Hello - newly diagnosed type 2

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welshwoman

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Type 2
Hello, got the diagnosis of type 2 yesterday, at least I think I did... I was told my results (blood sugar 7.3 and the other thing was 50) were "diagnostic". Does that mean I have it? Bit shell shocked but I was expecting it, I have PCOS and have always struggled with weight. Going to take metformin 500g three times a day. Really worried about eye health. Just thought I'd say hi.
 
Hi welshwoman, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sounds like you are at the lower end of what is normally used for a diagnosis of diabetes - this is good as it means it probably hasn't gone undetected for too long. Firstly, the good news is that diabetes is something that can be well-controlled so it doesn't have to have any negative impact on your life, in fact many people find that the changes they make help to make them happier and healthier than they may have felt for a while 🙂

It's key to understand what you are dealing with, then you will know how to tackle it. I would recommend having a read of Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter, and getting hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These will get you off to a good start. Diabetes is all about carbohydrates - not just sugar, but things like bread, pasta, potatoes, rice etc., so the important thing is to find out how well you tolerate these. People can have different tolerances for things, and different types of carbohydrate may impact their blood glucose levels in different ways. The aim is to eat food that will have a slow and steady impact on these levels, and many people find that following a moderate to low-carb, low glycaemic load diet is helpful in this respect. The GL Diet for Dummies is a good introduction.

In order to discover the impact on your levels of different meals, you need a home blood glucose monitor - has your GP supplied one of these, with test strips on prescription? What, in particular, are your worries about your eyes?
 
Hi Northerner. Thanks for the reply! Feeling a bit lost so came on here (though husband is very supportive). I shall try all those links. Good to know I'm at the lower end. It all seems a bit hazy to be honest!
 
welshwoman said:
Hi Northerner. Thanks for the reply! Feeling a bit lost so came on here (though husband is very supportive). I shall try all those links. Good to know I'm at the lower end. It all seems a bit hazy to be honest!
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There is a lot to take in, so try not to become overwhelmed by it all. Things are made worse by so many myths and misinformation that you read about in the papers. Take things at your own pace, nothing drastic will happen to you so you don't need to know everything all at once. Also, don't blame yourself - because the media are forever telling us that this is a 'lifestyle' disease due to unhealthy eating and being overweight, the truth is that there is a strong genetic link to Type2 and many people who are diagnosed are not overweight and lead quite active lives. Weight is a risk factor, but it is certainly not the only one.

welshwoman said:
Also, I didn't get a glucose kit. Are you meant to?
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Many GPs are reluctant to issue glucose monitors because of the cost of the test strips - they say that, unless you are on certain medications like insulin you have no reason to test. However, this is not the case - learning how your food affects your levels is essential if you are to select a suitable diet, whilst retaining as much variety and flexibility as possible to give you a better quality of life 🙂 Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S , which will provide a clear explanation for the reasons why testing is useful, and then go back to your GP and explain that this is something you want to try. If he/she still refuses then there is the option of paying for them yourself. After you have been testing for a while you could then go back to the GP and show them your results and how the testing is helping you 🙂 The cheapest option we have come across here is the SD Codefree Meter with test strips at around £7 for 50. 🙂
 
Thank you so much, this is all really useful. I'm just reading some of your links. I made the mistake of Googling stuff last night and was convinced I'd go blind or drop dead. Silly I know. I guess it's about looking after yourself and I'm not very good at that!

Thank you so much! Just these two replies have meant a lot 🙂
 
welshwoman said:
Thank you so much, this is all really useful. I'm just reading some of your links. I made the mistake of Googling stuff last night and was convinced I'd go blind or drop dead. Silly I know. I guess it's about looking after yourself and I'm not very good at that!

Thank you so much! Just these two replies have meant a lot 🙂
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You're very welcome 🙂 If you have any questions, please ask - nothing is considered 'silly', so if it is bothering or confusing you let us know! 🙂
 
welshwoman said:
Thank you so much, this is all really useful. I'm just reading some of your links. I made the mistake of Googling stuff last night and was convinced I'd go blind or drop dead. Silly I know. I guess it's about looking after yourself and I'm not very good at that!

Thank you so much! Just these two replies have meant a lot 🙂
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Hi Welshwoman
Welcome to the forum 🙂. I was diagnosed with type 1 in January and did much the same as you, got on google and became instantly terrified by the prospect of losing my sight and all the other complications. That combined with the "chat" with the hospital consultant and I was pretty devastated. In trying to impress on people that it needs to be taken seriously the information is sometimes a bit doom and gloom. Talking to everyone here helped me to calm down about it, and now I just do the best I can to control the pesky blood sugar and avoid google 😉
 
A warm welcome to the forum, welshwoman. The type 2 book northerner recommended is really good, it helped me a lot.
Best of luck with everything and hello! 🙂
 
Sorry, should have said, was diagnosed initially with type 2, hence the book...
 
Hello and welcome welshwoman 🙂

This is a very supportive, informative forum. I hope you start to feel less worried about your diagnosis soon. Good luck with it all.
 
Thanks all for the warm welcome. Was just reading Maggie Davey's letter and the line about thinking you're going to become a "blind amputee on dialysis before you die" really rang true. That's what was going through my head last night. Doc was nice but after hearing that, plus stuff about blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, etc. etc. it was all pretty terrifying. I shall order that book this afternoon.

🙂
 
Welcome to the forum welshwoman 🙂
 
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