well i got the results of my latest hba1c this eve at half 6, its gone up from 45mmols in april which was me non diabetic apparently,,,,, up to 68mmols now :-( i have an apt tomoro at 12 where i am guessing i will told i am now diabetic so whats next? is it likely they will want me testing? ( i do have equip here but only becasue i had gd 2 years ago and because my eldest is a type 1 but obv i cant go on forver pinching her test strips) am i likely to go on tablets or insulin? im guessing im going to be told to loose weight and i plan to do that and also to try hard to go low carb..........anyone shed any light or do i just need to go see what nurse says tomoro...... feeling a bit lost but full of optimism at doing my best to either controle or get rid of it! x
where on earth do i start?
- Thread starter jessie01
- Start Date
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
Hi Jessie and welcome to the forum 
Try not to worry too much and just wait and see what the nurse has to say tomorrow. In the meantime here is the information we give to new members which should help you. Ask all the questions you need to after having seen the nurse and someone will always be here to answer you.
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 30,000 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:
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 ... rains.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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Try not to worry too much and just wait and see what the nurse has to say tomorrow. In the meantime here is the information we give to new members which should help you. Ask all the questions you need to after having seen the nurse and someone will always be here to answer you.
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 30,000 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
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 ... rains.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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
thankyou, trouble im having is my eldest is type 1 and is also quadraplegic and we do all her stuff for her,,, so i find im constantly comparing things i did when i had gd 2 years ago.... and recently when testing i did aswell.... do you know if the nurse is likely to go for the whole low carb thing?
Hello jessie01. I have been recently diagnosed type 1, I wouldnt worry too much about your appointment yes there is a chance they will discuss with you about diabetes, I was called in to have a blood test because of the symptoms I had told them. The reason I was called in was to discuss what type I had and to start treatment as soon as possible to get blood sugars down I was a little scared about that appointment but felt reassured when I turned up for it, I was given some advice on how I can change my diet to help bring it under control. I found the experience OK at the end of the day obviously no likes to be told they have diabetes. Just take things one step at a time try not to think too far ahead as there may be a lot of information you want but going over what might happen is just going to raise your stress, nobody needs that. Baby steps.
All the best for your appointment.
Simon aka Cobra3164
All the best for your appointment.
Simon aka Cobra3164
hi thankyou,,,, i must confess im am seriously kicking myself,,,,,, noone expected the diabetes to go away after i had my baby in may 11,,,,, and i think all were shocked when i passed subsequent tests so i feel i had a real opurtunity to avoid all of this and didnt take it almost feel im going to get told of tomorow! i guess i need to forget that though as what is done and done and all that...
HI. Quick reply:
Yes, you may/will be diagnosed T2 and asked to diet. Ignore any NHS nonsense about have starchy carbs with every meal. Go low carb and low GI. You probably won't be put onto tablets to start with as the GP may look for diet results first. You probably won't be asked to use the meter in fact told not to. Ignore any No and do test to see what affects you. Good luck
Yes, you may/will be diagnosed T2 and asked to diet. Ignore any NHS nonsense about have starchy carbs with every meal. Go low carb and low GI. You probably won't be put onto tablets to start with as the GP may look for diet results first. You probably won't be asked to use the meter in fact told not to. Ignore any No and do test to see what affects you. Good luck
jessie01 said:hi thankyou,,,, i must confess im am seriously kicking myself,,,,,, noone expected the diabetes to go away after i had my baby in may 11,,,,, and i think all were shocked when i passed subsequent tests so i feel i had a real opurtunity to avoid all of this and didnt take it almost feel im going to get told of tomorow! i guess i need to forget that though as what is done and done and all that...
Please read the thread called Don't Involve Yourself In The Blame Game ... it's not your fault you're diabetic. :thumbup:
