Newbie - diagnosed today

Hi,

I to was put straight onto med's after having an initial reading of 14. Since then i've just had my three month test, Hba or something like that, still new to all this also and that has came back as 6, and that has been with med's, exercise and a healthy diet. After just discovering this site mind you, i've now got to get my head round the carbs thing and how it will benefit my situation. So with me the med's have helped in keeping my bs to normal levels. You may find that on your next test that your levels maybe too low therefore they would reduce your dose or on the flip side they still maybe high, and increase it slightly.

I did get a meter straight away, although the doctor did say there was no need, i think because your bs is unlikely to drop to dangerous level on metformin, but still i wanted to know what affect things like exercise and food where having, so i could avoid certain things. Now i test probably twice a week 2 hours after dinner to make sure things are going the right way still. http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk is where i go to get my test strip, since only doing it twice a week, they last months and cost pence..nearly...but well worth it.

Keep smiling...

kaydee said:

full of regret and anger (at myself for getting myself into this bloody mess!).

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Don't beat yourself up about this - for lots of reasons. Whatever the media may tell you it's not your fault! Sure, weight, diet, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle are all big risk factors in type 2 diabetes, but risk is not the same as causality. Thin, active non-smokers get T2 diabetes too! Also age and genetics are at least as big risk factors, and there isn't much you can do about them. So, however bad your lifestyle was you might have got diabetes anyway - you can never know, so there isn't much point in having regrets.

Second thing, is that although I know that it can be horrible when it is all new to you and scary, once you get on top of it then it really isn't so bad. It means you need to be a bit more careful about diet and exercise, and there are a few foods that will have to become very rare treats - but that isn't such a big deal.

Another thing, although it sounds trite - you really could be a lot worse off. If you are going to have a major incurable disease, then T2 diabetes is pretty much the incurable disease of choice to have! It is almost unique in so far as your fate is very much in your own hands. If you manage the condition effectively, then you really should be no worse off than anyone else the horrible complications all come when it isn't kept under control. With most diseases your fate tends to be to a much greater extent either in the hands of other people, or else down to blind luck.

Lastly, there are bright sides to diabetes. It will almost certainly force you to live a more healthy lifestyle, and the benefits of that are enormous. Many people have vague resolutions to start exercising regularly and eating properly some time soon (I know I did before I was diagnosed), but soon never comes. Diabetes forces you to seriously take stock of your life, and make these changes - and the benefits of doing that are profound. Personally, I am fitter and feeling better than I have done for 20 years, and I very much doubt that I would have done that had it not been for the diabetes.

In short, think positive thoughts - it isn't all bad!

Halle Berry has T1!

DiabeticGeek what an excellent post

Karen

Hi Kaydee,

You don't need to wait till you go to the hospital for a retinopathy check. Many high street opticians will do this for you. It is a good idea as you can never be sure how long you've had diabetes for but not known about it.

The BNF advocate a low carb/low calorie diet first with drugs added after a decent three months trial of that including exercise. The ADA (American Diabetes Association) however advocate metformin straight from diagnosis. Some old and new studies show clear long term benefits to putting type twos on insulin straight away to allow some beta cell recovery. This is not done as a matter of practice however either side of the pond (yet).

There is hardly ever a completely correct or wrong way to do anything regarding diabetes management.