What can I expect t...

[Buddyshaz]

Hi my fasting blood test came back 17.3. Receptionist at doc told me that is very high. I have six on Thursday but going expecting to be T2...gutted and overwhelmed with it all but also a bit relieved as past few months hardly sleep, thirsty, blurred vision and extremely tired. What can I expect on Thursday will I get tablets? What can I do to help right away? And can this ever be reversed or have u screwed myself pernamently? Just want to hide in a corner just now

 

[Deleted Account]

I can't comment on what to expect for a t2.
However, I would focus on the relief of knowing what is wrong and causing the sleep depravation, blurred vision, thirst, etc. Now you know you can do something about it.
Each year, I celebrate the day I was diagnosed with diabetes. This is not the day I got diabetes: if I knew the day my body decided to start killing the cells that produce insulin, I would not want to remember it. But the day I was diagnosed is a good day. If I was not diagnosed, I would not be here to celebrate.

 

[AM1874]

Hi @Buddyshaz .. and welcome
Your blood sugar reading is certainly on the high side and with that, combined with yout other symptoms, I suspect you may be correct in assuming a diagnosis of diabetes. Whatever the outcome, though, 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 can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

There is a lot of conflicting and sometimes confusing information around .. but the key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes (or pre-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 ..

For your future information, I have tagged @daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the valuable material that she will soon be sending you. I think that you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need about carb levels and about what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

Unless you are prescribed a test meter and strips by your Doc (unlikely), it is a priority that you get yourself one 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 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.

The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available

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

 

[Buddyshaz]

I can't comment on what to expect for a t2.
However, I would focus on the relief of knowing what is wrong and causing the sleep depravation, blurred vision, thirst, etc. Now you know you can do something about it.
Each year, I celebrate the day I was diagnosed with diabetes. This is not the day I got diabetes: if I knew the day my body decided to start killing the cells that produce insulin, I would not want to remember it. But the day I was diagnosed is a good day. If I was not diagnosed, I would not be here to celebrate.

Hi thanks for this. I didn't realise how serious it wAs until I started reading this weekend. Really scared me but reading some posts on here has made me realise with effort and support I will manage. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Buddyshaz]

Hi @Buddyshaz .. and welcome
Your blood sugar reading is certainly on the high side and with that, combined with yout other symptoms, I suspect you may be correct in assuming a diagnosis of diabetes. Whatever the outcome, though, 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 can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

There is a lot of conflicting and sometimes confusing information around .. but the key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes (or pre-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 ..

For your future information, I have tagged @daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the valuable material that she will soon be sending you. I think that you might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need about carb levels and about what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

Unless you are prescribed a test meter and strips by your Doc (unlikely), it is a priority that you get yourself one 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 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.

The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available

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

Hi this has given me loads to start on which is good as I am a bit overwhelmed just now...thanks very much for taking the time to put all of this down it is very much appreciated.

 

[Resurgam]

I had a blood glucose of 17.1 - not fasting though, and in 6 months eating low carb foods I got normal readings.
Diabetes is serious, but only if you allow it to be. Change your diet and there doesn't seem to be huge problems - my main aggravation at the moment is being ignored as a diabetic other than to be pressured to go back onto statins.

 

[Buddyshaz]

I had a blood glucose of 17.1 - not fasting though, and in 6 months eating low carb foods I got normal readings.
Diabetes is serious, but only if you allow it to be. Change your diet and there doesn't seem to be huge problems - my main aggravation at the moment is being ignored as a diabetic other than to be pressured to go back onto statins.

Thanks. 6 months wow that's amazing... need to re think the kitchen cupboard

 

[daisy1]

@Buddyshaz

Hello Buddyshaz 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 250,000 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 with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[Resurgam]

Thanks. 6 months wow that's amazing... need to re think the kitchen cupboard

It was a bit of a shock, I had thought it would take a year - but I read all the information about correcting blood glucose in Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution decades ago and was perfectly confident that it was possible. It is just a pity that it has been ignored for so long as a means to set aside type 2 diabetes problems.

 

[Bluetit1802]

What can I expect on Thursday will I get tablets?

If your surgery follows the UK guidelines:

you will be allocated a diabetes nurse. You should be given full blood tests that will include an HbA1c (a test that averages blood glucose over the previous 2 to 3 months - the fasting glucose test is just a snap shot of what it is at the time). It should also include a cholesterol test that includes the lipids (HDL/LDL/Triglycerides), kidney and liver functions, and a full blood count.
When you have these tests it is IMPORTANT you ask for print outs of the results or ask if your surgery puts test results on-line and how to register for this.

you should receive some basic dietary guidance, but if that is the NHS line of eat carbs with every meal, then feel free to ignore it. (for your own sake)

You should have a foot check for pulse and sensitivity. Either your nurse or a podiatrist will do this. These checks are annual.

Blood pressure checks, height and weight checks.

You should be referred for retinal eye screening once a year.

You should be reviewed again in 3 months

If medication is considered it will most likely be Metformin, but could be another drug. You may be given the chance to go without medication for 3 months, using diet and exercise only, which would be reviewed in 3 months. You may also be pushed in to having statins. Do your research on these first!

 

[Buddyshaz]

Is statins not good then? I've never even heard of them will look up today..thanks

 

[Buddyshaz]

@Buddyshaz

Hello Buddyshaz 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 250,000 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 with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

Thanks for this loads for me to look in to. It all seems so complicated but I suppose when o get my head round it it will become easier.

 

[PenfoldAPD]

Hi my fasting blood test came back 17.3. Receptionist at doc told me that is very high. I have six on Thursday but going expecting to be T2...gutted and overwhelmed with it all but also a bit relieved as past few months hardly sleep, thirsty, blurred vision and extremely tired. What can I expect on Thursday will I get tablets? What can I do to help right away? And can this ever be reversed or have u screwed myself pernamently? Just want to hide in a corner just now

Welcome to the forum. Please don't despair, many of us thought the same thing - but with effort it can be manageable.

I was diagnosed Jan 2016, found this forum immediately- started low carbing - and came off my Metformin after 4 months. Exercise is also a good contributor to keeping it under control, I swim 30 minutes each morning.

Now the blurred vision, thick head etc no longer happen when my BG level is good.

There are lots of super helpful people here, please ask any questions you want - someone has already been there! Best of luck.