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New diagnosis question

J

JoB

Newbie
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1
Hi there - just wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. My father has just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and I was hoping someone could recommend some straightforward, non-jargon (non-terrifying!) books that I can get that outline how best to manage his diabetes. He has an appointment with a dietician coming up, but I was hoping for some background reading. Also, any tips/hints in terms of blood sugar monitors or similar that are worth investing in?

Thanks in advance!

J.
 
A blood glucose monitor would probably be very useful, personally I don't have one yet as I am hoping I can get one from the diabetic clinic, but they are good so you can get reading there and then rather than having to rely on hba1c tests which only give an average over the last 3 months.
 
Hi JoB,
How about "Diabetics for Dummies", a no frills book.
You really do need a meter and if the Dr is not keen to fund test strips then ask at the Chemist as to which one has the cheapest test strips. Hopefully your Diabetic Team may see the wisdom of allowing the test strips and it wont have cost you too much.
Catherine.
 
I bought a blood test meter from asda for £10.00, but for type 2 your docs prob won't want you to have one yet.

the problem with having one is you test yourself all the time to see what it is, then you panic about it and that can raise you bloods. so if they say you don't need one then don't have one. they will do blood tests called hba1c every 3 months or so anyway.
there is so much info you wont know whats right or wrong and everyone is different.

I would start withthe basics and stop sugar in drinks and food.

But don't worry about the blood counts until you have had advice from your GP
 
I would disagree with that Eliminator.
How are you going to know what foods raise your blood sugars if you do not test? You could carry on eating things that are bad for you personally and then have an HBA1c only to find that your sugars are high and you have to start on medication.. You need to start educating yourself a.s.a.p.
I am not suggesting that you should over test but you have to make sure that the starchy carbs, slow release ones, are suitable for you. Some people can eat them all in moderation but some others have to very careful. I cannot eat potatoes and only have small portions of bread, rice and pasta. There are other diabetics who cannot eat any of them, especially cereals.
Catherine.
 
What I meant was if you start testing all the time, then you are going to worry. I am only going on my experiance and I was told not to get a meter but I did anyway.

When I first joined this site, I did not know anything about anything. the words starchy carb means nothing. I felt lost when I heard BM's and such things.

It would have been much easier if someone had said to me...

Startchy carbs = Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugars found in foods and are on the lable of the food, the lower the better.

this sort of info is much better to a newly diagnosed type 2.

Then the person goes out and reads the lables and eats more healthy than they are at the moment.

Everyones advice and diet are different. everyone has their own opinion on here. The first time I came on here I was given so much advice it could not be taken in, and some of it was no good to my condition at all.

The problem is we get used to termaonolgy about diabetes and new members don't know what we are trying to tell them.

So my advice will always be basic and take advice from your GP first then double check on here :wink:
 
Trouble is, the GP's advice not to test disagrees with NICE and Diabetes UK (the charity, not this site) advice, they both say to test. And I'd rather believe NICE than the NHS.

But you are right, if you are just given a meter without knowing what to do with the readings, that won't help at all, you will just worry. So read around and get advice on what to do to affect the readings, then get a meter.
 
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