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Shannon

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I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about a month ago. I am still coming to terms with it. I have told my mum and brother. Mainly because after telling my brother, he pressurised me into telling mum. I have other medical conditions as well. Apart from a very good friend at work, I feel very alone. At home it is like my mum is watching everything I eat like a hawk. Weightwatcher meals are flying in like they are going out of fashion. It is nice that they want to look after me and everything, but I just want them to stop and let me figure this one out on my own. Has anyone had a similar experience? If so please could you advise me on the best way to get them to back off?

Thanks

Chris
 
Chris,

I am sure they all mean well, just be polite and ask them for some space to get your head round all the information you need to take in, but will keep them all informed of your progress in due course.

In the meantime, have a good read of the forum and any questions fire away, there are more than enough type 2's on this forum who will happily answer your questions.

Nigel
 
In diabetes you need to watch how many carbs you eat as in the advice below. WeightWatcher meals are usually quite high in carbs so always read the packages. I know this may be difficult to explain to your well meaning mum but it could be a learning process for your both so that you can begin to take control of your diabetes.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the affect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

Sue/Ken.
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Hi to all new members thay are very good and answer your questions and put you at ease if you can control your diet your half way their and metaforman can make some people feel sick its just the side effect from the metaforman but it should wear off.
 
Hi Chris,

I'm new to all this, diagnosed couple of days ago. My other half is obviously very worried and so I got him to read comments on this site as he felt he couldn't do anything and started fussing.

If it helps, try putting the boot on the other foot and think about if it were you Mum who had been diagnosed, sometimes this does help see the other side and you might get a clue on how to deal with her then.

Hope some of this helps as there's certainly enough to take on board without having to battle the relatives too :roll:

Griffy.
 
Hi Shannon and welcome. :)

Your mum is obviously worried and trying to do her best but unfortunately it isn't as simple as eating weightwatcher meals - if only it was! :roll: The advice Sue has posted is just what you need to do so do share it with your mum and tell her that you are working on it and then hopefully she will let you get on with it.

Let us know how things go. :)
 
Shannon welcome to the forum! :D

I had real issues telling my mother-she is also a practice nurse (though not in the Cotswolds). They worry a lot anyway and I dealt with it by not discussing it until I had accepted the condition first. Now I have a superbly supportive mum who is able to give me loads of good advice which is an absolute result.

I watched this forum for a long time before jumping on board. Its great and I hope you will get some answers to your questions.
 
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