Newly diagnosed and a bit overwhelmed

[MrsJ1971]

Hi I was diagnosed last week with type 2 and struggling. My HbA1c was 43 two years ago so told I was pre-diabetic and didn’t want to hear it so went off on honeymoon and came back and Covid hit so didn’t follow up. Went for routine bloods after a chest infection in Feb and was told HbA1c is now 103 so as the doctor said I am a “rip roaring diabetic”. Doctor was concerned about how my levels have doubled in just 2 years so sending me for a CT scan on my pancreas to rule out pancreatic cancer which has terrified me further. On top of that my LFT’s are off so only prescribed right now 1 x 500mg of Metformin until my liver is checked by the CT scan too. My blood sugars range from about 8.5 to 12.5 right now but just feel I am in some sort of limbo as doctor said I should really be taking more Metformin but they don’t want to make my liver worse if there is a problem. On top of that just so much advice about what to eat or what not to eat. I am scared to eat anything! I am overweight at 19 stone and have just had my 50th birthday so need some serious lifestyle changes. Guess I have to wait until I have this CT scan to move forward with a proper plan.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @MrsJ1971 and welcome!

Diagnosis is a difficult time and it sounds like you’re going through a rough ride.

The good news is you’re in the right place for advice and support. My own diagnosis wasn’t too much of a shock - I’d had my head in the sand for years and went to the doctor with a nasty abscess that wouldn’t heal suspecting what the outcome would be.

My HbA1c was 108, so a little higher than yours. That was a bit over 5 years ago and my HbA1c as been at non-diabetic levels for over 4 years. That was achieved through diet alone, namely going very low in carbohydrates - ditched all bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and starchy veg. It wasn’t easy at first but now I love the way of eating, feel much healthier for it, have lost a lot of weight and am free of chronic migraines.

A good place to start is the dietdoctor.com website which has lots of information, recipes and meal plans. There are some paid options but unless you particularly want to pay, all the information you need is available for free. A short summary would be to eat real, unprocessed single ingredient foods at the lower end of the carbohydrate scale, so meat, fish, eggs, some dairy and above ground vegetables.

On the rapid climb of your HbA1c, I don’t think it’s that uncommon for that to happen over a year or two once your body has decided it can’t cope with any more carbs things go downhill pretty quickly. Needing to have a scan must be worrying but try not to let it stress you too much - that won’t help with your blood sugars.

In your shoes I’d start changing what I eat as soon as possible - it won’t harm whatever the outcome and might help you feel a little more on top of the situation.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I agree you should reduce the carbs in your diet and see how your blood sugar responds. Don't expect big changes with the Metformin; GPs tend to rely on it too much for miracle results but it does help. There are other drugs if needed.