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Newly diagnosed

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brianbatts

Member
Messages
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I was a diet controlled diabetic for about 10 years,however this year around july i was attending hospital for an unrelated condition,and as a matter of routine i was given a B.G test,the nurse performing the test,gave a whoop of suprise,and i asked her what was the matter,she told me my B.G level was 19.7.SHE NEVER FOLLOWED THIS UP,or gave me advise to see my G.P.

I did however order a B.G meter for me to self test,and this was supplied by the N.H.S,and it was to be collected at the Primary Health Centre at my home town.On arrival the nurse who had the B.G Meter was going to give me a demonstration,so this was performed,and the nurse went white when the meter read H1 meaning my blood-sugar level was in orbit,also she took a Ketones test,that was high also.

After months of loosing 2 1/2 stone in weight,and not knowing why,i was rushed into hospital were they put me on insulin,i am 67 nearly 68,i left the hospital with my B.G level still around 24,a bag of insulin pens,and limited backup,my contact with a diabetic nurse is once or twice a week,once a week lately,were i give her the numbers,and she gives me the units,i dont know anything about carbs,and insulin,all i know is i am brassed off,and feel totaly lost. my contact to the nurse is by telephone.
 
Good grief :shock: .. and welcome to the forum.

It does make me hot under the collar when a medical person obviously knows something is wrong but does naff all about it :twisted:

I hope you gain good control soon and I suggest you get to your GP and ask for an urgent referral to the nearest endocrinologist as soon as is possible as it is obvious your DN is not producing the desired results.
 
Welcome to the Forum, Brian.

Your story unfortunately is all too familiar on this forum, told to follow a 'healthy' diet but with no formal information or blood testing equipment to help you. I'm glad you now have a blood glucose monitor to help you see just how the foods you eat affect your blood glucose levels.

Although you are not a 'new ' diabetic I will post the information that Ken and I give to the newly diagnosed in the hope that some of the information will help you.

You will get a lot of help and support on here from fellow diabetics so just ask any questions you want.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed Diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, Diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy Carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of Insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause Insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting Carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total Carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a Diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the Nurse/Doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own Diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l........(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals....... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Sue/Ken.
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Hello Brian and welcome to the forum :) We are all here to help you find the information you may need and to give you moral support :)
 
Many thanks guys n gals,i find your advice is a breath of fresh air,and i can see a light at the other end of this tunnel i am traveling,i know i will find all the advice i need on here,wish me luck as i am attending the hospital today to talk to the specialist,the first time in weeks. :)
 
Here is some advice that may help when you attend any Clinic.

The first visit to the diabetic clinic or GP/HCP is often very confusing. You have just been diagnosed and everything is rather scary as you have had very little information so far.

Here are a few questions you can ask.


What can I do to control it, diet, medication ?

Appointments to see dietician, podiatrist, retinal screening.

Test meter /strips.

Test results and what do they mean ? Get a print-out of the results for your own records.

Who will I be seeing the nurse or GP ? If I have problem can I see either of you ?

Are there any courses I can attend, DESMOND for Type 2, DAFNE for Type 1's ? Any other Diabetes Education classes available.

How often do I get blood tests, Hba1c/Cholesterol/full lipid panel.. Should be every 3 months initially till in control.

Take a notebook with you and write down what you are told. If the doctor/nurse says things that you do not understand then ask them to explain it so that you can write it down.

This is your condition, your diabetes, you should be encouraged to take part in the treatment that you will be getting, not dictated to.

If you find that the doctor/nurse is unsympathetic then we suggest you find out which doctor in the practice is good with diabetes. Some doctors have a special interest in certain subjects, it’s worth finding this out.

Ken / Sue
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Well i seen the specialist,and his advice was that because its early days the important thing is getting the b.g stable,i can see that most food stuffs are a no go area,so i will be cutting them out,(thank god for stew,with no pots)....I asked the specialist if it was the insulin that was causing me night time sweats,this happens while i am asleep,and i wake up all wet cold with sweat literly dripping of me,i have to wipe myself down with a towel,and dry my clothes.
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The specialist could not say what the sweats were,he said it was not the insulin,and because i test to see if my b.g is low at these times i find the b.g is around 7.0 so its a mystery what it might be,these sweats started in the hospital after coming of the insulin drip,so its still a mystery,The thing is i aint getting half the sleep i should be getting,as the sweats start around 11.30 (yes i am an early to bed type,around 10 pm. i retire as i have always done.

Any info about night sweats would be greatfully recieved,thanks folks.
 
Excessive sweating is a symptom of a hypo.......now, if your levels have been running much higher previously it could simply be that now your body is telling you that you are dropping too low, even though in fact you aren't ! This is what is termed a 'False Hypo' where you end up getting the symptoms........but not really having a hypo.

Hopefully, if this is the case once your levels have been running at lower levels for a while it should subside.

However, it is also a case that excessive sweating can also be due to many things, some not Diabetes related. Keep checking Bg when this happens and if it continues discuss with the GP.
 
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