Diagnosed today!

[Parma Violets and Glitter]

Hello all,

I have been diagnosed today with T2 diabetes. I am not shocked as I am severely overweight, but I am feeling low about it as I don't know much. My mam is T1 and I have seen her struggle for most of my life with it, although I know T2 is different and can be managed in many ways. I am hoping this gives me the well needed kick up the bum to do something about my weight. Most of all I am angry at myself for letting myself get this way.

I have my first diabetic nurse appointment on 5th July to discuss how I can manage it, and I have an ultra sound appointment for my liver on 11th. I'm hoping I can pick up some valuable information from this forum and talk to all of you lovely people about diabetes. Hope you all have a lovely evening x

 

[HOBIE]

Make a list of what you are eating & take it to the app. Please be truthful & you will learn. Good luck & welcome PVG.🙂

 

[Martin Canty]

Welcome to the forum, it's quite understandable to be feeling low after diagnosis but you have come to the right place for assistance & encouragement.

2 things I'd suggest initially

1/ Cut or reduce carb sources such as bread, rice, pasta, cereals & starchy vegetables, instead, replace them with green leafy vegetables found above ground (that includes cauliflower & broccoli.
2/ Start testing your Blood Glucose (the medical community doesn't put much store in self-testing but we find it's an invaluable too), the cheapest self-funded one appears to be the SD Codefree from Amazon; also purchase plenty of test-strips

 

[Drummer]

An important gauge of progress is the change in Hba1c - it is the proportion of the molecules of haemoglobin which have glucose stuck to them and shows how good your control has been in the last few months. If you keep your blood glucose in normal range by cutting down the carbs then you should see the Hba1c back in normal ranges too - with any luck.
You might get advice on eating 'healthy' carbs - they are perfectly healthy for cattle sheep antelopes etc, for diabetics however they are problematic as they cause high blood glucose and that leads to all sorts of problems, all of which can be avoided by going against the 'normal' advice.

 

[CathyB]

Hi, welcome to the group you can take control as the others have said, the key is in going low carb....it’s not as bad as it sounds. Although I did spend a week sulking on my sofa thinking I would never eat anything nice again! I was SO wrong, I am now enjoying food more than I could have imagined. I don’t eat rice, pasta, potatoes, flour or anything like that...I do eat meat with salads and coleslaw, stir fries with asparagus, mushrooms and anything green I can find. I eat curry with extra veg or cauliflower rice, cauliflower cheese, chilli with cheese but no rice...and the funny thing is, I don’t miss the carbs or the bloating that came with them, I dont get as hungry as I used to and I’m losing weight without any effort 🙄 Testing is crucial, we are all different so it’s the only way you will see how your body reacts so keep a food diary along with your blood glucose levels.
Read as much as you can here, everything you need to know is within these pages so take your time and ask anything you need to 😉

 

[Ljc]

Hi @Parma Violets and Glitter (love your name) Welcome to the forum. It’s perfectly natural to feel a bit low. With the right info T2 can be well managed, you will certainly get the right inf from people here , sadly this is not always the case with the medics/ nurses.

How did you come to be diagnosed.

I’m sure you have lots of questions and probably a few worries too, so ask away and we’ll do our best to help

It’s best to cut down on carbohydrates , sugar in all its forms is just a fast acting carb which in the uk is already included in the carbohydrate conrent on the label usually on the back of the pack or tin.
Cutting down on carbohydrates can lead to weight loss without even trying 🙂.
We usually have no problems with protein and healthy fats.

Testing your glucose levels initially just before then two hours later is a very good idea but most GPs won’t provide them for T2 s who are not in meds that cause hypo’s.

To see what we’ve been eating have a look at what-did-you-eat-yesterday, it’s bound to give yo a few ideas you’ll also see that we do eat nice tasty snacks and meals.

 

[Parma Violets and Glitter]

Hello all,

Thank you so much for your support, I'm feeling more positive about it today. I look forward to chatting to you all and getting some very insightful knowledge on T2!

PVG

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Parma & Glitter from a fellow T2.

 

[weecee]

Welcome Parma Violets and Glitter. You will learn lots on this forum. It is a one stop shop of information and experience. You can also get great recipe and meal ideas in the food section. We have a few brave members who "experiment" with various combinations and share results. Can be fun. Good luck

 

[Slippylizard]

First of all. Take a deep breath and understand you can do something about this and some of it is under your control. Whilst initially it is a mighty big pill too swallow you can deal with this. Yes you will need to lose weight and it's not easy but you have a real motivation to do so. Your own health. Get rid of the carbs, even intially just to get the levels down to start with. You can do this and learn as much as you can from this forum. We have all been where you are, you are not alone.

 

[Jakki098]

Hi PVG, from one newbie to another, welcome!! You're not on you're own nor alone in this journey. While it may be different for everyone, the outcome of manageability and hopefully a long, happy life is the same for us all collectively. I'm still at the taking it day by day, half day by half day if necessary stage and although I'm still very much finding my own way around what works for me, I have plenty of room and support for others including yourself, so a warm welcome to our new lives! We can do this!! Read all you can, and all that's recommended, test yourself regularly, keep a food diary and watch your new life and new you take shape!