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New Patient.

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LazyAce

Newbie
Hi All,
Just joined this community.
My name is Tariq. 55 yr old male Asian.
Over the last couple of weeks i started having the following symptoms:
Blurred vision, Tired all the time, aching legs, going to the loo especially at night 8-10 times, to mention a few.
On Friday (6th Nov) I mentioned this to a colleague who insisted that i should go the my local pharmacy and get my sugar level checked.
Yesterday i did this and the reading was 20.9 and was advised to immediately get medical attention.
Called 111 who sent me to a GP. (My GP was closed).
The GP took some further tests including ketones and sent me to hospital.
I was put on a drip to lower sugar levels which came down to 15. The also did an ECG and chest X rays both of which were clear.
Sent home with metformin tablets and a letter to my GP.
Obviously i am diabetic but i dont know if its 1 or 2 yet.
Couple of questions i want to ask the forum
1. I want to get a tester kit and need advice on which one and is there a kit that will test both sugar and ketone levels?
2.Any advice on diet. LOL I am Asian and love a good curry but realise this may not be good for me and advice would be greatly appreciated.
I am sorry for the long drawn out post.
Thanks in advance
Tariq
 
@LazyAce

Hello Tariq and welcome to the forum :) Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Hi,
Its official i have t2 diabetes. Have drastically changed my diet. No sugar, rice, bread chappatis lol all the things i like.
Tried cauliflower rice last night not a bad alternative, i can live with that.
Sugar levels are still high,11.1 this morning before breakfast but coming down from a high of 21.
Fingers crossed I am on the right track.
Tariq
 
Hi LazyAce,
I love a good curry too, luckily there's no need to stop enjoying those. - As you have realised, in order to manage blood sugar levels, you have to avoid the carbs. You are cottoning on quick and the results are already showing improvement. This is an excellent forum for understanding and tackling diabetes with a wealth of knowledge and experience from it's members. Good luck and carry on!!:)
 
LazyAce said:
Hi,
Its official i have t2 diabetes. Have drastically changed my diet. No sugar, rice, bread chappatis lol all the things i like.
Tried cauliflower rice last night not a bad alternative, i can live with that.
Sugar levels are still high,11.1 this morning before breakfast but coming down from a high of 21.
Fingers crossed I am on the right track.
Tariq
Click to expand...

Hi LazyAce. Good that you have got the confirmation of Diabetes. I assume you are still taking the Metformin? And hope you are starting to feel better in yourself now? Regards, William.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum @LazyAce ! I am Asian too, and apparently we do have a higher genetic probability of becoming diabetic. I like Asian food too, but have had to cut back on the carby rice and breads. Not to mention giving up completely the highly sugary Indian sweets :(, and tropical fruits.
You seem to understand what you need to be eating now, and I still eat curries and vegetable dishes and dhal, though in smaller amounts. Have you tried the Indian Pilau Cauli Rice? It's not bad, you can buy it from Waitrose for £1.99. Or you can make it yourself.
 
Hi Tariq. I too have just been diagnosed with T2 and, like you, am feeling my way through the dietary advice trying to find a good level. I wish you all the best :)
 
Hi welcome
No need to stop eating curry in fact there is a theory that spices especially turmeric help to bring BG levels down so have your curry with cauliflower rice and enjoy
 
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