very confusing and stress inducing - i made the mistake of googling images of diabetic feet eariler this evening - BIG mistake, horrendeous and very frightening.

I've been reading such wonderful stuff on here so forgive me for being such a wuss but I would appreciate any help.
thank you
Sue
 
Welcome to the forum , Sue. Hope we can help.
The test at the hospital was a Glucose tolerance test which shows how well you metabolise glucose and going by your numbers is quite high.

A diagnosis of diabetes is made if the level of glucose in the fasting blood sample is over 6.7 mmol/l or the level in plasma is over 7.8 mmol/l and/or the levels in the second sample are 10 mmol/l and 11.1 mmol/l. A mole is a basic unit of amount of substance. A millimole (mmol) is a thousandth of a mole. Glucose levels are measured in thousandths of a mole per litre (mmol/l).

In healthy people the glucose concentration rises to about twice the normal level within the first hour and returns to normal within two hours. In diabetes, the blood glucose rises to a much higher level than normal and the return to normal takes three hours or more.
Click to expand...

The best way to help you learn about your diabetes is to test regularly. For this you need the tester now , not at a ' later stage' !
By testing before and two hours after a meal you can find out just how those foods are affecting your blood sugars and learn to reduce the portions of these foods to keep your blood sugar levels down under 7 mmol/L
 
Thank you - bit scary to think the results are 'high', where do i go from here I'm not sure. Do I have the right to ask for whatever I need to test from my GP? I've read so many different posts with a lot of people seeming to buy their own equipment.

Where can I get what I need? I'm on a low income (I work with disabled children and unfortunately it's very badly paid) but your health has to come before everything doesn't it?

Thanks again - may i have a low carb snack as I've been sooo good????
By the way I am badly craving chocolate or cake or something sweet.
 
Welcome :D

Pay for as little as possible! The drug companies are falling over themselves to get you to use their products, so ring up customer services and see if you can blag a meter from them. My main meter was a feebie from Roche - sent out by first class post which arrived the day after I called them. I have also acquired several finger pricking devices from this approach! I got a second meter from the competition at the top of this page. It isn't a real competition, give them your details and you will get a meter, but it may take a several weeks.

Take a look at the threads here for info on testing and the struggle some of us have in getting strips on the NHS. Many GPs/PCTs don't like us T2s to test and we have to work hard to get a supply of strips on prescription. I have confirmed with my GP that he will prescribe me 50 a month, I buy the extras. It isn't fair, but every strip he gives me is one I don't have to buy myself.

I don't plan to carry out this level of testing (6-8 tests a day at about 50p per strip if you buy them at full price over the counter) for the rest of my life. I fail to see how we can gain control of our blood sugar without knowing what the food we do does once we have eaten it. Testing is probably going to be expensive, so you need to know how to interpret the results so that you ar enot wasting strips. Testing is the single most useful thing I do to see how I'm going - and I got a huge buzz when I saw those levels falling very quickly :D

The main issue is strips - some are more expensive than others and many GPs don't approve of you testing. I persisted with my GP, who didn't want me to test, and I supplement my 50 a month NHS strips with additional strips I buy from eBay. Check the sellers reputation and set a limit above which you will not go - mine is half the retail price but my last lot (which I bought in bulk) were considerably less. Some people buy direct from the manufacturer, which is cheaper. Anything you do buy, make sure you get the VAT exemption, but you may need to persist with this. I understand there is a VAT exemption for somewhere on this website. If you take any meds for your diabetes, you should be entitled to free prescriptions - this is not means tested - and covers all your prescriptions. It takes a while for the card to arrive tho...

The most useful site I found before I found my way here was http://www.bloodsugar101.com Bloodsugar101 is an American website, but it now has the UK blood sugar readings next to the American ones :D So I won't bore you with the equation needed to convert them. Simples!
Good luck.
 
Hi

I was told the same as you. After seeing the threads on here I rang Roche, and a Accu-Chek Aviva Nano meter arrived the following day. They were only too happy to send me this free of charge. Still don't know if GP will prescribe strips, though.

Lynne
 
Thank you all for the brilliant information - I've ordered a couple of cheapies from ebay so they are bound to be rubbish but I was clutching at straws really. I shall do what you say and approach companies and see what I get. I am going to ask outright next visit to my GP - it'll be interesting to see their response.

Feeling very low at the moment though, I just crave carb stuff sooo badly, i feel I just want to eat and eat and I am being sooo good. I've got a cold too - all this healthy eating and exercise is playing havoc with my body.

Thanks again everyone
Sue
 
Jisuba said:
I've ordered a couple of cheapies from ebay so they are bound to be rubbish but I was clutching at straws really. I shall do what you say and approach companies and see what I get. I am going to ask outright next visit to my GP - it'll be interesting to see their response.
Click to expand...

From what I gather, even if you buy your BG meter from a pharmacist, they don't cost more than £20 or so. The manufacturers make their money out of the testing strips which cost (I believe) around £25 per 50. Fortunately, I paid for neither as my practice gave me the meter (which they admitted that the manufacturers give them to the practice for nothing), and my GP quite happily wrote a prescription for 200 lancets and 200 test strips.

Anecdotal evidence from this very forum suggests that if you take the bull by the horns and buy or blag your own meter and pay for the strips initially, then once you can demonstrate the benefits to your GP, they may just give in. The problem seems to be that although it is NHS policy to provide lancets and test strips, it is not always the policy of the Primary Care Trusts, and even if it is, not always the policy of fundholding practices.

At the end of the day of course, it would seem to me, that even if you pay for your own testing consumables, it is a small price to pay to avoid the horrific consequences of letting the condition run unchecked.

Jisuba said:
Feeling very low at the moment though, I just crave carb stuff sooo badly
Click to expand...

Having only been diagnosed for a month or so, and having made the big discovery of the significance of carbs just last week, I too felt at a low point while I was doing the weekly shop and looking at all the nutritional labels on all the food I know and love. :evil:

Fortunately, I have received a lot of support from my other half and we bought a couple of books on nutritional information, and discovered that there was still a lot of good food to be eaten without running the risk of feasting on carbs. :)

Thus yesterday, I was able to enjoy a piece of red mullet with some scallops on a bed of safron piella (It was a small bed). Followed by a whole partridge with a small amount of mashed potato with some green beans and asparagas. All washed down with a rather excellent claret. And the whole lot pushed my BG from 5.8 (before) to 6.5 (2 hours after). :D

It really is all about finding out what food works for you which you can only do by self testing.

The information on this forum really is first class, and if you read through more of it, it should give you back some of the confidence that you think you have lost. It seems to me that the ability to understand what your GP is and isn't doing for you is a good step to letting him (or her) know that you mean business.

IanS.
 
Hi Jisuba

Welcome to the forum. Although I am a type 1 diabetic I read your post, as I do many on here with utter shock and disbelief that GP's, in order to save money, insist that you don't need to test your blood glucose levels. This is very important as it is the only way you will be able to determine if the diet and food you are eating are raising your levels, which long term is very bad and will cause all sorts of complications. (I think it's about time all type 2's got a petition togther and lobby some MP's!)And also cost the NHS a lot more money!!

I would really try and keep off the sugar loaded snacks, no matter how much you fancy them, as this will cause even more problems, try an apple or strawberries maybe,(try and keep off the bananas as high carbs) I know not nearly as delicious as chocolate but a lot better for you. Try having a look at the low carb thread on here it's very informative and if your on a diet only regime could be a big help. Just try and keep positive and don't let GP's etc push you around, it's your health and life at the end of the day.

I hope you get things sorted out and don't get too down, it will become 2nd nature all the carb counting and blood testing!!

All the best


Sue
 
IanS said:
Thus yesterday, I was able to enjoy a piece of red mullet with some scallops on a bed of safron piella (It was a small bed). Followed by a whole partridge with a small amount of mashed potato with some green beans and asparagas. All washed down with a rather excellent claret. And the whole lot pushed my BG from 5.8 (before) to 6.5 (2 hours after). :D
Click to expand...
Wow!!!! Sounds a great meal IanS - you've got me drooling here!

And, more importantly, a great result!

Best wishes - John
 
suziesue said:
..........Although I am a type 1 diabetic I read your post, as I do many on here with utter shock and disbelief that GP's, in order to save money, insist that you don't need to test your blood glucose levels. This is very important as it is the only way you will be able to determine if the diet and food you are eating are raising your levels, which long term is very bad and will cause all sorts of complications. (I think it's about time all type 2's got a petition togther and lobby some MP's!)..........
Click to expand...
Here is the petition Sue - Hope that you will add your support and that others will too:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Diabetes-Advice/

Please help!

Best wishes - John
 
Thank you all again (I've signed the petition) and I shall be more assertive on my next visit to my GP.

My equipment arrived from ebay and what a difference it has made to me. I just feel so much happier seeing my results have drastically come down and some of the foods I thought would be out of the question are proving ok.

I was fed up on saturday and ate 2 yes 2 slices of wholemeal bread (my only lapse so far) and the result 2 hours late was 9.5 - eek! So, that bread is off the menu.
But most of my 2 hour results are coming back 6.8, 7.1, 5.2, and tonight was 6.1 - they''re not too bad are they?

I just hope I am prescibed the strips without any trouble but we shall see shan't we?
They are rather pricey online aren't they.
 
Hi again Jisuba,

Great results - you are doing just fine! Yes - it's a good feeling isn't it seeing results where you know they should be. People often ask me what I do for treats - my treats are looking at my meter and seeing results where I want them to be.

As regards testing, you'll not need to be doing it before long before you know what's OK and what's not OK. After that all you will need to do is minimal testing. If you get prescribed strips all so much the better.

Glad that you are already feeling so much more relaxed.

Thanks for supporting my petition.

Best wishes - John
 
Hi John

I've signed the petition. thanks for the info. I wonder do you know if DiabetesUK, as I am a fully paid up member and I guess a lot of people on here are, are doing anything about this problem re Type 2's and the testing strips? I have read on occasion in their magazine that they are aware of the problem but are they doing anything about it? This has really made my blood boil!!!!

Regards


Sue
 
Well I am shocked that adults with diabetes are treated this way when it comes to prescriptions etc. If my children were subjected to this would go nuts. but that, I think, is where the difference is-children/ adults. To think that one day they will be adults with diabetes worries me.Anyway, I will get to the point! tesco direct sell accu chek nanos and avivas if any one is interested, about £10.00.I know the strips will then be needed but i would suggest that you keep going to the gp until you get a result.
 
Hi Sue,

Thanks for supporting my peitition. Hope that you might consider asking other family and friends to support it too. We need 500 supporters to ensure that 10 Downing Street need to respond and it's only got 362 suporters so far. I had hoped that it might have done better given the power of these forums.

I'm really not very aware of what Diabetes UK really do at all apart from encouraging members to raise more money to fund whatever activities they do have. I keep intending taking a look at the annual accounts but haven't done so yet. As a result, I've recently stopped my standing order. I sent my story of reversal of Type 2 to them not long ago - I've not even had acknowledgment of receipt. It'll be interesting to see whether they use my story and if they do as to what slant they put on it. Only time will tell!

The advice that we are given makes my blood boil too!

Best wishes - John
 
I've badly cheated and I am a little confused ... my tests are coming back good (all this dieting and exercise is really working for me). It was my wedding anniversary yesterday and came off my strict diet of 7 weeks to have a chinese meal. I didn't deny myself anything and ate all sorts of foods that are no good for me. I didn't eat as much as usual (stomach must have shrunk a bit) but when I tested after two hours it came up 6.1 !!!

I just don't understand the low result - I had been to a deep water aquarobics class a few hours early and had been very careful what I ate before but I still cannot understand why the result was so low. The meal was king prawn curry (white fried rice) ribs (in sauce) chow mein, pork with babycorn, chips and prawn crackers (I had some from every dish).

Should I ask this question somewhere else?
Thank you again for all your brilliant support - don't know where I would be without it.
I am also sooo much happier now I can actually test what's good for me and what's bad.

Sue
 
WOW.

How I wish I could tolerate that amount of carbs..... :( Mind you, since losing nearly 4 stone and reducing carbs drastically I find that sometimes I can eat a meal with more carbs in. Not always, but it does make life a little sweeter..... :D

You could have been very low pre-meal so after a couple of hours it wouldn't be too bad.

It would have been interesting to see what the levels were after 1 hr and 3 hrs though ? A spike at 1 hr after that lot would not be uncommon and it may be also that it was not absorbed as quickly so you could have been on the way up. Testing is the only way to know what was happening.

Still, it was only one night. I am sure you enjoyed it. Just don't make a habit of it without testing more often.
 
Jisuba said:
I've badly cheated and I am a little confused ... my tests are coming back good (all this dieting and exercise is really working for me). It was my wedding anniversary yesterday and came off my strict diet of 7 weeks to have a chinese meal. I didn't deny myself anything and ate all sorts of foods that are no good for me. I didn't eat as much as usual (stomach must have shrunk a bit) but when I tested after two hours it came up 6.1 !!!

I just don't understand the low result - I had been to a deep water aquarobics class a few hours early and had been very careful what I ate before but I still cannot understand why the result was so low. The meal was king prawn curry (white fried rice) ribs (in sauce) chow mein, pork with babycorn, chips and prawn crackers (I had some from every dish).

Should I ask this question somewhere else?
Thank you again for all your brilliant support - don't know where I would be without it.
I am also sooo much happier now I can actually test what's good for me and what's bad.

Sue
Click to expand...
Hi Sue,

This is something that I posted in another thread yesterday:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10891#p102386

Glad to hear that things are going well for you.

Best wishes - John
 
Thanks John - it was good to read that someone else had indulged and not had such scary results as expected but if I do it again (and it will be a long time before I do) I shall do the tests as advised.

I so enjoyed the meal but it really messed me up for a few days - real feelings of hunger all the time but I got right back on track so hopefully should be ok.

I've run out of strips again and think I may have ordered the wrong 'aviva' ones - I've just got to get some on prescription haven't I?

Thanks again
Sue
 
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