Hello at last!

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stephknits

stephknits

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello lovely forum people. I was diagnosed type 2 in September, which is very recently, but feels like ages ago (those carefree carb filled days).

I found this forum soon afterwards and have been reading it avidly ever since. Haven't plucked up the courage to post before, firstly because for some reason this would make it all more real and then because I either had too many stupid questions or a completely blank mind.

I go to the last of 3 introductory diabetic nurse appointments tomorrow and am hoping to ask for a testing meter and strips. However I have never really been very good at asking for things for myself and tend to just accept whatever is offered (I never complain at restaurants etc). I would have just accepted that I didn't need to test, but having read all the fantastic advice on this forum, I shall be doing so, whether I buy the stuff myself or not.

Was very surprised by the diagnosis as I do not have any of the risk factors. (Ok, I am over 40, but only just!), but was diagnosed having attended a routine health check. I don't know anyone else with diabetes, so have really appreciated the support I have already received from the forum, even though you didn't know you were giving it.

Many thanks
Oh, almost forgot, am on Metformin, have no current idea of any of my BS results as didn't know to ask for them, but will try to get a print out tomorrow..
 
Hello Steph and welcome to the forum. 🙂
 
Hi Steph, welcome to the forum, and thank you for introducing yourself 🙂 Remember that there are NO silly questions here - if it is bothering you or confusing you, please ask! I once asked a question about nostrils! 😱

Have you got yourself a copy of Gretchen Becker's Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year? Well worth buying, if not. Testing is definitely the way to go, and don't be afraid to ask because the test strips can be quite expensive. If the nurse/doctor is reluctant to prescribe then you may be able to persuade them by funding yourself for a while and recording your results, so that you can show how it is helping you to understand and manage your diabetes. There should be no blanket ban on prescribing strips, it is supposed to be agreed on an individual basis between patient and healthcare professional. I discovered early on that you need to be assertive and not allow yourself to be fobbed off - it is your future health at stake, not theirs, and diabetes is managed 99.9% by the individual, not their nurse or doctor! 🙂

Interesting that you do not appear to have any of the usual risk factors for Type 2 - often people are diagnosed as Type 2 on age alone if no other obvious risks and symptoms are apparent, but do keep an eye on things as several of our members have proven to be misdiagnosed, and turn out to be slow-onset Type1s - not saying this is the case with you, but it's something to consider if things seem to get worse despite medication and your efforts.

Let us know how things go with your appointment tomorrow, I hope you come back with a shiny meter and a sack of test strips! 🙂
 
Hi Steph I love the name hehe, welcome to the forum
 
Hello- and welcome from me - Ask away someone will always help-I still ask 2 years on!
 
many thanks for speedy replies. I have ordered the book you recommended, Northener - thanks to your posts advising people - so am looking forward to it's arrival. The only thing I can think is that it might be genetic in my case (I am adopted, so don't know). I have low blood pressure and my routine health check said I had a perfect cholesterol result (get me) and am a healthy weight.

When I get to testing, this will give me an indication as to how well the drugs and diet are doing (I'm afraid I am slacking on the exercise so far). I went to the chemist who tested my 2 hours after eating a salad and was 9.8

Thought I'd try one silly question a post and was encouraged by the nostril comment so here goes:
Every day, either when I am hungry, or conversely just after eating my eyes feel funny - sort of buzzy is the best way to describe it. Am I imagining things? Do other people experience this?
 
stephknits said:
Thought I'd try one silly question a post and was encouraged by the nostril comment so here goes:
Every day, either when I am hungry, or conversely just after eating my eyes feel funny - sort of buzzy is the best way to describe it. Am I imagining things? Do other people experience this?
Click to expand...

There's a possibility that this is due to your levels going quite high after eating - the greater concentration of glucose in the blood can distort the lens of the eye (temporary!). There could be other reasons though - ideally, when you get a meter you will be able to test when you feel this way. Have you already made significant changes to your diet? The other possibility is that your levels are improving and lower than you have been used to prior to eating and just after, before the food has properly started to digest. This is called a 'false hypo' - you get some of the symptoms of a low blood sugar even though your levels may not be particularly low 🙂 This will also pass as you become more used to more normal blood glucose levels 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum! 🙂

If you don't already have a medical exemption certificate, get the form from your nurse - you will get all your prescriptions free now that you're on metformin. You also get free eye tests - but best hang on until your fuzziness goes away or you'll get the wrong prescription.
 
Welcome to the forum Steph 🙂
 
I was diagnosed at 40 and a half...! No risk factors applied, although when I told one HCP I was mixed race (as you can see from my profile pic it's not immediately apparent) she behaved as if a gigantic penny had dropped on top of her head 🙄 anyway, welcome 🙂
 
Thanks all.

Well, I went to my nurse appointment and got a testing kit on prescription!!
Sadly, it was for testing my urine...
Still, have ordered my own, so should be getting more on top of things soon.🙂
 
stephknits said:
Thanks all.

Well, I went to my nurse appointment and got a testing kit on prescription!!
Sadly, it was for testing my urine...
Still, have ordered my own, so should be getting more on top of things soon.🙂
Click to expand...

Cheapskates! 🙄 Testing urine tells you very little as the sugar shows up considerably later in the urine as opposed to the blood, plus it only shows when it is already at a level high enough to 'spill over' through the kidneys (around 10 mmol/l, I believe).

Good for you getting your own kit, let us know how things go 🙂
 
When I asked the nurse how often I should test my urine and what to do if I had a positive result she said that it was really only of use to check whether you were getting back to normal after being ill. Not sure why she gave me them really!
On the plus side, am being sent on a DESMOND course, which I hear are very good.
Also am enjoying (sort of a funny word to use!). The first year type to diabetes book by Gretchen Becker very much and would recommend it to anyone starting out with type 2.
 
Today l received the Diet Book by Gretchen Becker from Amazon the few pages that l have read already are really easy reading thanks for recommending it.
 
I remember when I was first diagnosed (June 2000), I was precribed urine testing strips. (I was also recommended to use a BG meter, although I had to buy my own; however I did get strips and lancets prescribed for it, this being before the "type 2s not on insulin don't need to test" idiocy came in, at least at my surgery.) I duly recorded the results, and they were so wildly inconsistent (with one another and with the BG results) that I and my GP agreed that there was no point in my urine testing, as the results bore little relationship to my levels.
 
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