Hi, just found out I have diabetes, waiting for the dr to tell me how bad it is, feeling overwhelmed

[Hunnipatsy]

Hello everyone, I’m new to this horrible diabetes,, I hope you can all help me deal with it

 

[KennyA]

Hi hunnipatsy and welcome to the forums. Just about everyone on here has been where you are right now.

I see you're Type 2 - did they tell you what your HbA1c result was? That's a good indication of how much excess glucose you have in your system. And - are you on any medication?

The good news is that there is something you can do to control the condition. Many of us here have been able to lower blood glucose, and get rid of symptoms, by making changes to our diet. It's not just sugar that is converted to glucose, but also starches - found in bread, potatoes, cereals, rice, etc.

I'd advise having a read-around on the forums - the "Success Stories" section in particular shows what can be done. And you're encouraged to ask as many questions as you want.

 

[Rachox]

Welcome to the club no one wants to join @Hunnipatsy .
When I was diagnosed nearly eight years ago I thought of diabetes as this ‘horrible’ thing, but actually it was a blessing in disguise. I took advice from all the helpful folks here and got my blood sugars back to normal and lost a shed load of weight. I didn’t realise how unwell I felt til I felt better!

 

[Outlier]

Hi Hunnipatsy and welcome!

This is about the worst it gets. Honestly. You are among friends here, some very experienced, some on the early part of managing this condition. I echo the suggestion that you read around the Board - relax - we've got you. We can help you turn what now seems a crisis into a manageable condition that is just part of life for us. Not ideal, not what we would have chosen, but no more than an illness that can be managed, though the nuts and bolts of it are not identical for each of us because of course we are all individuals.

Come back with your questions - no question is stupid or irrelevant - if you want to ask, we will answer from our own experience. And if we don't know, or nobody knows (yet) we are upfront about it too.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome @Hunnipatsy

You are indeed among friends here. When I was first diagnosed I did not handle it well. I was really upset and fearful and really felt like my world had come to an end. A few years later and I am doing much better. I have only had one HbA1C in the diabetic range and control my sugars with diet only.

So you will be okay- it might take a while (I certainly did) but with the advice and support here you will be.

My first suggestion is to invest in a meter. Doctors rarely recommend this but I consider it to be essential.

Read around, ask questions and vent- some of my favourite people in the world are on this site

 

[grantg]

bit of time will be needed for you to process diagnosis. needs must you'll do fine i'm sure. some lifestyle changes will be beneficial :> hard not to feel overwheled deep breaths. best wishes.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hello everyone, I’m new to this horrible diabetes,, I hope you can all help me deal with it

Hi @Hunnipatsy ,

Welcome to this little corner of the web. And you have it right: Diabetes is something to deal with. And you don't have to do it alone, you have help in this place. Plenty of it, too.

The thing is, it feels overwhelming and terrifying now... But once you get a bit of a sense of what diabetes means to you specifically, and what you can do about it, you'll start feeling better about it. At this moment it's quite likely you are symptomatic and maybe never even knew it. Just chaulked being tired up to long days, for instance. When it was high blood sugars making you feel, well, let's say, not optimal. Maybe you had frequent infections, or wounds that didn't heal... Doesn't have to be true for you, but it was for me. Others never had even a smidge of a symptom. We're all different, there's no one-size-fits-all.

Now you know you have a problem with blood glucose management, and you can tackle it. How, that's up to you. You can start cutting carbs so your blood glucose control improved. You might've been prescribed medication. Of you could try a combination of a diet and medication... With this diagnosis you're likely to feel a little lost and as if there's no upside to it. But you have a say in all this. You decide, -which doesn't have to be done overnight and you can always change your mind or adapt things- how you're going to handle this. How you're going to make sure you start feeling better instead of worse. When I was diagnosed I thought I was handed a death-sentence... But the familymembers and friends whom I'd lost due to T2 complications, they didn't have the internet at their fingertips (back then it barely existed, and cellphones were still futuristic star-trekkie stuff), and all the knowledge we share here was unavailable. They didn't know what diabetes was, what it did, and what they could do to make it less destructive. Or even put it into remission. As it turned out, we're living in a pretty good age now, with lots of information -sometimes, too much, haha- and people all over the globe who are ready and willing to help you get your body back to as good a health as it is possible to get into, in whatever way suits you and your needs.

Bottom line, we're here and we know things. Usually because we were our own guinea pigs, but whatever works, right? make use of us as much as you want.

Like I said, you're not alone.
Jo

 

[Rab51]

Once you get your head around it you’ll be fine,I thought when I got diagnosed years ago it was the end off the world but have stabilised my type 2 .as I have other battles to contend with having Prostate Cancer and Lung Cancer which is stage 4 ,There’s plenty of help on here to guide you xx

 

[theoldfunker]

Hello everyone, I’m new to this horrible diabetes,, I hope you can all help me deal with it

Great way to start. Loads of information and advice. I have T2 but with diet changes it is a whole lot easy to control diabetes and you will find it easy to choose the right food for you and you will always make the best choices when out and about.
You learn the rules day by day and, it is a learning curve.
All the best on this life adventure, you will still enjoy your life and maybe in a better way making good health choices to fit your life style.

 

[Barbie3]

Hello everyone, I’m new to this horrible diabetes,, I hope you can all help me deal with it

You will get used to it. Give yourself some space, there are a lot of emotions you will go through but if you come on this forum everyone is so supportive and will answer any questions you have . Good luck

 

[vic hill]

ALL GOOD ADVICE READ UP ON BASICS
I TURNED 80 LAST HAD THIS SO CALLED SUGAR DESEASE LIKE THE OLD EGYTIANS JUST HAD SEE HOW WE GO SOME DAYS ARE GOOD SOME ARE NOT SO GOOD
IF ON INSULIN STEADY AS YOU GO IF NOT MMM NOT FOR ME TO COMMENT VIC 67 YEARS STRTED IN 1957 SUPER STUFF TO KEEP US ON THE LEVEL WELL AS CAN BE VCI

 

[coby]

Hello everyone, I’m new to this horrible diabetes,, I hope you can all help me deal with it

Yes I think most of us felt overwhelmed and frightened when diagnosed.
It's such an awful shock, isn't it.
I know that I cried a lot at first and ... in my own case ... just couldn't understand what carbs, meters or blood glucose readings were. I was so confused by this new language but then one day it all clicked!
I was diagnosed in January 2016 and struggled at first with it all, but now I have not only been in remission (or non-diabetic numbers) for four years, but I've also come off my Metformin two years ago and know what foods to avoid.
Everyone on here is so understanding and helpful so ask away if things confuse you like they did me at first.
You will be fine and just take simple steps at first
Hugs xx

 

[coby]

Yes I think most of us felt overwhelmed and frightened when diagnosed.
It's such an awful shock, isn't it.
I know that I cried a lot at first and ... in my own case ... just couldn't understand what carbs, meters or blood glucose readings were. I was so confused by this new language but then one day it all clicked!
I was diagnosed in January 2016 and struggled at first with it all, but now I have not only been in remission (or non-diabetic numbers) for four years, but I've also come off my Metformin two years ago and know what foods to avoid.
Everyone on here is so understanding and helpful so ask away if things confuse you like they did me to begin with.
You will be fine and just take simple steps at first
Hugs xx