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Just Diagnosed Type 2

S

Suffolk gal

Active Member
Just been diagnosed last week, given prescription and told I will see a nurse in due course and they'll answer questions and talk about diet, foot care etc. It's been a scary week. Still no news of when I get to see the nurse. Is this normal? If so it needs to change and fast. Not good to give us news like that but no back up.
 
Suffolk gal said:
Is this normal?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, yes, it seems to be pretty normal from the posts on here... And I agree, it's not good.

Honestly, the dietary advice on here is probably better than the advice you'll get from the nurse, anyway.

Did your doctor tell you your HbA1C (relates to your average blood sugar over the last 3 months) or any blood sugar results? Results at diagnosis can vary from "pre-diabetic" to "about to collapse from high blood sugars".

Good luck, and try not to panic. In a nutshell, your body can't process carbohydrates properly, so too many of them are making you sick. You can make yourself better by eating less carbs.
 
Hi Suffolkgirl and welcome. Please feel free to ask us questions that you need answers to while waiting for your nurse appointment. If you can tell us the medication you’ve been put on that will help us give you appropriate advice. It’s a hard time for you but there’s always people willing to help on this Forum so please try not to,worry too much
 
@Suffolk gal

Hello Suffolk gal and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and 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 235,000 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 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
Welcome to the forum and welcome to the world of T2 diabetes.I would suggest you check out the T2 sub forum to help you with questions and advice,you'll be asking the right people in the right place there.Post on the T2 sub forum and you'll get far more advice from some great knowledgeable and welcoming T2 diabetics...good luck
 
Hi @Suffolk gal . Welcome to the forum. Try not to fret too much , it will not help.
Waiting for follow ups from doctors and nurses is common and annoying. You want answers now and that's understandable.
In the mean time have a look around the forum, ask questions no matter how trivial and I'm sure the help you get from some very knowledgeable fellow diabetics will be reassuring and helpful.
 
Hi and welcome. Am currently in the same boat. Diagnosed two weeks ago seeing nurse this Wednesday.

For me nurse is at same place as gp, if this is the case for you, ring and ask for a new diabetic appointment.

Use this forum, there is so much knowledge here tap into it. It’s helped me enormously over the last couple of weeks

Most of all try not to panic and stress x
 
You are absolutely right, Suffolk gal, because it's an enormous shock to us all to be told life changing news then left in the dark! It happened like that for me as well, and of course we are armed with no knowledge at all until we see the nurse. This certainly needs to change!
 
That is exactly how many of us feel. It's a shock and then you start to wonder if the NHS is on top of it, and will they throw everything at it and treat it agressively. I actually told my Dr last week my concern, which I've had right from the start, that HCPs don't even think that they should be helping people to achieve normal non diabetic glucose levels.
 

You are in the right place. Have a good look around the forum, especially the success stories board https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ where you will find lots of people who have really got to grips with their diagnosis, and managed to get their blood glucose to normal levels fairly quickly.

I have found this forum by far more helpful than my GP practice for advice and practical help and support. As a result of following advice I found on here - changing over to a Low Carb High Fat diet - I have brought down my blood sugar a lot and have lost a lot of weight. There are lots of different approaches that work - one size does not fit all - so look around and read people's signatures, where some people put a record of their progress from diagnosis onwards.

Try not to panic, you can make big improvements on your health, and become better able to manage your condition.
 

Officially I was diagnosed in October 2017 by the Occupational Health nurse at work. My doctors diagnosis came in January 2018, so yes long delays and being left out in the cold are normal.

However there is a solution. This place right here. We're all in the same boat and we know so much more from personal experience etc. So pull up a chair, book mark this forum and ask away. We're happy to help
 

welcome here Suffolk gal

if you stay here and read and ask people the questions you need answers to, you´ll soon feel much more optimistic and get the tips to cope with type 2 diabetes, we are so many here that almost all had a gigantic chock initially, it differs so much in how people are told and how soon they get further information, I think you should just call your GP´s clinique and ask when you´ll get further help and information, don´t just wait.. phone them tomorrow ...
 
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