Another newbie

[xxFairyNuffxx]

Hi everyone. I'm 45 and freshly diagnosed with type 2 today. Not really a shock - my mum has type 2, I'm stupidly overweight, and when they ask you to come back for another blood test and book you an appointment with your GP, you have an inkling of what's coming...

I also have raised blood pressure, which is what set everything in motion in the first place.

My doctor has given me 3 months to try and control my diabetes through diet. She said my first HbA1c came back as 52 and the second as 50. We discussed my current lifestyle and diet and she thinks that if I make some serious lifestyle changes and lose weight, I may get away without medication. In the meantime I have an appointment booked with the diabetes nurse for early in the new year.

It hasn't really sunk in yet, I'm just trying to get my head around all the information.

 

[Drummer]

Well - type two diabetes is all about carbohydrates being a problem.
If you cut down the foods which, when digested, turn into sugars circulating in your bloodstream many type twos will restore their metabolism to normal.
You Hba1c is not very high in diabetes terms - only just over the border, so it could very well mean that cutting back on the carbs will be enough.
Those with higher levels of blood glucose and Hba1c levels can still revert to normal - but my daily intake is 40 gm of carb or less. You should - with any luck be able to manage to lower your blood glucose and also your weight fairly easily.

 

[Ljc]

Hello @xxFairyNuffxx , welcome to the forum and the club no one wants to join. I agree your Hb1ac is not that high , 42 to 47 is pre diabetes so you have really just stepped over the threshold , at that level you should be able to get to grips with it without medications and perhaps put it into remission.

As @Drummer has already said , it’s carbohydrates that we can no longer handle well esp the starchy ones as they turn into syrup in our blood .

When you’re ready for more info I thought you might like some links to he
P you gain control of diabetes Yes their is a lot to take in, but it is doable, many of us me included were diagnosed with a much higher Hb1ac some in the 100s .
This is rather a long one
maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s

test-test-test by Alan S

Sadly many Gp practices will not provide a glucose meter and testing strips unless your on medications that can cause hypo’s, we think this is a cost cutting measure that will only end up costing the nhs more in the long run.
If after reading the above you wish to self test to find out how the various carbohydrates affect you so you can make informed food choices , this meter is the cheapest one we know of to self fund the ongoing cost of the testing strips £ 8 for 50 where many other brands use strips that cost over £15 for a pot of 50
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-Glucose-Monitor-Monitoring-Testing/dp/B0068JAJFS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1506485682&sr=1-1&keywords=sd+codefree+meter+mmol/l&linkCode=sl1&tag=xfm-21&linkId=f39210144fdc26c27738e45b6d957003&th=1

Feel free to ask any questions you have about diabetes, we have some very knowledgeable people on here .

Oh before I forget, many people find that by reducing their carbohydrate intake the weight comes off much easier .

 

[Felinia]

Two excellent replies. In August I was where you are now, with an HbA1c of 57, having been around pre-diabetic levels for 3 years. My GP practise also gave me 3 months to get myself back in order. I followed the advice given on this forum, followed a low carb diet, and took up some exercise. 3 months later my HbA1c was down to 48, my weight was down 17 pounds, and my body a much more toned, better shape. I'm almost 70 and didn't go OTT - I kept my carbs in the 75-90gm per day range, and did Aquafit 4 mornings a week, but otherwise lived a normal life. I also used a website with downloadable app to keep a check on my calories and carbs. I monitored my blood glucose for the first couple of months, and learned which foods caused my blood glucose to spike so avoid. Now I don't monitor much - just when I have a new food. So it is achievable and being a younger woman, now is the time to get on top of things and enjoy a long healthy life. You'll get all the help and information you need from this website and Forum. Best wishes.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @xxFairyNuffxx

have you started measuring your own BG results around food using a meter?

many members here god it an invaluable way to understand how their body is responding to different types and amounts of carbohydrate.

As @Ljc says, AlanS’s ‘test review adjust’ framework is a simple, methodical way of examining blood glucose outcomes around food and using the information to make small, incremental improvements.