Newley Diagnosed

[JueB]

Hi ,I am female , 52 years old and I have been recently diagnosed but still unsure as to wether I am type 1 or 2, I am awaiting blood test results which I am told can take a few weeks . I have had a rollercoaster week , being sent for a CT scan to rule out anything sinister on my pancreas , thankfully that came back ok . I am checking my bloods 4 times a day which are around 13.5 in the morning and increase throughout the day . Before bedtime they are in the early 20s .When they are over 15 I check ketones which are usually between 0.4 and 0.7 I have cut out all sweets, chocolate etc . I feel so out of my depth at the moment as this is all so new to me .

 

[Inka]

Hi @JueB That sounds a scary experience with the CT scan. I’m glad it came back ok.

Are you on any medication? What kind of things are you eating?

 

[Thebearcametoo]

Hi, what insulins are you on? Those numbers are all still very high and I’m sure you’re not feeling great with them. Have you been told about carbs being bread, rice, cereals, pasta etc and not just sugary foods? As you get further in your diabetes journey you will hopefully get some carb counting help so you can match your insulin to your carb intake.

 

[JueB]

I have been taking metformin for the last 7 days ,and have increased the dose from 1 tablet to 2 today . I am eating porridge for breakfast , eggs or sandwich on brown bread for lunch and dinner usually things like meat , jacket pot and salad . Unfortunately I don’t like veg!!!!
i have just been told to keep a diary of my blood sugar levels . Not on insulin as of yet , suppose because it’s up I the air as to what type I am .

 

[JueB]

A dietician did call me but I am still confused as to what I can or can’t eat .

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @JueB

Welcome to the forum.

Glad to hear your CT scan came back clear.

Sorry to hear about your rollercoaster week and your high BG. Are you on medication yet? Or have they made you wait for a confirmed diagnosis? Those elevated BGs must be making you feel pretty grim.

 

[Inka]

I have been taking metformin for the last 7 days ,and have increased the dose from 1 tablet to 2 today . I am eating porridge for breakfast , eggs or sandwich on brown bread for lunch and dinner usually things like meat , jacket pot and salad . Unfortunately I don’t like veg!!!!
i have just been told to keep a diary of my blood sugar levels . Not on insulin as of yet , suppose because it’s up I the air as to what type I am .

Veg is your friend Most veg is low carb so you can fill up on it. And, of course, it’s healthy too.

With your blood sugar high like it is, I’d be watching the amount of carbs so it doesn’t get too high while you’re waiting to know what type you are. You’ll feel better in yourself if your blood sugar comes down a little.

You could also add your meals to your blood sugar diary or keep a separate food diary.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I have been taking metformin for the last 7 days ,and have increased the dose from 1 tablet to 2 today . I am eating porridge for breakfast , eggs or sandwich on brown bread for lunch and dinner usually things like meat , jacket pot and salad . Unfortunately I don’t like veg!!!!
i have just been told to keep a diary of my blood sugar levels . Not on insulin as of yet , suppose because it’s up I the air as to what type I am .

Ah! You replied while I was typing. I think until you have a confirmed diagnosis, and while your BG is still so high, it would really help your metabolism to cut right back on carbohydrates so that your body can absorb the energy from your food more easily, rather than it getting stuck in your bloodstream as elevated glucose.

Unfortunately it seems like your body can’t cope with the amount of carbs you are currently eating. Lower carbs, higher fat and higher protein, and with the salad and veg you do like could help you get those BG down.

 

[JueB]

Hello @JueB

Welcome to the forum.

Glad to hear your CT scan came back clear.

Sorry to hear about your rollercoaster week and your high BG. Are you on medication yet? Or have they made you wait for a confirmed diagnosis? Those elevated BGs must be making you feel pretty grim.

It’s all happened so quick. I went to the Dr because of this terrible thirst , weight loss and fatigue. Within 8 days I’ve had blood tests which confirmed diabetes , CT scan 4 days later and results which came back the same day as was put down as urgent . Frightening experience!! I have been on metformin for the past week and to be honest feel much better , nowhere near as thirsty or tired . Just waiting on results which will determine what type I am , then I suppose I’ll know a bit more what I’m dealing with.

 

[Drummer]

As your levels are so high then cutting out all those high carb foods might make you feel a lot better - we have had the 'healthy carb' message hammered home for so long, but the porridge, the bread and the potatoes are all starchy high carb foods and they are what you can't deal with as well as anything sugary. If you are to go on insulin then you can eat carbs more freely, but I'd advise eating things with some vitamins and minerals rather than the very starchy or sugary ones.

 

[trophywench]

I don't think porridge is the best start to the day either.

 

[JueB]

I don't think porridge is the best start to the day either.

Really !! I was told porridge was good . Can you suggest anything else ?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Really !! I was told porridge was good . Can you suggest anything else ?

It entirely depends on how your body reacts to it. It’s a great start for some people, slow-release and keeps them feeling full until lunchtime.

For other people - they may as well be eating a bowl of jam, and they are hungry again by 9.30.

That’s why BG checks before and after meals are so important. Nurses and Drs confidently state which foods are ‘fast’ and ‘slow’, but it is completely dependent on the individual and their genes /gut biome / metabolism.

Your Diabetes May Vary, as the saying goes 🙂

 

[JueB]

It entirely depends on how your body reacts to it. It’s a great start for some people, slow-release and keeps them feeling full until lunchtime.

For other people - they may as well be eating a bowl of jam, and they are hungry again by 9.30.

That’s why BG checks before and after meals are so important. Nurses and Drs confidently state which foods are ‘fast’ and ‘slow’, but it is completely dependent on the individual and their genes /gut biome / metabolism.

Your Diabetes May Vary, as the saying goes 🙂

Thankyou for your reply , I was only diagnosed under 2 weeks ago so I am totally confused as what I can or can’t eat . I’m sure over time I’ll get to grips with it .

 

[Inka]

Really !! I was told porridge was good . Can you suggest anything else ?

Porridge isn’t inherently bad - it all depends on the individual and also what type of diabetes they have and what medication they’re taking (if any).

I’m Type 1 and I take insulin and eat porridge. It’s fine for me and my blood sugar remains in range (because of the insulin). But until you have more information about what type of diabetes you have, and until you have the right medication for you, then it’s not so clear-cut.

You could try a poached egg on toast (one slice) or even poached eggs with no toast, or a Greek yoghurt and berries.

Do you know exactly what blood tests they’re doing?

 

[JueB]

Porridge isn’t inherently bad - it all depends on the individual and also what type of diabetes they have and what medication they’re taking (if any).

I’m Type 1 and I take insulin and eat porridge. It’s fine for me and my blood sugar remains in range (because of the insulin). But until you have more information about what type of diabetes you have, and until you have the right medication for you, then it’s not so clear-cut.

You could try a poached egg on toast (one slice) or even poached eggs with no toast, or a Greek yoghurt and berries.

Do you know exactly what blood tests they’re doing?

C-peptide was one and I think pancreatic antibodies

 

[Inka]

Ok, so it sounds like they think there’s a possibility you could be Type 1. Those are the tests I had, but even before I had those tests I was treated as a Type 1 and given insulin. This was because of my weight loss and because I had ketones.

If your test results are going to take weeks, then to be honest, with what you’ve said about weight loss, if I was you, I’d be asking about insulin.

(I hasten to add that that’s just my opinion and that I have no medical qualifications)

 

[Oblivious]

Hi @JueB, i'm pretty new to this too and like you it took about 2 months earlier this year for them to decide/find what type i am. so i was - and still am - on Insulin which brought my blood sugar down from 20/21 to about 9 or 10. once they diagnosed type 2 i was also put on Metformin which has brought it down further to between 6 and 8. but this is also hand-in-hand with a low carb diet. i now eat 90g of carbs per day split into 3 meals of 30g each.
i am one of those people who can't have porridge as it causes my blood sugar to spike and stay pretty high for a few hours. Potatoes, Bread, rice and pasta have the same effect which is annoying as those were all my favourite foods. it's taken a lot of changes and a lot of poring over nutrition labels to get the blood sugar t these levels but if i can do it you can too.
Hopefully the test results won't take too long and you can then start planning for the future but in the meantime ask anything you want and someone will always be here to answer

 

[JueB]

Ok, so it sounds like they think there’s a possibility you could be Type 1. Those are the tests I had, but even before I had those tests I was treated as a Type 1 and given insulin. This was because of my weight loss and because I had ketones.

If your test results are going to take weeks, then to be honest, with what you’ve said about weight loss, if I was you, I’d be asking about insulin.

(I hasten to add that that’s just my opinion and that I have no medical qualifications)

My diabetes nurse

 

[Inka]

My diabetes nurse

I’m not sure if that was a question or not, but I’d be speaking to my doctor or nurse, telling them my levels were still running high and I was getting ketones, reminding them of the uncertainty about diabetes type, and asking if I could try small doses of insulin(s) to get control over the blood sugars and the ketones and not wait until the test results come through.

I hope that made sense.