Hiya everyone

PickledPepper · Apr 27, 2010

A few weeks ago I woke up feeling lousy as hell, this steadily worsened until I could barely lift my head out of bed. I was drinking sweet drinks like no one's business and hardly out of bed other than to eat something sweet or pee.

Eventually I found a months old blood test form and forced myself to the clinic. (estranged father has history of diabetes apparently). My GP rang back after a few days to tell me I need another test. I also have a meeting with the nurse in week and a half. I haven't officially been told so, but I think it is safe to assume I may have type 2.

Don't know what to expect?

Have seriously cut down carbs which has helped.

Mother Bear · Apr 27, 2010

Hiya, welcome to the forum.
I felt much the same as you a short while back and was diagnosed with type 2. You are doing the right thing by cutting down on carbs to start with. This place s full of information that will help you.

Beav · Apr 28, 2010

Welcome to the forum 8)

Synonym · Apr 28, 2010

Hello PickledPepper and welcome to the forum.

You have found your way to the best place to get good advice and information! 8)

You seem to be starting on the right path by restricting your carbs, let us know how things go with your appointments.

sugarless sue · Apr 28, 2010

If you are diagnosed as a type 2 here is some helpful info that you can use to help with your blood glucose control.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different .

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such a bread, potatoes, pasta and rice also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

PickledPepper · May 1, 2010

Thanks for the replies guys.

I cut out white bread, potatoes and sweet drinks and feel MUCH better now. I think I had the condition for a while but was ignoring it like a macho numbskull!

It feels a bit strange to have a whole day without 'crashing' like I was before. I guess I was living with the symptoms for a while. I use brown rice now and a small amount of brown bread in my diet. The thought of never having a roast/baked potatoe or chips is depressing though, as with cakes and stuff. The threat of 'foot amputation' is also something that needles away in the background of the brain!! Visited mum, who gave me some tips she got from an Indian family she is good friends with (taking cinnamon, fenugreeek seeds with meals). All seems to help.

What the hell is up with the constant need for food anyway? I can eat a meal and still feel like nibbling 30/40 mins later..... it's constant, it's not really hunger but just a subtle urge to eat/snack. I got a load of nuts and fruit to help with that though. I notice this condition sends the food bills up as well.

I'm rambling now........lol

I've got loads of questions, which I will post later. I haven't seen the nurse yet but am confirmed as type 2.

Synonym · May 1, 2010

PickledPepper said:
What the hell is up with the constant need for food anyway? I can eat a meal and still feel like nibbling 30/40 mins later..... it's constant, it's not really hunger but just a subtle urge to eat/snack. I got a load of nuts and fruit to help with that though.

In my experience it will pass as your BG levels go down and stay steady.

PickledPepper · May 10, 2010

Just returned from my first DN appointment. Apparently I am a dead man walking......

HbAiC was off the richter scale at 15.1! Plus cholesterol sky high at 7.

Nurse gave info in stark contrast to what I've learned here in terms of diet in relation to carbs.

Did one of those on the spot blood tests there and got 11.8!!

Still reeling from shock to be honest....

Prescribed meds but I want to try natural for a bit. Hope I don't keel over any minute....lol

I am somewhere between slim to medium build. The nurse wasn't sure of whether I had type 1 or type 2!! NHS seems clueless on diabetes.

Synonym · May 10, 2010

Hello again PP

Just zip back up the posts on your thread and re-read the one which SugarlessSue put on here for you. That is the advice which will really help you. 8)

You may well actually need meds - it isn't a macho thing! :roll:

If you have a meter and strips you will be able to work out what foods are safe for you to eat and what you need to cut down or out. Get a food diary going and note the results against the food eaten so that you can see the whole picture. Get a Collins gem Carb Counter or similar so that you know where the carbs are hidden.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on! 8)

PickledPepper · May 12, 2010

Started testing today and had some much needed good news.

My fasting bs levels on waking was 7.3.

My reading 2 hours after a late breakfast which consisted of a handful of raw broccoli and about 10 almonds (I know, I know, but I was in big rush and it is my health at stake, what can you do!) was 6.2.

I know I'm new to all this but given the readings I had before, I think I am on my way to controlling this thing. I want to say thanks to all of you who have been so helpful since I found this site. Had I not, I would probably be following the high carb diet recommended by my DN and feeling like ****.

Thank you soooooo much you good folk!

Synonym · May 12, 2010

PickledPepper said:
a late breakfast which consisted of a handful of raw broccoli and about 10 almonds

Mmmmm! :shock: :lol: :roll:

Well, I guess you are determined and you sound like you are going to get a handle on all this pretty quickly!

ATB and let us know how your numbers go when you get your next Hba1c.

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