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Hello - just diagnosed

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J

Joo

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Type 2
Hello, I've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I'm in the process of getting my head round the implications. If anyone has any top line, top tips I would be very grateful. I keep thinking about everything at once. Main (pre-existing) issues for me are being overweight and not exercising enough. I also have other medical stuff going on post cancer so if anyone else has that kind of history, that would also be super helpful to hear about. I am in remission but still on adjuvant therapy with the various side effects that that brings with it. Thank you!
 
Joo said:
Hello, I've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I'm in the process of getting my head round the implications. If anyone has any top line, top tips I would be very grateful. I keep thinking about everything at once. Main (pre-existing) issues for me are being overweight and not exercising enough. I also have other medical stuff going on post cancer so if anyone else has that kind of history, that would also be super helpful to hear about. I am in remission but still on adjuvant therapy with the various side effects that that brings with it. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Hi Joo, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, how did it come about? Please try not to worry, although diabetes is a serious condition it can be managed well and doesn't have to impact your health negatively, with the right knowledge and a bit of application 🙂 Many people find that the adjustments they make to bring their blood sugar levels under control actually improve their feelings of physical well-being, so knowing you have the condition, and therefore being in a position to take action can be a positive thing 🙂

I would recommend starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter , which should give you a good overview of how to set about managing things. I'd also recommend getting hold of a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which will help to guide you through these early months. Although there are some general steps to consider it's also important to bear in mind that diabetes can affect people differently, so you need to know what things work well for you and what don't.

Principally, diabetes is concerned with carbohydrate consumption - things like breads, potatoes, rice, pasta etc. as well as the more obvious sugary items like sweets and cakes. People can have very individual tolerances for the carbs consumed - both the amounts, but also the type e.g. porridge will raise levels quickly, and high, in some people, but for others it will digest more slowly and have a gentler impact on their levels. The only real method of discovering these tolerances is to test your blood sugar levels before and after eating using a home blood glucose meter - read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S for a good explanation of how this is achieved. If you haven't been given a meter and a prescription for test strips by your nurse or doctor, then do ask them for them. They may be reluctant to prescribe and say you don't need to test, but if you don't test you won't know if your food choices are being tolerated well and can be retained in your diet, or if they need reducing or replacing with something that has less impact. Testing allows you to learn how your body reacts and also lets you retain greater flexibility in your food choices - no point in ditching things you tolerate well and enjoy! 🙂

If you have to buy your own meter and strips then the cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

I'd also suggest getting hold of a free copy of 100 things I wish I'd known about diabetes from Diabetes UK, which is full of tips and wisdom from fellow people with diabetes 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions - nothing is considered silly, if it is confusing or concerning you, please ask away! 🙂 And remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't feel as though you need to tackle everything at once - take things at a pace that is comfortable for you so you can absorb the information and make sure that the changes you make are sustainable in the longer-term 🙂
 
Just to underline what Northener says above, of you buy 5 packs of strips this code may give you additional discount 264086
 
Hi @Joo , just a quick hello, I could give advice around T2 , but couldn't with the previous diagnosis of Cancer, but Welcome and hope you can get help here xx
 
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Welcome @Joo, Northerner has covered it all so do take time to read up as everything you need to help you is here 🙂 I found it really useful to keep a food diary and map it to my bg results, it made it much easier to see how my body was reacting to different foods, I could then adapt and try again 😛
 
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Northerner said:
Hi Joo, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, how did it come about? Please try not to worry, although diabetes is a serious condition it can be managed well and doesn't have to impact your health negatively, with the right knowledge and a bit of application 🙂 Many people find that the adjustments they make to bring their blood sugar levels under control actually improve their feelings of physical well-being, so knowing you have the condition, and therefore being in a position to take action can be a positive thing 🙂

I would recommend starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter , which should give you a good overview of how to set about managing things. I'd also recommend getting hold of a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which will help to guide you through these early months. Although there are some general steps to consider it's also important to bear in mind that diabetes can affect people differently, so you need to know what things work well for you and what don't.

Principally, diabetes is concerned with carbohydrate consumption - things like breads, potatoes, rice, pasta etc. as well as the more obvious sugary items like sweets and cakes. People can have very individual tolerances for the carbs consumed - both the amounts, but also the type e.g. porridge will raise levels quickly, and high, in some people, but for others it will digest more slowly and have a gentler impact on their levels. The only real method of discovering these tolerances is to test your blood sugar levels before and after eating using a home blood glucose meter - read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S for a good explanation of how this is achieved. If you haven't been given a meter and a prescription for test strips by your nurse or doctor, then do ask them for them. They may be reluctant to prescribe and say you don't need to test, but if you don't test you won't know if your food choices are being tolerated well and can be retained in your diet, or if they need reducing or replacing with something that has less impact. Testing allows you to learn how your body reacts and also lets you retain greater flexibility in your food choices - no point in ditching things you tolerate well and enjoy! 🙂

If you have to buy your own meter and strips then the cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

I'd also suggest getting hold of a free copy of 100 things I wish I'd known about diabetes from Diabetes UK, which is full of tips and wisdom from fellow people with diabetes 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions - nothing is considered silly, if it is confusing or concerning you, please ask away! 🙂 And remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't feel as though you need to tackle everything at once - take things at a pace that is comfortable for you so you can absorb the information and make sure that the changes you make are sustainable in the longer-term 🙂
Click to expand...
Northerner said:
Hi Joo, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, how did it come about? Please try not to worry, although diabetes is a serious condition it can be managed well and doesn't have to impact your health negatively, with the right knowledge and a bit of application 🙂 Many people find that the adjustments they make to bring their blood sugar levels under control actually improve their feelings of physical well-being, so knowing you have the condition, and therefore being in a position to take action can be a positive thing 🙂

I would recommend starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter , which should give you a good overview of how to set about managing things. I'd also recommend getting hold of a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which will help to guide you through these early months. Although there are some general steps to consider it's also important to bear in mind that diabetes can affect people differently, so you need to know what things work well for you and what don't.

Principally, diabetes is concerned with carbohydrate consumption - things like breads, potatoes, rice, pasta etc. as well as the more obvious sugary items like sweets and cakes. People can have very individual tolerances for the carbs consumed - both the amounts, but also the type e.g. porridge will raise levels quickly, and high, in some people, but for others it will digest more slowly and have a gentler impact on their levels. The only real method of discovering these tolerances is to test your blood sugar levels before and after eating using a home blood glucose meter - read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S for a good explanation of how this is achieved. If you haven't been given a meter and a prescription for test strips by your nurse or doctor, then do ask them for them. They may be reluctant to prescribe and say you don't need to test, but if you don't test you won't know if your food choices are being tolerated well and can be retained in your diet, or if they need reducing or replacing with something that has less impact. Testing allows you to learn how your body reacts and also lets you retain greater flexibility in your food choices - no point in ditching things you tolerate well and enjoy! 🙂

If you have to buy your own meter and strips then the cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

I'd also suggest getting hold of a free copy of 100 things I wish I'd known about diabetes from Diabetes UK, which is full of tips and wisdom from fellow people with diabetes 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions - nothing is considered silly, if it is confusing or concerning you, please ask away! 🙂 And remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't feel as though you need to tackle everything at once - take things at a pace that is comfortable for you so you can absorb the information and make sure that the changes you make are sustainable in the longer-term 🙂
Click to expand...
 
Thank you very much for your super fast and super helpful response. I will definitely look at everything you mention. I am very grateful.
 
Hello, Joo and welcome.🙂
 
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Get on @Joo, welcome to the best forum on the internet 🙂.
 
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