And yet another newbie!!

[PollyF]

Hi everyone
I was diagnosed with T2 last year but decided to bury my head in the sand and just hoped it would go away! I was also suffering from extremely high blood pressure and really felt unwell but again, chose not to address the situation as I felt I had too many other things going on in my life (family issues) to worry about and tried to keep it to myself! I was prescribed Metformin and after the tablets ran out (again!) I ran out of excuses as to why I hadn't kept my appointments with the diabetic nurse so I finally saw her in March and am now on the right path to getting myself sorted out! For months I felt really embarrassed to tell anyone as I felt it was my fault and would be judged. It couldn't be further from the truth - everyone has been so supportive and especially my husband (who had no idea what I was going through) who is 100% into this with me. My reading of 53 HbA1c is relatively low compared to some I had seen on this forum but it obviously needs to be a lot lower and I would love to be completely out of the pre-diabetic range eventually. My blood pressure readings are now in the 'normal' range and losing a bit of weight as well (badly needed!). So that's me!!! Although it's only six weeks down the line since I started to take this seriously I have found this forum so interesting and informative I thought it was time I joined!

 

[Jessica DUK]

Hi @PollyF and welcome to the forum!

It's good to hear that you're taking action and looking after yourself with this quite recent diagnosis. Being diagnosed can be quite an overwhelming and challenging experience, so you should feel proud that you're getting on top of it. As you've mentioned, eating healthily and being as active as you can will help in lowering your HbA1c levels.

Here is a link to more info about type 2 diabetes in general on our website: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/types-of-diabetes/type-2. It covers different aspects of diabetes management, from recipes to information on blood sugar levels.

Glad you're finding the forum informative, it's an amazing online community with such kind and helpful members. I'm sure they'll add on shortly, but in the meantime don't be afraid to reach out with any Q's or concerns you may have! 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @PollyF

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and the difficult time your were having when it arrived.

Occasionally in our house, we refer to my diabetes as ‘our inconvenient house guest’. Someone who just showed up, needs looking after and accommodating, while being cantakerous and difficult, and who somehow or other we can’t get rid of so just have to find ways to live alongside.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s not uncommon to experience grief-like phases after a diabetes diagnosis, including denial, anger and bargaining.

And sometimes life is just too full-on, and anything that can wait has to wait.

The important thing is that you recognise this was only a short-term strategy, and you are now beginning to tackle it a little more ‘head on’.

With an HbA1c of 53 it seems likely that you’ll only need a few fairly modest tweaks to your menu - cutting out sweet and sugary things, and moderating your total carbohydrate intake a little - to seem some positive changes.

Good luck, and keep asking questions 🙂