Hi new to this forum

[Kimble73]

I am from Canada, I was diagnosised with Type 2 in 2012, I was so scared and still get scared, shortly after I was not sleeping, I was on my own with this diagnosis, doctor gave me no direction, I was in shock, asked him what do I eat he said go home eat what you usually eat, I was confused thinking hmmm so what does that mean, I don't remember to much from that day. So I went home and told my husband he said really, and then my journey began living with this disease not knowing anything, He did say walk 30 minutes a day so I did and got so tired, and ate as healthy as knew how to. I walked, thinking I'm going to beat this, then I felt down and more scared, so I went back to doctors and balled my eyes out I said I don't know how to do this, he said I was depressed and put me on a antidepressant, I went home started these pills and felt weird, and cried more and felt more scared than before I went back to him and told him he said you have anxiety on another pill for that, then I felt awful went back I wanted to go to hospital something is not right is me or my sugars am I going crazy, I was terrified by this time, what is next, I was put in the psychiatric ward and said I can't handle this diabetes, they just kind of ignored and kept me there for 2 weeks I think then they said we will get a diatician to talk to you, okay maybe she can ease my mind I was thinking, not, I was told what I could eat and what I couldn't eat, by this time I was more overwhelmed, then when I came home on meds but no med for diabetes cause my doctor said if you want you can do this by diet, little did I know how difficult it would be right down to what you can drink, oh and I was told to go to diabetes classes so we went and they kept mentioning do this and eat this way to avoid complications and I thought there's complications with this disease so I was even more scared when they mentioned the complications, we had three classes to go to, third class we walked in hubby and I, and saw pamphlets a map type thing that looked very grave, We both looked at each other and I said I don't like the looks of this class and there was only 4 of us for this class and there was way more of us for the first 2 so right away I thought there going to tell us all the bad stuff, so we told the teacher we can't stay I was not ready to hear this and we left. I tell ya people who are suppose to ease your mind did the exact opposite for me. It's been hell since then scared to take a holiday away, scared of everything about diabetes, no one would listen to HOW I feel. Told me at hospital I was ruminating told me you have depression and anxiety, adjustment disorder, no you have all put fear in me and never told me how to live as a diabetic and how to be happy to. It was all negative and no compassion what so ever. The only one who gave compassion and cared was my mom, who has passed away suddenly from cancer and she didnt tell anyone she had cancer, she passed away last year Nov 11 and I have no words how much I miss her, she was my rock and kept saying get a new doctor which is hard to find a new one. Most aren't taking new patients. Grieving is tough and sometimes unbearable and sometimes I think that's what I was going through when I was diagnosed with Type 2 I was grieving my old life the freedom and food choice was taken from me and loosing wieght was a loss to. I still miss the old me and for excepting I have this, well I don't think you fully except it but you try your damndest to live with it. Diabetes can zap your spontaneity, your self esteem, and your confidence, it can give you struggles you never would wish upon anyone, but if you have the right support you can get through it, I go to counselling and I am going to go to grieving support, I will talk about the grief of my mom passing and about my grief from having a disease. There is help to get through it's just hard to find the right help. So to all who live with diabetes, I know how you feel and I have compassion for all of you and understand what it's like.

 

[chalup]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I am from Canada too, there are a few other Canadians hanging out here too. The first thought when reading your story was to be outraged at the way you have been treated. Unfortunately it is a story that is repeated over and over. The good news is that you have found us. I am going to tag @daisy1 and she will post an information package for you to read through. It does not try to scare you or overwhelm you. It is solid information on diabetes and the best diet to get things under control. It is well worth a good read and written in plain english. Six months ago I had an A1c of 10.4 which means my blood sugars were often in the 20s. Last week I was at 5.8 which means I am now in the normal range. This was accomplished by diet and is not too difficult. It is something you can do too. There are thousands of people on this forum who have been exactly where you are and have felt just as overwhelmed and scared as you. We are here to listen, give advice if asked for, but most of all to offer unconditional support. Have a read through threads and please ask any questions you have.

 

[callyandy]

Bless you chalup, gosh you have been treated badly. Sometimes we must just wonder how these medical indivduals would feel if they were in your shoes... I'm newly diagnosed, well sort of, 2 weeks ago I went to a prediabetes programme induction only to find that horse had bolted, so I'm learning minute by minute how this thing works. So far, the best thingI've discovered is the Low Carb High Fat Programme Daisy will point you towards and these associated forums. The support and knowledge so generously given is quite fantastic. I'm quite staggered and only wish I could add useful information, but I'm a bit of a sponge at the moment. I'm very encourage to read the success stories, it makes me think we can all get "there" as a team.
Considering what you've already been through, it shows how strong you and your husband are. Keep reading, keep strong. There is light ahead.

 

[mist]

Welcome aboard

 

[daisy1]

@Kimble73

Hello and welcome to the forum Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like 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 210,000 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 free 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.

 

[Liam1955]

@Kimble73 - Hello and Welcome to the Forum .

 

[Freema]

welcome here Kimble73