So just diagnosed this week T2 by doctor over the phone. No advice just a link to here! I am absolutely gutted with no idea what I should do straight away! Have been cutting out all the naughty stuff but not really sure what I am doing! Should I be asking for more support from the GP? Diet and emotional support is what I need! Please can anyone give me some tips on how to go about coping with diagnosis!
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
HELP!!!
- Thread starter MandyK
- Start date
- Status
Vonny
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
HI @MandyK and welcome to the forum. A shock isn't it? I think we've all been there!
It's not just the "naughty" stuff like sweets and cakes which need to be reduced, it's all the simple carb stuff like potatoes, rice, pasta and bread, which was news to me when I was first diagnosed. There are so many knowledgeable people here who can give you practical advice on diet and lots of emotional support. Without this forum I don't think I could have possibly hit my targets. No questions are considered silly, no problem too small.
You should (depending on your GP practice) have an appointment with a Diabetic Nurse (DN) who should give you some advice on diet, but these appointments don't always get arranged straight away. You will also probably be called for a diabetic eye screening. Basically, whatever support is offered you, grab it with both hands!
It's not just the "naughty" stuff like sweets and cakes which need to be reduced, it's all the simple carb stuff like potatoes, rice, pasta and bread, which was news to me when I was first diagnosed. There are so many knowledgeable people here who can give you practical advice on diet and lots of emotional support. Without this forum I don't think I could have possibly hit my targets. No questions are considered silly, no problem too small.
You should (depending on your GP practice) have an appointment with a Diabetic Nurse (DN) who should give you some advice on diet, but these appointments don't always get arranged straight away. You will also probably be called for a diabetic eye screening. Basically, whatever support is offered you, grab it with both hands!
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi Mandy and welcome from me too.
Even though I suspected that I had diabetes from my symptoms it still comes as a huge shock and it takes quite a bit of getting your head around it all. In some respects it is a form of grieving and there are stages that you will go through including possibly denial, guilt, anger and hopefully eventually acceptance.
All I can say is that I now feel fitter and healthier and younger than I have in more than 20years as a result of changing my diet and increasing my exercise and I would not have done that without my diabetes diagnosis. I knew I was eating too much sugar and carrying too much weight but it wasn't enough to make me change. My diagnosis was the kick up the pants I needed and my diabetes is what keeps me on the straight and narrow.... that and just feeling better as a result of the changes I have made. And amazingly enough, I don't even miss all that rubbish I was eating before because I have new things which I really enjoy that don't cause me Blood Glucose (BG) turbulence. For instance I now have my coffee with double cream instead of sugar. I always said I would rather not drink coffee than drink it without sugar but I now sit each morning with my coffee with cream and really luxuriate in it. There are lots of other foods too which I now taste and enjoy whereas before I just seemed to scran them and be looking for what I could eat next. I think I am much more in the moment with my food and appreciative of it and best of all I no longer crave those foods which I used to over indulge. It has been quite a revelation as I was a terrible comfort eater who had lost control!
I very much hope you find a similar experience to me and if if there is anything you need specific help with just ask. Sitting here eating my favourite cheese and drinking a glass of rum and diet coke so I can assure you that it doesn't have to be all sack cloth and ashes.... you just have to learn to make the right choices and that will take time to figure out. It doesn't happen overnight, nor should it. Slow steady changes are best.
Good luck!
Even though I suspected that I had diabetes from my symptoms it still comes as a huge shock and it takes quite a bit of getting your head around it all. In some respects it is a form of grieving and there are stages that you will go through including possibly denial, guilt, anger and hopefully eventually acceptance.
All I can say is that I now feel fitter and healthier and younger than I have in more than 20years as a result of changing my diet and increasing my exercise and I would not have done that without my diabetes diagnosis. I knew I was eating too much sugar and carrying too much weight but it wasn't enough to make me change. My diagnosis was the kick up the pants I needed and my diabetes is what keeps me on the straight and narrow.... that and just feeling better as a result of the changes I have made. And amazingly enough, I don't even miss all that rubbish I was eating before because I have new things which I really enjoy that don't cause me Blood Glucose (BG) turbulence. For instance I now have my coffee with double cream instead of sugar. I always said I would rather not drink coffee than drink it without sugar but I now sit each morning with my coffee with cream and really luxuriate in it. There are lots of other foods too which I now taste and enjoy whereas before I just seemed to scran them and be looking for what I could eat next. I think I am much more in the moment with my food and appreciative of it and best of all I no longer crave those foods which I used to over indulge. It has been quite a revelation as I was a terrible comfort eater who had lost control!
I very much hope you find a similar experience to me and if if there is anything you need specific help with just ask. Sitting here eating my favourite cheese and drinking a glass of rum and diet coke so I can assure you that it doesn't have to be all sack cloth and ashes.... you just have to learn to make the right choices and that will take time to figure out. It doesn't happen overnight, nor should it. Slow steady changes are best.
Good luck!
Thanks Vonny. Yes it is a shock! A bit up and down to be honest. Very angry at the GP handling of giving me the good news. Me sat in my car at work trying not to cry whilst she rushed through an hour late phone appointment! And the only thing she asked was do I have salt!!! I was numb! This forum is going to be great!
Thank you Barbara. Your story sounds like me! So much to take in and very overwhelming. But yes it is the kick up the backside I need. Onwards and upwards!
Cherrelle DUK
Much missed Online Community Coordinator
Hi MandyK, welcome to the forum.
Were you able to get any details from your GP such as your HbA1c test results? It can help o track where you're starting from as you go along the journey to better health.
When newly diagnosed people often have a few concerns including what to eat and how to test their blood sugar to make sure their on the right track. The following pages on our site are a great place to start:
www.diabetes.org.uk
www.diabetes.org.uk
We've got a wealth of info on the site so feel free to share a bit more about yourself and ask any questions you may have.
Were you able to get any details from your GP such as your HbA1c test results? It can help o track where you're starting from as you go along the journey to better health.
When newly diagnosed people often have a few concerns including what to eat and how to test their blood sugar to make sure their on the right track. The following pages on our site are a great place to start:
I have type 2 diabetes – what can I eat?
If you've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, one of the first things you might be worried about is food. You’re likely to be faced with what seems like an endless list of new tasks. Medical appointments, taking medication, stopping smoking, being more active and eating a healthy...Checking your blood sugar levels
Knowing your blood sugar levels helps you manage your diabetes and reduces your risk of having serious complications – now and in the future. What are blood sugar levels? Your blood sugar levels, also known as blood glucose levels, are a measurement that show how much glucose you have in your...We've got a wealth of info on the site so feel free to share a bit more about yourself and ask any questions you may have.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Well I'd like to think that it was because the weather is hot and you will need to add salt to your diet as you remove carbohydrates from your diet.
Sadly there are so many HCPs who have no idea at all - not every single one, but it is very common. They blame salt for what sugar does.
I am just going to make breakfast - steak, mushrooms, a tomato and a sprinkle of salt. I had cramp overnight and dreams of eating crisps. Sure sign of low salt and needing more water - I was out in the hot sun yesterday, with the only dance team at the Wimborne Folk festival. It was glorious, but the kit is black!!
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @MandyK 🙂
One of the biggest questions when newly diagnosed is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you‘ve already been cutting out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.
Many new members find it can be really helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Start with what you are eating now… Be brutally honest! Note down everything you eat and drink. And make a reasonable estimate the amount of total carbohydrate (not just ‘of which sugars’) in your meals and snacks. This will help show you which foods / snacks / meals are the main sources of carbs in your menu, and these are the ones which will most likely be raising your BG levels the most. Then you can think about portion size, and take a look at the ‘big hitters’ in your food diary, plus any little nibbles that are adding unnecessary carbs during your day - looking to swap them for lower carb alternatives, eg a handful of nuts rather than a bag of crisps.
For a helpful starting point in understanding your T2, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually too.
Good luck and keep asking questions here. Feeling a bit overwhelmed is perfectly natural and understandable - but you will soon get your head around things 🙂
One of the biggest questions when newly diagnosed is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you‘ve already been cutting out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.
Many new members find it can be really helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Start with what you are eating now… Be brutally honest! Note down everything you eat and drink. And make a reasonable estimate the amount of total carbohydrate (not just ‘of which sugars’) in your meals and snacks. This will help show you which foods / snacks / meals are the main sources of carbs in your menu, and these are the ones which will most likely be raising your BG levels the most. Then you can think about portion size, and take a look at the ‘big hitters’ in your food diary, plus any little nibbles that are adding unnecessary carbs during your day - looking to swap them for lower carb alternatives, eg a handful of nuts rather than a bag of crisps.
For a helpful starting point in understanding your T2, members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually too.
Good luck and keep asking questions here. Feeling a bit overwhelmed is perfectly natural and understandable - but you will soon get your head around things 🙂
- Status