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Another confused newbie.

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trisha53

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 4 months ago and am still struggling to come to terms with it. I have just taken a bg level of 16.5 which is the highest it has been. I am om metformin twice a day and have not seen my GP since I was diagnosed. Is this normal?
 
Hi everyone, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 4 months ago and am still struggling to come to terms with it. I have just taken a bg level of 16.5 which is the highest it has been. I am om metformin twice a day and have not seen my GP since I was diagnosed. Is this normal?
Hi Trisha, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sadly, some GPs send their patients away after diagnosis with poor advice, just some vague nonsense about 'eating healthily' :( It shouldn't happen like that, but it frequently does :(

So, since this is the case for you, the best thing to do is to learn what you can yourself. I would recommend starting by reading Jennifer's Advice and getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - these will give you a good grounding. I would also suggest starting a food diary and writing down the amount of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink (in grams). This can be a bit tedious, but it will give you a true picture of what you are consuming and provide a means to look for areas where you might improve things by reducing the amount of carbs, or replacing items with more diabetes-friendly ones. I'd recommend looking at the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet, which is an approach to selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels. The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction.

Finally, your meter is the best tool you have to find out your own particular tolerances to the meals you eat. Have a look at Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this works to help you tailor your diet to your own tolerances and preferences 🙂

A lot of reading there for you, but it is well worth spending time trying to understand what it all means, so you are not left feeling confused and lost with it all. We are always here and happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have, so whatever it is, please ask! 🙂
 
Hi Trisha, welcome to the group.....
16.5 is very high, what have you been eating? Have you been drinking plenty of water? I'd make an apt to see your Dr.

A lot of us find that we need to cut out (or reduce) starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc to help with our BG.... The establishment is advising us to eat more starch which, of course, has lead to our problems
 
Hi Trisha, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sadly, some GPs send their patients away after diagnosis with poor advice, just some vague nonsense about 'eating healthily' :( It shouldn't happen like that, but it frequently does :(

So, since this is the case for you, the best thing to do is to learn what you can yourself. I would recommend starting by reading Jennifer's Advice and getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - these will give you a good grounding. I would also suggest starting a food diary and writing down the amount of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink (in grams). This can be a bit tedious, but it will give you a true picture of what you are consuming and provide a means to look for areas where you might improve things by reducing the amount of carbs, or replacing items with more diabetes-friendly ones. I'd recommend looking at the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet, which is an approach to selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels. The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction.

Finally, your meter is the best tool you have to find out your own particular tolerances to the meals you eat. Have a look at Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this works to help you tailor your diet to your own tolerances and preferences 🙂

A lot of reading there for you, but it is well worth spending time trying to understand what it all means, so you are not left feeling confused and lost with it all. We are always here and happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have, so whatever it is, please ask! 🙂
 
Thanks for the info. Looks like I have a lot of reading to do. I will check BG later and if still high will make appointment to see Dr.
 
Welcome to the forum. I hope that your levels are now lower. If they're not I hope that you get to see a GP soon 🙂
 
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