New to diabetes and forums!!

cpea

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone, diagnosed with T2 earlier in the week. Blimey, what a shock; have lost 3 stone in the last year so thought my health should improve!

Have spent a lot of time on here but still a lot to figure out, not least how to post things!

I know I'll get something from @daisy1 because I've read others' :)

Looking forward to getting to know you. I will have A LOAD of questions!!

Cait x
 

Ultramum

Well-Known Member
Messages
840
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello :) it takes a while to find your way around and I'm sure I've posted stuff or questions in the wrong place but everyone is vey helpful
 
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Dairygrade

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Having diabetes
Hi cpeawelcome to our community only been on here a few weeks myself you've certainly come to the right place for advice so any questions ask away we will all try to help keep watching.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi everyone, diagnosed with T2 earlier in the week. Blimey, what a shock; have lost 3 stone in the last year so thought my health should improve!

Have spent a lot of time on here but still a lot to figure out, not least how to post things!

I know I'll get something from @daisy1 because I've read others' :)

Looking forward to getting to know you. I will have A LOAD of questions!!

Cait x

Hi and welcome,

Play around with the forum, try different navigation buttons, and keep an eye out for the little green flag in the top right corner as these are your alerts where you will find where people have replied to you. Nothing will explode if you press the wrong buttons. :)
 
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ickihun

Master
Messages
13,698
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies
Hi @cpea
Welcome to the community. I'm still learning and I've had diabetes for 40+yrs but only found this community fairly recently.
I've learned a lot and has definitely had me remember my past experiences with new wonder.
I've done the fasting, I done the bad diets and milkshakes but I'm still here.
I have other health problems too so thankful for my 46yrs. If diabetes is your only health problem and your newly diagnosed research states your future is very bright if you follow @daisy1 's info.
Well done for deciding to make changes to improve your prognosis. Enjoy!
 
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Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
*
Hi @cpea and welcome fro me too! It is a shock when you are told you are diabetic and does take a bit of time to take it all in.
Ask as many questions as you like, the people on here are friendly and supportive. Do you know what your HbA1c (blood sugar) level was on diagnosis? If not you need to find out from your GP surgery so you know where you are starting from.
 
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cpea

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Awh! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your replies. Right now trying to figure how to go between dodgy old iphone (on it right now and it's gone all mobile look on me and I'm trying to get my photo on and don't know how!), a really ancient work ipad and PC. My problem isn't diabetes so much as being right proper pants at social media!

However, I need this community and will keep trying! Thank you for your advice and support. So appreciated Cait x
 
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M

mist

Guest
Welcome to
Hi everyone, diagnosed with T2 earlier in the week. Blimey, what a shock; have lost 3 stone in the last year so thought my health should improve!

Have spent a lot of time on here but still a lot to figure out, not least how to post things!

I know I'll get something from @daisy1 because I've read others' :)

Looking forward to getting to know you. I will have A LOAD of questions!!

Cait x

Welcome to the world of posting. We are all here to help if you get stuck..;)
 
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cpea

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi @cpea
Welcome to the community. I'm still learning and I've had diabetes for 40+yrs but only found this community fairly recently.
I've learned a lot and has definitely had me remember my past experiences with new wonder.
I've done the fasting, I done the bad diets and milkshakes but I'm still here.
I have other health problems too so thankful for my 46yrs. If diabetes is your only health problem and your newly diagnosed research states your future is very bright if you follow @daisy1 's info.
Well done for deciding to make changes to improve your prognosis. Enjoy!
Hi @ickihun hope you're well...couldn't make someone I would see as 'ickihun' out of that fab photo! Glad you have 2 years on me (not that chronology matters). I have 'other issues' not related to any T2...or now I know I have T2 maybe they are! Sorry to hear you're going through more than that x
 
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Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
Hello @cpea and Welcome to the Forum :).
 

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,698
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies
Hi @ickihun hope you're well...couldn't make someone I would see as 'ickihun' out of that fab photo! Glad you have 2 years on me (not that chronology matters). I have 'other issues' not related to any T2...or now I know I have T2 maybe they are! Sorry to hear you're going through more than that x
You'll have your eyes opened on here but knowledge is power.
I'm sorry to hear you have other conditions. People have some brilliant knowledge of most things on here or they point you in the right direction.
My signature says it all. The biggest challenge is my new immobility. I'm finding it hard to accept as even though always been a big bird I've been very very active. Now my young kids need me I'm restricted. :( Never mind, I'll do what I normally do - fight! To get the best out of it. You?

Ps. Im the one in the leather jacket! ;)
 

AM1874

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,383
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Not much
Hi everyone, diagnosed with T2 earlier in the week. Blimey, what a shock; have lost 3 stone in the last year so thought my health should improve!

Have spent a lot of time on here but still a lot to figure out, not least how to post things!

I know I'll get something from @daisy1 because I've read others' :)

Looking forward to getting to know you. I will have A LOAD of questions!!

Cait x
Hi @cpea .. welcome
You have joined an extremely welcoming, informative and friendly forum .. ask your questions and you can be confident that you will get the answers that you need :)
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@cpea

Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information you were expecting and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to 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 well over 147,000 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 free 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.
  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why :)
  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 

Goonergal

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
13,466
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome @cpea As others have said, you've come to the right place. I'm fairly recent on here too and everyone has been very generous and helpful with their advice, so ask as many questions as you like. And well done on the weight loss.
 

coleyd

Well-Known Member
Messages
451
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hello. You will be glad you joined here its been amazing for me. I was diagnosed this month and it is a shock but you will get there. Low carb high fat diet is my advice xx
 
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