New here, trying hard but terrified, too!

B'sMum

Member
Messages
7
Hi, I am newly diagnosed Type 2, started on Metformin extended release one month ago. I am "on the other side of the Pond" as I believe you say :), here in Pennsylvania. Also dealing with having lost my precious Mom four months ago. She was 91, had kept her here at home, cared for her myself, we were very very close. I do quite well and then hits me like a tidal wave all over again. I do have excellent grief support, but still . . .
Definitely see correlation between high anxiety episodes and elevated glucose readings.
Thank you to everyone here for your wonderful support. I see there is so very much to read and this is a wonderful place to be..
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Well done ! Hi and welcome again.
I'l tag in @daisy1 so you get your own copy of her intro post.
 

B'sMum

Member
Messages
7
Well done ! Hi and welcome again.
I'l tag in @daisy1 so you get your own copy of her intro post.
Hi, I might still need some "training wheels" here, but looks like received my first hug! Nice! Am not quite sure what you mean by you'll "tag in . . . . @daisy1 so I get own copy of her intro post" ??? Thank you for your help!!!
 

Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
My condolences on your loss.

Welcome to the forum, we will help you get things straightened out, lass. Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like.
 

Antje77

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
19,464
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, I might still need some "training wheels" here, but looks like received my first hug! Nice! Am not quite sure what you mean by you'll "tag in . . . . @daisy1 so I get own copy of her intro post" ??? Thank you for your help!!!
By now you're up to your third hug, and well deserved I think :)
Tagging a member by putting @ before their name gives them a message (flag on the top right) to notify them. When Daisy sees the message she'll post her very useful info sheet for fledgling diabetics on this thread.
In the mean time, have a look around the forum!
 
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B'sMum

Member
Messages
7
Hi, I might still need some "training wheels" here, but looks like received my first hug! Nice! Am not quite sure what you mean by you'll "tag in . . . . @daisy1 so I get own copy of her intro post" ??? Thank you for your help!!!
My condolences on your loss.

Welcome to the forum, we will help you get things straightened out, lass. Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like.
Bless you!! I need to go get some chores accomplished just now, but will stop back later this evening to explore more. Thank you so much. I am so grateful for this Community.
I should add I was the only to parents. I have also adopted a rescue kitty, he is thought to be five years old, was literally thrown to the streets and found wandering, then was in two shelters. A great support. You might say we are holding each other's "paw" working through all this.
 
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B'sMum

Member
Messages
7
Oooooh, say hello to your kitty from me! What's the name of this helpful cat?
His name is Bernie, I kept the name he had when adopted, because reminded me of Dr. Bernie Siegel. Are you familiar?
And my Bernie sends you loud rumbly purrs back!
Upon bringing Bernie home, he investigated every nook and cranny, and unknowingly immediately assigned himself to my late Mom's chair.
I like to say, "Hearts and hands, hooves and paws together!"
 
M

Member496333

Guest
Hi. Really sorry to hear about your mother. With regard to the T2 diagnosis I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s of course a potentially very serious condition, but you’re now in the right place to learn everything you need to know about it.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,901
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello and welcome to the forum and so sorry to hear about your Mum :(
You’ve come to a good place for info and support. If you come back before daisy1 posts her info you can find it in my signature, just click on “Newly Diagnosed: what you should know.”
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and a big welcome from me.

Ask as many questions as you like.

One thing you could do, and that is complete your profile settings. If you go to your name at top right of the page, hover and find "personal details" you will see some options for your type of diabetes, treatment, and medication. If you fill these in, your type of diabetes will appear under your avatar for everyone to see. This will save you being asked over and over again whenever you ask a question, and members can see your medication details if they look - if we don't know your medication you may get inappropriate responses to your questions because types of meds matter when it comes to dietary advice etc. .
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@B'sMum
Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and useful.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 600,000 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.
 

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
*
Welcome to the forum @B'sMum, you will get a lot of good advice and support on here.