A bit overwhelmed!

[cracker57]

hello my name is carol 57 years old and have just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
i am starting on gliclazide 80 mg twice a day to get it down ant tips greatly appreciated my head is a mush !!

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum
Perhaps you could give a bit more information about your diagnosis as that will help people make appropriate suggestions.
What is your HbA1C that has given you the diagnosis and have you had any dietary advice from your surgery. You should be prescribed a blood glucose monitor and testing strips as the medication you have been given can cause your blood glucose to go low (hypo) so if you drive you should be able to test. You should also have eye and feet checks arranged.
I suspect your HbA1C is quite high as metformin in usually the first medication that they will try but in any event some dietary changes will be needed.
ALL carbohydrates will convert to glucose so those are the foods to think about reducing.
Have a read around the forum and have a look at the Learning Zone to get a better understanding of the condition and thing that will affect your blood glucose levels.
It is a lot to take in at the start but there are lots of friendly people here only too willing to answer any questions you have.

 

[Felinia]

Hi Carol and welcome

I see Leadinglights beat me to it!

We all felt overwhelmed when first diagnosed, but you soon get to grips with everything. Can you tell us a bit about how you came to be diagnosed, what your HbA1c was, and what, if any, help you had from you GP service. That will help us best advise you. I am guessing your HbA1c was high as you have been put straight on gliclazide. The normal first medication is metformin.

I suggest you start by working your way through the Learning Zone for Type 2 (orange tab at top), one module a day, so you can take it in. Then the next step is to start keeping a complete food diary, including the carb values. I have an online app, others use spreadsheets or simple pen and paper. I hope I don't get shot down in flames for this, but I suggest you enjoy your Christmas dinner - one more day won't make any difference, but go easy on the sweets, cake, mince pies etc.

There are ways you can help yourself. I'll try and keep it simple, and others will no doubt go into more detail which you absorb over time. Basically with Type 2, your body can't cope with the amount of carbs you are eating. By carbs I mean not just the obvious sweet things, but the carbs in bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, pastries, certain fruits, below ground vegetables. So a start will be to reduce the amount of carbs you have each day. That's where the food diary comes in. A suggestion is less than 130gm carbs a day, but don't go too drastic at first as it can affect your eyes. Everyone is different so it's trial and error to find out what suits you.

Equipment: A digital scale and clear glass bowl so you can weigh your portion sizes. Some are surprisingly small. A blood glucose monitor so you can see how your food affects your glucose level. If you don't measure, how will you know what foods affect you? Again different bodies react to different food. Type 2 usually have to fund themselves, but when you order, be sure to mention you are diabetic, so you won't have to pay VAT. I'm sure others will recommend a suitable monitor and how/when to measure.

Exercise: It could be simply walking (with or without dog), cycling, swimming, home workouts. I do Aquafit 3 times a week. Of course Boris permitting!!!

Weight: if you need to lose some, do try, but there are thin Type 2 diabetics as well.

If your GP service is worth their salt, there will be a number of tests in coming months, then regularly at least annually. This will include eye tests, foot test, BP, cholesterol, weight monitoring, regular HbA1c tests. The Learning Zone covers these.

But most of all, ask us any questions you may have. We all had to learn too. Best wishes

 

[cracker57]

thank you very much for replying i can't remember my hba1c levels but i know it was double what it should be i had covid very bad a few weeks ago and my eyes went suddenly really blurry so when i came out of isolation i went to the opticians and my eyesight had got a lot worse so 500 on new glasses! told me to get a health check and here i am type 2 now not sure if my eyes were the diabetes!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

thank you very much for replying i can't remember my hba1c levels but i know it was double what it should be i had covid very bad a few weeks ago and my eyes went suddenly really blurry so when i came out of isolation i went to the opticians and my eyesight had got a lot worse so 500 on new glasses! told me to get a health check and here i am type 2 now not sure if my eyes were the diabetes!

Eek! Yes diabetes can cause blurred vision, but this should resolve when your blood glucose settles down again. People are usually advised to wait 3-4 months after a diagnosis with diabetes before updating their prescription

Hopefully you will be able to recover the cost of the glasses, or get them adjusted?

Welcome to the forum @cracker57

There are literally centuries of lived diabetes experience on the forum, all sorts of people finding their own way through the diabetes maze. And finding different strategies, approaches and methods that work for them. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach that will work for everyone, so you have to work things out as you go along.

Ask away with any questions you have. Nothing will be regarded as too obvious or ‘silly’.

 

[Lily123]

A rapid increase in BG levels will cause you eyes to become blurry but once your BG levels are under control your eyes should sort themselves out. If the eye issue was because of the diabetes

 

[Felinia]

Hi Carol
Well if your HbA1c was up around the 100 that would explain the gliclazide. And it might also explain the eyesight problems. I suggest you take your carb reduction slowly, as too quickly can affect the capilliaries in the eyes. They do need time to adjust. It can take several months, so unfortunately you may have lost your £500.
As Leadinglights says, you need to be careful with gliclazide, it can cause hypos, and you need to test before you drive. I think you need to tell the DVLA you are diabetic taking gliclazide, no doubt someone will advise. I certainly notified them and my car and travel insurance companies. The DVLA require me to take a special eyesight test, and I had to renew my licence every 3 years. Now I'm turned 70, so that's standard.

 

[cracker57]

hi thanks it was 123 so very high i hope my eyes sort themselves out

 

[Lily123]

That’s a fairly high HbA1C but if your eyes do sort themselves out then it’s a shame about getting a new prescription when you didn’t need to

 

[cracker57]

yes i know its so difficult as i can't see properly without them the optician didn't really know what to say either

 

[Lily123]

Did you get your new glasses before or after diagnosis?

 

[Deleted member 21371]

yes i know its so difficult as i can't see properly without them the optician didn't really know what to say either

Usually if you take them back, the optician with correct the prescription for you, as unfortunately your eyes will most likely change as you get your BG down again.
But, a lot of the cost is in the frames, so hopefully the optician will do you a decent deal to replace the lenses at most.

 

[gll]

Hi Carol. Welcome to the forums x

I went to the opticians in august for new glasses and had a big change in prescription strength (before diagnosis)
Since diagnosis (end of oct) and varying degrees of bg control, my eyes are a mess (with and without glasses) and I'm sure I need a change of lenses again but kinda muddling through until my levels are stable and eyes have a chance to "catch up".

I know it is a crappy time of year to be hit with this where you are uncertain. I'm only just past the blinded in the headlights stage but still face questions and ups and downs daily.

In terms of xmas, enjoy your dinner, try and reduce the potatoes, crackers, breads, sweets and puds etc (eg carbs and sugar). I'm having sugar free jelly with fruit and cream so I can have more than 1 roastie haha 😉 .
Fats and meat (not glazed in honey tho) etc is fine to eat as is the veg so pile your plate. Cheese & cream is also okay too.
I believe spirits and 0 cal mixers are the ideal drink and wine too (?). I'm not a drinker so don't pay too much attention to that side (maybe someone else can advise).

While having lower blood glucose numbers is the goal, its not going to happen overnight and damage control over xmas would be a reasonable expectation, not perfection.

You can worry more about the ins and outs of specifics after xmas if you feel everything is too much to take in.
We will all still be here, its not like santa is picking up our diabetes and taking it away when he is dropping off the prezzies

The important questions for today are:
have hypos been explained to you by health team and have they given you a meter to test?
Are you confidant in knowing what to do?
Do you need any help or have questions with testing?
Have you also been given meter numbers to look out for on the high end of the scale?

I can't stress enough what a huge help everyone has been on here to letting me get my head around everything and ask as many questions as I needed to and let me ramble on trying to get a grip on how to live day to day.

Nothing is too silly to ask, if you don't know something you don't know.

 

[Stupot]

hello my name is carol 57 years old and have just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
i am starting on gliclazide 80 mg twice a day to get it down ant tips greatly appreciated my head is a mush !!

Hi Carol, i understand exactly how ya feel as i am in that position also.
All a shock to be honest and very overwhelming, so much info around with some conflicting issues.
When you look around i think "why me" & not those others that lead a more unhealthy life style, life just isn't fair and its that sometimes that gets me down along with foods and a lifestyle that i have enjoyed for so many years.
At least you know about it and can do something for your self to improve.
I think i have gone at it a bit gun-oh due to the shock of it all and my brain is over loaded, but agree with lots of people on here that we are all individual so be yourself and treat it that way.
Good luck anyway with your personal fight with Diabetes & remember your not alone although at times it does feel that way. HBA1C 67 @ diagnosis, 4 x Metformin/day with a loss of 8kg plus lifestyle changes, so fingers crossed this will have dropped a lot after my Jan test.

 

[cracker57]

Hi Carol. Welcome to the forums x

I went to the opticians in august for new glasses and had a big change in prescription strength (before diagnosis)
Since diagnosis (end of oct) and varying degrees of bg control, my eyes are a mess (with and without glasses) and I'm sure I need a change of lenses again but kinda muddling through until my levels are stable and eyes have a chance to "catch up".

I know it is a crappy time of year to be hit with this where you are uncertain. I'm only just past the blinded in the headlights stage but still face questions and ups and downs daily.

In terms of xmas, enjoy your dinner, try and reduce the potatoes, crackers, breads, sweets and puds etc (eg carbs and sugar). I'm having sugar free jelly with fruit and cream so I can have more than 1 roastie haha 😉 .
Fats and meat (not glazed in honey tho) etc is fine to eat as is the veg so pile your plate. Cheese & cream is also okay too.
I believe spirits and 0 cal mixers are the ideal drink and wine too (?). I'm not a drinker so don't pay too much attention to that side (maybe someone else can advise).

While having lower blood glucose numbers is the goal, its not going to happen overnight and damage control over xmas would be a reasonable expectation, not perfection.

You can worry more about the ins and outs of specifics after xmas if you feel everything is too much to take in.
We will all still be here, its not like santa is picking up our diabetes and taking it away when he is dropping off the prezzies

The important questions for today are:
have hypos been explained to you by health team and have they given you a meter to test?
Are you confidant in knowing what to do?
Do you need any help or have questions with testing?
Have you also been given meter numbers to look out for on the high end of the scale?

I can't stress enough what a huge help everyone has been on here to letting me get my head around everything and ask as many questions as I needed to and let me ramble on trying to get a grip on how to live day to day.

Nothing is too silly to ask, if you don't know something you don't know.

thank you yes i have all the tests etc and the diabetic nurse is ringing me once a week atm merry christmas

 

[cracker57]

Hi Carol, i understand exactly how ya feel as i am in that position also.
All a shock to be honest and very overwhelming, so much info around with some conflicting issues.
When you look around i think "why me" & not those others that lead a more unhealthy life style, life just isn't fair and its that sometimes that gets me down along with foods and a lifestyle that i have enjoyed for so many years.
At least you know about it and can do something for your self to improve.
I think i have gone at it a bit gun-oh due to the shock of it all and my brain is over loaded, but agree with lots of people on here that we are all individual so be yourself and treat it that way.
Good luck anyway with your personal fight with Diabetes & remember your not alone although at times it does feel that way. HBA1C 67 @ diagnosis, 4 x Metformin/day with a loss of 8kg plus lifestyle changes, so fingers crossed this will have dropped a lot after my Jan test.

thank you good luck merry christmas

 

[cracker57]

Hi Carol and welcome

I see Leadinglights beat me to it!

We all felt overwhelmed when first diagnosed, but you soon get to grips with everything. Can you tell us a bit about how you came to be diagnosed, what your HbA1c was, and what, if any, help you had from you GP service. That will help us best advise you. I am guessing your HbA1c was high as you have been put straight on gliclazide. The normal first medication is metformin.

I suggest you start by working your way through the Learning Zone for Type 2 (orange tab at top), one module a day, so you can take it in. Then the next step is to start keeping a complete food diary, including the carb values. I have an online app, others use spreadsheets or simple pen and paper. I hope I don't get shot down in flames for this, but I suggest you enjoy your Christmas dinner - one more day won't make any difference, but go easy on the sweets, cake, mince pies etc.

There are ways you can help yourself. I'll try and keep it simple, and others will no doubt go into more detail which you absorb over time. Basically with Type 2, your body can't cope with the amount of carbs you are eating. By carbs I mean not just the obvious sweet things, but the carbs in bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, pastries, certain fruits, below ground vegetables. So a start will be to reduce the amount of carbs you have each day. That's where the food diary comes in. A suggestion is less than 130gm carbs a day, but don't go too drastic at first as it can affect your eyes. Everyone is different so it's trial and error to find out what suits you.

Equipment: A digital scale and clear glass bowl so you can weigh your portion sizes. Some are surprisingly small. A blood glucose monitor so you can see how your food affects your glucose level. If you don't measure, how will you know what foods affect you? Again different bodies react to different food. Type 2 usually have to fund themselves, but when you order, be sure to mention you are diabetic, so you won't have to pay VAT. I'm sure others will recommend a suitable monitor and how/when to measure.

Exercise: It could be simply walking (with or without dog), cycling, swimming, home workouts. I do Aquafit 3 times a week. Of course Boris permitting!!!

Weight: if you need to lose some, do try, but there are thin Type 2 diabetics as well.

If your GP service is worth their salt, there will be a number of tests in coming months, then regularly at least annually. This will include eye tests, foot test, BP, cholesterol, weight monitoring, regular HbA1c tests. The Learning Zone covers these.

But most of all, ask us any questions you may have. We all had to learn too. Best wishes

thank you my hba1c was 123 so very high and i am going on 500mg of metaformin next week as well

 

[Drummer]

thank you my hba1c was 123 so very high and i am going on 500mg of metaformin next week as well

Things might seem chaotic at the moment - but this time next year you could be all sorted out and getting normal numbers - an ordinary type two has only one problem really, dealing with the carbohydrates.
I was diagnosed five years ago with a Hba1c of 91, and was no longer in the diabetes range in 80 days, back to normal in 6 months - but I was confident in eating low carb as I had tried to eat that way in the face of advice from sometimes ferocious GPs for a very long time. Doing it slower might have been less of a shock to the system, and I was not on medication after finding it impossible to deal with the side effects. Some people have none that they even notice.
I am glad to read that you are being checked up on - my own surgery seems to think that a test once a year and 'that's fine' is enough support - luckily for me it is.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Things might seem chaotic at the moment - but this time next year you could be all sorted out and getting normal numbers - an ordinary type two has only one problem really, dealing with the carbohydrates.
I was diagnosed five years ago with a Hba1c of 91, and was no longer in the diabetes range in 80 days, back to normal in 6 months - but I was confident in eating low carb as I had tried to eat that way in the face of advice from sometimes ferocious GPs for a very long time. Doing it slower might have been less of a shock to the system, and I was not on medication after finding it impossible to deal with the side effects. Some people have none that they even notice.
I am glad to read that you are being checked up on - my own surgery seems to think that a test once a year and 'that's fine' is enough support - luckily for me it is.

I had a weight issue, and a cholesterol issue. Low fat, low calorie sorted all three of my issues out.
Seven years going on eight.