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In the dark

Omega46b

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
I am attending the doctor for a rectal problem and a routine blood check showed high glucose level 19 doctor took another sample then bundled me out the door mumbling I was type 2,yet I have had no symptoms thirst frequent toilet visits etc ,I go back tomorrow, but I am totally confused about what the future may hold
 
Hi @Omega46b , welcome. Sounds quite possible with that spot reading, had you eaten beforehand (and what)?

The second test was probably for what's called an HbA1c which is a kind of 2-3 month average. 48 or higher is regarded as diabetic.

But don't panic, it can be managed. Let us know when you have that result, meanwhile have a good read around.
 
Hi @Omega46b , welcome. Sounds quite possible with that spot reading, had you eaten beforehand (and what)?

The second test was probably for what's called an HbA1c which is a kind of 2-3 month average. 48 or higher is regarded as diabetic.

But don't panic, it can be managed. Let us know when you have that result, meanwhile have a good read around.
i had weetabix with sugar,a youghart and a fizzy drink was late for doctor and had no time to make anything night before after about 8 0 clock had two cups of tea and two chocolate biscuits haven't been eating regular meals because of my other problem
 
Have they told you not to eat or drink until after the test tomorrow?
 
Have they told you not to eat or drink until after the test tomorrow?
My 2nd test was last Wednesday and it was a fasting one,I did not eat from around 6 the night before,back tomorrow for results ,last week I didn't know I would be getting checked,since last week I have cut out all sweet/sugary drinks and will continue to do so,my eating is a bit erratic due to working shifts.
 
His death welcome
I'll tag @daisy1 for you she will be along with some advice for new members .
It sounds like you got the same advice as me and a few others on the forum naff all from your GP like you I had no symptoms
To start with .
Good luck with the tests . If. You need to have a good look around and if you have any questions just ask
 
My 2nd test was last Wednesday and it was a fasting one,I did not eat from around 6 the night before,back tomorrow for results ,last week I didn't know I would be getting checked,since last week I have cut out all sweet/sugary drinks and will continue to do so,my eating is a bit erratic due to working shifts.
Whether it turns out you are diabetic or not, it would be a good move to try and make time to eat properly, they don't have to be big complicated meals just nutritious. Take time before you go on a shift to make a packed lunch, pate, cheese, hard boiled eggs, ham, chopped celery and other raw veggies add a yogurt, simple healthy foods you can pack in a box in minutes. I look forward to seeing your results and hopefully a big sigh from you because your test was fine. Even if it isn't you have found the best place for everything, help, support, advice, recipes and friends in the same boat, would be nice if you don't need us but we are here if you do good luck
 
Whether it turns out you are diabetic or not, it would be a good move to try and make time to eat properly, they don't have to be big complicated meals just nutritious. Take time before you go on a shift to make a packed lunch, pate, cheese, hard boiled eggs, ham, chopped celery and other raw veggies add a yogurt, simple healthy foods you can pack in a box in minutes. I look forward to seeing your results and hopefully a big sigh from you because your test was fine. Even if it isn't you have found the best place for everything, help, support, advice, recipes and friends in the same boat, would be nice if you don't need us but we are here if you do good luck
Thanks for the kind words and advice,I know myself I have been eating too much sweet stuff etc ,so regardless of my results cutting this out must surely help to reduce my sugar levels,I was shattered when I left surgery last week as I thought it was the end of normal life but looking on here I see it need not be.still very anxious though
 
Thanks for the kind words and advice,I know myself I have been eating too much sweet stuff etc ,so regardless of my results cutting this out must surely help to reduce my sugar levels,I was shattered when I left surgery last week as I thought it was the end of normal life but looking on here I see it need not be.still very anxious though
Once you get your result come back to the forum and you will get all the help you need/want. Sugar is definately the enemy it's in lots of stuff you wouldn't expect it to be, look at tins & packets in the cupboard and you will find it in most things. Tinned soup, brown sauce, red sauce, baked beans the list goes on. Being diabetic isn't what we would choose but it is manageable
 
@Omega46b

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members. Whether you are diagnosed or not, this will be useful for you. 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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
@Omega46b

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members. Whether you are diagnosed or not, this will be useful for you. 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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
Thanks for the info,it's good to know others are have been in the same boat as me and managed to move on from there,1st thing I saw on the TV when I came back from surgery was the advert about diabetes people talking about amputation death blindness etc this just made me feel a lot worse,but by changing my diet eating habits I hope to sort myself out
 
Hello and welcome.
Diet plays a big part ,and it dosent mean starvation,eating the right foods are important.
 
Hello and welcome.
Diet plays a big part ,and it dosent mean starvation,eating the right foods are important.
Got my 2nd result today 13,seeing the nurse tomorrow had not had any symptoms like thirst or frequent toilet visits hoping to get this figure down by exercise and a proper diet,which I have to admit has been very poor time to change
 
Got my 2nd result today 13,seeing the nurse tomorrow had not had any symptoms like thirst or frequent toilet visits hoping to get this figure down by exercise and a proper diet,which I have to admit has been very poor time to change

That does look rather high to dodge a diagnosis.

Not everyone has symptoms. I didn't, but I sure as heck was diabetic.

You state you intend to improve things by exercise and diet. That's what I did, however it is important to stress, right up front, that although exercise is generally very helpful, diet is your main weapon.

You will need to have a good read around the forum and decide what your approach is going to be, then think again about how you will implement it. The thing about these sort of lifestyle changes are just changes, they are changes pretty much forever. Over time, as things settle you may find you can ease or modify your diet, but you need to find something that's sustainable.

Good luck with it all.
 
That does look rather high to dodge a diagnosis.

Not everyone has symptoms. I didn't, but I sure as heck was diabetic.

You state you intend to improve things by exercise and diet. That's what I did, however it is important to stress, right up front, that although exercise is generally very helpful, diet is your main weapon.

You will need to have a good read around the forum and decide what your approach is going to be, then think again about how you will implement it. The thing about these sort of lifestyle changes are just changes, they are changes pretty much forever. Over time, as things settle you may find you can ease or modify your diet, but you need to find something that's sustainable.

Good luck with it all.
Thanks thinking about going low carb diet route have already cut out all cakes biscuits and sweets as they have played a big part in my current situation
 
It is definately a life changing diagnosis but you will be fine after all you have already found this website so you are already on your way. It can take a bit of time to sort out your diet but im sure you will work out options that will suit you
 
Just bought a meter ,first test was 9.8 an hour after a sandwich is this about right and am I heading in the right direction ? Cut out sugar reduced potatoes bread etc, test was an hour ago
 
Just bought a meter ,first test was 9.8 an hour after a sandwich is this about right and am I heading in the right direction ? Cut out sugar reduced potatoes bread etc, test was an hour ago

What you might want to try is to test before the meal, 1 hour after and two hours after. The rule of thumb is generally you want less than a rise of 2 mmol/L at the 1 hour mark and nearly back to premeal at two hours. So if your levels are above that for a given meal, next time reduce the amount of carbs and test again. However, this is only measuring the blood sugar levels and not insulin levels. Even if you keep the rise to around 2 mmol/L at 1 hour, that doesn't mean you are releasing a massive amount of insulin to achieve this. Personally, I found reducing carbs to a minimum by cutting out all sugar, pasta, rice, bread, and starchy veg worked for me.
 
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