Diagnosed last week

[Petra V]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with Type 2 a week ago and am going through a rollercoaster of physical symptoms and have a lot of interaction with medical care professionals because of that. It started with my blood sugar levels and HbA1C levels being far too high (22.1 mmol/L and 135, respectively). I was put on Metformin and Gliclazide and am only eating things suggested on Diabetes UK (for the time being) and my blood sugar now hovers around 8 to 10.

I'm struggling both with mental health and physical health at the moment. I feel ashamed that I have not been looking after my body better and that I only sought medical help when symptoms became unbearable, but my symptoms have repeatedly been put down as the effect of trauma on my body by my GP. At the same time, the diabetes diagnosis almost feels like a relief as it is my body feeling me something has to change and I need to get on top of my mental health (the traumatic situation is ongoing). The medication has made me feel less lethargic and I have been really enjoying being able to go outdoors again and have been walking 10.000 steps or more since the medication started to set in. This has given me hope. I have also really enjoyed cooking healthy food as it is the type of food I really enjoy. I realise that because I am living on my own now, I should be able to control my diet and exercise, but at the same time living on my own makes me feel extremely vulnerable, especially when I feel unwell at night. My emotions have been extreme in all directions. Has anybody else been going through this rollercoaster of emotions after diagnosis?

Upon describing my symptoms, a nurse said yesterday that my body is adjusting. Throughout the day, possibly because my blood sugar levels are going up and down, symptoms like feeling faint, trembling, heavier breathing, and tingling in my lips and toes come and go. My eyesight is also affected in that I can now see sharp in the distance with my reading glasses, but can't read with them as it is very blurred. The nurse seemed to suggest that these symptoms will settle eventually. Despite having more energy and being able to do proper walks again, the other symptoms make me feel generally unwell. I suppose it is normal as your body is adjusting. How long will these symptoms usually last for?

The above doesn't read like a happy account, but I'm hopeful things will settle eventually as I'm determined to make it work. I love being outdoors and the renewed energy has given me hope that I'll be able to go long-distance and hillwalking again.

Petra

 

[Alan44]

Hi @Petra V and welcome to the forum

Being diagnosed with diabetes can be a kick up the bum and not one any of us wanted, but for me it has lead to a healthier lifestyle, better diet, weight loss and improved fitness.

If I may suggest you have a look at the "learning zone" top of the page which will answer many questions you may have, it will also raise some questions which you want to ask so please feel free to ask as many questions as you wish and we will try to help and advise from personal experiences as best we can.

Alan 😉

 

[saffron15]

@Petra V welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed a year ago. I had assumed my annual blood test for high blood pressure was being tested for diabetes. I had a bmi of 32 although I had been the same weight for a year. Having discovered not being tested i asked for a test and the HCP later said he was surprised that I appeared shocked at my reading of 69. I cut pastry processed meat sweet stuff and next reading was 64. I also noticed first time for 30 years I was losing weight.
My diagnosis felt like a bereavement. I was upset they hadn't tested me for ten years particularly when I joined here and realised other practices did it routinely. I hope if I had been prediabetic I would have changed but I will never know. If your BG drops very quickly it's a bit of a shock for your body and can affect your eyesight ( temporarily) if needed go for cheap specs until it has stabilised.
Short walks after eating 10 to 15 minutes help your blood sugar. The Freshwell app/site has good graphics about which foods are good not so good avoid. Their meal plans are low carb, however I think you have to eat a reasonable level of carbs on glicazide. At this time of year there is so much lovely veg or salad to pair with meat or fish. I'm eating a reasonable amount of fish. I often cook fish and veg in the microwave as I am only catering for me. Keep a food, motion and movement diary. When I first went on metformin it bunged me up by the time it increased to 4 I had intermittent diarrhea then the following week I had a new med added and metformin reduced to 2. I had no side effects at 2.
I have joined an aquafit class. It's good exercise and sociable.

Things do improve and the bonus for me is I have lost 3 stone in the last year.

 

[Leadinglights]

You have lots of good suggestions in the other posts but your symptoms may be due to the adjustments your body is making, it had become used to high blood glucose to is now having to get used to lower levels and that can give you the dizzy, light headed, nausea feelings. Also your eyes will have to adjust to a change in environment which will be changing from sugary to more normal salty which alters the shape of the eye and will affect the focus. It should improve as your blood glucose stabilises, may take a while. Don't rush to the optician until they do.
Don't forget that 111 has an option for mental health support but do speak to your GP as they may refer you for counselling.

 

[JITR]

The medication has made me feel less lethargic.

I have been really enjoying being able to go outdoors again and have been walking 10.000 steps or more.

I have also really enjoyed cooking healthy food as it is the type of food I really enjoy.

I'll be able to go long-distance and hillwalking again.

Well, Petra, there is your plan (quoted above, in your own words). Your medication has started to bring your blood glucose down, and now a healthy diet and exercise is the name of the game for the future.

If you haven't seen it, I think the Freshwell Meal Planner and Foodlists graphic is a helpful checklist.

The best thing I did when I started dieting to get my HbA1c down from three figures back to normal was to download Cronometer (free version) - take a look. It's an all in one dietician, recipe / meal /daily menu planner, and food diary if want to monitor your nutrition and if you are into weighing out the foods you cook and eat! I would have had no idea what I was doing without it.

 

[Petra V]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who responded. I had a relatively good day today (also mental health wise), keeping it to a 4 km walk and testing my blood glucose before and after to see what happened. Despite nuts and an apple during the walk (as I feel I need something), glucose levels decreased 1.7 mmol during the walk and I ended up at 6.1 mmol/L - the lowest I had. That made me feel good about myself. My eyesight is challenging as I struggle to read, but I'll wait before going back to the optician. Thanks also for the links. I have downloaded the Freshwell app and will have a look at it over the weekend.

 

[JimmyBlue]

Hi @Petra V welcome to the forum, being diagnosed with diabetes I think is a shock for most people, so not surprised that you have had the reaction you describe. When I was diagnosed a lay in bed at night reliving all the things I had done, eaten and failed to do which might have caused the diagnosis to happen, but after a chat with the diabetes nurse who pointed out that it can develop over decades rather than simply a few years, I decided enough was enough. My mantra was that I can't change the past but I can take steps to ensure a better future.
Reading your post, you have already started to take that kind of approach by making the changes you have, all of which will help you bring the issue under control.
And if and when you need to rant or would like reassurance, then the forums are a great place to come.

 

[saffron15]

@Petra V glad things are going well. It is still early days. I didn't join the forum until I had seen the diabetes nurse. I then started having full fat Greek style yoghurt plus berries [ raspberry, strawberry blueberry blackberry etc] with nuts or seeds. I found it filled me up and i really enjoyed it. My alternative is eggs. Occasionally I have a fry up without hash browns or beans. Having said that if it is a treat and you want a small portion of beans go for it. I don't know the food requirements for glicozade. I eat around 130 gms of carbs, I suspect you shouldn't go below it.

This nhs site has lots of info including websites on left handside. Some of the diets are a little low carb but for example the Caldesis have good strategies on their website.

Diabetes & Metabolic Health | New Forest PCN

newforestpcn.co.uk

 

[Leadinglights]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who responded. I had a relatively good day today (also mental health wise), keeping it to a 4 km walk and testing my blood glucose before and after to see what happened. Despite nuts and an apple during the walk (as I feel I need something), glucose levels decreased 1.7 mmol during the walk and I ended up at 6.1 mmol/L - the lowest I had. That made me feel good about myself. My eyesight is challenging as I struggle to read, but I'll wait before going back to the optician. Thanks also for the links. I have downloaded the Freshwell app and will have a look at it over the weekend.

Some people have found as a temporary measure to help with reading a cheap pair of reading glasses helps. some shops have pairs of various strengths to try to see if any suit before buying. I've seen them in places like B & M, Superdrug, even the Pound shop.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Upon describing my symptoms, a nurse said yesterday that my body is adjusting. Throughout the day, possibly because my blood sugar levels are going up and down, symptoms like feeling faint, trembling, heavier breathing, and tingling in my lips and toes come and go.

Sorry to hear about the unpleasant sensations you’ve been experiencing @Petra V - when the body has become used to running at high BG levels for a while it can get a bit of a shock when levels return to a more healthy range, which ironically can sometimes trigger ‘low glucose’ warning signs like tingling lips, anxiety, racing heart, feeling feint, and trembling, and generally feeling pretty spaced out. It can take a little while for your ‘glucose thermostat’ to reset, and then these feelings should subside.

My eyesight is also affected in that I can now see sharp in the distance with my reading glasses, but can't read with them as it is very blurred. The nurse seemed to suggest that these symptoms will settle eventually. Despite having more energy and being able to do proper walks again, the other symptoms make me feel generally unwell. I suppose it is normal as your body is adjusting. How long will these symptoms usually last for?

Yep this is pretty common too. Your eyeballs will have been distorted by high glucose levels and the change in ‘osmotic pressure’ with the reduction in your BGs can lead to your brain struggling to catch up with the change in focal length. It may take a few weeks, maybe even a month or more for things to settle down, depending on how your glucose levels stabilise over coming weeks.

Welcome to the forum 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

Ready reader glasses from a discount/pound shop were definitely the solution for me to enable me to read during the initial few months of adjustment.