Just diagnosed - feeling overwhelmed

[NP75]

Hi,
I've literally just joined this forum as I was told this morning that I'm diabetic (and have high blood pressure). I've been at risk / pre-diabetic for several years, and although I'm not surprised by the diagnosis (especially after a stressful 6 months*), I'm in a state of shock and am feeling scared & overwhelmed - I often find it very hard to change bad habits into good ones so.
*6 months ago my partner unexpectedly passed away - coroner stated heart failure with underlining diabetes.

Was anyone else in a state of shock when they were first diagnosed?
I know my health center / NHS will help me, but does anyone have any tips or advice?
TIA
Nik

 

[ajbod]

We ALL were shocked and scared to some degree when diagnosed. BUT we all found our way here, where there is a lot of emotional support, and VERY GOOD advice. I am sorry to hear of your partners passing, but this alone can give you more determination to get on top of this condition. Try not to worry and ask any questions you need to. No question is stupid, nobody will react badly, because we were all in the same position at the start. You only learn by seeking knowledge. Before you know it, you will find yourself in a better place, and most likely helping other newbies get to grips with their situation.

 

[HSSS]

Welcome and you’ve come to the right place and doing so early gives the the best advice. We almost all felt scared, worried, confused and sometimes guilty too. I know I did. What you get told by your surgery is variable depending who you see. It’s likely to be some version of lose weight, be active, take these drugs. The diet advice is likely to be cut fats, eat wholemeal/brown stuff. (Spoiler: this won’t work very well)

If you are lucky you’ll get other options too. Ones that don’t have medication side effects and are about lifestyle and eating habits. If you can see my signature below there are some links in red. They give explanations and links to great resources. Fundamentally most of us have found that cutting out a lot of the carbohydrates (not just sugar) and replacing them with more unprocessed proteins and naturally occurring fats we have resolved our blood glucose issues, and also blood pressure and excess weight too. And despite scaremongering about fats so long as we avoid the seed and vegetable oils we almost always improve cholesterol and its ratios too. It’s so successful that a lot of us dont need medication, or a lot less, if we stick to this.

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome @NP75

Yes as @HSSS and @ajbod have said nearly all of us were scared shocked overwhelmed etc on diagnosis. If you read my earlier threads you will see that I threw myself a real pity party.

Having said that- you have found the best place in the world (in my humble opinion) for diabetics to get information, advice and support.

This place was life changing for me. The help and support I received has meant that I'm now in a better place than before my diagnosis. Something I never thought I would be able to say.

So my first piece of advice is to get a meter. It is quite likely that your medical professionals will tell you that you don't need one- they are wrong. Without the meter you can not know what affect different foods have on your levels. Without that information you can't make good decisions about what you eat.

The second piece of advice is to read around here and post. It felt like a lot to learn when I started but people were so helpful.

The third piece of advice is to change your diet and reduce your carb intake. This may not be what your medical professional will advise but what has worked for me and many others- use the meter to see if it works for you. The meter doesn't lie. All carbs turn to glucose even the 'healthy' ones, yes even the non-white ones. They all do. I suggest start by mainly (or exclusively) eating foods with little or no carbs. This includes fish, meat, eggs, cream, cheese etc.

Good luck and welcome.