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lyn hathawy

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hi i discovered yesterday that i have type 2 diabetes. i dont know what my initial reactions and thoughts were whilst talking to the practise nurse because having been told i was to have a 45 min appointment with her id a strong feeling she was going to tell me the bad news.
i felt shocked and couldnt ask any questions i was just trying to digest what she was telling me ie about how i was to have to make lifestyle changes straight away to help me manage this illness, and of the hospital appointment i was going to have to go to for my eyes checking ,also about the diabetic education sessions i have been invited to attend .i am going straight onto metaformin as well as dietry.
once home and having read the leaflets i was given ,talking to my two daughters (thats nurses) the seriousness of how my life HAS to change and immediatley has hit me like a ton of bricks although i tried to keep my emotions to myself whilst they were here.
having not had too bad a nights sleep ive woken today to be very weepy and if im truthful a i am scared of the fact i am now in this situation.is this a normal reaction at this time when its newly diagnosed.?
ive started last evening with the diet part ie no sugar in my drinks and ive been careful on what ive eaten .im sure when i get somemore advice from the sessions im going to be going to i might feel a little different but my thoughts at this moment is can i cope .sorry for going on a bit
 
Hi Lyn. We all find it a bit devastating at first but it does get easier I promise. It's not as bad as it first sounds, and if you approach it in the right way it needn't change things too much. Daisy will be along with a good post for newly diagnosed people soon, but meanwhile here's a link in case she's not around for a while.
viewtopic.php?nomobile=1&f=20&t=17088
Do follow the guidelines, they will see you right. Meantime, ask anything you want. Nothing is silly. Welcome to our club!
 
Hi Lyn and welcome to the forum.

It is normal to feel overwhelmed at the beginning but it will get easier. Grazer is right and always gives good advice. From my own experience, diabetes diagnosis actually turned out to be a good thing. It forced me to change my lifestyle for the better, to eat healthier, to lose weight and to look after my body (especially feet). You will find alot of people have posted of the benefits.

It will all seem doom and gloom at the moment but once you get into it you will feel alot better. I can't remember the last time I felt as physically good as I do now.

My advice is stay positive, cut the carbs, test 2hrs after meals and come onto this forum as much as possible. Every day will be a learning day to start with. Ask as many questions as you want. You will always gets loads support and good advice.

Good luck with it
 
hi grazier many thanks for your welcome .i have read the page daisy puts on and i found it most interesting .im sure once i get my head round things i will manage i have to .i am going to follow guidelines and when i have my sessions im hoping i will have questions for them, and i will as you say ask on this forum theres no better way really for answers as they come from people thats affected by it .thanks again
 
thanks chocoholicnomore i am trying to look on the positive side ie healthy eating and losing wait ect and im sure ill be better when i know whats what with things.when you say test every two hours should they have given me a machine for doing my bloods ? or do i have to purchase one myself.my daughters thought i should have one due to taking the metformin .im takin one a day this week two next week then three a day after that so they assume i need one to check .
i was thinkin they might do that when i see the diabetes team for the sessions
 
Lyn, you may be lucky and certainly should ask, but a lot of surgeries won't give you a meter unless you're on "hypo" inducing drugs, which metformin isn't. You can still get a free meter easy enough - the manufacturers make theironry from the testing strips you have to buy to go with them. As mentioned by Helena, abbot will give you one as will Bayer. You can phone Bayer on 0845 600 6030. You'll normally get a small initial supply of strips from them as well. Strips are pricey though, so see if the doc will prescribe them- unlikely, but again worth a go!
 
Meant to say Lyn, if you get strips, use them constructively in a a planned way to get the most benefit. The idea is to see how you react to different foods. So eat, test 2 hours later, and if above 8.5 initially, you know there's something you shouldn't hVe eaten. Like too many starchy carbs! As time goes by, and your levels settle down, you'll be aiming for lower than that figure. Test with different types of meals at different times, and make notes you can refer back to later. Good luck!
 
hi grazer thanks for your comments which i will note.
ive been on the metformin for 8 days now and touch wood had no problems .ive religously had 3 meals a day (which im not used to ) and cut out sugars in my drinks.went to be active group on tuesday and ive lost 3.6 kilos in weight. i was over the moon and its made me more determined to carry on with the 3 meals a day routine.
not been to the education sessions as yet dont know how long before i get an appointment so just learning all the time from this site.
not bought meter reader yet as my pharmacist told me to wait while id been to see diabetes team.feelin much better now than i did so waiting to go there before i do anything else
 
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