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debrasue
Guest
Hi, @Tanis - Wow! you're looking good for 70!! I'm only a few years behind you at 63 - care to share any tips?
Anyway, let me reassure you that I'm pretty sure you're not about to drop down dead! Look at it this way; you are in pretty much the same state of health as you were a few weeks ago, yet now you have a diagnosis of diabetes. You didn't drop down dead a few weeks ago, before you knew you had it, and you're not going to now.
The best thing you could do for today is to read the information which Daisy1 will send you, and ask any questions you need to. There will always be someone on the forums to offer some friendly support.
You'll notice that I have answered your post in a different thread from the one in which we were originally posting, which is specifically intended for members to record their fasting blood glucose readings. It makes it simpler to find the information we need if it's contained in a specific thread. Browse the various forums and you'll see what I mean. Feel free to join in any of the discussions - you'll find we're a friendly bunch!
You obviously already have a testing kit, and that's going to be the most useful weapon in your armoury against diabetes in the early stages. If you test before a meal and then again 2 hours afterwards, you'll soon start to see which foods cause your blood sugar levels to spike and which you can easily tolerate.
Many of us, myself included, have adopted the LCHF (low carb, high fat) approach. Carbohydrates in things like bread (any bread), rice, pasta, root vegetables and flour, cause blood glucose levels to rise almost as fast as refined sugar itself, and the LCHF programme here on the forum can teach you how to manage this, if you choose to go down this route. The high fat part of the plan acts as a substitute for high carbs, enabling you to feel fuller for longer without any BG spikes. (Forget everything you've ever learned about low fat dieting!) If it all sounds rather daunting, don't worry - you'll find there are lots of tasty substitutes for high-carb foods.
I'm sorry to hear about your FMS, but let me reassure you that although diabetes may be for life, you'll find it a whole lot easier to manage and live with than fibromyalgia! And yes, retirement IS wonderful - I've been doing it for 4 years now and it's been the best time of my life, despite the diabetes!
Big, fat hugs xx