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Wife newly diagnosed T2

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Meta5

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all, my wife has newly been diagnosed as T2. Her HB1AC was 140. On 2 x 500mg Metaformin tablets. I'm also T2, diagnosed nearly 3 years ago, no medication, diet and exercise controlled(just needed to change diet and lose weight). I tested my wife's levels this morning, she was 19.1 fasting. Then again tonight 2 hours after her dinner (roast beef, sweetcorn, small amount of potato and gravy) , she was 28.1. Alarmingly high to me. She is not overweight, but doesn't eat properly or excercise regularly. Maybe panicking, she only started her medication yesterday, but I am comparing her numbers to mine which have also increased (6.5 fasting, 9.2 after meal) as I have not been behaving myself. She is going back to her GP on Thursday. Looking for advice/reassurance for her, as she needs a different battle plan to me and I don't know how best to help her.
 
What was her first finger prick? (I’m assuming they did one to diagnose her as T2)
 
She had bloods taken as she had lost around a stone in weight. Phone call from GP, immediately put on Metaformin.
 
Meta5 said:
She had bloods taken as she had lost around a stone in weight. Phone call from GP, immediately put on Metaformin.
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If they had done a finger prick test it would have probably been really high (not saying that those numbers are not high) but it is important that your wife doesn’t bring the numbers down to fast
 
I think I'm panicking for her, as I said I'm also T2 and never had finger prick testing number like that myself. I thought my tester was broken until testing myself. She doesn't know a lot about Diabeties as I had mine under control quickly. The problems I am having is I knew how to manage my own condition, lose weight fixed my numbers. She was not overweight to start with, having now lost a stone in weight is now underweight. When she got the phone call from her GP surgery to come down right away, she thought the worst and was actually relieved to be told she was Diabetic. Her visit was only 10 minutes, so took nothing in, only remembered being told a number of 140.
 
Meta5 said:
I think I'm panicking for her, as I said I'm also T2 and never had finger prick testing number like that myself. I thought my tester was broken until testing myself. She doesn't know a lot about Diabeties as I had mine under control quickly. The problems I am having is I knew how to manage my own condition, lose weight fixed my numbers. She was not overweight to start with, having now lost a stone in weight is now underweight. When she got the phone call from her GP surgery to come down right away, she thought the worst and was actually relieved to be told she was Diabetic. Her visit was only 10 minutes, so took nothing in, only remembered being told a number of 140.
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It will take a while for your wife to get her numbers under control. Type 2 isn’t always due to weight
 
Her problem is she has a sweet tooth, very sweet and unwilling to try new foods. She knows she will have to change her eating habit for the rest of her life. But this morning was scared to eat anything until I reassured her, trying to explain carbs to her and what she should eat.
 
Meta5 said:
Her problem is she has a sweet tooth, very sweet and unwilling to try new foods. She knows she will have to change her eating habit for the rest of her life. But this morning was scared to eat anything until I reassured her, trying to explain carbs to her and what she should eat.
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She must know what you eat on a daily basis? You could see if she will be willing to try a new low carb bread or other food if you try it at the same time?
 
She will open her mind to new things, it will be a slow process. She has always been a fussy eater, the only veg she likes is sweetcorn, and the only fruit is melon and bananas. Doesn't really eat a lot of meat or fish either. Mostly processed stuff, biscuits, even although I prep meals, but she will pick at things sometimes. I was lucky as I actually liked what I need to eat now before being diagnosed, just ate the wrong foods out of convience previously. Thanks for the reassurance, I should know that her levels will take time to fix, but panicked.
 
Meta5 said:
She will open her mind to new things, it will be a slow process. She has always been a fussy eater, the only veg she likes is sweetcorn, and the only fruit is melon and bananas. Doesn't really eat a lot of meat or fish either. Mostly processed stuff, biscuits, even although I prep meals, but she will pick at things sometimes. I was lucky as I actually liked what I need to eat now before being diagnosed, just ate the wrong foods out of convience previously. Thanks for the reassurance, I should know that her levels will take time to fix, but panicked.
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It’s quite easy to panic over numbers and perfectly normal to panic
 
Numbers that high and weight loss without trying seem more like Type 1 than Type 2. Get back to the GPs and ask if they have considered Type 1. They may have assumed she is T2 because of her age, but T1 can occur at any age.
 
Hi. I am new to this but am a little concerned that she has lost that weight before diagnosis - but there are many who have years of experience and knowledge that could look at that aspect and comment if need be.
ETA: I see @silentsquirrel has jumped in before I posted, it is what I was thinking too 🙂
Sweetcorn should be a treat now and again if she can tolerate it, melon is tropical, another to look hard at, best to have berries. She may have to work hard on finding food plans that she should/will eat, no point continuing with high carbs as she won't get healthy or reduce her BG. An online (free) food diary might be a good idea along with the BG meter, so she can actually see how she is doing at every meal.
 
She asked and was told T2. Appointment again with GP on Thursday, will confirm type and numbers.
 
I used a meter and kept records of everything I ate and drank, made a spreadsheet to record everything. She has agreed to do the same. She is still coming to terms with things.
 
@Meta5 It might be worth reading this, it could help you both with a nay, yay or maybe. HERE
 
The online food diaries keep tabs on calories, carbs, fat, protein etc, so you can keep an eye on your daily levels as you eat each meal - and make changes to stay under the limits.
 
If numbers remain high, you may need to keep asking.
 
I am/was (now I'm remission) a slim Type 2 diabetic. But I agree that if your wife was slim then with Blood Glucose levels that high as losing weight (assuming there was no drastic calorie reduction) then she needs to be tested to see if she is really a Type 1.

However for Type 2's the main thing is carbohydrates rather than weight. So both sugars and starches start being turned into glucose (sugar) even in the mouth. Thus some carbs can raise Blood Glucose faster than sugar!. But we all handle carbs differently, some Type 2's can eat things that others just can't handle.

Testing meals with a BG meter is the best guide to how your body deals with them. test just before eating and the 2hrs after first bite, any rise of more than 2 to 3 mmol means the carbs in the meal were too high (or the wrong type) for your body to handle.
The major suspects are potato, flour, grains (including oats and rice) sweetcorn is also a grain (maize), pasta and starch and below ground vegetables. Also tropical fruit and fruit juice. The lowest carb fruits are things like berries (all types) and watermelon.
For Type 2's Proteins and Fats have almost no effect on Blood Glucose and in fact can lower it due to telling the liver you have been fed and so there is no need to keep dumping glucose into your blood to give you the energy to go out and hunt/gather your next meal like a cave dweller. They are also the only 2 essential macro-nutrients ( carbohydrates aren't essential). Thus meat, fish, eggs, hard cheeses, full-fat greek style yogurt, tofu, cauliflower, broccoli, courgette, cucumber, leafy green veg, avocado, most tree nuts (not cashews) are good for almost all Type 2's, beans may be more of a problem for some..
 
Personally I'd be ringing 111, losing a stone quickly would be cause for alarm and may indicate Type 1, if levels are in the 20's and is in fact a Type 1 then ketones could be present which is highly dangerous, I would think you don't have a means for testing for ketones? But if you do please do get her to check for them, if not and there is a chemist open where you are please try and get hold of ketostix ASAP xx
 
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