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Need support...

Hi Simon

Generally the NHS has a stock response to type 2 diagnosis which involves a heavy emphasis on what they call the healthy plate. That bit of advice I would avoid like the plague and read up about low carb high fat diet, get a glucose meter and eat to it.

Some other advice they might give you about taking care of your feet and exercise though is quite sensible.

Like you I was in a state of shock and maybe denial when I was diagnosed but the help of others on here has helped me through it.

My wife has been very supportive and presented me with a glucose Meter as soon as I returned home with the diagnosis and by using it to figure out what I could and couldn't eat (my beloved breakfast orange juice turned out to be a huge no no,for example), I brought my HA1c down from about 112 to 56 in 3 months. I'm not sure about those figures tbh a I am away on holiday and do not have them to hand.

So on my follow up appointment with my DN she was amazed and asked how I had achieved it.

I confess to a certain perverse smugness when I said "by pretty much ignoring everything you told me to do"

One step at a time mate - is not that big a deal really and I think it's fair to say I would much rather be a diagnosed type 2 than an undiagnosed one

HTH

Tim
 
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Tim55 said:
Hi Simon

Generally the NHS has a stock response to type 2 diagnosis which involves a heavy emphasis on what they call the healthy plate. That bit of advice I would avoid like the plague and read up about low carb high fat diet, get a glucose meter and eat to it.

Some other advice they might give you about taking care of your feet and exercise though is quite sensible.

Like you I was in a state of shock and maybe denial when I was diagnosed but the help of others on here has helped me through it.

My wife has been very supportive and presented me with a glucose Meter as soon as I returned home with the diagnosis and by using it to figure out what I could and couldn't eat (my beloved breakfast orange juice turned out to be a huge no no,for example), I brought my HA1c down from about 112 to 56 in 3 months.

So on my follow up appointment with my DN she was amazed and asked how I had achieved it.

I confess to a certain perverse smugness when I said "by pretty much ignoring everything you told me to do"

One step at a time mate - is not that big a deal really and I think it's fair to say I would much rather be a diagnosed type 2 than an undiagnosed one

HTH

Tim
Click to expand...
Great, thanks Tim. Always nice to hear people's stories on here. I've got my appointment this afternoon at 5.20. Quick question what actually is HA1c ?
 
Tim55 said:
Hi Simon

Generally the NHS has a stock response to type 2 diagnosis which involves a heavy emphasis on what they call the healthy plate. That bit of advice I would avoid like the plague and read up about low carb high fat diet, get a glucose meter and eat to it.

Some other advice they might give you about taking care of your feet and exercise though is quite sensible.

Like you I was in a state of shock and maybe denial when I was diagnosed but the help of others on here has helped me through it.

My wife has been very supportive and presented me with a glucose Meter as soon as I returned home with the diagnosis and by using it to figure out what I could and couldn't eat (my beloved breakfast orange juice turned out to be a huge no no,for example), I brought my HA1c down from about 112 to 56 in 3 months.

So on my follow up appointment with my DN she was amazed and asked how I had achieved it.

I confess to a certain perverse smugness when I said "by pretty much ignoring everything you told me to do"

One step at a time mate - is not that big a deal really and I think it's fair to say I would much rather be a diagnosed type 2 than an undiagnosed one

HTH

Tim
Click to expand...
Also, could you recommend the best glucose meter to purchase please? Thanks v much
 
Hi Simon

HA1C is a typo :oops: what I meant was HBA1C.

This is a measure the NHS uses to determine long term blood sugar levels.

Simply it is roughly a three month average of blood glucose in your system, albeit heavily weighted to the most recent couple of weeks, although it gets a lot more complicated than that if you want to get scientific about it.

Normally you will be asked to attend for a fasting blood test, that is first thing in the morning before you have eaten anything in order for the first diagnosis to be made.

Can't quite remember the cut off right now as it is usually reported in different units to the ones or meters check but if the level is above 6 5 mmol/ltr then you are diabetic.

I can't tell you which is the best meter but the big expense is the ongoing cost of the test strips and I believe (as do many others in the UK) that the SD Codefree is adequate and the cheapest to run in the long term.

HTH

Tim
 
Great, thanks Tim. Much appreciated. Just out of interest, which meter do you use; if you don't mind me asking?
 
Hi Simon
.
As a good Yorkshire man I use the SD Codefree we bought ourselves.

I have an NHS supplied Glucometer too, but no strips for it.

When I ran them side by side for a while I got the impression the SD tended to read a little higher but I'd rather err on that side tbh
 
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