Hello everyone, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes two weeks ago so it's all very new. I got some books out of the library and am trying to get my head around everything. I'm on Metformin but making major lifestyle changes and hoping I can come off all medication one day, We shall see! Looking forward to learning lots and getting to know fellow community members.
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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.
Greetings
- Thread starter Boofster
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admc26
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi @Boofster! Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, but it sounds as if you're already making great strides in managing your new condition and getting your head around it all!
Have you been told your HbA1c at all? Do you have a blood glucose monitor?
Please feel free to get involved on the forum and ask any questions that you may have as someone will always provide an answer.
Have you been told your HbA1c at all? Do you have a blood glucose monitor?
Please feel free to get involved on the forum and ask any questions that you may have as someone will always provide an answer.
Vonny
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Boofster and welcome to the club 🙂 You sound quite upbeat so sounds like you are coping well. The early days are always the hardest as there is so much to take in and it's so difficult to realise your lifestyle is going to have to change...for life. Having been there and felt so hopeless and overwhelmed I'm now feeling better than I have for the last 2 decades!
We do have members who have come off metformin. I was given the opportunity to do so on Monday in my annual review, but I decided to leave it at one a day as it seems to suit me. Next review I may decide to try without it.
You said you are making major lifestyle changes...what does that involve? For me it was going low carb and walking lots which I pretty much continue to do 18 months on.
Any questions, just holler, someone will have an answer for you 🙂
We do have members who have come off metformin. I was given the opportunity to do so on Monday in my annual review, but I decided to leave it at one a day as it seems to suit me. Next review I may decide to try without it.
You said you are making major lifestyle changes...what does that involve? For me it was going low carb and walking lots which I pretty much continue to do 18 months on.
Any questions, just holler, someone will have an answer for you 🙂
janw
Much Missed Member.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Boofster and welcome from still quite a newbie 🙂 You have come to the best place, lots of experience and support here. As you will find out, we are all fighting the same battle but in different ways, there is no "one size fits all" not even within each "type", it all takes time to find what works for us - and that is where the blood glucose monitor really comes into play. We T2s can't usually get that from our GP, has to be self-funded - and we often get told we don't need one - but they are wrong, they are a lifeline! Anyway, if you have any questions just ask, advice and suggestions are always available and no question is ever silly - we were all beginners at one point 🙂 Nice to meet you.
Hi, nice to meet you 🙂
janw - thank you. I've been very lucky with my GP and diabetes nurse who have given me a glucose monitor and all the strips and needles I need to test twice a day.
admc26 - I don't know my HbA1c number I don't think - is that the reading that comes up on the monitor or something different? The nurse mentioned that there are two different ways of measuring it. My pre-dinner readings are are within the normal 5 to 7 range but my mornings readings are around 11 so the nurse has increased my Metformin from one tablet to two to bring that down.
Vonny - I am more upbeat about it now, I felt very down at first but knowing I have some control over the situation helps. I need to lose weight so that's a key lifestyle change for me. I've cut out sugar and drastically reduced my carbs and when I am feeling a bit better I'll start going for long walks again. I used to be quite fit and slim but not for the past eight years or so! It sounds like you are doing a great job, any tips greatly appreciated!
I find it VERY hard to lose weight these days so I think it will be a long slog but it's got to be done. I'm trying to focus on one meal at a time rather than looking at the bigger picture. It is a bit daunting though I must admit.
janw - thank you. I've been very lucky with my GP and diabetes nurse who have given me a glucose monitor and all the strips and needles I need to test twice a day.
admc26 - I don't know my HbA1c number I don't think - is that the reading that comes up on the monitor or something different? The nurse mentioned that there are two different ways of measuring it. My pre-dinner readings are are within the normal 5 to 7 range but my mornings readings are around 11 so the nurse has increased my Metformin from one tablet to two to bring that down.
Vonny - I am more upbeat about it now, I felt very down at first but knowing I have some control over the situation helps. I need to lose weight so that's a key lifestyle change for me. I've cut out sugar and drastically reduced my carbs and when I am feeling a bit better I'll start going for long walks again. I used to be quite fit and slim but not for the past eight years or so! It sounds like you are doing a great job, any tips greatly appreciated!
I find it VERY hard to lose weight these days so I think it will be a long slog but it's got to be done. I'm trying to focus on one meal at a time rather than looking at the bigger picture. It is a bit daunting though I must admit.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The HbA1C is the test used to diagnose diabetes and would be done from a blood sample taken from your arm. It measure your average blood glucose over the past 3 months and a level of 48 mmol/mol gives you a diabetes diagnosis.
The measurement from your blood glucose monitor is in mmol/l and is a measurement of your glucose level at tthat moment in time and will vary depending on the time of day but mostly will be affected by what you eat.
The more carbohydrate that you eat that your body cannot cope with the greater that spot reading will be. The aim would be for your 2 hour after meal readings to be no more that 8mmol/l and no more than a 2-3mmol/ increase from before to after.
At the moment your morning levels are fairly high but they are usually the last to come down.
Metformin does not directly act of food but helps the body to use the insulin it produces more effectively but dietary changes are still needed.
The measurement from your blood glucose monitor is in mmol/l and is a measurement of your glucose level at tthat moment in time and will vary depending on the time of day but mostly will be affected by what you eat.
The more carbohydrate that you eat that your body cannot cope with the greater that spot reading will be. The aim would be for your 2 hour after meal readings to be no more that 8mmol/l and no more than a 2-3mmol/ increase from before to after.
At the moment your morning levels are fairly high but they are usually the last to come down.
Metformin does not directly act of food but helps the body to use the insulin it produces more effectively but dietary changes are still needed.
Gwynn
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I still take it one day at a time. In fact I take it one meal at a time.
Great that you have joined the forum. Some great advice and support here too. It will be interesting to see how you get on and what works for you.
I am one of those that came off all meds, changed my lifestyle completely, utterly rewrote my diet, lost a huge amount of weight (and, yes it was hard work), and managed to get my blood glucose under good control.
I am one year in and I have to say it, from a health point of view, it's been the best year of my life.
The secret is in continuous learning, testing, taking personal control.
I found the NHS support to be a bit poor and the internet full of contradictory advice. But here on this forum things became very clear and understandable and 'do-able'
Great that you have joined the forum. Some great advice and support here too. It will be interesting to see how you get on and what works for you.
I am one of those that came off all meds, changed my lifestyle completely, utterly rewrote my diet, lost a huge amount of weight (and, yes it was hard work), and managed to get my blood glucose under good control.
I am one year in and I have to say it, from a health point of view, it's been the best year of my life.
The secret is in continuous learning, testing, taking personal control.
I found the NHS support to be a bit poor and the internet full of contradictory advice. But here on this forum things became very clear and understandable and 'do-able'
Thank you!
Thanks Leading Lights, that's really useful info. I think I remember my blood test had a reading of 78 which must have been be the mmol/mol level. I've got it written down somewhere, must check. For now I am happy to focus on my glucose monitor readings as they keep me in line.
Gwynn your weightloss achievement is amazing! I am aiming to do similar. Your comment "I am one year in and I have to say it, from a health point of view, it's been the best year of my life." really gives me hope.
Gwynn your weightloss achievement is amazing! I am aiming to do similar. Your comment "I am one year in and I have to say it, from a health point of view, it's been the best year of my life." really gives me hope.
Felinia
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi and welcome
It sounds very much like your HbA1c was 78. I would advise you to monitor your blood glucose just before eating and 2 hours after first bite, as Leadinglights suggests, in conjunction with a food diary. My food diary is an app, of which there are several including MyFitBit and NutraCheck. That way you will soon identify which foods make your blood glucose spike. Nowadays I just test for new foods. I experimented with total carbs per day, between 50gm and 130gm, settling on around 90gm +-15gm. I also use food substitutes like cauliflower for rice or mash, courgetti or boodles for spaghetti and squash sheets for lasagne. The other major change I made was exercise, as I now go to the pool 3 times a week for Aquafit. I haven't been so fit for years, and I have my waist back!!!
It sounds very much like your HbA1c was 78. I would advise you to monitor your blood glucose just before eating and 2 hours after first bite, as Leadinglights suggests, in conjunction with a food diary. My food diary is an app, of which there are several including MyFitBit and NutraCheck. That way you will soon identify which foods make your blood glucose spike. Nowadays I just test for new foods. I experimented with total carbs per day, between 50gm and 130gm, settling on around 90gm +-15gm. I also use food substitutes like cauliflower for rice or mash, courgetti or boodles for spaghetti and squash sheets for lasagne. The other major change I made was exercise, as I now go to the pool 3 times a week for Aquafit. I haven't been so fit for years, and I have my waist back!!!
Gwynn
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Something I got to realise when I had a brain tumour op was that it is hard to get the NHS switched on, but once they are switched on they are really good. Sadly however, the after care can be a bit poor and thats where I learned to not only fend for myself but also to take responsibility for my own medical condition as best I could. Meaning that I see the doctors as 'helpers' and me as a driver.
Same too with the diabetes. Once they told me what was wrong ( sadly they mucked that up to begin with) I set about learning what I was dealing with, how to tame the beast if possible, and gained a zillion tons of determination.
Then formed...
A good strategy, modified constantly by new information andgained help on this forum and elsewhere. Created a great App monitoring and reporting everything. Doctors that at least do what I ask (most of the time). App graphs are a real help there.
It has paid off.
But it has taken a lot of effort and will continue to do so for life.
Rats!! Did I really want to be healthier, fitter, happier, etc etc?
Yup 🙂
One word of caution. What worked for me may not work for you and you have to discover 'who you are' and what works for you.
Same too with the diabetes. Once they told me what was wrong ( sadly they mucked that up to begin with) I set about learning what I was dealing with, how to tame the beast if possible, and gained a zillion tons of determination.
Then formed...
A good strategy, modified constantly by new information andgained help on this forum and elsewhere. Created a great App monitoring and reporting everything. Doctors that at least do what I ask (most of the time). App graphs are a real help there.
It has paid off.
But it has taken a lot of effort and will continue to do so for life.
Rats!! Did I really want to be healthier, fitter, happier, etc etc?
Yup 🙂
One word of caution. What worked for me may not work for you and you have to discover 'who you are' and what works for you.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Boofster
Great to hear you have bounced back a little from the initial shock of the diagnosis. Feeling down, lost and hopeless about it is very common. Many people liken it to a form of grief, and those familiar phases can be just as unruly and cyclical in the early years, so be kind to yourself, and recognise how far you have already come, and how well you are doing.
If you'd like a little background reading, the Learning Zone has loads of modules you can work through to build on the knowledge you have already picked up.
Additionally you might find Maggie Davey’s Letter to the newly diagnosed (one woman’s account of her own experience, and what she wishes she had been told at the outset; and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, really helpful. They are often recommended by forum members.
And keep asking questions on the forum too! We have loads years of shared experience for you to tap into 🙂
Great to hear you have bounced back a little from the initial shock of the diagnosis. Feeling down, lost and hopeless about it is very common. Many people liken it to a form of grief, and those familiar phases can be just as unruly and cyclical in the early years, so be kind to yourself, and recognise how far you have already come, and how well you are doing.
If you'd like a little background reading, the Learning Zone has loads of modules you can work through to build on the knowledge you have already picked up.
Additionally you might find Maggie Davey’s Letter to the newly diagnosed (one woman’s account of her own experience, and what she wishes she had been told at the outset; and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, really helpful. They are often recommended by forum members.
And keep asking questions on the forum too! We have loads years of shared experience for you to tap into 🙂
Thanks so much for your replies. everydayupsanddowns I'm reading and following links and trying to learn as much as I can. The letter to the newly diagnosed is very helpful.
Gwynn I definitely see it as my job to improve my health and doctor/nurse/medication as tools to help me do that. Can you recommend an app where I can track my readings in mmol/l please? The ones I have found all use the American way of measuring.
Felinia I need to work out how many carbs per day I can 'tolerate' so will follow your tips, thanks. And I must find an exercise class I can enjoy. I do walk but would like to add in something else.
Gwynn I definitely see it as my job to improve my health and doctor/nurse/medication as tools to help me do that. Can you recommend an app where I can track my readings in mmol/l please? The ones I have found all use the American way of measuring.
Felinia I need to work out how many carbs per day I can 'tolerate' so will follow your tips, thanks. And I must find an exercise class I can enjoy. I do walk but would like to add in something else.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Lots of forum members seem to like mySugr. There is a good free version, along with an ‘all singing and dancing’ version that you have to pay for.
It's very clever of you to write your own!
Thank you for this, I'll check it out.
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