Hello there from Edinburgh

[JimG92]

Hi everyone,
Just been diagnosed about 6 weeks ago with Type 2 diabetes (brought on following a sudden and serious illness) - I'm a 61 year old man living in Edinburgh and to be honest I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost. have joined the learning zone to try and find out more I'm still trying to get things in perspective in my own mind.
Is it the same feelings for everyone? The sudden need to watch carbohydrates, sugars, what's good, what's bad, family issues and so much more....

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @JimG92

Yes! Your description is very common. A diagnosis can feel overwhelming and can really knock people sideways. Some people experience something very like grieving for their lost health, including some or all of the commonly cited phases - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

Of course like any significant emotional experience, those phases may arrive all at once, in a jumble and in any order.

The good news is that by and large diabetes is a manageable condition, and your choices can have a rapid and significant effect on your blood glucose management future health (this is something of a double-edged sword at times!). Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.

Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, 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.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Jim and welcome.

Yes the feeling of being overwhelmed is very typical for many, if not all of us. It is a condition which has an impact on our everyday life and there is a lot to take in and understand. The dietary changes are a bit mind boggling at first but once you figure out what to buy (and what not to) and how best to cook it, it becomes your new way of life and it is by no means all bad. Quite a few of us feel that our diagnosis was the kick up the pants we needed to make our lifestyle more healthy and lose a bit of weight that we had struggled to address before or were just ignoring. At 56yrs old and 20 months down the line from diagnosis I am fitter and healthier than I have been for more than 20 years and my dietary changes have improved other aspects of my health like joint pain and amazingly I no longer suffer the chronic and debilitating migraines I used to get about once a month and being slimmer and getting back into clothes that had been put to the back of the wardrobe for goodness knows how many years is a great feeling. Hopefully you will be able to find some benefits too, but I accept it is a lot to take in at first.

Can you tell us a bit more about your diagnosis? Was it picked up on a blood test or were you symptomatic? Hope you are fully recovered from the serious illness which prompted your diagnosis.
Do you know what your HbA1c reading is? This is the result of the blood test which is used to diagnose diabetes and will be a number of 48 or above but can be well into 3 figures if things are quite advanced.
Have they given you any medication and if so, what?
Do you need to lose much/any weight and how physically active are you able to be?

The answers to these questions will help us to tailor our thoughts and advice to your particular circumstances.

Diabetes is not just as simple as the press would have us believe (ie sugar) and even amongst us diabetics, there is a huge variation in the foods which we can manage or need to avoid. Even "healthy" foods like fruit and porridge can cause some of us serious problems, so the key is to find what your body will tolerate and in what portion size and avoid the things which cause it too many problems.

 

[JimG92]

Welcome to the forum @JimG92

Yes! Your description is very common. A diagnosis can feel overwhelming and can really knock people sideways. Some people experience something very like grieving for their lost health, including some or all of the commonly cited phases - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

Of course like any significant emotional experience, those phases may arrive all at once, in a jumble and in any order.

The good news is that by and large diabetes is a manageable condition, and your choices can have a rapid and significant effect on your blood glucose management future health (this is something of a double-edged sword at times!). Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.

Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, 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.

Hi Mike,
Thanks for getting back in touch - I do realise that it's early days yet and yes, I am going through that whole range of emotions and a few more besides. Given my weight (I was already doing something about that anyway although that process has now accelerated somewhat ) and former lifestyle (many years as a long distance truck driver, poor irregular diet,etc.) I was probably susceptible but all normal blood/urine tests (the usual HGV and annual company medicals) had always came back clear - I am now office based so my work hours, eating,and such are much more "normal".
Adjusting my lifestyle and diet shouldn't be too difficult - my better half and I are both non-smokers and we already eat a pretty healthy varied diet but after the very sudden onset illness - long story....from sore throat to airway closing to near sepsis, blood infection, a blue light ambulance trip, hospital stay, 12 days of heavy duty intravenous antibiotics and steroids leading to Type 2 that all led me here. I still have the issue of a lung shadow that was detected still to be resolved - although the strong suspicion is that it is infection based and will clear up (another x-ray in around 6 weeks fingers crossed)
That all happened over the last two months I am very probably a bit shell shocked and admittedly a wee bit resentful. I will get there though - there's still plenty of folks genuinely worse off than I feel just now

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

In terms of getting your head around your T2, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book, as very helpful starting points.

And keep asking questions - nothing will be thought too obvious or silly 🙂

 

[Kaylz]

Hi just wanted to welcome you as a fellow Scot 🙂

We're all a friendly bunch here with much knowledge between us all so if there are any specific questions you have then you're definitely in the correct place 🙂

Oh @everydayupsanddowns I just noticed you've changed your avatar, very dapper!
xx

 

[JimG92]

Hi Jim and welcome.

Yes the feeling of being overwhelmed is very typical for many, if not all of us. It is a condition which has an impact on our everyday life and there is a lot to take in and understand. The dietary changes are a bit mind boggling at first but once you figure out what to buy (and what not to) and how best to cook it, it becomes your new way of life and it is by no means all bad. Quite a few of us feel that our diagnosis was the kick up the pants we needed to make our lifestyle more healthy and lose a bit of weight that we had struggled to address before or were just ignoring. At 56yrs old and 20 months down the line from diagnosis I am fitter and healthier than I have been for more than 20 years and my dietary changes have improved other aspects of my health like joint pain and amazingly I no longer suffer the chronic and debilitating migraines I used to get about once a month and being slimmer and getting back into clothes that had been put to the back of the wardrobe for goodness knows how many years is a great feeling. Hopefully you will be able to find some benefits too, but I accept it is a lot to take in at first.

Can you tell us a bit more about your diagnosis? Was it picked up on a blood test or were you symptomatic? Hope you are fully recovered from the serious illness which prompted your diagnosis.
Do you know what your HbA1c reading is? This is the result of the blood test which is used to diagnose diabetes and will be a number of 48 or above but can be well into 3 figures if things are quite advanced.
Have they given you any medication and if so, what?
Do you need to lose much/any weight and how physically active are you able to be?

The answers to these questions will help us to tailor our thoughts and advice to your particular circumstances.

Diabetes is not just as simple as the press would have us believe (ie sugar) and even amongst us diabetics, there is a huge variation in the foods which we can manage or need to avoid. Even "healthy" foods like fruit and porridge can cause some of us serious problems, so the key is to find what your body will tolerate and in what portion size and avoid the things which cause it too many problems.

Hi Barbara
Many thanks for the kind words and encouragement - I'm still unsure about all the figures yet, I don't actually know what my HbA1c reading was - I was told of my diagnosis over a telephone consultation (thanks Covid!) and all I took in was "it was a bit high". I have registered for the My Diabetes/My Way website with the NHS although I'm still waiting on access - I believe that I will be able to see my results on there when I get that up and running.
I go back to see my GP in January for bloods and a follow up so we'll see what that brings - the worst thing for me just now is that I don't know if I'm doing good, bad or indifferent. I've cut out all the usual things like sweets and chocolate and my better half says that I definitely have lost some weight (I did easily get into shirts that I couldn't get into for a long time last weekend).
It's this period of limbo that's very frustrating just now
Best wishes
Jim

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Oh @everydayupsanddowns I just noticed you've changed your avatar, very dapper!

Hehe! well the other pic was probaly 4-5 years old!

 

[Kaylz]

I have registered for the My Diabetes/My Way website with the NHS although I'm still waiting on access - I believe that I will be able to see my results on there when I get that up and running.

You most certainly will, it's a handy thing to have although England don't widely have it but I think there are a couple of areas in England trialing it, in their last newsletter they did say it was taking longer for them to get the packages sorted and that so it may be a short wait until you get there xx

 

[Kaylz]

Hehe! well the other pic was probaly 4-5 years old!

😱 I try to update mines at least once a year haha, come to think of it, it would be at least 4 years as pretty sure that's what you were using when I joined which was 4 years ago yesterday haha

Sorry @JimG92 for derailing your thread!
xx

 

[JimG92]

Hi just wanted to welcome you as a fellow Scot 🙂

We're all a friendly bunch here with much knowledge between us all so if there are any specific questions you have then you're definitely in the correct place 🙂

Oh @everydayupsanddowns I just noticed you've changed your avatar, very dapper!
xx

Thanks Kaylz
Loads of questions buzzing around in my bonce just now - I'll keep reading around and and if anything comes to mind I'll give you a shout
Cheers
Jim

 

[rebrascora]

Hi again Jim

Many people here on the forum find it is a huge benefit to invest in a Blood Glucose meter, so that they can track their levels and use it to tailor their diet to their own body's tolerances and tastes. They are relatively inexpensive to buy @ approx £15 for a basic kit, but the consumables for them (extra test strips and lancets) can tot up the costs and for that reason the 2 meters most often recommended by members who are self funding are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2. They are both available to buy online and seem to be very reliable and the additional test strips for these meters are just £8 for a pot of 50 as oppose to double or even triple that for some other meters. I believe there are some even cheaper meters on the market but one or two members have experienced problems with them. These two are pretty well tried and tested and generally do the job great. If you decide to get one of them, they only come with 10 test strips and lancets which will be gone in no time so we recommend to order at least 2 extra pots of strips and a box of lancets with your meter kit.
The testing regime we recommend is before a meal and then 2 hours after eating it. The difference between the 2 readings will show you what the food you ate did to your Blood Glucose (BG) levels and you are looking to minimize the rise to no more that 3mmols but ideally less than 2. It sounds complicated but as with everything diabetes it becomes second nature after a while. Keeping a food diary alongside your readings will enable you to see which foods cause you a problem and which you can get away with or where portion size needs to be adjusted.

It takes a lot of the guess work and worry out of the time in between GP or hospital visits to be able to see day by day, meal by meal how you are progressing. Sadly Health Care Professionals do not support testing unless you are on particular medication so self funding is often the only option but it really can be an invaluable tool in helping you to manage your diabetes.

 

[adrian1der]

Hi @JimG92 from another recently diagnosed T2 (mid September). I found Gretchen Becker's book really useful. Exercise, low carbs and weight loss seems to be the way to go. Let me know if you have any questions

 

[JimG92]

Hi @JimG92 from another recently diagnosed T2 (mid September). I found Gretchen Becker's book really useful. Exercise, low carbs and weight loss seems to be the way to go. Let me know if you have any questions

Hiya,
Thanks for getting in touch - Funnily enough, I've just been looking at Gretchen Backer's book on a well known website (A****n) and was seriously thinking about buying a copy after it being mentioned by @everydayupsanddowns earlier so I think I'll get that and try and settle down and have a read.
Cheers
Jim

 

[JimG92]

Hi again Jim

Many people here on the forum find it is a huge benefit to invest in a Blood Glucose meter, so that they can track their levels and use it to tailor their diet to their own body's tolerances and tastes. They are relatively inexpensive to buy @ approx £15 for a basic kit, but the consumables for them (extra test strips and lancets) can tot up the costs and for that reason the 2 meters most often recommended by members who are self funding are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2. They are both available to buy online and seem to be very reliable and the additional test strips for these meters are just £8 for a pot of 50 as oppose to double or even triple that for some other meters. I believe there are some even cheaper meters on the market but one or two members have experienced problems with them. These two are pretty well tried and tested and generally do the job great. If you decide to get one of them, they only come with 10 test strips and lancets which will be gone in no time so we recommend to order at least 2 extra pots of strips and a box of lancets with your meter kit.
The testing regime we recommend is before a meal and then 2 hours after eating it. The difference between the 2 readings will show you what the food you ate did to your Blood Glucose (BG) levels and you are looking to minimize the rise to no more that 3mmols but ideally less than 2. It sounds complicated but as with everything diabetes it becomes second nature after a while. Keeping a food diary alongside your readings will enable you to see which foods cause you a problem and which you can get away with or where portion size needs to be adjusted.

It takes a lot of the guess work and worry out of the time in between GP or hospital visits to be able to see day by day, meal by meal how you are progressing. Sadly Health Care Professionals do not support testing unless you are on particular medication so self funding is often the only option but it really can be an invaluable tool in helping you to manage your diabetes.

Hi Barbara,
It's something I might have to seriously think about - I did ask about monitoring on my last call with the GP but he felt that I didn't need to go down this road at present. However, as you say, something to take some of the guesswork away might prove very useful - especially when identifying what foods to eat and what to avoid. I'll check out those devices you mentioned and see where we go from there.
Thanks again
Jim

 

[adrian1der]

I recently ordered a new one from Amazon - £11.99 for the starter kit and £13.98 for an additional 100 strips. They are really useful in understanding the effects food have on you. Many of us test first thing in the morning (approximates a fasting level) and just before and two hours after meals.

 

[JimG92]

Can I just say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time out to reply to my first post as a newbie today - all your messages and replies meant such a lot in letting me see and understand that so many had already travelled down a similar path and have given me a glimpse of light at the end of a very sudden and unexpected tunnel (and I don't mean that it's just another train coming either! ).
Thanks again to you all and I'll look forward to keeping in touch with you all around and about within the forums (and maybe even at a meetup one day - socially distanced or otherwise)
Cheers
Jim

 

[nonethewiser]

Great city Edinburgh, frequent visitor in non covid times. Best Jim.

 

[KARNAK]

Hello Jim welcome to the forum.🙂

Glad you joined the learning zone so much info in there and so much help on the forum
its like my main home with so many friends and have attended a get together to meet
some wonderful people, all done by zoom now. No need to give you any advice as usual
great advice from members should keep you going for a while, take care mate were all in it
for the long haul you can only do your best, any questions just ask.

Excuse me Jim just picking up what @Kaylz said about Mikes aka @everydayupsanddowns
new avatar, about your hair cut you missed a bit.😳

We like to laugh on here Jim but not at anyone`s expense, sometimes.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

about your hair cut you missed a bit.

Winter plumage. It'll stay until the clocks change