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Newly diagnosed

N

Nikkig

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Location
Wiltshire
I was diagnosed with type 2 last Friday - my doctor gave me a couple of books to read which I have digested fully! I purchased a BG monitor and the first test was 19 mmol/l today it was 9.7 mmol/l. I put the decrease down to no more than 50g of carbohydrate per day and an increase in exercise I am determined to fight this without drugs is there anything else I should try?
 
Sounds like you have made a good start Nikki. Out of interest, which books did the Doc suggest?
 
The surgery has it's own library and he produced 'Carbs and Cals' and 'Type 2 Diabetes - The First Year' . I now also have the Cals and Carbs app on my iPad as well which is useful when you a new to counting carbs.
 
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes two weeks ago, I am taking Metformin 500mg and Simvastatin 40mg. My blood glucose level after fasting was 10, whatever that means, I don't know what my HBAC1 result was. I feel so ignorant, I did not ask any of the questions I should have asked, I am not testing my glucose levels, I have seen the practise DSN, she weighed me, took my waist measurement, gave me a booklet to read, told me to make an appointment to have my eyes tested and said she would see me again in a month. One thing I did ask was why my urine smelt like pear drops, and she started to tell me about ketones, again I didn't understand. Since starting the medication I feel so much better, I have changed my diet and given up a smoking habit of 30 a day. Today I was seen by a dietician who congratulated me on my change of diet and told me I was doing everything right, but that is more to do with my son who is a personal trainer than the DSN or doctor. I just feel so confused, ill informed, should I be testing or shouldn't I?
 
alison m said:
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes two weeks ago, I am taking Metformin 500mg and Simvastatin 40mg. My blood glucose level after fasting was 10, whatever that means, I don't know what my HBAC1 result was. I feel so ignorant, I did not ask any of the questions I should have asked, I am not testing my glucose levels, I have seen the practise DSN, she weighed me, took my waist measurement, gave me a booklet to read, told me to make an appointment to have my eyes tested and said she would see me again in a month. One thing I did ask was why my urine smelt like pear drops, and she started to tell me about ketones, again I didn't understand. Since starting the medication I feel so much better, I have changed my diet and given up a smoking habit of 30 a day. Today I was seen by a dietician who congratulated me on my change of diet and told me I was doing everything right, but that is more to do with my son who is a personal trainer than the DSN or doctor. I just feel so confused, ill informed, should I be testing or shouldn't I?
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Hi there, I have found the BG monitor so valuable as it has allowed me to know exactly how I'm progressing especially when I compare it to the food diary. It simply means that I am in control of my health instead of being oblivious from one visit to the DN to the next! It will also help me to be able to have a meaningful conversation with my doctor and the nurse on my next visit because I will understand more about what they are talking about! :)
 
Hi Nikki and welcome to the forum :) In your quest for information, here is some more which might be useful to you - this is the information we give to new members. Ask all the questions you like - feel free to ask them here - as there is always someone to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS


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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.
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Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
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Hi I was diagnosed diabetic last week, i am managing with diet but my before breakfast test was 6.2 is this ok ? I had gestational diabetes in 4 pregnancies and was on insulin my last baby is now 4 years old and I have got it back I am 5 ft 7 and weigh 9 St 10 lb so am not over weight why would I have got it back ?
 
I have been monitoring my diabetes through diet and really trying to lose weight sort of successfully. I was then put on metformin 3 daily, and well get tired grumpy. I have being doing the Slim fast Diet with 2 shakes a day sometimes mixed with a banana, and frozen fruit which makes it thicker and a ready meal low fat and low sugar under 600 calories a day. Most of the time its okay as my problem in the past was snacking and this has seemed to work so far and have lost 22lbs in 4 weeks which has made me happy, and my Gp. I don't have a working stove and hob, so it has to be the ready meals at the moment, The reason for no stove as I recetly moved into a council flat and a fridge was important with other basics, have tried unsuccessfly getting one on a website called freecycle, I have had 2 but they wereb oth faulty.
My GP has never suggested in the past about glucose testing, I have had blood tests and that is the only time I had results, I am seeing the diabetic nurse this month, so hopefully she can tell me more about what I need to do and how. I really don't want to go on insilin ,tablets I take I can handle. I also don't want to be on this slimfast diet for ever. I don't have alot of money left out of my benefits to purchase foods hence the ready meals,and bills must come first. So any ideas about low fat meals not alot of ingrediants to be done in microwave. I just don't want to ruin my weight loss. debbiej
 
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