HI, I have ust been Diagnosed with Type 2Diabetes

[garymorris]

Good morning everybody,

I have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 47. I realise that this is mainly due to my poor lifestyle( which i am in the process of changing, albeit a bit too late).

At my diagnosis the Doc told me that I must eat more healthily and exercise more and he then started me on Metformin 500mg 3 times a day (although I am being weened onto them over a 3 week period).

Having taken all of this on board, which for me wasn't a major problem, because in all honesty I was expecting it, I then started research what I need to do to manage my condition and my lifestyle better by looking on the internet and talking to people.

This is where the confusion has started to begin. There is so much information out there that I am a little bamboozled as to where to start . I am looking at diet and Exercise, but when I have spoken to people they ask me questions like : how often do you test you glucose levels? ( I don't!) have I been referred to a Diabetic Clinic? and so many more my head is spinning.

All that has happened so far is that I have been diagnosed and have been started on the tablets. I am seeing my GP again on the 15th September and I would like to know what sort of questions I should be asking.

Another concern I have is that with my job I have to stay away from home at least 1 night a week (last week it was 3) and I worry about what I should be eating when away from home as sometime the menus are limited.

The are probably normal concerns that others have already experienced and whilst I am not overly panicking about having diabetes I do want to deal with it correctly.

Any pointers would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Gary :?

 

[daisy1]

Hi Gary and welcome to the forum First of all, a very important point is that it is not your fault that you have got diabetes. All sorts of different people get it and it is not due to lifestyle so don't blame yourself although some people will do.

One point about the Metformin - make sure you take it during a meal, not before or after, in order to try and avoid stomach problems which could arise.

I know you are getting all sorts of different information everywhere, but we believe that our way has the best results in learning to manage your diabetes. Give it a try.

Testing is indeed very important as this is the only way to keep your levels down by seeing what results certain foods have on your BG levels. It is a good idea to test before meals and then two hours after when the results should be similar. If they are not then you need to revise what you eat, either by reducing the portions, or, if this doesn't work, by cutting the food out altogether.
You may find the advice on obtaining test strips in this information is needed to get them prescribed, although even then it may not be possible.

With regard to your next appointment with your GP, in this information below are suggestions for questions you might like to ask him/her. It would be a good idea to make a list so you don't forget anything while you are there.

Here is some information written for new members which I think will be very useful to help you get started on good control of your diabetes.

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 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.

 

[garymorris]

Hi Daisy1
Thanks for the info, I will be sure to have a list of questions when I next see the doctor

Gary

 

[Gappy]

I was in your shoes (apart from working away) a few months ago. There is so much you can learn that I took the decision to stop looking too far and kept to simple changes, increased cardio work at gym and recognised bread was my weakness so cutting that out as much as possible has resulted in me losing 2 stone and getting blood levels of 5.8 and 5.9 last time the doc tested them. So I guess I found what works for me and stuck at it.

 

[Daibell]

Hi

Welcome to the very large group of people with DB who use this forum and were all initially baffled by all the available information. Daisy has given various useful pointers. You will probably end up having smaller portions of the carbs we all love and being a lot more choosy in which carbs you eat. Go for the lower-GI ones where possible; see the web for various sites that give guidance. I've just eaten a (small) piece of Dolly cake which is tasty and homemade but has zero added sugar. Yes it has lots of fruit in it but is just one example where adding sugar isn't necessary. I may even have some chocolate this evening but it will be 85% Green & Blacks which is low carb. Some of us are treated for our DB by our local surgery by a diabetes specialist GP and/or nurse and others are referred to the local DB clinic. The important thing is that whoever treats you has had training in treating DB. You are entitled to at least annual check-ups and if your DB is not very stable it may be 6-monthly or even less. Expect to have a blood test called an HBA1C just prior to every check-up. This measures your blood sugar (BS) averaged over the last 10-12 weeks and your GP will look for 7'ish or less to indicate that things are OK. If diet and exercise don't keep below this level after a few months then he may consider adding further meds but let's hope your measurements are OK.