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Hi New member /new diagnosed

I

INSANEBRUNETTE

Newbie
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1
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Other
I had a hba1c blood test in December and it came back with a score of 65 I have had it repeated again this week and it is 83 I have an appointment with a diabetic nurse on Thursday what can I expect and Why is everyone saying it is extremely high and I should be in hospital
 
Hi Insanebrunette and welcome to the Forum!
Your figure of 83 is high but on here I’ve seen higher!
Nurses vary in their knowledge and how up to date their info is. However she/he should talk you through the checks you need now you’re diagnosed, that is annual eye checks and foot checks, regular blood tests. She/he will probably talk you through the NHS Eatwell plate which is a diet a lot of us here find unsuitable as it’s very carb heavy and carbs turn to sugar! She/he should weigh you and measure your blood pressure. You will probably be offered tablets, she/he should talk you through possible side effects and when to take them.
I’ll tag in @daisy1 who will post loads of useful links for you.
I was diagnosed with an HbA1c of 70 and with advice on diet from here and tablets I got it down to a non diabetic number of 36 in 4 months. I also learned about self testing from here which has helped me learn what foods my body can and can’t tolerate. I’ve lost a shed load of weight and feel heaps more healthy. I didn’t realise how poorly I’d been feeling til I felt better. Ask any questions you have and there’s usually a answer forthcoming.
Can I ask who thinks you should be in hospital? As I said before I’ve seen higher readings than yours and those people didn’t require hospitalisation.
 
Hi @INSANEBRUNETTE and welcome to the forum. Your avatar says you are an 'Insulin-dependent Type-2'.
I don't know anything about insulin dosage, but your readings seem high to me if you are on insulin. I expect another T2 who is on insulin will be able to say more about it.
 
@INSANEBRUNETTE

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful and interesting. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to 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.
 
Hi Welcome
I am sure other insulin dependants will be along to talk to you as diet can be a bit different to non insulin T2's
 
I can’t see the insulin-dependant detail on her profile? Is there a glitch in the Forum?
 
Rachox said:
I can’t see the insulin-dependant detail on her profile? Is there a glitch in the Forum?
Click to expand...

Yes, a big glitch that has been here for 12 months or thereabouts. I have never been able to see "insulin dependent". I just see "Type 2". It has been reported many times. Information from admin is that it is on the list for sorting out! It can lead to some inappropriate advice.

@INSANEBRUNETTE If you are not taking insulin you need to go to your personal details page and change your type of diabetes from the drop down box.
 

Oh no that’s a serious glitch! I do always look into profiles to see treatment quoted, in this case I can see no mention of insulin. I wonder how @Prem51 sees it, is he viewing on a PC, I’m just on an iPad?
 

Hope this helps and welcome to our community

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
 
Rachox said:
Oh no that’s a serious glitch! I do always look into profiles to see treatment quoted, in this case I can see no mention of insulin. I wonder how @Prem51 sees it, is he viewing on a PC, I’m just on an iPad?
Click to expand...

Most people see it. It doesn't matter how you use the forum - website, app, PC or phone, and it doesn't make any difference which browser you use, or how many times you clear cookies and cache. Nothing makes a difference. It is a glitch in the programming. Back in the day when it first happened we all went through all this. There were several threads. It was a long time before you arrived.

(It is under the avatar, underneath the person's user name)
 

Well thank you for letting me know. I just see ‘Type 2.Newbie’ in this case. May be when she passes Newbie status the Insulin bit will appear? I will bear this in mind when I type a comment from now on. Thanks again!
 
Rachox said:
Well thank you for letting me know. I just see ‘Type 2.Newbie’ in this case. May be when she passes Newbie status the Insulin bit will appear? I will bear this in mind when I type a comment from now on. Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Nope. It won't appear until the glitch is sorted. @satindoll is an insulin dependent T2 and has been a long time. Have a look what you see on her avatar.
 
@INSANEBRUNETTE


Hi, now that we have worked out there is a glitch we can get back to you.

83 is high. but it is the start of your journey, I was higher and didn't go to hospital and I worked out ok. Please read the advice from Daisy. It is good information.
You will see a load of opinions on what is good and bad. learn how to self test. this will allow you to learn what IS good and bad for you in terms of food, exercise and lifestyle.
This is a journey you will undertake either deliberately which can have amazing results or by default. I would recommend doing it deliberately.

Diabetes is not your fault, it is not something you have done to yourself, it's a faulty bit of your body. I have learned that you can eat amazing foods, a bit of wine and simple exercise and manage this issue whilst living a "normal" live (not sure what normal is to be honest. I do stupid things for fun). A low carbohydrate diet is a great place to start. We are not designed to eat the amount of typically processed carbs we eat, changing them for complex carbs in veg can be a simple win.

Get a pen and pad of paper. Write down all your questions, ask your healthcare specialist, write the answers. Ask them here too. Write down the answers. We are all learning.

you are not alone, you have people here with lots of experience and time to answer questions. Read lots, question it. Relax, it's a journey not one sprint.

Please let us know how you are doing

sorry, bit of an unstructured response today, writing and debugging code does this to my brain.
 
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