Newly Diagnosed Today

Hello and welcome!

It is a long learning curve, one that never ends if I'm honest, but the sooner you start the better informed you will be and the more able to control matters. Yes, T2 diabetes can be put in remission. Some will tell you it is a progressive disease, but these people are wrong. You are doing the right thing by wanting to learn.

The main website (from the Home page) is a whole library of information, so I suggest you start there and click on all the many links. You can also ask as many questions on this forum as you like.

Firstly I will tag @daisy1 for her introductory post, which has a lot of excellent stuff in it.

Secondly, make sure you get the results of all your blood tests. You can either ask for a print out (you are entitled to these) or you can ask if your surgery puts test results on line and how to register for this. (Applies only in England)

Thirdly, get hold of your own blood glucose meter. You will find this is your best friend and an essential tool.

Good luck and keep posting.

Thank goodness for your freind! Aye, there's plenty to learn but you do not have to learn it all in a week, the first thing you have to learn is that you can do an awful lot to take control of your health and turn things around so there are no more annoying loo breaks and fatigue levels return to normal.

You may not beleive this right now but some members say that the diagnosis is a blessing in disguise as the changes that have to be made have such a great impact on your quality of life. Keep reading and keep learning, it's all good.

Hi @BJB335 , and welcome.

T2, well, yeah... It's a biggy. But there's so very much you yourself can do to get control of it; you have a say in this, how it's treated, what your next move is.

First off, yeah, at 20+ you wouldn't feel any different than usual, because this *is* your version of usual. I think if you hit a bloodglucose level of 5 or so, you'd start to feel as if you're having a hypo (It's called a false hypo; when your body is so used to high levels, it freaks when you hit what would be considered actually healthy.). If your body is used to high numbers, you don't feel off, aside from chronic fatigue, blurry vision and the like. And as you get your bloodsugarlevels under control, your eyesight will change again too. There's glucose floating around in your eyeball, and it's distorting your vision some. So once your levels drop, the distortion'll change again too. Could well be you'll be back to your old perscription in a little while. For the moment, don't get new glasses... Don't go shopping for those until your levels stabilise and have been for a month or so. (In the meantime, cheap reading glasses might tide you over. I still have mine. ).

So, T2. Basically you're having problems getting glucose processed back out of your body. Insulin normally does that, and your pancreas is making HEAPS of the stuff. But you've become insulin-resistant; it just doesn't do its job very well anymore. As practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested (so not just sugars, but starches too), the most logical step then, is to lower your carb intake. That means cutting out bread (and anything made with oats/grain), potatoes, rice, cereals, pasta and fruit. (Save for berries, avocado's and tomatoes, those are okay). That sounds like a huge chunk of foods, but there's still meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, butter, full fat greek yoghurt, above-ground veggies/leafy greens, extra dark chocolate, that sort of thing. Bacon is actually your new best friend. Seriously. Carbs are one of three macro-nutrients, and when you cut one, you up the others: Fats and protein. That way you don't become deficient in minerals and vitamins, (malnourished), and you get to feel full in the process.

Do yourself a favor and get a meter. It'll tell you what your body's up to, and whether the measures you're taking work for you. If you test before a meal and 2 hours after the first bite, you shouldn't go up more than 2.0 mml/l. Otherwise the meal was carbier than you could handle. (A food diary helps too). And if you're shopping anyway, pick up some books by Dr. Jason Fung. Guy's brilliant.

Other than that, well... You choose. Some people life their lives without any changes at all, save for medication. That is a personal choice, but if you don't change something in your diet as well, then T2 is a progressive disease and you will need more meds along the line, possibly ending with insulin. (And that's fine, if that's your choice. But it does mean more risks of complications). Then there's both meds and a low carb, high fat diet or ketogenic diet, (with or without Intermittent Fasting) which can work perfectly fine. Or you go diet-only, if that's possible, but you won't know until you try it, really. I was off the meds (and statins) 3 months after diagnosis, dropped 25 kilo's over the course of 2 years, improved my fatty-liver disease, food intolerances, rheumatism, high cholesterol and anxiety just by changing how and what I eat. For me, at the moment, meals can look like this:

Scrambled eggs with bacon, cheese, maybe mushrooms or tomatoes. (A high meat content sausage or two wouldn't go amiss either). Omelet with cream, erythritol (sweetener) and cinnamon, with a side of berries and coconut shavings. Leafy greens with a can of tuna (in oil, not brine), mayo, capers, olives and avocado. Or leafy greens with softened goats cheese and a nice vinaigrette. Meat or fish with cauliflower- or broccoli rice with bacon, cheese and whatever herbs tickle me fancy. Snacks? Olives, extra dark chocolate (Lindt 85% or higher is good), cheese, eggs, cold cuts, pork scratchings.... I'm not very adventurous in the kitchen, but www.dietdoctor.com has a load of recepies that work perfectly for T2's, and won't spike your bloodsugars. I used to put 5 sugars in my tea... I don't miss the sweet stuff anywhere near as much as I thought I would. Palettes change. And the last time I ate something sweet, it was nausiating, haha.

Word of warning: IF you do go the diet route, with numbers that high to come down from, you're likely to get carb- or keto-flu. And it really does feel like the flu. Everything aches, from muscles and joints to your head. But thats your body detoxing, and probably getting a little dehydrated: carbs hold on to fluids, and you'll lose a lot of waterweight in a few days, peeing like there's no tomorrow. With all the wee, you lose a lot of salt as well, so make sure you stay hydrated with things like bone broth or coconut milk, loads of electrolytes in that. It'll last anywhere from a day or two to two weeks, but once its over, you'll feel like a new person. I wasn't able to do much of anything just before diagnosis. My legs wouldn't support my weight out of the blue, and I'd face-plant as my knees buckled. Now I go for long walks every weekend with camera gear on my back and shoulders, 25 kilo's lighter than I was. I'm healthier now than I ever was, and complication free.

I'm still a hot mess, but one who gets to enjoy life a little again. Good luck on your journey!
Jo

Welcome! You have a long journey ahead, but the destination is rosey!

Before you do anything else, read The Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung. It should be prescribed to all newly diagnosed type 2 patients.

BJB335 said:

Hi all. Ive just had the phone call from my doctor after having bloods taken yesterday. Im getting a mixed range of emotions from people saying "oh my god im sorry" to "aah its ok its reversible" to which im left feeling confused and uneducated. I guess thats what my new patient appointment will be next Friday but i thought i would join this forum to try and understand what im dealing with prior to the appointment.

I was telling a friend that im using the toilet more frequently than normal and feeling a lot more thirsty. My eyesight had deteriorated considerably over the last 18months and that i was tired.....a lot. He prompted me to do a test on his meter as he thought it sounded like diabetes. So 4 days ago I did a test 3 hours after my lunch and it read 26.7. He gasped and said thay was really high which i laughed off nervously as i didnt feel any different.

I did another test at my dads house 3 hours later so 6 hours after food and drink and got 10.8 which he thought was high also.

The next day i carried out a test after fasting for 12 hours and git 16.8 so thought it would be a good idea to ring the doctors. I managed to get an appointment late afternoon and had another test which was 10.1, 5 hours after food. This promted the doctor to call for a blood sample to be taken the next day (yesterday) which turned out to be 14.2 afyer fasting.

Obviously i need to develop some education avout these different levels as i dont really understand what happens when its high as i feel normal.

Its all a bit new to me and im not sure how i feel about the diagnosis, whether i should be worried or whether its "reversible" or whether i now need to completely change what i eat and drink etc.

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Hi there, has your Doctor diagnosed which type you are yet? I presented as you did with very high readings, the Doc (almost as an afterthought) did a ketone test, that was high and off to hospital I went. Long story short, they diagnosed me with type 1. I would just say at this stage, be very vigilant, if the Dr is saying 'oh it can be reversed' then I guess he is thinking type 2 BUT at such an early stage (and in the absence of knowing anything else he has told you or info on your circumstances) then it's probably an educated guess. They will obviously do more tests at your appointment but I am always wary of newly diagnosed diabetics left to their own devices in the first few days sort of in between diagnoses because some conditions can come upon you fast. x

KK123 said:

Hi there, has your Doctor diagnosed which type you are yet? I presented as you did with very high readings, the Doc (almost as an afterthought) did a ketone test, that was high and off to hospital I went. Long story short, they diagnosed me with type 1. I would just say at this stage, be very vigilant, if the Dr is saying 'oh it can be reversed' then I guess he is thinking type 2 BUT at such an early stage (and in the absence of knowing anything else he has told you or info on your circumstances) then it's probably an educated guess. They will obviously do more tests at your appointment but I am always wary of newly diagnosed diabetics left to their own devices in the first few days sort of in between diagnoses because some conditions can come upon you fast. x

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Very good point. I jumped the gun and presumed type 2.

At this point in time, it does not necessarily look as if the Op is Type 2. There are more tests to be done before that can be assumed

KK123 said:

Hi there, has your Doctor diagnosed which type you are yet? I presented as you did with very high readings, the Doc (almost as an afterthought) did a ketone test, that was high and off to hospital I went. Long story short, they diagnosed me with type 1. I would just say at this stage, be very vigilant, if the Dr is saying 'oh it can be reversed' then I guess he is thinking type 2 BUT at such an early stage (and in the absence of knowing anything else he has told you or info on your circumstances) then it's probably an educated guess. They will obviously do more tests at your appointment but I am always wary of newly diagnosed diabetics left to their own devices in the first few days sort of in between diagnoses because some conditions can come upon you fast. x

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Great minds think alike! Our posts crossed

Jim Lahey said:

Very good point. I jumped the gun and presumed type 2.

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Hi Jim, no worries, the poster seems to have been 'told' type 2 but because I went through a rigmarole, when I see these posts I always get a bit anxious!!! It's a disgrace when people are sent away like this and wait for an appointment that can be days away, without any instructions in the meantime. I went a whole weekend after the Doc said come back Monday having tested me as in the 16's on the Friday and declared 'definitely type 2' despite not having ANY of the so called 'usual' traits of type 2 other than age...on that Monday the Dr went into a panic when he decided to check my ketones! I felt perfectly ok throughout and wondered why he was fussing until the hospital informed me I was practically in DKA. x

I was going to say the same regarding type, @BJB335 you're early 30's so it could easily be either, if you're slightly over weigh the Doc is most likely going to assume it's T2, if you've lost a bit of weight without trying recently or your BMI is within normal range then I'd push them to do more blood tests to determine which type you are (and before anyone else says anything yes I know you can be slim and still T2 )

Also don’t make assumptions about weight indicating type 2. It’s surprisingly common for type 2s to present without any signs of obesity. I’m just one of many. I weigh more now than when diagnosed

Welcome to the forum @BJB335. It is a shock when you get that diagnosis and most of us go through a whole range of emotional responses. It does take a bit of time to get your head around it all. But you have done well in finding this forum, you will get a lot of good advice and support on here.

I agree with the others who suggest you should ask your gp for further tests to find out if you might be Type 1. You give your age as 33 and doctors often assume that if a newly diagnosed diabetic is not a child/young person they must be T2.