Hi everyone

[Felinia]

Diagnosed Type 2 Monday after H1c of 57 - it was 41 last November. So a bit of a shock. I'm 69, retired and single, living alone with Tufty puss. Lots of advice from Diabetic Clinic at GP, plus been referred for an educational course at the Hospital plus retinal scan. The info is slowly sinking in and I've found a good App which measures calories, carbs, sugars, fats, sat fats, protein, fibre and sodium, so I can keep track of everything. I complete it the night before so I can plan - and get stuff out the freezer! Been given lots of targets to meet over the next 13 weeks. Don't think I can lose 30 pounds, but I'll have a shot at 21 pounds. Also got to get my BP down and aim to get the glucose levels back in the pre-diabetic range. Good job I don't have any holidays planned!

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Felinia from a fellow T2.

 

[Felinia]

Hi, Felina. Welcome to the Forum.

A diagnosis of diabetes is always a shock but on a more positive note 57 is not massively high. Mine was 114. If you follow the universal advice regarding diet, exercise and weight loss you have a good chance of managing you diabetes and keeping your BG levels under control. At least you seem to have had good support from your health care people. That's not always the case, as other members will testify.

Were you put on any medication?

Martin

Hi Martin
Thanks for the encouragement. No, I am not medicated - yet. I think that's why I have been set such strict targets and I want to avoid taking even more pills than I already do. I must say I think my GP surgery is brilliant - they are always on the ball. Perhaps it is where I live in rural Devon, rather than a large city.

 

[KARNAK]

High @Felinia welcome to the forum.🙂 There are a few Devonians on the forum me being one, glad you are getting good support.

 

[Felinia]

Many thanks

 

[Drummer]

I suspect that your GP practice has not seen many successful type twos yet - forget the extraneous stuff - the problem is your blood glucose.
For a lucky person with simple type two, just reducing the carbs eaten each day solves the problem.
You might need to add salt to something you eat regularly in order to keep up the supply, as stopping high carb foods - notably crisps but often other processed foods, reduces the intake of salt low enough to cause cramps. I put a tiny pinch into my coffee in the morning, along with a larger pinch of cinnamon, and in hot weather I add a little salt to my salads.
Having a blood glucose meter helps a lot to show where you need to reduce the carbs - I got one from Spirit Health recently - a Tee 2, as the supplies are about the cheapest. For under £40 I got the meter, lancets and 150 strips which will keep me supplied for some time as I do not need to test regularly.
Once blood glucose is down to normal levels weightloss is often seen as a side effect, no effort required for many.

 

[Felinia]

I suspect that your GP practice has not seen many successful type twos yet - forget the extraneous stuff - the problem is your blood glucose.
For a lucky person with simple type two, just reducing the carbs eaten each day solves the problem.
You might need to add salt to something you eat regularly in order to keep up the supply, as stopping high carb foods - notably crisps but often other processed foods, reduces the intake of salt low enough to cause cramps. I put a tiny pinch into my coffee in the morning, along with a larger pinch of cinnamon, and in hot weather I add a little salt to my salads.
Having a blood glucose meter helps a lot to show where you need to reduce the carbs - I got one from Spirit Health recently - a Tee 2, as the supplies are about the cheapest. For under £40 I got the meter, lancets and 150 strips which will keep me supplied for some time as I do not need to test regularly.
Once blood glucose is down to normal levels weightloss is often seen as a side effect, no effort required for many.

Thanks for this. Crisps and ice cream were actually my weakness. I'm currently going "cold turkey" on all the bad carbs, so I suppose I must adapt to the new diet.

 

[Ralph-YK]

The Code Free meter is possibly the cheapes. £13 for the meter and £8 for 100 strips. Available from Amazone with free postage (as in the total paid will be £13 and £8).

 

[CathyB]

Hi Felinia, I’m also type two, live alone with my kitty and started high but got it down with low carbing, follow the plan and the weight will fall off, we will all support you every step 😉

 

[Felinia]

Hi Felinia, I’m also type two, live alone with my kitty and started high but got it down with low carbing, follow the plan and the weight will fall off, we will all support you every step 😉

Many thanks. I'm sure in a few weeks I'll get into a routine and be managing. It's just a bit all-consuming at present. Just got my cholesterol result, which has risen since last November. So another GP appointment on the horizon, and probably yet more medication. I'm severely reactive to statins, so will be looking for an alternative solution.

 

[Felinia]

The Code Free meter is possibly the cheapes. £13 for the meter and £8 for 100 strips. Available from Amazone with free postage (as in the total paid will be £13 and £8).

Thanks for the info.