• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Diagnosed yesterday

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
H

Hellsbells79

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello everyone I was diagnosed yesterday with hba1c of 86 . I’m in total shock didn’t expect that at all . I am on it with the diet changes and currently keeping each meal under 20 grams with a couple of snacks of corn cakes which are 23 calories and under 1 in carbs and sugars . Doc wants to see me next week to put me on meds but I’m not keen would rather try diet first Any advice greatfully received .
 
Hi @Hellsbells79 and welcome to the forum. It sounds like you have made a good start already, cutting back on carbs worked for me, I tested my meals with a Blood Glucose meter I bought, in order to find which foods I needed to avoid. Mine is a TEE2 but the Gluco Navii is also popular (both have cheap test trips). Aim for a rise of around 2.0 mmol between just before a meal and 2hrs after first bite. Then aim to keep your highest reading no more than 8.0 mmol and you're on your way to diabetes remission.

The main problem is in finding something that you are actually happy to stick with, because many start too hard and then decide that they can't keep it up, so ease into it . There is also a possibility of (temporary) blurred vision if you reduce your BG too fast compared to what your body has grown used to.

Good Luck, I hope to hear of your success in a few months time.
 
Hi, I can totally empathise with the shock! Back in January I was so upset with my diagnosis. In my case the gp was happy for me to try 3 months of diet only when i asked, having initially intended to put me on metformin. My levels were a bit lower at 69 though, and I'd diet controlled gestational diabetes before. I also wasn't experiencing symptoms that I know of. So if you do think diet right for you it might be worth thinking about why before you see gp. Even if you do take medication diet will still be the most important thing though.

If you search for my post from today you'll see it has worked for me so far! 20g of carb per meal is probably about what I do, although I find I can take less at breakfast and more I the evening.

There is loads of advice on here, and I would also recommend buying a glucose monitor if gp won't give you one, so you can keep an eye on how you are doing and get a feel for which foods spike your sugars more, how much carbs you can handle etc. I got the gluco navi based on posts on here which is reasonably priced. I don't test as much as some do though as the cost of strips adds up an I just wanted to be able to check occasionally not be obsessive about it.

Good luck- you can do this!
 
You will soon get used to looking at the nutritional information on packets and by googling the name of the food and total carbs. That is the thing you need to look at as it is all carbohydrates which convert to glucose. The sugar is included in the total carbs so really does not matter and many people don't bother too much about calories as it is the carbs that are important.
Going straight to 20g carb per meal may be a bit too quick as too rapid reduction can cause eye and nerve issues, many people look at what they were having and reduce carbs by one third for a couple of weeks, then another third until they get to where they need to be.
This link may help you with a way forward with some dietary changes. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Certainly many people are able to reduce blood glucose from where you are with just dietary changes and increasing exercise if they can.
 
What are corn cakes?
Something I have not come across before.
 
Wikipedia: Corn Cakes

Google: carbs corn cakes
  • How many carbs are in Corn cakes? --- 14.7g
  • How much sugar is in Corn cakes? --- 4.2g
Google took these figures from here, where I found they ere based on a serving size of 2 cakes or 18g. So normalising to 100g
  • Total Carbs ---- 81.7g
  • Sugars ---- 23.3g
Are they a special diabetic brand of corn cake?


For my dietary purposes, I use Sainsbury own brand Oatcakes as a reference. For a serving of 100g:
  • Total Carbs ---- 55.5g
  • Sugars ---- less than 0.5g

By the way, welcome to the forums
 
Last edited:
You’re off to a strong start but it’s a marathon and not a sprint so just ease things back a bit.

Cutting carbs so much in one go can cause other issues so try cutting by 1/3rd for a couple of weeks and then cutting that new amount by 1/3rd for a couple of weeks and repeating until you’re at a level you’re comfortable with. That avoids any eye issues which may arise from cutting too fast, too soon.

But well done on taking the bull by the horns right out the gate and know we’re here to support you and to answer any questions you inevitably will have.
 
ianf0ster said:
Hi @Hellsbells79 and welcome to the forum. It sounds like you have made a good start already, cutting back on carbs worked for me, I tested my meals with a Blood Glucose meter I bought, in order to find which foods I needed to avoid. Mine is a TEE2 but the Gluco Navii is also popular (both have cheap test trips). Aim for a rise of around 2.0 mmol between just before a meal and 2hrs after first bite. Then aim to keep your highest reading no more than 8.0 mmol and you're on your way to diabetes remission.

The main problem is in finding something that you are actually happy to stick with, because many start too hard and then decide that they can't keep it up, so ease into it . There is also a possibility of (temporary) blurred vision if you reduce your BG too fast compared to what your body has grown used to.

Good Luck, I hope to hear of your success in a few months time.
Click to expand...
Hi thanks for the reply , I tested yesterday 2 hours after eating and reading was 9 . Am I heading in the right direction ? I have seen that with hba1c of 86 that’s average of 13 , so 9 is an improvement is that right ?
 
Hellsbells79 said:
Hi thanks for the reply , I tested yesterday 2 hours after eating and reading was 9 . Am I heading in the right direction ? I have seen that with hba1c of 86 that’s average of 13 , so 9 is an improvement is that right ?
Click to expand...
9 is a much better number. Just remember your finger prick test is a snap shot of where you in the moment. Your hba1c test gives an average of your BG level over the last 2 or 3 months. So don’t be disappointed if you have some higher finger print readings.
It’s the bigger picture that matters and a downward trend is what you are looking for.
 
Hellsbells79 said:
Hi thanks for the reply , I tested yesterday 2 hours after eating and reading was 9 . Am I heading in the right direction ? I have seen that with hba1c of 86 that’s average of 13 , so 9 is an improvement is that right ?
Click to expand...
Although the HbA1C will give you a guide as to the sort of finger prick level you might expect as in the higher the HbA1C then it is more likely you will start with a higher finger prick reading, but as you make the dietary changes you will expect the finger prick readings to come down as it a a moment in time level and is mostly related to what you eat. Checking before you eat then after 2 hours will guide you in what foods you can tolerate. An increase of 2-3mmol/l is OK but more than that the meal is too carb heavy. As levels start to come down to 4-7mmol/l before meals then your 2 hour post meal should be no more than 8mmol/l.
The HbA1C and the spot finger pricks are measuring different things so bear that in mind.
 
Welcome to the forum @Hellsbells79

Sounds like you are off to a determined start - good for you!

What led to your diagnosis? It sounds like it may have come on quite suddenly without much of a build-up? Did you have any symptoms? Or were you being checked for other things or had a general healthcheck which brought this to light?

Hopefully with a bit of moderation on carb intake, and perhaps losing any excess weight you might be carrying can really help take the pressure off your metabolism.

Let us know how things go, and keep asking away with any questions you have as they crop up 🙂
 
Hi thanks for the reply . I went to docs with bloating and lower left abdominal discomfort . Routine urine tests showed sugar and so advised bloods and was diagnosed from that . I am over weight by about 3 stone ish .
 
Just checking to see where I am at ! Bloods first thing this morning were 8.4 , 2 hours after food yesterday were 9. Should this be in the normal range already given I’m keeping carbs and sugars low or will it take time (day 4 today) ? Does not being in normal range mean I need help ie meds - I’m hoping to try without !
 
Hellsbells79 said:
Just checking to see where I am at ! Bloods first thing this morning were 8.4 , 2 hours after food yesterday were 9. Should this be in the normal range already given I’m keeping carbs and sugars low or will it take time (day 4 today) ? Does not being in normal range mean I need help ie meds - I’m hoping to try without !
Click to expand...
It will take time to start to come down and it is better that it comes down slowly as you will be less likely to get problems with your eyes and nerves.
Morning readings are often the last to come down, but more valuable is to test meals by testing BEFORE you eat AND after 2 hours to see the difference. An after reading on it's own doesn't tell you if your meal was suitable.
What amount of carbs (forget the sugars as they are included in the carb value) are you having per day?
The suggested amount is less than 130g per day though some people do go lower than that but better to reduce gradually.
 
Thank you for the reply . I am having between 50. - 90 carbs a day. Thank you for the advise I will test again today 2 hours post breakfast and see what the result is .
 
Hi @Hellsbells79 welcome to the forum community. It's great to see you've got the ball rolling! Carb counting and exercise will make difference if you need any ideas and support with this please do go on our website we have great materials and resources. 🙂
 
Leadinglights said:
It will take time to start to come down and it is better that it comes down slowly as you will be less likely to get problems with your eyes and nerves.
Morning readings are often the last to come down, but more valuable is to test meals by testing BEFORE you eat AND after 2 hours to see the difference. An after reading on it's own doesn't tell you if your meal was suitable.
What amount of carbs (forget the sugars as they are included in the carb value) are you having per day?
The suggested amount is less than 130g per day though some people do go lower than that but better to reduce gradually.
Click to expand...
So before food result was 8.4 and 2 hours after was 11.6 ?
 
Did you test immediately before eating or when you got up and maybe an hour before eating breakfast as that can make a significant difference. If it was right before eating and then 2 hours after it looks like your body struggled to cope with what you ate for that meal. You are looking to keep the rise in BG to less than 3 mmols ideally no more than 2, but aim for under 3 initially. What did you have for breakfast (food and drink)?
 
What I was trying to say and perhaps doesn't come across so well in my post is that BG levels rise and fall throughout the day quite considerably due to a great number of factors. Food, exercise and medication are the main players but there are about 42 known things which impact BG both upwards and downwards, so taking that premeal reading right before you eat helps to eliminate, as much as possible, those other factors.
In particular, there is something called Dawn Phenomenon (DP) or Foot on the Floor (FOTF) syndrome which causes the liver to dump glucose into the blood stream to give us energy for the day. This can start as soon as it gets light (DP) and continue until we actually eat something, or as we set foot out of bed (FOTF) and the rise in BG due to this liver output can be quite significant. It is believed to be a throwback to prehistoric times when we needed energy to hunt or gather our first meal of the day and isn't overly helpful to those of us with insufficient or inefficient insulin production (ie Diabetes) to deal with it, especially as walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge doesn't use up much glucose at all..... Feel free to go out and hunt down a wooly mammoth to burn it off if you want to deal with it that way. 🙄 Eating should shut this liver function down, so if you potter about for an hour or more before breakfast, you might find that your levels rise by 2-3 mmols between getting out of bed and eating breakfast, maybe even more, so it is really important to take that pre meal test just before you start eating if you want to gauge the effect the food you eat has on your BG, particularly with breakfast.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top