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Newly diagnosed

Babs1957

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Other
Hi, I am just 58 and was diagnosed with Type 2 in December. I was mid way through a 4 week chest infection that just wouldn't go. I was introduced to my diabetic nurse for 10 minutes and was placed on Metformin tablets. I asked to see her end January as I'd been unwell twice more with a cold and sore throat. I was put on Forxiga tablets also and saw the nurse for all of 3 minutes! I had to ask to speak to a dietician. Since end January, I've had flu, throat and ear infection and again is week, another cold with a fever of 38.5. Each time I've been unwell,my temperature has been high. I saw the nurse yesterday for 8 minutes! and seems my sugar levels are under control. I was dismissed about being unwell so many times, 6 in all since January. I don't feel supported, I am so tired and weak all the time and haven't cried so much with the frustration of it all. Is this normal to feel like this at the beginning?
I should add that I've never used a forum so not sure how this really works.....and on my I-pad, so not that good.
Would appreciate any advice .....thank you
 
@Babs1957

Hello Babs and welcome to the forum :)

Yes, it's depressing at first but you have plenty of people supporting you here. All you need to do is post, telling us your problems, asking questions, etc. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful.


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 over 140,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Thank you for that....at is the most help I've had. I am waiting to see a dietician who I hope will also advise. I did ask for a blood/sugar monitor but was told no. I just thought it might be useful until I'm more comfortable with it
 
A warm welcome to the forum Babs, don't worry about never using a forum before, if you struggle to find your way around the site just speak up and ask, there's always someone around who will help.

As for a bg meter, some type 2's use the SD Codefree which is cheap to purchase and the test strips are extremely cheap compared to other makes.
 
Hi Babs. Yes it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions in the beginning. But you get used to it with time. Good to see you've already got your blood sugars under control. Excellent start.

I'm a T1 myself but you will find a lot of people here to offer help and support with any T2 issues.
 
Testing really is essential as it will help you to find out which foods are good for you and which are less good. Many members on here have to buy their own testing kit themselves. The best one to get is the SD Codefree as the strips are the cheapest. Some members who have bought them will be able to give you a code to get them cheaper when they see this. Hope this helps.
 
Thank you all for your help amd welcome to the group. I might look into getting that SD Codefree..... I think i will feel a little reassured and find out what/if anything pushes my levels up.
I need to get off here for s bit, thanks again x
 
Hi @Babs1957 and welcome to the forum.

There are some video guides to help you post,

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/forum-beginners-video-guides.51729/

Being emotional about a diagnosis is quite normal. You are having normal reaction to an abnormal situation and it can be described as a grieving process as you are grieving for the life you had. You will find that once you get to grips with diabetes you will feel healthier and happier. Take each day as it comes and accept that some days will be better than others. Stress, illness, other conditions, exercise or lack of are some of the factors that affect our blood sugars and sometimes we get a rogue reading that we cannot explain but it might be something simple like not washing our hands before testing or a faulty strip..

This article describes the emotions that we go through at diagnosis.
http://www.diabetesexplained.com/the-five-stages-of-grief.html
 
I'm afraid most T2s have to buy there own meter and you should certainly do that. Be very wary of an NHS, or in fact most dieticians, as they usually haven't a clue about the right diet for diabetics. Read the diet advice on these forums from people who actually have diabetes and the experience of what works and use this info in preference to the dietician if needed. This means a low-carb diet and you can eat protein, veg an fats fairly freely.
 
I was diagnosed t2 in January by a nurse, told to lose weight (i did not want tablets as I an only 42) put me on a course ( not till June) and come back in three months. I felt very alone until I joined this forum best thing I have done so far. I have stopped eating sugar and cut the carbs. I too have had the flu then a cold, sore throat, runny nose and just want to sleep. The thing is to remember you are not alone.
 
All your comments have been very helpful. It is reassuring to know my emotions are a normal thing..... I was starting to feel i had lost the old fun loving me! I guess i need more patience.
Thanks for the link, i will definitely look at that x
 
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