Hiya, I'm New!

My name is Bec, I am 23 years old and
from Australia but newly diagnosed as
a Type 2 Diabetic just last month, 29th
of January.

So far, I am so new to this but feeling
very completely and utterly confused,
this might sound complicated but I'm
hoping to find some help and support
from this diabetic community.

This is my journey, plus currently what
has been going on within my life since
being diagnosed....

| One week before the 29th of January,

- I had a blood test, my blood sugars
come back at 7.3 on that reading so I
had to get another blood test, doctor
told me but if the reading is over 7.0
again, they will be diagnosing me as
Type 2 Diabetic.

- Second blood test results had come
back and my blood sugars were at 7.2
but this time, doctor decided to check
my blood sugars again, it was 8.9 but
that was because I had my breakfast,
at 6am and my doctor's appointment,
was at 9-10am, on 29th of January, I
was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

- At same appointment, my doctor put
me on medication to manage diabetes
and to take one tablet of the Meter XR
tablets before or with my dinner, dose
is at one 500mg. |

First day was fine, had a problem with
swallowing tablet due to the size of it
and the outer layer of tablet, the taste
didn't sit well with me to the point, it'll
take about 3-4 times to get the tablet
down but I managing to get used to it,
I know that it will take time for me too.

| One week after my first appointment,

- Just a check-in to how I was going
on the medication and for my doctor
to fill in the paperwork, so I'll be able
to register with the NDSS.

- Doctor set my next appointment to
be my care plan, I am suppose to get
my obs done, seeing a diabetic nurse,
then have my doctor sign it off, on the
10th of February.

- Picking up a blood sugars monitor,
plus the test strips and lancets for it. |

Everything was fine, I though I will be
able to get some of my questions off
my chest, get the answers I needed.

| So, 10th of February rolls around....

- My obs were done by a nurse who
checked my vision (I wear glasses),
my height and weight, plus how my
blood pressure was, that was it.

- I thought that, a diabetic nurse was
going to set up further appointments
with the Diabetic Educator & Dietitian,
Optometrist and Podiatrist but no, we
had a long chat about me, that was it.

- After that, went to my doctor to sign
off my visit with diabetic nurse but my
doctor decided to tell me a few things
which has made me confused now.

● doctor: "i am going to change your
dose from taking one, 500mg tablet
to take two, 500mg to make up total
of 1000mg per day, take it before or
with your dinner in the evening too."

● doctor: "i am putting you on this
dose because we need to get your
weight down with this medication
and within a few months, this'll be
able to beat this."

● doctor: "i am glad, you are taking
this diabetic diagnosis serious but
you know you do not really need to
be checking your blood sugars." |

I understand, I've got to lose weight, I
am starting to make changes with my
diet and lifestyle but....

I am open to what other think of this, I
want to hear what everybody thinks of
this but I feel like, my doctor is taking
it to fast, rushing into it to quick.

My next care plan appointment is on
the 24th of February, I might have to
update all of you then but for now, it
is affecting my mental health, I have
anxiety so what my doctor told me, I
can't get it out of my head, it's eating
at my mind.

I want to thank everybody in advance,
hope to meet amazing people in here.

Geordie_P said:

You sound like you're on the right track, Bec.
I got T2 quite young too, but it's ok: you can very probably get it under good control and delay any progression etc.The main thing to do is cut the carbs. Fruit, grains- that sort of thing. There's another poster here with a good nutritional blog: I'll see if I can find the link and post it up. Till then, welcome to the forum and keep doing what you're doing: there's an upside to this- when I was diagnosed I was overweight and pretty miserable: getting my bloodsugars straight gave me a new lease on life.

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thanks for replying and that gives me
hope, so thanks once again and also,
for sharing your journey too.

@Geordie_P

Once again thanks and thanks to the creator of that post too but I will read through it.

xfieldok said:

How much weight do you want to lose?

When I was diagnosed, I started a keto diet. I keep my carbs around 20g per day. The beauty of keto is that once you have got through carb addiction, your appetite disappears. I was concentrating on getting my numbers down and the weight started to drop off.

Well done getting a meter. It is essential to sort out what food you can tolerate and what you can't.

Download the mysugr app and record the food you eat and your numbers. The most important are just before you eat and 2 hours after the first bite. You are looking for a rise of no more than 2mmol.

Have a look at dietdoctor.com for recipes and information.

Click to expand...

thanks for replying and sharing a bit
about yourself and journey to me as
well....

to be honest, I don't know how much
weight I want to lose because I have
constantly pressure to lose it but if I
had to, starts off by losing anything,
between 1-5kg to begin with slowly
progress with it from there, I guess.

thanks for your recommendations, I'll
check out the mysugr app and look at
the website, you suggested too.

Daibell said:

Hi. The Metformin tablets won't directly help you lose weight but will help a bit with the blood sugar. The low-carb diet should help a lot.

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thanks for replying but yes, I know but
that's what I was tried to explain to my
doctor, the mixture of taking tablets, a
healthy diet and lifestyle changes will
assist the medication to work for me.

EllieM said:

Hi and welcome to the forums. Do you know if that 7.3 and 7.2 was an hba1c (measured in %) or a blood glucose (measured in mmol/L). It's unusual for a doctor to diagnose without a hba1c and those levels would make sense for the diagnosis. If they were hba1cs then it's likely that reducing the carbs in your diet will both help you lose weight and reduce your blood sugar levels to normal. (Weight gain is a symptom of T2 diabetes and too high blood sugars.)


It's normal for doctors to increase the metformin dose gradually, as a lot of people have gastric issues with it if they start on the higher dose too soon.


When I lived in Australia podiatrist appointments were handled by means of a care plan organised by your GP, you'll get one of these at one of your diabetic reviews. (Not sure about eyes, as I went to a private ophthalmologist).

I agree with the others, get a meter. Luckily in Australia you can get the first six months of strips subsidised by the NDSS.

You are quite young to be getting T2. Do you have access to the tests and results that your GP did for you?

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thanks for replying and welcoming me.

firstly, the 7.3 and 7.2 was a reading of
my blood glucose, measured in mmol
L by my doctor because they were too
high after fasting eight hours before I
went and got a blood test each time.

secondly, my doctor told me, that I do
fall into only one category of being a
diabetic which was my blood sugars
were too high after fasting for blood
tests, I don't have any other factors,
except for diabetes in my family.

thirdly, my mother is Type 2 Diabetic,
she's taking tablets and on insulin as
well because she doesn't take it that
seriously too and we share the same
doctor as well.

fourthly, I was fine, taking one 500mg
tablet but when my doctor raised the
dose to 1000mg, i've had some of the
side effects show up.

fifthly, my doctor is doing it differently
I guess and wanted to set up my care
plan sooner than at a diabetic review.

sixthly, thanks and yes, got a device to read blood sugars throughout the day.

seventhly, I know but I don't think, I've
got access to the results, I'll see what
I can find.

thanks once again for replying as well
and hope these aren't too confusing, I
hope they will be able to answer your
questions.

EllieM said:

Hi Blossom thanks for your reply. I'm a little surprised that your GP has diagnosed you just on the basis of a couple of slightly high blood sugar readings.

Yes, you have a family history of T2, and yes those readings are too high.

But, he should have done a hba1c (gives a measure of your average blood sugar over last three months) and he should also check that your readings are not caused by T1/LADA diabetes, which is a condition caused by lack of insulin, while T2 is a condition caused by insulin resistance (insulin doesn't work properly to process your carbs) and over production of insulin.

Having said all that, with a high bmi and a family history of T2 it is most likely you are T2, and your levels are low enough that reducing the carbohydrates in your diet will probably reduce your bg levels to normal.

Good luck, Your condition is treatable and while you will probably always have to watch your carb intake, curable.

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thanks and I think so too, that is why I
am confused by my doctor's response,
cause I don't think, that's correct at all.

I have been tested a four times in the
time, my mother was diagnosed with
Type 2 Diabetes, she is coming up to
her 10th year anniversary of it too.

By the way my mother's mother which
is my grandmother, she was a Type 1.

I had been tested three times by blood
results and only once with the glucose
drinking test, all of these results came
back fine, last test was in 2018/2019 I
think.

I will probably give update tomorrow, I
have my doctor's appointment and I've
got to get a few things done like a ecg,
my obs, a care plan set up and it to be
sign off by my doctor too.

UPDATE: 24 / 02,

I've been to my doctor's appointment, I
just got home from it, my ecg and obs,
when fine, my heart is in great shape, I
have lost bit of weight like 2kg too but
I got my care plan set up which makes
me happy.

I am about to call to book in separate
appointments for a diabetic educator,
dietitian, podiatrist and optometrist, I
think that's all for now until I've got to
attend these upcoming appointments.

I hope you guys don't mind me tagging
you within this update because I want
to say thanks, again for replying to my
post and being so welcoming as well.

@Geordie_P @xfieldok @Daibell @EllieM