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So confused please help

S

Snarley

Newbie
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2
Male 45 Diagnosed Type 2 Dec 09.
Metformin 1000mg, Simvastatin.

Recent review shows High reading and Glucose in urine..
In food I look for low sugar / carbs but Carbohydrates are in the healthy food which turns into glucose then I have Glucose in urine. So I try and eat healthy but I am still damaging myself. Advised to eat wholemeal, pasta etc, yet it is high in carbs. ? Fruit, eat lots of fruit they say, yet at my diabetic review I am told be careful not to eat too much fruit as it contains natural sugars !!!

What the hell do I eat??? It is all becoming too much hassle.

Blurred vision, not all the time but enough to be a problem, especially night driving.

Irritable !!! really really bad, cant bear to even look in the mirror, I am awful. I will be sacked soon, I am unbearable at work.

What do I need to do? the doctors advise against a blood reading meter for Type 2, but I am obviously not getting it right.
 
hya and welcome,
im not a type 2 but will try to help till one comes along, the only real way to manage your diabetes is to test blood sugar levels, there seems to be a massive difference in what drs believe, some give type 2 diabetics test strips with no hesitation,others dont...
i would get a monitor and basically see what foods do what to your bloods, some type 2,s can tolerate some carbs, some none at all, u can buy a monitor or if u get in touch with some companies many will send u a free one..if your g.p wont supply test strips they can be bought online cheaper than in most shops, you need to test before a meal and 2hrs after to see what effect your food is having,
obviously if that doesnt help then there are more meds you can be given.
it isnt the end of the world and with the help of others you will soon be feeling better, good on you for wanting to take control...many dont
amanda :)
 
Hi Snarley,

Definately get a meter and test after meals - that's the only way to know for sure what food affects you in what way. It also helped me a lot with portion control especially of carbs - if something tested too high I tested again next time after eating less of it, until eventually I got to an amount that didn't go too high.

I notice in your post that you are testing your urine - my understanding is that urine shows a reflection of how your BG levels were in your blood approx 3 hours earlier and the urine strips don't register until your levels are somewhere above 10.

Good luck and try not to stress...
 
Advice that you don't need a meter as you have type 2 is WRONG. A meter is essential, especially for newly diagnosed, to allow you to test before and 2 hours after each meal to determine which foods increase your levels and to what extent. This may involve testing after breakfast lunch and dinner for seven days in a row, don't forget weekend food may differ widely from mon-fri, to ensure you work fully through all the food stuffs you eat.

Fruit is good for everyone regardless of type 2 or not BUT, diabetics should not eat unlimited portions per day due to the natural sugar.

Because of how carbs break down, glucose content, it is still possible never to eat another sugary food but still have high levels. Again, your ESSENTIAL blood test meter will educate you to what foods should be eaten, when is the best time for that food type, with what other food types and maximum portion size etc. There is no book in existence that you can refer to for this information as it is specific to you. Unfortunately, in some ways, you are on your own for this one but keep at it and within 10 weeks you will be an expert on "The Healthy Diet for Snarley"

Meter and reading strips are free on NHS. I have read that some practices in the UK put patients off getting them to keep costs down and if they do give you a meter they advise that you only test once or twice per week. Well, it is your basic human right to have one, free, and indeed use as many strips as needed, six per day initially to test foods is not overuse, to put you in control of your condition. I only test twice per week now but more if I feel unwell or visit the gym and fell a bit strange.

I was diagnosed type 2 five months ago just by chance when a nurse came to our company to offer health checks. Perfect blood pressure, bmi and cholesterol but blood at 19.

All started from there and while my diabetic nurse is great the path before me required me to do the research. My surgery is in Belfast, I was offered a meter, free, on my first visit and have never been refused test strips when I have called the doctors for a repeat prescription.

PS
I have renamed the condition to Livelongabetes.

So go a live. Long

Best Regards
Alistair
 
Agree with what's gone before. I would add , don't assume that your doctor won't give you a meter. I did and went and bought one. Then when I told my DN that I wanted to monitor my eating, she gave me a meter and repeat prescription immediately :lol:
When it comes to eating think simple at first. As you learn more, you can get more creative but what I did was to cut out totally bread, rice, pasta and potatoes and stuck to protein ( meat and fish ) and vegetables and salad. 2 portions of fruit a day shouldn't cause you to much grief. Don't worry about fat content at first either. Eat high fat rather than high carbs. You can sort that out later when you get more control . Greek yoghurt is a great help when you need something comforting and creamy :D
Good luck! I promise you it gets better if you work at it. 6 months down the line, I feel much less confused and more in control.
 
Hi Snarley, your story is not unique and its common to be given conflicting information regarding diabetic care, some doctors are brilliant some, sadly are not so pro active and many people are just told to go away and eat a healthy diet!!!! What ever that is :D

The good news is that you have found your way here and there is lots of information here to help you control your diabetes.

There is a sticky link in "Greetings and Introductions" called Basic Information for Newly Diagnosed Diabetics All the information to get you started down the road to control is there..

Oh and BTW, welcome to the forum, you too Alistiar :D
 
Hi snarley.
Please igonre your doctor not wanting you to test, it is vital. And I found taht asthough my practice nurse didn't want me to test, when I pushed it they gave in to strips. I had bought my own meter but it was not dear as the manufactorues make their profit on the strips, so they make sure the machines are reasonably priced. Having said that many maunfactures will send you a meter if you ask as they want to get their profit on the strips.

Blurred vision and bad temper are signs, for me, that my BG is way too high, so get testing.

Check your fruits individually as some are much worse that others for the BG, I cannot touch oranges for example, but like many others find some berries are ok.

Pasta, even wholemeal, has drastic effects on my BG levels too, I can't touch it.

You will find out what your body will and won't toerate and you will soon get into it, being proactive is the way to get control of this, don't leave your control to the helath care proffessionals, you are the expert in your own body.
 
Thank you for your help, I will be pushy and get a meter on my next review, Nov 5th. I will let you all know how I get on. In the meantime I will do lots of reading on these excellent forums.

Snarley.
 
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