My name is Carol and i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes today. I am totally bewildered by the diagnosis and where i go from here. I have to wait until mid-March before i can see the Diabetes Nurse, so am started from a base of zero knowledge. I have gone through some of the courses on the website and gleamed some knowledge from them thankfully, so now the shock and fear is subsiding slightly
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Diagnosed today
- Thread starter Carol 239
- Start date
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Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the Forum - we are all here to help you. I am a few years older and diagnosed last August, so really found this website and Forum invaluable. It would help if you posted your HbA1c results and any medications you are on, as that would help members better target their advice.
The most useful thing is Maggie Davey's letter about learning to live with Type 2. I can't remember the link, but a search for it, or someone else posting it might help you. For the next few weeks you can help yourself by eating a low carb diet. That means cutting down or out bread, potato, rice, pasta, cereals, and things like cake, biscuits, sweets, juice, pies - anything made with wheat flour. Also fruit juice is out and fruit restricted - I was told one or 2 portions a day, and a portion size is 80gm. That's not a lot! You will be horrified by the amount of carbs in lots of foods, so checking food packages is essential. DUK recommends less than 130gm a day, but most of us go lower. I experimented and settled on 75gm +- 15gm a day. We are all different, but that suited me. Others eat far less, some need more. In the end I joined a website which does all the looking and counting for me, so I plan a day in advance and have tailored my shopping accordingly.
My nurse also told me to lose weight - I need to - and to exercise. I went from zero to 4 Aquafit sessions a week, so I more than do my recommended 180 minutes a week. I suggest you start to compile a list of questions for your nurse and keep a food diary to show him/her. I'm sure others on here will advise you about monitoring your blood glucose before and after food. It is not normal practise for the GP to provide monitors, but most of us do have one. I tested regularly at first, so I could work out what foods put up my blood glucose, and now I only test for new foods. Others test religiously.
I don't want to overwhelm you with information, but to reassure you it does get easier to manage after the initial shock. Best wishes
The most useful thing is Maggie Davey's letter about learning to live with Type 2. I can't remember the link, but a search for it, or someone else posting it might help you. For the next few weeks you can help yourself by eating a low carb diet. That means cutting down or out bread, potato, rice, pasta, cereals, and things like cake, biscuits, sweets, juice, pies - anything made with wheat flour. Also fruit juice is out and fruit restricted - I was told one or 2 portions a day, and a portion size is 80gm. That's not a lot! You will be horrified by the amount of carbs in lots of foods, so checking food packages is essential. DUK recommends less than 130gm a day, but most of us go lower. I experimented and settled on 75gm +- 15gm a day. We are all different, but that suited me. Others eat far less, some need more. In the end I joined a website which does all the looking and counting for me, so I plan a day in advance and have tailored my shopping accordingly.
My nurse also told me to lose weight - I need to - and to exercise. I went from zero to 4 Aquafit sessions a week, so I more than do my recommended 180 minutes a week. I suggest you start to compile a list of questions for your nurse and keep a food diary to show him/her. I'm sure others on here will advise you about monitoring your blood glucose before and after food. It is not normal practise for the GP to provide monitors, but most of us do have one. I tested regularly at first, so I could work out what foods put up my blood glucose, and now I only test for new foods. Others test religiously.
I don't want to overwhelm you with information, but to reassure you it does get easier to manage after the initial shock. Best wishes
Hi @Carol239 Welcome. It will take time to get used to this new information. Take your time, read the threads/posts. there are people with great experience on here ready to help and guide you.... Dr gave me advice "to cut out all 'obvious' sugar" and retest 3 mths later. Got down 47 - But setback over Xmas. The Dr saw this as a temp glitch and gave another 3 mths . (im in the middle of that now). I cleared the larder, ditching anything in 'hidden' sugars like tomato ketchup, sauces etc. I only eat veg that grows above the ground as it seems to me these are generally lower in carbs than root veg. I dont do low fat stuff, its usually too high sugar/salt (i have to watch my blood pressure). I keep carbs like potatoes, bread, rice & pasta (whether brown or white) to an minimum. i eat a few 'berry' fruits. Diabetes has made me concentrate & plan nutritious & varied meals.... I have lost weight too. I ensure changes I make are sustainable.. I have started a 10 min daily workout at home and upped my walking. I dont use a BG monitor because i have no set diagnosis at the moment but it may be good for you to invest in one of these machine (if your surgery doesnt provide it) Because diabetes is very personal to you. What suits someone may not suit you. The only way you can truly know is by testing.
There's loads of threads on here and topics around food, testing, exercise and all sorts im sure you will find interesting. Please let us know how you are getting on.
There's loads of threads on here and topics around food, testing, exercise and all sorts im sure you will find interesting. Please let us know how you are getting on.
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ColinUK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hi!
I was diagnosed a few weeks ago now and found this forum full of useful advice. Basically it all comes down to:
Buy a blood glucose monitor so you can learn what you can tolerate
Cut out carbs - almost all of them - but perhaps more importantly don’t have loads of them in any one meal
Make a list of questions for the nurse (mid March isn’t really that long to wait)
Low carb Mediterranean meals are what most are finding key to controlling their BG levels.
Do you know what your levels are?
Have you been prescribed medication?
I was diagnosed a few weeks ago now and found this forum full of useful advice. Basically it all comes down to:
Buy a blood glucose monitor so you can learn what you can tolerate
Cut out carbs - almost all of them - but perhaps more importantly don’t have loads of them in any one meal
Make a list of questions for the nurse (mid March isn’t really that long to wait)
Low carb Mediterranean meals are what most are finding key to controlling their BG levels.
Do you know what your levels are?
Have you been prescribed medication?
Neens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Carol and welcome. This is an amazing forum, very supportive. It is good that you found it and signed up on Day 1. We often have to wait a while for that 1st DN apt (Diabetic Nurse). The Learning Zone is a great source of information/education.
Most of us Type 2 start from zero knowledge. Ask any questions - lots of knowledgeable members and there is the helpline if you really start to worry.
It is a shock when we are first diagnosed, but safer to know that not be aware of it.
Take little steps, it will be okay - you are not alone.
SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Carol and welcome to the forum. Most of us find the diagnosis a complete shock and haven’t got a clue what to do - don’t panic we are all here to help. Listen to the good advice above and follow as much of it as you can. Having said that you do not need to implement everything all at once because what you do change needs to be sustainable as this is for the long haul so go gently and do things that you can continue to live with, you will find that you will adjust things as you go along.
Have a good look around the site and ask ANY questions at all, no matter how small or silly you may think they are. We have all been where you are now and most of us have managed to change our bg (blood glucose) readings considerably. Take good care and see you posting soon I hope. Sue x
Have a good look around the site and ask ANY questions at all, no matter how small or silly you may think they are. We have all been where you are now and most of us have managed to change our bg (blood glucose) readings considerably. Take good care and see you posting soon I hope. Sue x
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Carol 239 🙂
Keep us updated with how you are getting on, and how your diabetes management is doing, plus any questions you have. Folks here are very friendly and have literally centuries of lived diabetes experience between them. The only silly question here is the one you don’t ask... nothing will be thought of as ‘too obvious’, so ask away!
Getting a diabetes diagnosis can be a real shock and a bit frightening in the early days, but a happy healthy life with diabetes is perfectly possible and it is a very manageable condition with a few small adjustments. In fact, many people on the forum have said that their diagnosis was actually a bit of a turning point for them which helped them to discover a happier, healthier version of themselves. Plus you get lots of regular health checks, so any potential issues will be spotted early and action can be taken more quickly.
Keep us updated with how you are getting on, and how your diabetes management is doing, plus any questions you have. Folks here are very friendly and have literally centuries of lived diabetes experience between them. The only silly question here is the one you don’t ask... nothing will be thought of as ‘too obvious’, so ask away!
Getting a diabetes diagnosis can be a real shock and a bit frightening in the early days, but a happy healthy life with diabetes is perfectly possible and it is a very manageable condition with a few small adjustments. In fact, many people on the forum have said that their diagnosis was actually a bit of a turning point for them which helped them to discover a happier, healthier version of themselves. Plus you get lots of regular health checks, so any potential issues will be spotted early and action can be taken more quickly.
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Hi and welcome 🙂 As the others have said, it really isn’t so bad once you get your head around it but it takes a while to work out what foods work best for you. All you need to know is within these pages so have a good read and ask any questions you have, we have all been where you are now.......and we have all survived 
Deb RR
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Good morning Carol.
I was diagnosed a week ago and like you I was given no advice or help from the doctor and I have to wait four weeks to see the nurse. My knowledge was zero and I have learnt a lot in researching on Google, that has been a godsend for me.
Carol you have come to the right place this forum has been so helpful for me and I have been given such wonderful help and advice.
My GP has given me two months to reduce my blood sugars from 83 to 50. I really hope that is achievable. Any questions you have this forum will find you an answer.
I now understand this is the end of the diets for me And now a new way of living this life. We can do this together.
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