Newly diagnosed

Concerned or comforted? Personally I'd go for irritated (if not irate), myself. Does give you time to read up, learn about the condition, what to do, how to tackle it, and what questions to ask when you do see your GP.

Couple of things you can do right off the bat: Get yourself a glucose meter. You can't do anything about your bloodsugars if you don't know what's going on there. Secondly, read. A lot. In books (Dr. Jason Fung's Diabetes Code is especially informative), and on the internet (www.dietdoctor.com and this forum's website). And maybe my own little blog thing: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ It's a load of information to take in, but you've got time to implement changes, if that is what you want.

You'll probably be told, in about a month's time, that diabetes is a progressive disease. And it is. If you rely entirely on medication to control it. If you add a lifestyle change into the mix, you could actually "reverse" the diabetes: you'd still be diabetic, but mainly complication-free. So you have options: Medication only, a mix of medication and diet, or diet-only. Find out what would work for you. We're all different, with different needs, not just as far as diabetes goes but also with the demands of our daily lives. Take a moment to learn, and figure out what would work for you. A meter will help you do that.

Good luck, and if you have any questions, shoot.
Jo

Welcome to the forum @Issma. I think it means you do not have a dangerously high blood glucose level or you would be called in immediately, or told to go to A&E.

It would be useful to know your HbA1c test result which gives your blood glucose level. I suggest you ring your GP surgery to ask for the figure, you can request a printout of the test results which also gives a lot of other useful information. You can also request online access to your medical test results from the surgery, though some surgeries require you to complete a consent form.
When you know your HbA1c result people on here can give you more advice.

I am assuming your surgery have diagnosed you as Type 2, rather than Type 1 diabetic, though you do need to confirm that as although Type 1 is generally diagnosed as a child or young adult, it can occur later in life.
Type 2s on this forum have found that adopting a Low Carbohydrate High Fat (lchf) approach to eating has reduced their blood glucose levels. Have a read round the threads to see how this works and ask any questions you want to. The people on here are friendly and supportive and you will get a lot of good advice.

Hi and welcome,

@JoKalsbeek is right. You need to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can about diabetes, and that starts with your own diabetes. You need a blood glucose meter (we can show you how to use one to get the best knowledge out of it) and you also need to know what your blood glucose levels were that brought you the diagnosis. You can do this by ringing the surgery and asking for a print out of the test results. This will show which tests you had and what the levels were. It will also show the results of any other blood tests that were done, particularly cholesterol and lipids (HDL/LDL and triglycerides), plus liver and kidney functions. All these are important for us. The receptionist should be able to do this print out for you. They will show you where you are starting from, and how much you need to do to improve matters. You are entitled to these print outs. Knowing all this information about yourself before you see your GP will forearm you, and give you chance to ask questions on here, and do some research. Also, if you live in England, your surgery may have put the blood test results on-line as they are supposed to do. You can ask about this and how to register for the service.

Have a wonder round the forums, and ask as many questions as you wish. What better place is there - we are all diabetics of one sort or another with a vast amount of experience in controlling this condition. Meanwhile, I'm tagging @daisy1 for her informative intro post. Do have a good read of it.

I was diagnosed November 2017, not seen until the new year. Best thing to happen to me. I was able to research, make dietary changes. By the time I was seen, I was armed with enough information to participate in the meeting. I still knew next to nothing in the grand scheme of things. Always get printouts of your test results for your own records.

I am very new to this, i went to the gp yesterday and had my first blood test (28.8)
I gather this is quite bad and have been told to goto hospital asap
im going in the morning. on a scale 1 to ******
how bad is this going to be ?
ive been told it will be a 'bank of blood tests'
is it just an arm full or a full transfusion?
dont worry just wanted to vent a bit and this seemed like a good place

Edited by moderator to remove profanity.

It will be a couple of tubes full, probably - half a eggcup full at the most.
Drink some water and don't eat anything with carbs if you are going to delay going to hospital - but get help if you start to feel unwell, as that is quite a high reading.

thanks for the advice, i hate needles so i think i can cope with that amount
every one keeps saying 'carbs'
and dont put on weight
im losing weight really fast ? like 5 stone ?
i think im peeing it out
is this just an early diabetic thing or am i an anommily?
i guess it wont matter as A+E will sort me out tomorrow
with some pills and friends have said i will be back to normal in no time

Welcome to the forum @NingaAnon. We aren't doctors and can't diagnose you. But the hospital will probably do more tests to determine what sort of diabetic you are. With a bg level of 28.8 and losing weight it might be you are Type 1.
T1s are more usually diagnosed at a young age, or early adulthood, but at 51 it is possible you might be 'Late Onset' T1.
If you are diagnosed as T1 you will be prescribed insulin.
Good luck with the A&E. Let us know how you get on. There are both T1s and T2s on here who can give you any advice you want.

@Issma sorry to hear you have to wait, it’s a sign of how busy the NHS, but they would have acted quicker if your numbers were very high.

@NingaAnon have you been seen yet? Your case sound more pressing right now.

Issma said:

Trying not to stress about it, I agree with you if it was bad I'd have had and earlier appointment.

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Use the time to do some research, make a list of questions that you would like to ask the nurse. Take a look at the Forum here and the success stories. Ask questions here too. Welcome aboard.

@Issma
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.


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 600,000 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.

NingaAnon said:

thanks for the advice, i hate needles so i think i can cope with that amount
every one keeps saying 'carbs'
and dont put on weight
im losing weight really fast ? like 5 stone ?
i think im peeing it out
is this just an early diabetic thing or am i an anommily?
i guess it wont matter as A+E will sort me out tomorrow
with some pills and friends have said i will be back to normal in no time

Click to expand...

NingaAnon said:

thanks for the advice, i hate needles so i think i can cope with that amount
every one keeps saying 'carbs'
and dont put on weight
im losing weight really fast ? like 5 stone ?
i think im peeing it out
is this just an early diabetic thing or am i an anommily?
i guess it wont matter as A+E will sort me out tomorrow
with some pills and friends have said i will be back to normal in no time

Click to expand...

There's a difference between T1 and T2. To put it really simply, and I'll probably get told off for oversimplifying, with T1 you don't produce insulin anymore and have to take it through injections or a pump, because you really do need insulin to live. With T2 you make a whole lot of insulin, but are insensitive to it. That can be tackled with pills and/or a diet change. (T2's can end up on insulin too, but it takes a while for it to get that bad.) So treatment varies wildly between those two. The hospital will check your blood for glucose and ketones and a bunch of other things, like kidney and liver function, cholesterol, and hopefully they'll do a C-peptide and GAD test to check whether you're a T1 or T2. (request the test if possible). It's just a couple of tubes, not a pint bag.
Keep your chin up. Whatever happens next, there's people in this place who know what's what and they can help you. Just make sure you ask for print-outs of all your testresults. You really want to know where you're starting from.

Good luck, and I'll keep you in my thoughts. These are scary times, but you're not alone: we've all been there in some form or another: T1, T2, Lada, Mody, T3c... And we're still breathing. You will too.
Jo

Hello , well further to my previous post, i went to the GP and tested bloods of 28.8 and was told to goto the A+E

i went along to the hospital for the blood test there and instead of 2 hrs it turned into 2 days
I was not happy
I have type 2 and now have bloods of 10.2 -12.4
I couldnt stand being there any more after today so stampped my foot a bit and got the doctors
to actually prescribe me insulin (setting12) and metformin both twice a day.

thankyou guys for the support you gave me, i guess this is a life change I will have to make
(acccept the smoking, im keeping that for sanity purposes!)

this illness sucks a fat one. good luck to anyone reading this. take it more seriously than i did and get yourself checked out
at the earliest oppertunity.

Hi @NingaAnon did they do tests to diagnose you were type 2? A high reading with such a large weight loss plus 2 days in hospital and then giving you insulin. Sounds a little strange to me.

becca59 said:

Hi @NingaAnon did they do tests to diagnose you were type 2? A high reading with such a large weight loss plus 2 days in hospital and then giving you insulin. Sounds a little strange to me.

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lol i had all sorts of tests , including a chest xray, i can hardly feel my fingers as they pricked me every 45 mins
to be fair I left hospital a little earlier than i perhapes should have. I told the docs i was leaving today regardless.
I had just had enough of it all.
so rather than letting me just discharge myself they prescribed the pen and pills and sharps box and sent me on my way
to an out patients appointment tomorrow at the diabetic clinic.
ive got to get a blood sugar meter and a whole lot of advice leaflets.
I still feel like ****, and can no longer eat virtually anything in the house
but at least im home stoned and a **** site happier.
(I read on google it has health benefits for this condition)

Issma said:

Hi all am new to this, got a call from the GP surgery after a routine blood test telling me that I have diabetes and giving me an appointment for over a month's time. Should I be concerned or comforted that I'm not being seen earlier. Thanks in advance

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Issma said:

Hi all am new to this, got a call from the GP surgery after a routine blood test telling me that I have diabetes and giving me an appointment for over a month's time. Should I be concerned or comforted that I'm not being seen earlier. Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

Hi Issma .
Sorry about you diagnosis.
I am only getting my levels under control again recently as I have a lot of other problems along with D .
One thing I can say is I am eating health food I never would of even looked at before diagnosis.
Might sound stupid, but maybe in the long run it was a Good thing I now am a type 2.
Otherwise I would still lightly be overweight, putting junk food in my system and been treated for God knows what else
I sincerely wish you well on your onward journey .