Confusing terminology

[Leadinglights]

I hope people don't think this is derogatory or flippant but hearing people say how confused and lost they are when first getting a diagnosis, I think they are bombarded with lots of words which mean little to them and they feel totally overwhelmed. Unless you are a scientist to hear mmol/l, mmol/mol, carbohydrates, without any explanation it means nothing to you so no wonder people feel they just don't know what to do. For most people they may have heard of a mole (not a furry animal ) from their school chemistry but how does mmol/l relate to how much glucose is in the blood or what those numbers they have been given mean. They often have no idea what the medication they have been given is or how it works or potential side effects.
And then of course there is all the conflicting advice from various internet sites and newspapers for people to wade through if so inclined.
The lack of face to face contact with the GP or nurse is not helping at the moment but hopefully people will find the information on this site helpful to alleviate their anxiety about their diagnosis.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I completely agree @Leadinglights - it can be completely bewildering and befuddling to begin with. And nothing seems straightforward - there are even old units and measures for the same things (% or mmol/mol for HbA1c), or different units in different countries (mg/dl countries vs mmol/L countries)

So even when members try to help, they can quickly tie themselves up in knots with layers of explanation.

Thankfully the Diabetes UK website is a mine of information, which is written to be clear and concise.

We also have a brief forum glossary for some of our common abbreviations, both diabetes related and also forum shorthand.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Here is an alphabetical list of acronyms and abbreviations you may come across on the forum: Health-related A1c - Shortened version of HbA1c the blood test that checks average BG over previous 6-12 weeks ADA - American Diabetic Association Basal - 'Background', long acting insulin (eg Lantus...

forum.diabetes.org.uk