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Just diagnosed with Type 2

A

Apple Blossom

Newbie
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Hello, I was diagnosed with type 2 a week ago, 3rd May and am still reeling a bit from the shock. Am keeping positive, have already made changes to my diet and come up with the beginnings of an exercise regime that will work for me. Only had one test so far, but I know it was high - fasting blood glucose of 16. Am going for an HbA1c test on Monday & to the diabetes clinic the following week and have been avidly reading this site & forum in short bursts ever since, but have only just plucked up the courage to join.

I've suffered from raised BP most of my adult life, but was never overwight until the last few years. My BP had gone right up at the end of February & I was exhausted, queasy, dizzy and experiencing pins & needles in my hands. After 2 additional tablets were added without bringing down my BP & I had complained again to my GP about total exhaustion I was given the blood tests that finally led to the diabetes diagnosis. My additional symptoms were being put down to my 'age' (51) & stress, when in fact there was a much more serious reason. I'm now on 2 x 500mg of Metformin per day.

Mainly, I'm glad I finally know what is wrong and can do something about it. I'm very keen to work out a diet that works for me, so my first question is - do I need a blood glucose monitor (I'm sure I do from what I've read) & does anyone have any advice on makes, models & so on. I have no idea if this area provides them via the NHS or not.

Many thanks.
 
Hello Apple Blosom

Welcome to the Forum :)

You'll find lots of great information and help here. Daisy will be along with her Welcome Post before too long. Feel free to ask any questions. The members here are a wonderful fountain of information.
 
Hi Apple Blossom and welcome to the forum :) Here is some advice that we give to new members which you should find helpful. It is essential to test and if you test before and 2 hours after meals you can work out which foods you can eat and which you should reduce or cut out. After a while, when you have worked this out, you can test less if you want to. Some members will be along soon to share their experiences/opinions about testing equipment with you. Carry on asking questions as we are all here to help you.

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 30,000 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 ... rains.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 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
Click to expand...
 
Hi. Welcome to the large club of diabetics; we were all 'shocked' when first diagnosed but when you realise you are not alone you can start to share experience and questions with others. Yes, do get a meter. Although your GP may offer a free meter he almost certainly won't. Many suppliers will send you one for free. I have an Ultrasmart which is fine but others will equally recommend others. Go for one where the strips are lowest cost and can be bought online. The Diabetes UK magazine Balance has lots of meter ads including freebies. You would need to contribute to DUK annually and you will need to largely ignore their dietary advice and recipes!
 
Hi,found out tues i was diabetic shocked was'nt the word.Ive already cut alot out my diet but finding it hard as i dont eat veg and very fussy with food.I tried to do my shopping got so confused what im suppose to eat.I will get through this so determined not to let this rule my life.
 
Hi, Sorry to welcome you to the club. Yes its a shock - I was only 37 diagnosed as Type 2 - my sugars were at 29! I was put straight on insulin which brought it right down, but what made the difference for me is a low carb diet. Basically, carbs are what makes your blood sugar go up - cut down the carbs and your sugars will improve. Within two weeks of going on this diet my fasting sugars were down to normal. Two years on I am off all medications, ave an A1c of 4.6 and never see a score of over 6. It may be hard making the diet transition but if you can do it it will help immensely. I recommend this book http://www.diabetes-book.com/ by Dr Beirnstein - a diabetic who has lived complication free for the last 64 years! Good luck!
 
Hi, Im still shocked 5 weeks on but I have found this forum full of help and support. Everyone has been so friendly :D

Totaly understand about the exhaustion, mine to was put down to stresses of life - I was being reviewed every 3 months for aniexty/depression(for over 3 years) and I only found out by going to a chemist and getting tested because I couldnt quench my thirst!

I have a freestylite but was very lucky and given it by the GP also just had some more test strips as we are still trying to get my levels down but was told that I wont have them as regular once my levels have been sorted. So when this happens I will be going for one of the cheaper meters as I can not afford to buy the strips for this meter. Even though I dont like testing , I have found it amazing(if thats the word I should use) how much certain foods set my blood sugars soaring. So Im getting a good idea what I can have and what I should avoid, also quantities.

Not on meds for the diabetes at the moment but have a feeling I will next week when I go for my review.

Good luck x
 
Wow, thank you all so much for your responses - I already feel less isolated!

I'm pretty convinced by the low carb diet approach and am now trying to sort out how to handle it day to day and make it a way of life, plus of course understand what I can & can't eat.
I have a million questions spinning around in my head and wonder if I could have some help on my immediate query please?
Can anyone advise on any equipment or books that will help me understand how to calculate the carbs in, say, a carrot, how to keep track of my carb intake each day - basically anything that will help me get this undercontrol but without obsessing me each day, like it is at the minute. And also any advice on reading food labels that I might not have thought of would be great.

Many thanks,
Jackie.
 
I have a collins gem GI book, its lovely and small but lists loads of foods. Its also lists the carbs , calories, fibre,protein and fats. Its not expensive either, paid £4.99 for it in Waterstones, but know WhSmiths and other bookshops sell it. :D
 
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