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Two weeks since diagnosis.

CarolineAA

CarolineAA

Newbie
Messages
4
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello I was diagnosed with type two diabetes two weeks ago. I was quick shocked when I found out but I also have under active thyroid and also been put on tablets three weeks ago for high blood pressure. My thyroid levels have been all over the place for six months and then the blood pressure so I was tested for a few things including blood sugar it came back high so my doctor sent me for the glugose tolarance test which confirmed diabetes.

I started researching online and came across this forum which has been very useful too me. On the day of my diagnosis I ask the doctor do I need to test my glugose levels at home and she said only if you drive or feel unwell but speak to the diabetes nurse about it. The doctor fitted me in to see the nurse that same morning who done a couple of checks on my feet etc... i ask about testing at home she said you dont really need too but some people like too and that was it she then referred me to the desmond course which is booked for the start of April as that is the soonest they had a space.

I came home upset shocked and of course emotional my husband said dont worry we will get through this. He decided to buy me a blood glugose meter and I started self testing last weekend I felt strange my blood glugose had gone down to 1.7 and after some lucozade was still low for a few hours. Anyway they came okay again and last night I had a reading of 10 which concerned me. I had a doctors appt today and spoke to her about it she said i could have a meter but said go to the nurse she will give me one.

The nurse was moaning about giving it too me and I told her well the doctor said I could have one and she perscribed 200 lancets and 50 strips and give me a sharps bin. I know I have a meter already but i pretended I borrowed from a friend as I wanted to see if they would give me a meter to have a spare one and also see if I could get some strips on perscription. I am not happy with things the diabetes nurse said to me and I will telll the doctor this. She told me only to test my glugose once a week unless I am unwell so she said the strips will last you a long time. But anyway I have been testing everyday and glad I did so I can see what effects me I intend to use my own meter until I run out of strips and then use the one given to me today and then see if the doctor is happy to perscribe more strips as she was more than happy to give me the meter but it was unfortunate the nurse is the one is charge of giving them out even though the doctor told her too as I read my notes on the computer screen lol.

I feel I was treated like a child by the nurse and I am not happy to see her because even if she prints out a perscription for strips or anything the doctor has to sign it so feel it is better to go direct to the doctor. I have no problem buying strips etc... but do feel we should be entitled to some on the nhs.
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Anyway sorry for the long story and just to say thank you to this forum as I feel I have had so much info that the nurse could never have given me. I have been put off attending the desmond course by some comments on here but the doctor said today yes it is a good course so maybe I will go for it. I am on metformin 500mg twice day.
 
Hi Welcome

You did well to get a meter!

I think everyone who is willing to use a meter should have one. Only by measuring your levels will you know how well you are doing. Or not

Loads of us have had nutty nurses give us useless advice, I'm sure my cat could do a better job than some.

If you have been lurking around the forum then you may have seen Daisy's information for new members.


If you have any questions please ask. We are a (mostly) friendly and helpful bunch

Cara
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi, CarolineAA, and welcome!:)

Sounds as if you are experiencing the frustration of having to deal with the sometime highly annoying medical establishment, but, its good that you ended up here. It's also good that your other concerns, such as thyroid issues and BP, alerted you to the Diabetes condition. From what I've read, and personally experienced, these are often ailments related to Diabetes, as are podiatry concerns.

Hang around and you will get plenty of support from some lovely people. For me its been almost a month since my T2 DB diagnosis, and I am really feeling much better, this forum having been a major factor in my increasingly good health.

See 'ya 'round the site!
 
carraway said:
Hi Welcome

You did well to get a meter! Loads of us have had nutty nurses give us useless advice, I'm sure my cat could do a better job than some.

I think everyone who is willing to use one should have one. Only by measuring your levels will you know how well you are doing. Or not

If you have been lurking around the forum then you may have seen Daisy's information for new members.


If you have any questions please ask. We are a (mostly) friendly and helpful bunch

Cara
Click to expand...


Hi Caroline and welcome to the forum:)

Here is the information which Cara mentioned just in case you haven't already seen it. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 70,000 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 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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