Scared

[Deenal]

Hi, I have found out today I will be diagnosed with diabetes by nurse, I have an appointment on Saturday but this has literally terrified me and shocked me. My blood sugar was 20 and I know I am overweight. Does anyone have any advice will I need to take tablets or can I control this without. I know I am overweight and have lost 1.5 stones so far and have started regularly at the gym. Any advice would be great. Thank you

 

[NewTD2]

Please read this -

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods#foodlist

 

[Deenal]

Thank you

 

[Kittycat_7_]

Hi,
The nurse may let you control by diet, well done for losing weight. 20 is very high, so medication may be started as well.
What was your HbA1c?
Good luck

 

[Guzzler]

I will tag @daisy1 who will post an info pack for you. It is full of very useful advice and links to help you understand Diabetes.
Being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes scared the bejesus out of me but with the help and support from members here I was soon taking control of my condition and seeing the benefits almost immediately.
Have a wander around the forum, it will surprise you! Good luck.

 

[Phoenix55]

Welcome to the forum. It is a shock for most people to be diagnosed, it is what you do after the diagnosis that makes the difference. Some people will accept that 'it is part of getting older' and take the medication they are given, others will try to control by diet and exercise. You have already made a start by losing weight and working out at the gym. The trick is to find a way of eating that you can stick to for good so that the weight does not creep back on. I found that monitoring my blood sugars two hours after meals helped me to realise the foods that I could not longer tolerate and by taking my body measurements as I was losing weight it helped me to see that although the weight loss had stopped for a couple of weeks my body was still losing inches. Remember that it is long term, but you will soon feel much better and healthier. Good luck

 

[pleinster]

Hi,
The nurse may let you control by diet, well done for losing weight. 20 is very high, so medication may be started as well.
What was your HbA1c?
Good luck

I think "let" is maybe a bit passive. It's your body, @Deenal ...so no-one has to "let" you do anything; they diagnose you, advise you, perhaps prescribe meds...you decide. I totally get what @Kittycat_7_ is saying here...20 is high and you may well me given medication. My blood sugar was over 20 on diagnosis and I was prescribed medication but, in retrospect, had I know then what I do now...I would have chosen to try control through diet alone first before seeing if meds were required. Like may Type 2s (which you may/may not be), I control my levels well on a low carb diet without meds. That said, you may wish to try the meds to get that number down to something more reasonable - we all differ. The 20 figure sounds like a one off test...possibly. The HbA1c tells you the average over the preceding 3 months and is much more accurate than a simple meter reading which tests purely at that time. If you are diagnosed Type 2, I suggest you consider purchasing a meter (you are very unlikely to be prescribed one, and nurse often advise that you don't need to or shouldn't - HIGHLY DEBATABLE) and test yourself before and 2 hours after eating to see what difference particular foods make to your levels. It is a good idea to record the foods beside the levels too. Read around the site and ask questions...and look at low carb diets and form your own opinion. Being informed is more than half the battle. Good luck.

 

[daisy1]

@Deenal

Hello Deenal 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 want and someone will 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 235,000 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are 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 with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

 

[Deenal]

Thank you everyone for your comments

I really appreciate it and will take this all on board

 

[Resurgam]

Don't focus too much on your weight.
Others might - but when I got below diabetes levels at a test done 80 days after diagnosis and had not lost more than a couple of pounds the diabetes education team were baffled as to the mechanism - even though they knew I was eating low carb there was still that firmly entrenched idea of weight being a strong factor in the development of diabetes.
You can get hold of a glucose testing meter - one with low cost test strips is the best as it means you are not concerned about doing tests as required rather than what you can afford. If you are a type two, and are lucky, then removing carbohydrate dense foods will give you control over your blood glucose. Keeping to normal levels of BG seems to encourage weight loss - I am down over 40lb, but that is a side effect of my metabolism coming back to where it should be rather than fighting against a tide of carbohydrate it can't cope with.

 

[Lauriem1967]

Hi, it’s totally normal to be scared. I was also very scared, I even argue with the doctor after she told me I had diabetes. It was a:

doc“You have diabetes”,

Me: “No I don’t”

Doc: “yes, you do”

Me: forcefully “no, I dont!”

That went on for a few rounds until it sunk in and I felt defeated.

She prescribed me a metre and strips and when I went home and took my blood sugar levels I saw that they were high, I felt like my body betrayed me, defeated.

I decided that I was going to take this in stride and im so thankful that I found out before things went really bad.

I went home and researched everything I could, I think I hit the bottom of the Internet! LOL.

I was diagnosed December 15, 2017, so, just four weeks ago. I’m finding out it’s a very needy and time consuming disorder, but it’s do-able if you can take your thoughts away from the fear. I focused on educating myself as much as I could, and that helped me a lot.

We’re in this together, you’re not alone. Keep asking questions we’re always going to be here to help you answer them and help support you.

Let us know how you’re doing.

 

[Resurgam]

A year from diagnosis, if you are lucky - like me - take your dietary needs seriously - accept that there is no 'naughty' option - though murmuring a few thankful phrases when you check your meter and see the average figures dropping each week might not come amiss - then diabetes will not be all that relevant, its impact on your life will be reduced to the time it takes for the occasional check and appointment at the clinic.
Yes, other people will be eating other people foods - but your own food will be doing you good - it will be keeping your metabolism running as it should - just as a petrol engine cannot run on diesel fuel a T2 diabetic just doesn't work on a high carb diet. Not a flaw or defect, just a simple fact. If you can accept that and work with it then before long it is not even as significant as having an allergy.

 

[Deenal]

Hi, it’s totally normal to be scared. I was also very scared, I even argue with the doctor after she told me I had diabetes. It was a:

doc“You have diabetes”,

Me: “No I don’t”

Doc: “yes, you do”

Me: forcefully “no, I dont!”

That went on for a few rounds until it sunk in and I felt defeated.

She prescribed me a metre and strips and when I went home and took my blood sugar levels I saw that they were high, I felt like my body betrayed me, defeated.

I decided that I was going to take this in stride and im so thankful that I found out before things went really bad.

I went home and researched everything I could, I think I hit the bottom of the Internet! LOL.

I was diagnosed December 15, 2017, so, just four weeks ago. I’m finding out it’s a very needy and time consuming disorder, but it’s do-able if you can take your thoughts away from the fear. I focused on educating myself as much as I could, and that helped me a lot.

We’re in this together, you’re not alone. Keep asking questions we’re always going to be here to help you answer them and help support you.

Let us know how you’re doing.

Thank you, I was sent to the hospital on Saturday as my keytones were high but the diabetes specialist nothing to worry about.

My sugars have dropped now to 12 and I am on a lchf diet. I have started metformin, however I am still thinking is this the right thing to do.

Hope all goes well for you x

 

[Deenal]

A year from diagnosis, if you are lucky - like me - take your dietary needs seriously - accept that there is no 'naughty' option - though murmuring a few thankful phrases when you check your meter and see the average figures dropping each week might not come amiss - then diabetes will not be all that relevant, its impact on your life will be reduced to the time it takes for the occasional check and appointment at the clinic.
Yes, other people will be eating other people foods - but your own food will be doing you good - it will be keeping your metabolism running as it should - just as a petrol engine cannot run on diesel fuel a T2 diabetic just doesn't work on a high carb diet. Not a flaw or defect, just a simple fact. If you can accept that and work with it then before long it is not even as significant as having an allergy.

Thank you it’s probably harder for me as I also have an underactive thyroid, I’m a lot more positive and even though both my parents have diabetes it was still a shock.

I am focused and will not give up and hopefully I will have this in control very soon

Thank you x

 

[Resurgam]

Thank you it’s probably harder for me as I also have an underactive thyroid, I’m a lot more positive and even though both my parents have diabetes it was still a shock.

I am focused and will not give up and hopefully I will have this in control very soon

Thank you x

I have a totally defunct thryroid - I take replacement hormone tablets and all is well. I get an annual check now, as it is a long time since I was diagnosed with that. It also has no impact on my life. I am very lucky.