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New kid on the block

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jaybenj

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Hi everyone. I'm a 55 year old female and I've just been diagnosed with T2 :( Not overly impressed at all, but I guess I'll just have to get on with it!
I live in Lanzarote (Spain) and was diagnosed last week by my temporary GP. Lovely guy but wasn't overly helpful and said that my best bet was to look it up on the net and follow a diet regime for 3 months and then return for further testing. I was 127 which may mean something to you all.
One probably very silly question is..............
If I follow a proper diet can I become NOT diabetic, or once you are is that it? Please don't fall about laughing :lol: it was just a thought.
Additionally, like loads of you guys out there, I am in a state of complete confusion as to what I should be eating as the information I have read so far is fairly contradictory.
Can anyone please point me in the right direction as I feel a bit lonely here and baffled with the minefield of info.
Thanks in anticipation
Jaybenj x
 
Hi there Jay, welcome to the forum.

Hope you're having better weather than we've had here recently :)

Presumably the reading you're giving is in mg/dL in which case that works out to be around 7 mmol/L (divide by 18) - which depending on whether you've just eaten or not, is on the high side of things.

As for diet, we have members of this forum doing well on something called the low GI diet and others who have found that reducing carbohydrate intake helps them manage their condition. Have a look at the recipes thread on the food forum for some ideas about what people are eating.

It is advisable that you get hold of your own BG meter and start monitoring your own reaction to the different foods you eat, using the results of your own tests you'll be able to find out a mixture of foods and portion sizes that work for you.

The bad news is that you are now a person with diabetes, the good news is that when you get your BG under control the chances of complications arising from diabetes will be reduced.

Stick around, this is a friendly place, and we are all more than willing to help when needed.

Regards, Tubs.
 
Have a look at this site for a basic guide to what you should and shouldn't eat. Bear in mind that fish, meat and poultry aren't covered, as they don't contain many carbs. It's a good place to start.

Best of luck.
 
Cheers Tubs and Thirsty for your quick replies. Been studying the glycaemic index and am considering suicide lol! I can hardly contain myself with gastronomic delight ......NOT.
My results were from a 24 hour starve, so I guess that's not too good then is it? I asked the Doc if I was just a little bit diabetic and he laughed and said that you either are or aren't. So is this it now for the rest of my life?
I am so angry you cannot believe. For the past 18 months I have been undergoing tests for Multiple Sclerosis as my vision has gone haywire (glaucoma), I was completely knackered, shooting and burning pains in my limbs and a host of other stuff. I got the all clear after MRI's and lumbar punctures and tons of other electrical testing, only last month.
In all the time they have been testing for a neurological problem they omitted to look for something medical. This was only meant to be my annual routine testing and he throws this one at me.
I did have gestational diabetes and (11.5lbs baby) and I do have a family history, but I certainly didn't expect anything until I was at least in my 80's.
I am now wondering whether all that stuff has been lurking diabetes.....
Sorry to sound off
Jaybenj xx
 
Hi jaybeng,
It is a lot to take in at first but it can be managed and need not take your life over.
Yes the diet does have to be altered but it is not too drastic and everyone is different in what they can and cannot eat.
Perhaps you could say what you enjoy eating at present and perhaps it can be tailored so that you do not feel too deprived.
Have you been given a meter and test strips so that you will have an idea of what suits you?

You certainly went through the mill prior to diagnosis but things can only improve now. Once you get your blood sugars at an acceptable range you will start to feel better.
Looking forward to your postings and welcome.
Regards, Catherine.
 
Hey :)

You are now diabetic forever. Bad times. You can, however, control it and not get any complications. Good times :)

I'm 30 and was just diagnosed, I was also angry because I felt it should have been found out a long time before it was, but hey, at least now it is diagnosed and I can take it in my hands now to control! You will probably feel a lot of different emotions, I know i have and will prob continue to do so!

This forum is great, welcome.

Becca
 
Hi guys, thanks again for getting back.
I actually went to the Farmacia this lunchtime to get a kit for testing. Apparently it is only possible to get the kit from the Doc. They will issue replacements at the Farmacia but they do not do any home testing kits and none of the other Farmacias do either :?
So I guess I'll have to make another appointment at the clinic and request one. He just sent me away and said look up a diet regime on the internet and come back in 3 months to see how the changes have helped. Seems a bit DIY over here, what's it like in the UK?
jaybenj xx
 
Hi jaybenj,
It is a bit of a postcode lettery here as to whether a newly diagnosed can get the meter and strips here too.
Diet advice also varies, some receiving good and some not so good.
Have a good look around the forum and come back and ask anything you are not sure of. Plenty of people here to help you.
Catherine.
 
Thanks Catherine, I was just looking to see if I could find a meter on the net. Are there any to be recommended or are they much of a muchness
best wishes
jaybenj xx
 
I think what you need to do is to find the one with the cheapest priced strips in case your Doc wont prescribe them. You don't need bells and whistles just something that does the job. Check in your local pharmacy as to the cheapest strips.
Hope this helps,
Catherine.
 
hi, im type 1 but the meter i was given has two funtions, not sure if this applies to type 2s but it test for BS and keytones which i have found usefull.its Optium xceed meter. hope it helps you jay good luck
 
Cheers Chips, bit ignorant on it all at the moment, but I like the sound of an all singing and dancing monitor.
Catherine, my Farmacia does not sell anything at all related to testing, it will all have to be internet, so I s'pose I'll have to shop around online. Done nothing much at all today but surf stuff re diabetes :?
jaybenj xx
 
Hi again,
Does that mean that you will have to find it on a U.K. website and then get it shipped to you? Do you know any other diabetics where you are as they may be able to help.
Catherine.
 
If you get from UK then the meter will be in mmol/l , so you will have to become expert at the 18x table to translate for your doctor.
 
Hi hi Sue, I've found the conversion chart, so I can cheat.
Hey Catherine I see you are from Hampshire, that where I am from originally and where my parents still live. I do get a lot of stuff from the UK as our island is tiny and almost everything is imported. I don't currently know anybody here with diabetes but I'm sure as time goes on a few will crawl out of the woodwork and make themselves known to me.
jaybenj xx
 
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