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Daniel1e

Daniel1e

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi Everyone, I'm Danielle, 32 years old and I was diagnosed with Type 2 earlier this week.

I was diagnosed after my GP sent me for blood tests after having cellulitis in January, now a lot of the other symptoms like tiredness, feeling thirsty make sense. I've been started on Metformin 500mg, 1 a day this week, then 2 a day next week, then up to 3 a day. It's only been two days but so far I haven't noticed any side affects.

I admit that in the past I haven't had the healthiest of lifestyles but I made changes last year when I became a vegetarian in August - I've lost over 4 stone since then and it is one of the best and surprisingly easiest things that I have done, now I will be making more changes to try and lower my carb and sugar intake, I still have a long way to go.

This is all very overwhelming at the moment though with so much information to process. I have an initial assessment with the practice nurse next week, what sort of thing will that entail?

I look forward to meeting and getting to know some of you on this forum.
 
Hi Danielle, welcome to the forum, sounds like your changes are good ones, stick with it, practice nurse will offer advice and monitor you going forward, good luck Al
 
Welcome aboard, I know it's a shock but you'll get the hang of it. Well done on the weight loss, that's really great work 🙂

The assessment will probably be weight, height, blood pressure and discussion of test results, then there are reviews at regular intervals to see how your long term control is shaping up, how the medication is working and that kind of thing. They should also let you know about screening for retinopathy (a condition that affects the eyes), and foot checks to identify any nerve damage. They should also fill you in on other potential complications but try not to be too overwhelmed by all that, it's not inevitable 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum, Danielle, glad you found us. I suggest taking a pen and notepad to the meeting and noting down any test results that are discussed, any questions you want answered etc.
 
Hi Danielle and welcome to the forum. This is a great place for help and advice.
 
Hi Danielle and welcome to the forum!
Taking a notebook is a really good idea, I always take hubby with me to as many appointments as possible, as he often remembers things that I don't, so if you have someone to take with you that might help. It's also good moral support!
It will be worth asking your nurse if they will provide you with a blood glucose meter, although they are reluctant to do this with T2, but it will really help you learn what foods spike our blood glucose!
@Northerner knows some great books to read about low carb diets and diabetes, I'm sure he'll be among soon with some good suggestions 🙂
 
Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Thanks for the tip of taking a notepad to my assessment, a lot of the information my doctor had given me, including my levels I am not really sure about as it was quite a lot to take in at the time so I will definitely do that!
 
It can be a bit more difficult getting the right amount of protein if you cut down on carb if you are also diabetic since a number of beans and other leguminous foods also contain a fair amount of carb - and obviously anything with flour in it, spuds, rice, some root veg and a fair bit of fruit does too. 'Green leafy' veg has a lot less, but even lettuce and cucumber have carbs - though you would have to eat half a ton to O/D on carbs that way!

Is it only meat, or are you also sworn off fish - and still eating cheese and eggs and milk, or not?
 
I've cut down a little on dairy products and eggs, but it's just meat and fish I haven't eaten since August. I have read somewhere that fish might be good for a vegetarian with diabetes? My main reason for going vegetarian was that I wanted a drastic change in my diet rather than ethical reasons, although I do care about those too. I would have no problems eating fish again though if I needed to.
 
Daniel1e said:
Hi Everyone, I'm Danielle, 32 years old and I was diagnosed with Type 2 earlier this week.

I was diagnosed after my GP sent me for blood tests after having cellulitis in January, now a lot of the other symptoms like tiredness, feeling thirsty make sense. I've been started on Metformin 500mg, 1 a day this week, then 2 a day next week, then up to 3 a day. It's only been two days but so far I haven't noticed any side affects.

I admit that in the past I haven't had the healthiest of lifestyles but I made changes last year when I became a vegetarian in August - I've lost over 4 stone since then and it is one of the best and surprisingly easiest things that I have done, now I will be making more changes to try and lower my carb and sugar intake, I still have a long way to go.

This is all very overwhelming at the moment though with so much information to process. I have an initial assessment with the practice nurse next week, what sort of thing will that entail?

I look forward to meeting and getting to know some of you on this forum.
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Hi Daniel1e, welcome to the forum 🙂

Phew, it can be very overwhelming to begin with, so try not to do too much all at once - we are always here if you need anything clarifying or if you have any concerns 🙂 I'd really recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter to get a grounding in what it all entails, and also the book Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker is very highly-rated by our members 🙂 Understanding how things work and what you can do to manage things is the key to getting your blood sugars under control, but the good news is that it is perfectly possible and can lead to a healthier, happier you! Something a lot of people don't realise is that a diet that is healthy for someone with diabetes is one that is healthy for everyone, so it doesn't have to be boring and restrictive. What you do need to do, however, is find your own particular tolerances for different types of food, and the only practical way to do this is to test your levels before and after eating something - this is explained very well in Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S , so worth a look 🙂 If your GP hasn't given you a meter and strips then it is worth getting them yourself whilst you familiarise yourself with your diet and its effects. If you do need to get your own then the cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50. Finally, another useful addition to your 'diabetes library' would be The GL Diet for Dummies - GL, or 'Glycaemic Load' describes a method of selecting and combining food that will have a slow and steady impact on your blood sugar levels - which is just what you are looking for when you have diabetes!

No reason you can't follow a veggie diet, if you can incorporate fish, then oily fish like sardines are very good for you, with lots of Omega-3 and 6 in them 🙂 Good luck, please let us know if you have any questions or worries, and let us know how you get on 🙂
 
Thank you very much for the welcome Northerner, I will definitely be checking out those links and resources that you have recommended, and I will look into getting a meter and some strips too. It's a lot right now but I really want to try and understand and take control of this if I can.

I think that I am going to start incorporating fish into my diet again too.

Thank you! 🙂
 
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