New Member - Just Diagnosed

I find that very sad. To call and have an abrupt conversation about a life changing event and leave you to sort it out. It's a sad reflection on the health care system. In some ways ours (Canada) is not much better.

This should have been an in person visit with a discussion about next steps , accurate information and leads to support.

Luckily you found this forum. Lots of good advice and support.

Please ask any questions or concerns. There isn't much at least one of us hasn't been through.

martin2q said:

Hi Everyone,

New member. Just been diagnosed. My initial GP experience hasn't been great. Got a very rushed phone call from GP telling me I was diabetic, call was abruptly terminated and I was told to look at British Diabetic Society website (according to Google it doesn't exist - this forum came up instead).

I was quite depressed after the phone call but after talking to my sister who is a nurse she reassured me it was manageable.
I'd love to know what foods I can eat, have to avoid and even what I can drink (both soft drinks and alcohol).
Apparently my readings are really bad (22 for the HBA1c and 98 for the 6-8 week average). I am overweight and until now eat a lot of sugar.
I just want to eat appropriately - and of course get the weight down.
I find the lack of support from the NHS frustrating - but it's been a service in decline for years so I have to accept it for what it is.

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I'm so sorry that's basically all you got... A kick in the head and a "good luck". https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html explains T2 a bit and what to eat/drink. More to be found on this forum's website and dietdoctor.com , usually for free. (You can join if you feel moved to, but loads is available without extra costs.) If you have specific questions after that, of if it's just too much to deal with and you have questions about this that or the other, throw them out there. That's what we're here for. No question asked too often, silly or whatever, everything you've got in your head is valid!!! We all started somewhere.

Your sister is right though, this is entirely doable when it comes to managing it. Your results are high, but it's not impossible to get those numbers back down into the normal range. I've done it, many more here have too. Take heart.

You'll be okay!
Jo

martin2q said:

Hi Everyone,

New member. Just been diagnosed. My initial GP experience hasn't been great. Got a very rushed phone call from GP telling me I was diabetic, call was abruptly terminated and I was told to look at British Diabetic Society website (according to Google it doesn't exist - this forum came up instead).

I was quite depressed after the phone call but after talking to my sister who is a nurse she reassured me it was manageable.
I'd love to know what foods I can eat, have to avoid and even what I can drink (both soft drinks and alcohol).
Apparently my readings are really bad (22 for the HBA1c and 98 for the 6-8 week average). I am overweight and until now eat a lot of sugar.
I just want to eat appropriately - and of course get the weight down.
I find the lack of support from the NHS frustrating - but it's been a service in decline for years so I have to accept it for what it is.

Click to expand...

A very poor way to be treated.

I wonder if your scores should be HBA1c as 98 ?

Mine was 57 at DX, so yours would be high, though many on here have had similar or higher and made awesome progress, once able to cut out the foods they *tolerate the least well .

(* Basically carbs, and it's many food forms..pasta, rice & potatoes particularly.)

The 22 would sort of make sense to me if that was the average BG level of taking meter readings over that period ?

Mine over several early weeks was an average of 9 mmols.

Slowly coming down to an average of 5 mmols in around 4 months.

If you are serious about adapting your diet to better suit your health, I found the diet doctor visual guides a great start when I first arrived on the forum.


Basically I began by swapping out some items that caused me issues, with those I tolerate better.

Carb counts Inc so you know what's more stuffed full of carbs.

so lower is a better choice.

Loads more on the diet doctor website, drinks included .

As said, do ask questions, there's a world of knowledge in this forum, and always someone willing to help.

Don't panic.... you will get plenty if advice here to get you off to a really good start. Jo's nutritional thingy is great. And I now can't remember if anyone has mentioned a glucose monitor. Get one! Lots of advice on here as to when to test and why.

I had a starting hba1c of 101 and I'm still here 4 years later and with a much better hba1c too. There is plenty you can do to get it under control.

martin2q said:

Thanks for that. Yes, I think I did get figures wrong way round as still new to this. The doctor was concerned with the 98 figure but in fairness I'd been eating a lot of sugar/chocolate not realising I was diabetic.

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Ah that makes more sense.- but don't panic - you could well be in more normal numbers by Christmas, with any luck.
I went from HbA1c of 91 to 41 in 6 months, plus lost a lot of weight without even thinking about it.
For an ordinary type 2, cutting back on carbohydrate - that is starches as well as sugars, is the key to control.

Take a look at this video …


Firstly, you should get yourself a blood glucose meter. I recently got a Contour Next which connects an app on my phone to review the readings.

Secondly, you need to change your diet and lifestyle. Avoid foods with lots of sugar. There are a surprisingly large number of these. You may also want to cut back on high carb foods such as breakfast cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, bananas etc. You can eat more foods with fat such as avocados, cheese, nuts etc.

I does take a while to get your blood glucose levels down. Take a look at LCHF or Keto diets. There is a lot of info on this on the net.

Don't blame yourself too much for the sugar and chocolate. You could have followed medical advice religiously, eating your five a day etc, and still found yourself where you are now.
Get your self a glucose meter, the medical profession say not to, but you now know, they don't really care about you, and it is the single most vital tool in your armoury. Testing around your meals will tell you SO much, what to avoid. We are all different, and react to all foods in an individual manner, what i can't tolerate you may be able to and vice versa. This is the turning point, now your health will improve so much, because you know and will alter you diet to suit YOUR body, not some generalised diet advice that frankly suits very few.
@JoKalsbeek s blog, should be required reading for all newly diagnosed, pre and diabetic patients.