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Recently diagnosed

S

SharonScipio

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi. My name is Sharon and I have just been diagnosed earlier this week. At present the doctor can't confirm whether I have either type 1 or 2 diabetes. I do have features of type 1 but other factors make it difficult to confirm this. So I have been put on Metformin which will increase in dosage over the next three weeks, then I will have to have another blood test to look at my numbers again. Not easy living with this uncertainty!
 
Oh what a worry I was diagnosed Type 2 eight weeks ago and that was bad enough, without the added uncertainty of it perhaps being Type 1. But try not to be too concerned, I'll tag in @daisy1 who will provide lots of useful links for you. There'll also be plenty of advise and support from others more experienced with diabetes too.
 
Hello @SharonScipio and Welcome to the Forum . Just ask questions and there will always be someone to answer.
 
Hi @SharonScipio .. and welcome
Whatever your ultimate diagnosis, you have certainly made a good move coming here .. since joining this forum the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It's still early for me but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

Managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your Blood Glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..

I see that @Rachox has already tagged @ daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. and the following Diet Doctor websites ...
Low Carb Intro and Information
Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

It is a top priority that you get yourself a test meter and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 (you don't pay VAT) or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them. Unless you are prescribed test strips by your doctor (unlikely), the costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them
Hope this helps
 
@SharonScipio

Hello Sharon and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able 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 245,000 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 free 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.
  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children
 
 
 
Hi everyone
Thank you ever so much for your advice. I will look at the links that you posted and am sure it will help a great deal. I have been looking for meters to test blood glucose level, so will look at the ones you suggested first. Thanks again
 

Hi. Just looked at "Low carbs in 60 seconds" and now totally confused about the fact that fruit needs to be limited after reading on several other websites that most fruit is fine. Is this only when you want to get your blood sugar levels stabilised quickly or does it have to be a way of life from now on?
 
Fingers crossed with diagnosis.
 

What features of type 1 do you think you have? Another hba1c (which is what another blood test to look at number again would be) isn't going to do anything to assist in determining what type of diabetes.

The things that would be "features of type 1" on diagnosis would be blood sugar levels over 30 and ketones present. These are things that would get you straight to hospital from your GP and commenced on insulin. If it's possible or likely that it's type 1 they won't be farting around with metformin and follow up blood tests, they will just be starting you on insulin. Because delay in commencing insulin treatment can result in death.

If there is a query over type of diabetes, because you are unable to control blood sugar with diet exercise and oral medication, then the tests that assist in determining type of diabetes would be a cpeptide test to see if you are producing any insulin and a GAD test to see if you have the antibodies associated with autoimmune type 1 diabetes.
 
Hi @SharonScipio ..
Fruit contains sugar (fructose) and it is sugar that you need to avoid .. or at least cut down. Having said that, different fruits contain different amounts of sugar so choice is the key, rather than no fruit. The chart on this Healthy Eating website may help you in making your choices (note: the website is American but the message is universal)
You are trying to stabilise and/or reduce your blood glucose levels .. while all the sugar and carbohydrates (which converts to sugar in your body) that you eat are increasing them. It's also the case that everybody's individual tolerance for fruit is different and it's only by trying and testing that you will be able to etablish what works for you. Whether or not this becomes a way of life is, again, your choice.
For me, LCHF is not a diet that I am following for a particular reason, or a particular period of time .. it is the lifestyle that I have chosen to manage and control my diabetes
Hope this helps
 
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