New to the forum ! 5 years as a T2

takingbackcontrol2019 said:

Hello All

Five years after being diagnosed T2 (October 2013) I have finally signed up to this forum ! I have been badly managing (not at all managing) my diabetes for over a year and as such am now super poorly. My Drs are helping and of course I am working hard to help myself however I thought this would be a great community to be a part of to keep me on the right track and hopefully help keep me accountable.

I have had DKA twice due to bad diabetes management and my Doctors have today told me that I am likely to get very sick very quickly if I cant bring my sugar levels down (23.9 last night, 15.9 this morning)

So - hello !! I look forward to "meeting" you all and being part of this community

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Welcome. I’m a newbie with diagnosis so don’t feel I have the experience to offer advice yet but can definitely say you’ve come to the right place as this forum is amazing for help and support. Well done on such a positive step in taking control!

Hello and welcome to the forum. Tagging @daisy1 for the info pack offered to all newcomers. It is a fantastic info pack that Daisy will send shortly.

Be prepared for great advice and support here with every aspect of Diabetes and the better management of your health. Today is Day 1 and it only gets better!
May I ask what Diabetes meds you are on, please? Only answer if you are comfortable with doing so but the more details on meds (and current diet) then the more tailored advice members will be able to give.

Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like.

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you can't find the help and support you need on this forum, then you won't find it anywhere, so congratulations on joining us.

What sort of help are your doctors giving you? Those numbers are very high, as you know, so we will do all we can to send you in the right direction - which is most likely a completely new way of eating. Medication helps, but only alongside a suitable diet. Diet is the key.

I see from your profile you are taking Metformin and Linagliptin. Have you been on the Linagliptin for very long and how much do you take?

Welcome! Glad you have found this forum and good luck on your taking back control journey. There are lots of inspiring success stories on here, and friendly advice and support from people on pretty much anything!

Welcome to the forum @takingbackcontrol2019. It's good that you have a blood glucose meter. Do you test before and 2 hours after eating to see which foods spike your bg levels?

Welcome to the Forum, the best corner of the internet for getting control of your type 2. Have a good read round and ask anything that occurs to you. If you have a question that you want answered remember no question is silly.

Because your blood glucose is running so high my guess is that your nurse will want to either change your dosage, change your meds or prescribe insulin. My advice to you would be to read, read and read some more on what you can do to change your diet in an effort to bring down your levels as well as using the meds.
I would definitely tell the nurse of your planned changes as it is always good to get their support. Your priority is bringing down your levels only then would I start making slow and steady changes to diet, testing more often as you go. Remember, there are people who manage to come off insulin/drugs but they must do it in a measured way - no knee jerk reactions!

Keep asking questions, the more you learn the sooner you can start.

There are quite a few people on the forum who have had sucess on a low carb diet, and also those who have suceeded on the low calorie options - If your first choice is the low calorie, I would advise not eating high carb fruits or veges, as they can trigger huger - due to the release of insulin as a response to them - bananas are an option on the low calorie diet, which as a diet controlled type two I would not eat, there are far lower fruits, and I usually go for berries, frozen, and very thick cream.

Welcome @takingbackcontrol2019 Today is the first day...Don't wait to start making changes. The first change I would make is to start using that meter regularly every morning on waking and 2hours after eating. It will give you an idea of what different meals are doing to your bg levels. You may well find that it is not only the usual suspects - potatoes and veg that grow below ground - that spike your bg levels ( a rise of 2 or more shows that the meal had too many carbs); but also grain products so bread, pasta, crackers are all no-go for eating. It means that you are thrown back on dairy products such as cheese, eggs, cream and a little bacon to feel full. Breakfast is always difficult if you want a quick meal but I find a home made Greek-style yoghurt with a few berries is the answer and keeps me going until lunch. A 10 minute brisk walk also works wonders so go girl, get started and live up to your name!

takingbackcontrol2019 said:

Hello All

Five years after being diagnosed T2 (October 2013) I have finally signed up to this forum ! I have been badly managing (not at all managing) my diabetes for over a year and as such am now super poorly. My Drs are helping and of course I am working hard to help myself however I thought this would be a great community to be a part of to keep me on the right track and hopefully help keep me accountable.

I have had DKA twice due to bad diabetes management and my Doctors have today told me that I am likely to get very sick very quickly if I cant bring my sugar levels down (23.9 last night, 15.9 this morning)

So - hello !! I look forward to "meeting" you all and being part of this community

Click to expand...

Hi, welcome! Sounds like your docs are on the right track. Before the book comes in you could start cutting carbs some. (They're turned to glucose once ingested, and as T2's we can't process them back out). Carb heavy foods are bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, cereal, corn and most fruits, save berries, and underground veggies. Stuff that won't spike you are eggs, meat, fish, cheese, full fat greek yoghurt and double cream, nuts, seeds, leafy greens/above ground veggies, olives and extra dark chocolate. I'm probably forgetting stuff, but check dietdoctor.com for meal suggestions. That's it in a nutshell, but do test loads, as your bloodsugar might drop (don't know your meds). As for coming prepared for the talk, maybe make a list of questions, and be sure to ask for a print-out of your testresults. Gives you something to compare the next results with!

If you change your diet it is likely you can avoid insulin, and the above is just an example of the low carb/high fat diet, but there are others out there too. You've got options, just find sonething that works for you!
Good luck!
Jo

Hi. A couple of things. First do follow the low carb diet advice on these forums as most of us find it does help. Your sugars have been and are high. Can I ask what your BMI is to eliminate the possibility that you are T1 rather than T2. It's not very common for T2s to go into DKA but possible.

@takingbackcontrol2019

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.