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My experience so far

J

Jakjo

Active Member
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Just thought I'd share the start of my journey. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last Friday and when the Doctor told me my head went silent and had no idea what to ask. I have done some research on here(thanks all!) and called the doctor today to at least find out what my results were. Glucose Tolerence Test: Post fasting:6.4. 2 hours later: 12.2. That's pretty high isn't it?

I must admit my doctor has been briliant so far (I see the nurse on Friday). He told me that I should try to manage with diet and exercise for 2-3 months and then we'll look at medication. The supermarkets are quite daunting at the moment. I know I should be concentrating on low carbs and that's easy enough to read but I also understand that I need to adapt a specific diet to my own needs and I guess that would involve testing? I'll see the nurse of Friday anyway to get further advice.It's all a learning process.

My cholesteral readings are HDL:1.1 and LDL:5.4. The doc said something like the total reading was 8.4 and they are looking at 7.6. Still need to get my head around that one but he said it is likely I will go on medication for that.

I have put quite a bit of weight on in the last 2 years and became inactive quite suddenly. I am concentrating on doing a 30 miunute walk each day to slowly build up to my past activivty. As it stands now and with my lack of knowledge (and confusion) I am figuring that something is better than nothing and I am starting in the right direction. At least until I can see the nurse.

Anyway, I'll report back after I have seen the nurse on Friday. I think as a newbie what has helped me the most is hearing about others experiences about when, how and what. I hope I can help someone else.
 
Welcome to the forum. If you look at the post Daisy posts to new people that is good advice to get your started.

Low-Carb is one thing, and it's a good thing. For a start LowER-Carb is definately going to be helpful.

If you want to start down the right path without changing too much until you get used to things, cut bread, rice, potato, pasta etc servings in half. Replace what is missing with brocolli, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower - non-starchy vegetable (omiting peas, corns and being careful with root-vegetables (carrots, parsnip etc)).

Keep eating varied, healthy foods and try making your place have less than a quarter of starch, about half of it veg and the rest meat.

If at all possible, get a meter so you can measure what different foods does to your blood sugar levels. Some docs and nurses will give you one if you ask/insist, in other places it is virtually impossible to get one as a type 2. You may want to consider buying your own. Test 2 hours after meals. If your blood sugar goes too high, look at what you ate and reduce the starchy bits some more.

You will probably be adviced to eat more carbs than most of us find helpful - the advice is old and bordering harmful in this particular area according to most of us - that's why it is better to base whatever you do on the science that is measure your actual blood glucose at 2 hours after a meal and make informed decisions based on that. It will keep you in control and in time you will learn what foods and quantities you can safely eat.

Good luck with it all - and enjoy your walks. :D
 
Hi Jakjo and welcome to the forum :)
Here is the information Mileana mentioned which is the advice we give to new members and I hope you will find that it helps you. I did actually post it for you on your other thread so this makes sure that you see it 8) Ask all the questions you like and someone will have an answer for 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...
 
Welcome Jakjo :wave:

You've got a nice positive approach going there :thumbup:

Yep, your right, get testing and sort your head out on the effect foodstuffs have on YOUR blood sugars, knowledge is good.

Have an awareness about you on carb intake and keep up that half hour a day exercise.

Hours reading on this forum does you no harm either.
 
Jakjo wrote
My cholesteral readings are HDL:1.1 and LDL:5.4. The doc said something like the total reading was 8.4 and they are looking at 7.6. Still need to get my head around that one but he said it is likely I will go on medication for that.
Click to expand...

Those levels certainly need some attention.

Your HDL percentage of Total should be 25% or higher. Yours is 13%.

Your Triglycerides/Hdl ratio should be 2 or lower. Yours is 3.8.

The good news is that a low carb diet is effective at lowering LDL and raising HDL.
If you are unsure about going on a statin (the likely route your GP would take with that total figure of 8.4) you may want to ask them to wait three months while you make efforts to lower it yourself. It's been done by a number on this forum, so it's achievable.

(Total - [HDL + LDL] = 1.9) Triglycerides are 1.9 x 2.19**. Which gives 4.16.
(** where Total less HDL and less LDL leave a figure. That figure x 2.19 gives anyone their triglycerides, when working with the UK system of cholesterol measurements, as yours are.)

I'd suggest cutting your carbs as much as you can right now, in an effort to improve your cholesterol levels.

Geoff
 
Thanks all for your answers,

This is what I have started with for now:http://blogg.passagen.se/dahlqvistannika/?anchor=my_lowcarb_dietary_programe_in. I am not expecting to feel great instantly (I don't) and know that in 2 or 3 months I could be in a good postion of wondering about my worry in hindsite. Looking forward to learning to listen to my body :)

Thanks Geoff. I'll certainly ask the doctor to review meds (would rather not go on them if at all possible) for High cholestral once I have made the effort.



Thanks again
 
Hi Jakjo,

Recently new myself, there are many good things and advice in this Forum.

The mistake I made was stupidly go to supermarkets and buy what I thought was necessary things eg; BG meters, at a very expensive cost.

The trick is to ask the forum first where or what is the best deal, This I now found so great and cost saving.

Coincidently I am trying a reverse type diet with no fats or sugar over 3 months, only 1 month left to go, I have had good response from the forum regarding bad fats and to make sure I'm am taking necessary supplements etc;

Good luck and enjoy this forum.

Roy :) :) :)
 
thanks Roy,

Had my appointment with the nurse and I must admit she didn't seem quite present and all that knowledeable. She took my BP and it was 155/92. She made an appointment for me with the doctor for tomorrow because of this. I have taken a no carbs/no sugar approach for now and I feel good for the morning by the afternoon I am getting blurred vision, confusion and joint pain (groin, hands and feet) I did go for a good walk at lunchtime but I do have a stressful job. I'm not sure where to go now really. I so want to feel better and control this but it seems like an uphill struggle. Is it just a case of patience?

I am at a point now where I am scared to eat "any" carbs or fats - I find the Diabetes and High cholestral diet confusing.

Which supplements are you taking?
 
Hi Jakjo, you say you're on no sugar and no carbs; no sugar is fine, but no carbs sounds a bit extreme! It can be confusing, but here's an approach that I took. It might help you.
In general terms you will need to reduce the total number of carbohydrates you eat per day. All carbohydrates turn to sugar when we eat them, and no type 2 diabetic on diet only, or on diet and metformin only, can control their blood sugars (BGs) without controlling their carb intake. Even those on strong medication normally choose to control their carb intake to keep the level of medication they take down. The total number of carbs per day you can eat depends on how advanced your diabetes is. It’s perhaps worth starting at about 50% of normal levels for a non-diabetic then adjusting up or down according to how you get on. So that means eating 150 grams of carbs per day for a man, 125 for a woman. You can read the total carb content of food under “nutritional info” on the packet or wrapping, or look it up on the internet for loose food. Just google “carb content..”
You also need to stop or reduce the bad carbs; that is the starchy ones that make your BG go up quickly.
So obviously no sugar or glucose! But also no white bread, white rice, pasta, flour products like pastry, cake and batter. You can eat a little basmati rice, wholewheat pasta or the tri-color pasta fusilli ones in small quantities. Boiled new potatos (again not too many) are OK but not old pots mashed, boiled or in their jackets. (Roast is not so bad, the fat slows their absorption and conversion to glucose in the blood) Amongst other veg, parsnips are about the worst for BG, and carrots not great but ok in smaller amounts.
Multi grain bread (not wholemeal) is not SO bad, but lots of us eat Burgen soya and linseed bread from tescos and sainsburys, although all bread should be in limited amounts.
All fruit has carbohydrates, and needs to be included in the amounts of carbs you eat in a day. For most people, bananas are about the worst for pushing our BG up and berries (like strawberries, raspberries etc) are the least bad.
No sweeties!
Exercise is important. I tend to exercise about an hour after eating when I know my BG will be peaking. This helps to bring it down quicker and further. I do ten minutes hard work on an exercise machine, but you could run up and down stairs for ten minutes or go for a brisk walk.
Returning to types of food and quantities of carbs - you can only find out how many you can eat by testing. Most type 2’s are not given access to testing equipment, so you should get your own – although try arguing with your Doc that you want to manage to NICE guideline blood sugar levels, and can’t do that without testing! If you have to buy a meter, they are cheap and most manufacturers will give them away for free. They make their money on the strips you have to use! So go for the meter with the cheapest testing strips. The SD Codefree available on the internet is about the cheapest at the moment. Some people test before and after eating, on waking (fasting test) and before bed. But if you have limited strips because of cost, the key to me is testing 2 hours after eating. If your BG is above, say, 7.8 at that stage, you need to cut down on the carb content the next time you have that meal. Test after various different meals and you soon get to see a pattern of what you can and can’t eat, and in what quantities. Keep careful records of what you ate and when, together with the result, so you can refer back at a later date. You can then reduce your testing. I said “below, say, 7.8” because NICE guidelines are below 8.5 but most of us think that’s a little high. 7.8 is the max. level at 2 hours after eating that a non-diabetic normally gets to so is perhaps a better target. Some then set progressively lower targets.
Do ask lots of questions; there is normally an answer on here. The more you get to learn about your diabetes, the better it will be.
good luck!
 
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