I was diagnosed September 2019 and was on Metformin for 2 months but since then have managed without medication. I have lost quite a lot of weight since diagnosis and am now a healthy BMI but I haven't had a blood test for 12 months as I live in an area with very high COVID rates and my GP is not very keen on me going to get one (nor am I really - the rates here are still twice the national level!). Because I'm not very experienced in having or managing the diabetes and I've never had to monitor my sugar levels at home I don't really have any feeling for where I am and I'm a bit lost at the moment, particularly as COVID related anxiety is making it difficult to motivate myself to cook properly and I am not really interested in eating much. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
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Hello everyone - joined today - confused Type 2!
- Thread starter CeeCee
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Drummer
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I have been able to maintain my Hba1c at exactly the same number for some years as I have a home tester and if I make myself a meal with a new ingredient I check my blood glucose after eating it.
I got a Tee 2 meter from Spirit Healthcare, as it is cheap to use, and soon found that I could keep my levels below 8, then as I stuck to the same meals and time passed, it drifted down to under 7.
These days I hardly test at all but I do have a load of ingredients for baking which I ought to try out, and then I will be testing again. It really helps to see how you are doing.
It is a handy thing to have available, particularly in these strange times.
You can go to the website, sign up and then you get an email to confirm your status and you can order free of VAT, but I have been told that if you phone up and order a good number of strips you might get the meter kit for free - that is a case with the meter, stabber and a few strips and lancets as a starter kit.
I got a Tee 2 meter from Spirit Healthcare, as it is cheap to use, and soon found that I could keep my levels below 8, then as I stuck to the same meals and time passed, it drifted down to under 7.
These days I hardly test at all but I do have a load of ingredients for baking which I ought to try out, and then I will be testing again. It really helps to see how you are doing.
It is a handy thing to have available, particularly in these strange times.
You can go to the website, sign up and then you get an email to confirm your status and you can order free of VAT, but I have been told that if you phone up and order a good number of strips you might get the meter kit for free - that is a case with the meter, stabber and a few strips and lancets as a starter kit.
Thankyou for your quick and helpful reply! My HbA1c was 42 when I was last tested and I have lost 18kg since diagnosis (9 since last tested). I would hate to start going backwards so I think I will have to get a kit as it will either put my mind at rest or trigger a different approach.
Ralph-YK
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- Relationship to Diabetes
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Before C19 you could go to yearly HbA1c tests, and reviews, quite quickly.
Welcome to the forum CeeCee.
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Congratulations on the excellent HbA1c
Sorry to hear you have been struggling with covid anxiety
Are you planning to get a BG monitor to check your levels at home? The most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50
The old guidelines for T2 were 4-7 before meals and no higher than 8.5 by 2hrs after meals. Members here who check before and after to see how different meals affect their BG aim for a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L by 2hrs after eating
Sorry to hear you have been struggling with covid anxiety
Are you planning to get a BG monitor to check your levels at home? The most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50
The old guidelines for T2 were 4-7 before meals and no higher than 8.5 by 2hrs after meals. Members here who check before and after to see how different meals affect their BG aim for a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L by 2hrs after eating
Thanks Mike - I have got a kit now so as soon as it's out of quarantine (lordy this is tedious!) I shall give it a go.Congratulations on the excellent HbA1c
Sorry to hear you have been struggling with covid anxiety
Are you planning to get a BG monitor to check your levels at home? The most affordable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which both have test strips at around £8 for 50
The old guidelines for T2 were 4-7 before meals and no higher than 8.5 by 2hrs after meals. Members here who check before and after to see how different meals affect their BG aim for a rise of no more than 2-3mmol/L by 2hrs after eating
Hi and thankyou. I hope your test and review went ok. It is difficult isn't it - you really don't want to go but then you really worry about what might be happening and think that you should go. Trying hard to eat properly and stay positive and I have managed to get some support through our local mental health service which is good. Hopefully things will start to get a bit better for all of us soon.
Leadinglights
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My G P does not offer the blood tests so you had to go the hospital phlebotomy or at a walk in centre which felt less than safe even before Covid but I found a local pharmacy offering blood test service which has felt very safe with booked appointments. I have just requested the repeat HbA1C from the GP and they text a link for the form which you print out. There may be something similar where you are.
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