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hello! new here
- Thread starter amiti
- Start date
- Status
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome.
Feeling overwhelmed is totally normal at this stage, so don't worry about that, but it will gradually pass. Learning about what I could do to help myself and improve things was key for me to start feeling better. I am now fitter and healthier in lots of respects than before diagnosis, so in reality my diabetes diagnosis did me a favour as it was the kick up the backside I needed to look after my health better and improve my diet. As a result a number of other health issues improved, not just my diabetes management.
Not saying it was easy. The first few months were challenging but since then it has got progressively easier and just become my new way of life.
Hopefully in a year or two's time you will be able to look back and see some positives too.
Would you like to tell us a bit about your diagnosis? How did it come about? ie. Was it just through a routine blood test or were you symptomatic and if so, which symptoms?
Have you been given any medication to take or are you hoping to manage it just by making dietary/lifestyle changes. This will be dependent on your blood test result.... the HbA1c test ... which is used to diagnose diabetes. Over 47 is the diagnostic point but if you are a long way over then your health care professionals will likely want you to take medication. If you don't know that blood test result... ie how far into diabetes territory you currently are, then that is the first thing to find out. Knowing the numbers and taking and interest in and responsibility for your treatment will be key to your success. Sadly taking medication alone will not resolve the situation but if you are prepared to work at it, you may be able to push it into remission, as many people here have.
The more info you can tell us about your situation, the better we can advise you so feel free to give us as much information as you are comfortable telling us. Look forward to getting to know you better.
Feeling overwhelmed is totally normal at this stage, so don't worry about that, but it will gradually pass. Learning about what I could do to help myself and improve things was key for me to start feeling better. I am now fitter and healthier in lots of respects than before diagnosis, so in reality my diabetes diagnosis did me a favour as it was the kick up the backside I needed to look after my health better and improve my diet. As a result a number of other health issues improved, not just my diabetes management.
Not saying it was easy. The first few months were challenging but since then it has got progressively easier and just become my new way of life.
Hopefully in a year or two's time you will be able to look back and see some positives too.
Would you like to tell us a bit about your diagnosis? How did it come about? ie. Was it just through a routine blood test or were you symptomatic and if so, which symptoms?
Have you been given any medication to take or are you hoping to manage it just by making dietary/lifestyle changes. This will be dependent on your blood test result.... the HbA1c test ... which is used to diagnose diabetes. Over 47 is the diagnostic point but if you are a long way over then your health care professionals will likely want you to take medication. If you don't know that blood test result... ie how far into diabetes territory you currently are, then that is the first thing to find out. Knowing the numbers and taking and interest in and responsibility for your treatment will be key to your success. Sadly taking medication alone will not resolve the situation but if you are prepared to work at it, you may be able to push it into remission, as many people here have.
The more info you can tell us about your situation, the better we can advise you so feel free to give us as much information as you are comfortable telling us. Look forward to getting to know you better.
amiti
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I'm hoping the diagnosis will help me prioritise my health and improve my diet and lifestyle too.
I've had a few blood tests over the past few months, mostly to try and figure out the cause of my fatigue, but it was a routine one I had last Wednesday that had me sent for an urgent HbA1c test. I admittedly didn't think to ask for the actual result when I got the call today, I was trying to take in everything I was being told and my doctor didn't mention it beyond the fact it confirmed the diagnosis. They did give me a prescription for metformin straight away but it's something I'll be sure to ask about when I have my appointment.
Fatigue has been my major symptom, as well as thirst (but I'm on medication for something else that leaves me with dry mouth a lot) so I hadn't really noticed a major change until someone else commented on how much water I've been drinking.
I've had a few blood tests over the past few months, mostly to try and figure out the cause of my fatigue, but it was a routine one I had last Wednesday that had me sent for an urgent HbA1c test. I admittedly didn't think to ask for the actual result when I got the call today, I was trying to take in everything I was being told and my doctor didn't mention it beyond the fact it confirmed the diagnosis. They did give me a prescription for metformin straight away but it's something I'll be sure to ask about when I have my appointment.
Fatigue has been my major symptom, as well as thirst (but I'm on medication for something else that leaves me with dry mouth a lot) so I hadn't really noticed a major change until someone else commented on how much water I've been drinking.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @amiti 🙂
Glad you have found us! Feeling shocked, overwhelmed, angry, sad, and many other emotional states are perfectly normal to begin with, and it can be really helpful to have a crowd of people around you who have walked that path, and ‘get it’.
I think you are quite right, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a kind of catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years.
Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.
When it comes to managing your diabetes. there's no one approach that will work for everyone - so it can help to look at a range of options, and experiment a little until you find a ‘diabetes toolkit‘ of strategies and approaches that work for you, and which give you the results you are looking for.
It’s often best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
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