Help with BG readings

[MrsMonty]

Hi all. Just diagnosed with T2D a week ago (HbA1c of 116). Not due to see DN until end of Nov, so still trying to get head around stuff at the moment. When Dr tested my BG in the surgery last Tuesday, it was 17 (90 mins after eating a banana). He Rxd Metformin, so have been taking that for 6 days so far (500mg, but due to add 2nd tablet in tomorrow.
I have tried to be really good with my diet since then, using a food app to track things. I have also been fitting in a 10 min brisk walk each day and a 2 mile walk on a couple of days - from a baseline of basically no exercise.
I have a lot of weight to lose, but even this early on, I can feel a difference in my clothes.
I bought a BGM, which arrived yesterday (Countour Next Blue) and intend to use this to get a handle on how I cope with food. I tested yesterday, 2 hours after lunch & got a reading of 9.9. I tested again this morning as soon as I got up & it was 9.2.
I know it is only 2 readings from diagnosis, but is this good, bad or indifferent? At this stage in my journey, what kind of readings should I be hoping for?
Thanks

 

[goodybags]

Hi @MrsMonty welcome to the forum
Im rushing this morning or would post maybe in a bit more detail
But very briefly what you want to be looking for with finger prick blood testing is what your waking up to
which obviously is today 9.2 so that’s a good start
testing to understand at other times of day, if you look to try and test before and then 2 hrs after a meal, and in time you will understand how that meal affects you (I’m not suggesting test before and after every meal) but maybe one day before breakfast and the next maybe before lunch that can be a good place to start, and keep a food diary (be honest with yourself)

well done for finding the forum, I’m sure others will be over to post some advice, in a bit it’s a friendly place on here.
we have a thread called waking average, loads of us post on there, you post a waking readings a bit of a friendly chatty place why not click here and say hi and report todays waking BS
Post in thread 'Group 7-day waking average?'
http://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/group-7-day-waking-average.20148/post-1390661

ask away as they say on the forum there's no such thing as a silly question on here

 

[Eddy Edson]

There's not a lot you can say from a couple of data points but it's fair to say these are way better than 17 mmol/l!

It's also fair to say that less than 10mmol/l at 2 hours after eating is generally not bad. You'll see people quoting an 8.5 mmol/l target which is fine but you need to remember that plenty of non-diabetics routinely go into the 9's. Anyway, at your stage of the journey anything under 10 is really encouraging.

Similar kinds of comment re your waking level. You really want to get that lower, ideally below 5.6 mmol/l, but waking levels take time to get under control.

I found this pic useful when getting my head around things:



There's no solid relationship between finger prick mmol/l levels and HbA1c mmol/mol levels - apart from anything, it's different for everybody - but an average over the day of around 10 mmol/l probably corresponds to something like 64 for HbA1c, and the pic puts that in the worry-a-bit yellow zone, a big improvement from the worry-a-lot red zone where you were at DX.

 

[goodybags]

At this stage in my journey, what kind of readings should I be hoping for?
Thanks

I would say the results you’ve seen in those very first 2 first readings are far better than had you tested pre diagnosis so a good start
you’ve already made some changes to diet and upped the exercise which is going to help

 

[rebrascora]

Huge improvement already with those readings. Well done and keep at it!

 

[saffron15]

@MrsMonty welcome to the forum. Remember lots of things can affect your blood sugar including stress. My reading after I'd asked to be tested was 69 on an hba1c and four weeks later 64. I wasn't surprised I had diabetes but was shocked it was so high as had assumed the blood taken annually for my blood pressure review was tested for diabetes. I've found out it was in 2014 when I wasn't diabetic but never again.
I was given a monitor unofficially at the surgery but tested a bit randomly. The strips are more expensive than the one you have bought. I am due day surgery on Thursday and thought I would have steroid eye drops but am on steroids and was told to keep an eye on my blood sugar. I sometimes test a bit after the two hour window. As I understand it, it is 2 hours from first bite so if you are a slow eater or chatterbox you may still be eating. The bonus I have had is I went for lowish carb and discovered I was losing about 2 lbs / just under a kilo a week. Having been brought up on F Plan diet and looked at recent NHS diets which whilst stressing a good mix of all the food groups still feature carbs heavily I hadn't realised how easy low carb was though I remember Tom Kerridge championed it.

The Freshwell site is brilliant. Take things slowly you don't want your body to have too big a shock. I still eat some bread particularly if I go to a cafe because of lack of choice. I always refuse crisps. As an adult I've never added sugar to drink or cereal but if you do cut back then drop it.

I suggest you add other info to your diary including exercise and toilet trips. Having suggested that I haven't noted down toilet trips recently even though I'm now going infrequently and motions are loose. Note to self must start again.
8 weeks after my second reading at end of September I was put on an SGLT2. This requires a reasonable amount of carbs. I was eating 80 to 120 sometimes 130. I'm now trying to keep tom130 or a bit more. Check with the doctor if other meds are added. Read the back of labels under nutrition tp check for carbs and register if it's half a pot or 100 grams or whatever. Your tastes will change. A lot of the time smaller portions of something you have liked with added veg will be fine.

You seem to have conquered the finger pricking. Make surebhands are clean and warm. Hands on kettle or warm cup works.

Good luck.

 

[Leadinglights]

I am also a supporter of the Freshwell program as it is using real food and you can easily adopt the principals if you don't quite like the idea of following specific menu plans.
What is important is to find a way you can enjoy so it will be sustainable for life.
If you haven't seen the link then here it is. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/