Confused

[JoW]

Hi, I just got told on Friday by my gp that I have type 2 diabetes. It was a bit of a shock to say the least but he was lovely, we talked for a while and he gave me quite a bit of information but obviously I don't have a clue what he said now.
Is it general practice I'll get an appointment with a nurse now to discuss what it all means and what I need to do or do I have to work it out on my own?
(I am picking up a prescription on Monday for this but can't even remember what it's called)

 

[Nedster]

Hi, I was diagnosed with Prediabetes due to having a TIA way back in August 22!
numerous tests etc,
I'm completely baffled by all the do's and don'ts!
its a minefield,
definitely contact your GP for guidance asap, helps puts your mind at rest
hopefully, they engage you on this course via teams

DESMOND

DESMOND is the collaborative name for a family of group self management education modules, toolkits and care pathways for people with, or at risk of, Type 2 diabetes.

www.desmond.nhs.uk

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi, I just got told on Friday by my gp that I have type 2 diabetes. It was a bit of a shock to say the least but he was lovely, we talked for a while and he gave me quite a bit of information but obviously I don't have a clue what he said now.
Is it general practice I'll get an appointment with a nurse now to discuss what it all means and what I need to do or do I have to work it out on my own?
(I am picking up a prescription on Monday for this but can't even remember what it's called)

Welcome to the forum. Everybody feels a bit shell shocked to get a diagnosis but sometimes it is a relief as it explains symptoms they may have been having like thirst, frequent loo visits, tiredness and blurry vision but some are diagnosed with no symptoms.
I suspect the medication you will have been prescribed will be metformin which helps the body use the insulin it is producing more effectively but that need to go hand in hand with dietary changes and increasing exercise if you can.
I expect you will get an appointment with the diabetic nurse who should check your feet and arrange a eye retinal screening and probably weight and blood pressure. However many find they need to become their own expert by learning as much about the condition as they can as that will lead to you being in control of your condition.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach successful in reducing your blood glucose as outlined in this link
https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/.
Other people find a low calorie or shakes-based regime will give them a kick start
Whatever route you choose has to be enjoyable otherwise it will not be sustainable for the long term.
If you choose the low carb way then low carb is suggested as being no more than 130g total carbs not just 'sugar' per day so keeping a food diary with an estimate of the amount of carbs you currently have in everything you eat and drink will help you know how far from that you are. Low carb does not mean NO carbs just the carbs you have should be worth it for enjoyment and not just empty carbs like sugar.
Diet fizzy drinks are fine but the flavoured sparkling water is also good, we are finding problems getting it in some of the supermarkets, a shortage of carbon dioxide I think is to blame.
It will help you if you have a list of questions for you appointment after reading about the condition. It does have to be taken seriously but with the right dietary approach is very manageable.
If you find out what your HbA1C is then it will give you an indication of your starting point and the amount of work that need to be done. Anything over 47mmol/mol will have given you the diagnosis of diabetes, but some GPs will give people the opportunity to bring their level down by dietary changes for 3 months before starting on medication if your HbA1C is not too high, sadly some just reach for the prescription pad regardless.
Sorry for the ramble.

 

[Felinia]

Hi and welcome
Leadinglights always gives excellent advice to new Type 2 diabetics. I'll just add a couple of things. I suggest you work your way through the Learning Zone (orange tab above), at your own pace, so you can take everything in. The first thing I did when diagnosed was get an app to keep my food and exercise diary. I plan first thing in the morning so I know exactly what my daily carb level will be, and it saves constantly checking packets, or keeping your own paper or spreadsheet records. I use NutraCheck for a small fee, and there is also MyFitnessPal.
When I was first diagnosed my HbA1c was under 60mmol/mol, so my GP let me try diet and exercise. I got it down to 48mmol/mol in 3 months. Then I became ill but that's another story. Best wishes

 

[Deleted member 21371]

It's a shock.
The best thing I did was to take some time out, and work out a strategy to sort out my diabetes, that would work for me.
There is a lot of information out there, both good and bad, I sorted through it all, picked out the sensible bits, crossed out the bits that didn't fit into my lifestyle, and put the rest together.
And that changes over time.
The best advice on here is "it's a marathon, not a sprint"

 

[trophywench]

The other very important comment here is that there are no silly questions, though admittedly that comment does not apply to every single answer ever posted - cos we are friendly but also generally have good senses of humour so some comments may be flippant. Try not to panic is the main thing - it certainly ain't a death sentence - these days at least!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @JoW

Sorry you have to be here, but glad you found us 🙂

Yes I think we all recognise that feeling of listening intently in the appointment, then promptly forgetting everything that was said that was helpful when we get home - only being able to remember something trivial like a conversation about where the Dr went on holiday or somesuch!

Sometimes it‘s helpful to take a notepad to scribble some reminders. And don’t panic - you will have lots of opportunities toget together with Drs, the practice nurse, pharmacist and various others to ask your questions as more appointments come around.

If you’d like a good overview of type 2 diabetes and what it entails, there are lots of bite-sized modules in the DUK Learning Zone (orange tab in the main menu).

For a more personal version, you might like the accounts of 2 people with T2 who share their diabetes journey: Maggie Davey’s Letter to the Newly Diagnosed and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year.

Good luck and keep asking questions!

 

[JoW]

Thank you everyone for your replies and support. I'm going to contact the surgery tomorrow and ask if I'll be automatically getting a consultation with the nurse or anyone and if not ask for one. I'm working my way through the learning zone and I am trying to work out the best way to change my diet although I'm pretty sure it's the amount I eat rather than what I eat that needs to change. The thing that has amazed me is diabetes runs in my dad's family but I never knew this because it "skipped" my dad's generation even though they're all over weight.
It's certainly a massive learning curve that I'm just beginning to get my head around.
Thank you
Jo

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you everyone for your replies and support. I'm going to contact the surgery tomorrow and ask if I'll be automatically getting a consultation with the nurse or anyone and if not ask for one. I'm working my way through the learning zone and I am trying to work out the best way to change my diet although I'm pretty sure it's the amount I eat rather than what I eat that needs to change. The thing that has amazed me is diabetes runs in my dad's family but I never knew this because it "skipped" my dad's generation even though they're all over weight.
It's certainly a massive learning curve that I'm just beginning to get my head around.
Thank you
Jo

Yes portion control is important, when you look at the pictures in Carbs and Cals of the portion sizes it makes you realise just how much people underestimate the size of some portions of things. It is a good idea to keep some digital scales on your worktop so you can weigh things until you get your eye in for portions of things.

 

[trophywench]

I asked a dietician one day in the last 30 years what size portion of protein was recommended in 'your average main meal' and she replied that it was 'approx the size of a pack of playing cards'. Well yeah, I spose you might have more or less exactly that with a decent thick fillet steak but nobody has that for their tea most nights of the week! (and who's got a butcher who even stocks fillet these days even if you could afford to?)