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Hello Everyone, newbie here!

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

LucyLoo

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forum and relatively new to diabetes (diagnosed January this year). I am quite confused over the information I have been given (or not given!) and have some questions about my diabetes and treatment but I am not sure where to post, any advice and direction to get me on the right path would be great :confused:
 
Hello, Lucy, and welcome to the forum. We are a friendly bunch, so ask away, someone will always be along with suggestions. A good place to post is the 'General Messageboard' Most people look at this, so will see your posts. If anything would do better somewhere else, Northerner, our excellent Admin man, will move it.
 
Thank you both, I will start here and see what happens and if I get moved 🙂

Ok so I was diagnosed with Type 2 in January this year, I was told at the time that my blood sugar level was very high - it was around 16 - but I had no symptoms at all.....I only found out because I went to the doctors for something completely unrelated and they found it from the tests they did. I am currently taking 500mg Metformin 3 times a day and my last blood results my level was down to around 11, also my cholesterol is down and I have lost over a stone in weight......all sounds good? But I am still very confused.

Nobody at my surgery has explained to me what my numbers actually mean (I have read a lot on here about all kinds of numbers, but all I have is 16 and 11!) I have no idea what my numbers should be, I have been given no advice about testing myself at home so that I can monitor levels between blood tests (my next ones now aren't until June). I have no idea how to even get a home testing kit. I haven't been told how I go about getting repeat prescriptions for my Metformin between appointments. I have had bloods done a couple of weeks ago and am still awaiting a call with my results.

The list goes on and as a newly diagnosed case, I feel completely lost as to what I should be doing to help myself, instead of just popping pills for he rest of my life :(

I suppose what I am asking is ....... is this complete lack of help normal? Do any of you find that you are just left to fend for yourself? I'm very scared dealing with this by myself and not having a clue what to do. And also, what do the blood numbers actually mean (hca and all that) :confused::(
 
LucyLoo said:
Hi everyone,
I'm new to the forum and relatively new to diabetes (diagnosed January this year). I am quite confused over the information I have been given (or not given!) and have some questions about my diabetes and treatment but I am not sure where to post, any advice and direction to get me on the right path would be great :confused:
Click to expand...
Hi LucyLoo, welcome to the forum 🙂 There is a massive amount of information about diabetes, which isn't surprising given that it affects around 400 million people worldwide 🙂 Unfortunately, there is an awful lot that is conflicting or downright incorrect, so it can be hard to find good, reliable sources that will actually help you understand things and learn how to get your blood sugar levels under control.

Some proven resources are Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter so I would suggest having a look at those to begin with. I would also suggest getting a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which I know many of our members have found to be extremely helpful, and positive in outlook 🙂

Please ask your questions where you feel they are appropriate - usually the General Message Board gets the most attention, and you can post anything diabetes-related there 🙂 Don't worry about where you post, I can always move things, and you can't 'break' anything, so do try things out or ask if thre is anything you are unsure of 🙂

I look forward to hearing more from you 🙂
 
Northerner said:
Hi LucyLoo, welcome to the forum 🙂 There is a massive amount of information about diabetes, which isn't surprising given that it affects around 400 million people worldwide 🙂 Unfortunately, there is an awful lot that is conflicting or downright incorrect, so it can be hard to find good, reliable sources that will actually help you understand things and learn how to get your blood sugar levels under control.

Some proven resources are Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter so I would suggest having a look at those to begin with. I would also suggest getting a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which I know many of our members have found to be extremely helpful, and positive in outlook 🙂

Please ask your questions where you feel they are appropriate - usually the General Message Board gets the most attention, and you can post anything diabetes-related there 🙂 Don't worry about where you post, I can always move things, and you can't 'break' anything, so do try things out or ask if thre is anything you are unsure of 🙂

I look forward to hearing more from you 🙂
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that I cant break anything !! 🙄 And thank you for the advice, I will look up that information 🙂
 
Hi LucyLoo, you posted whilst I was typing my response! 🙂

The numbers can be confusing. If you are given a fingerpick test to get a reading from a small blood sugar monitor, then it will show what your blood sugar level is at that moment in time - a 'snapshot', if you like. The reading is given as 'mmol/l', and in an ideal world it would show a reading between about 4.0 mmol/l and 8.5 mmol/l. As you are newly-diagnosed, yours are likely to be much higher, but that's normal as you learn about it all and what you need to do to bring things under control.

A lot of healthcare professionals won't prescribe meters and test strips to Type 2s as they see them as an unnecessary expense, but that is a very short-sighted attitude to take. You can ask your GP or nurse to prescribe them, but if they refuse it is really worth getting your own. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50. You then use the information from the meter to determine what you tolerate well in your diet, and what you should reduce or remove - have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand this process 🙂 If you have any questions on any of this, let us know 🙂

It can be very useful to start a food diary, recording the amount of carbohydrates in everything you eat and drink - note that it is ALL coarbohydrates that can raise your blood sugar levels, not just sugar, so bread, potatoes, pasta, rice etc. all need to be considered. Don't worry about having to make too drastic a change to begin with, you need to take your time to learn how different things affect you and nothing awful will happen overnight - it's more of a marathon than a sprint! 🙂

Unfortunately, the lack of information you have been given is not uncommon - even worse, sometimes information is given out that is outdated and wrong :( If you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask - there are lots of freindly, experienced people here who will be happy to clarify things 🙂
 
Hi LucyLoo and welcome to the forum. I had no symptoms either when I found out by chance at work. I went along to a health fair and my finger prick test came out at just over 26!!! This forum is a great place for help and advice.
 
Northerner said:
Hi LucyLoo, you posted whilst I was typing my response! 🙂

The numbers can be confusing. If you are given a fingerpick test to get a reading from a small blood sugar monitor, then it will show what your blood sugar level is at that moment in time - a 'snapshot', if you like. The reading is given as 'mmol/l', and in an ideal world it would show a reading between about 4.0 mmol/l and 8.5 mmol/l. As you are newly-diagnosed, yours are likely to be much higher, but that's normal as you learn about it all and what you need to do to bring things under control.

A lot of healthcare professionals won't prescribe meters and test strips to Type 2s as they see them as an unnecessary expense, but that is a very short-sighted attitude to take. You can ask your GP or nurse to prescribe them, but if they refuse it is really worth getting your own. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50. You then use the information from the meter to determine what you tolerate well in your diet, and what you should reduce or remove - have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand this process 🙂 If you have any questions on any of this, let us know 🙂

It can be very useful to start a food diary, recording the amount of carbohydrates in everything you eat and drink - note that it is ALL coarbohydrates that can raise your blood sugar levels, not just sugar, so bread, potatoes, pasta, rice etc. all need to be considered. Don't worry about having to make too drastic a change to begin with, you need to take your time to learn how different things affect you and nothing awful will happen overnight - it's more of a marathon than a sprint! 🙂

Unfortunately, the lack of information you have been given is not uncommon - even worse, sometimes information is given out that is outdated and wrong :( If you are ever in any doubt about something, please ask - there are lots of freindly, experienced people here who will be happy to clarify things 🙂
Click to expand...

Thanks again Northerner. I do keep a food diary because I find that it helps with my weight loss more than anything.....it means I can't deny what I am eating! I have drastically cut down my carbs and swapped all "white" items such as bread and pasta for the wholewheat "brown" versions. I feel a bit better now that I know I'm on the right track 🙂
 
Stitch147 said:
Hi LucyLoo and welcome to the forum. I had no symptoms either when I found out by chance at work. I went along to a health fair and my finger prick test came out at just over 26!!! This forum is a great place for help and advice.
Click to expand...

Hi Stitch and thank you! I am curious about the footer on your profile as that was one of my initial questions......the HbA1c....is that simply the technical term for the blood sugar level? So for example when I was tested in January my number was 16 and is now 11......how does that translate to the HbA1c number? I really am not as stupid as I sound (honest 🙂), but none of this has been explained to me at all by the doctors
 
Im guessing the 16 and 11 were a finger prick test?
 
I dont know huge amounts, the HbA1c test is a blood test that is done which looks at the average blood glucose levels over a 3 month period. When I was diagnosed mine was 127 (over 48 is a diagnosis of diabetes normally). In the first year this should be done every 3 months. Have you been offered any other help? Retinopathy testing, diet advice, feet checking?
 
I've never had a finger prick test. The first diagnosis came from a pee sample which showed up high glucose and I've had full bloods taken three times since then, which is where my numbers have come from. I have already had my eyes checked (no problems there thankfully) and have had my appointment through for my feet....but that's it.....no diet advice, no explanation of the levels etc. I was considering trying to move surgeries because I am very disappointed with the care that I've had so far....but from what I've read its not a rare thing sadly.

I think I will take my information from here rather than the docs 🙂
 
Ok!!! Then i'm guessing the numbers are possibly percentages (old system that some people still use) rather than the mmol that mine are in!
Im really lucky with my surgery as they gave me a testing kit when diagnosed (not many will for type 2's) and also spotted that I have a rare type of diabetes (MODY).
One bit of advice diet wise is watch the amount of carbs that you eat on a daily basis, as this just turns into sugar when it hits your system. This forum is a great place for help and advice it really has helped me.
 
Just had a look and if they are using the percentage version, 16% would be 151 mmol and 11 would be 96 mmol. So its going in the right direction.
 
It is not always what you eat it is sometimes how much of what you eat of it .We can all be different how various foods affect our blood sugars. Some on here can tolerate porridge and for others it causes spikes.
I have found having been over 12 years Diabetic, you have to find what works for you and what you can stick too long term.
 
Hi Lucyloo I am recently diagnosed too, only last month in fact. I have found that a low carb diet is working well. Get yourself the Codefree meter pack from Amazon cost £12.99 and you can start testing yourself at home easily. If you test a couple of hours after a meal you can tell if what you have eaten has had a bad effect or not on your blood sugar.
 
Luckily I cannot stand porridge so will never find out if it reacts on my BG or not ! I can't eat anything where I have to taste milk as it makes me feel nauseous.
 
You mentioned that you have no idea how to get your repeat prescription of Metformin.
Ask your GPs receptionist for your surgery's procedure. In some cases you can phone in, some places will do it by email, in some areas your local pharmacy will do it for you.
But also ask ( if you haven't already been told) about free prescriptions. Your Gp should give you a form to fill in, to claim a Medical Exemption card, then you get all your prescriptions free ( not just the diabetes ones). Until your card comes through, if you are currently paying for prescriptions, ask the pharmacy for a form ( can't remember the number, they should know) which allows you to claim the fee back. If you don't get the form at the time of collecting the prescription, it's too late, and you can't do it retrospectively.
( NB, if you claim a free prescription without an exemption card, you can be fined, and they do check up)
 
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