Hi, I am Mark from Milton Keynes and today i have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes HELP!

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MarkjMK

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Hi, I am Mark from Milton Keynes and today I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I have been given Metformin to take and do not know what to do next!
I have mental health diagnosis and have lived with EUPD for the last 20 years. I am a full-time carer for my wife who has Primary Progressive MS. This is a little background on me
Mark
 
MarkjMK said:
Hi, I am Mark from Milton Keynes and today I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I have been given Metformin to take and do not know what to do next!
I have mental health diagnosis and have lived with EUPD for the last 20 years. I am a full-time carer for my wife who has Primary Progressive MS. This is a little background on me
Mark
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Welcome Mark

What to do next is a good question. Don't panic. Basically it's ultimately about keeping in range or on target blood glucose levels. That is measured with a blood test HbA1c. Diet is key, medication if appropriate and exercise if appropriate. Carbs are also an issue with diabetes which you will get help with.

It's a significant subject however, with a lot of aspects to consider but it's achievable to get on top of.

Others will give you as much help as you need and in detail.

You may wish to post more details of your situation to help others given your experience and enabling us to help you to a greater degree.

Good luck.
 
Welcome @MarkjMK 🙂 The first thing to do is not to panic. Type 2 diabetes is something you can manage. Depending on your HbA1C (the blood test result that diagnosed you), you might only need to make some small changes.

Look at your diet. You might want to write down an average day’s food so you can see where you can make helpful changes. You’re looking to reduce carbs. Not just sugar and sweet things, but all carbs, including bread, potatoes, rice, cereal, etc etc. That will help a lot.
 
Hi @MarkjMK, hard not to panic (I did!) but sound advice from @Inka and @RichardsUsername. It may take you some time to get your head around it, especially with the EUPD diagnosis and the fact you are a carer and therefore have other stressors to worry about, but it will become easier, honest.
Make sure you take your metformin with or after food to reduce potential side effects. It is normal to have a dicky tummy for a couple of weeks, but if it takes longer or is too bad, you can always ask your GP for the slow release version which I'm told is kinder on the stomach. I take the normal version and luckily I'm fine with it.
Any questions, just shout out. There will always be someone here who can help.
Welcome aboard 🙂
 
Vonny said:
Hi @MarkjMK, hard not to panic (I did!) but sound advice from @Inka and @RichardsUsername. It may take you some time to get your head around it, especially with the EUPD diagnosis and the fact you are a carer and therefore have other stressors to worry about, but it will become easier, honest.
Make sure you take your metformin with or after food to reduce potential side effects. It is normal to have a dicky tummy for a couple of weeks, but if it takes longer or is too bad, you can always ask your GP for the slow release version which I'm told is kinder on the stomach. I take the normal version and luckily I'm fine with it.
Any questions, just shout out. There will always be someone here who can help.
Welcome aboard 🙂
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Good point. It's only natural and human to panic with news like this. When I was diagnosed all the associated health issues the doctor reeled off was a bit shocking. But that was a long time ago.
 
It is a lot to take in all at once but making some dietary changes are an important aspect of managing to reduce your blood glucose. Depending on your HbA1C you may only need some modest changes but if you have been prescribed metformin you may be a fair way into to diabetes zone.
This link may help you with some ideas of how you can modify your diet and there is good explanation of the principals of reducing carbs. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Welcome to the forum @MarkjMK

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis with diabetes. And that you’ll have to balance it with your other health conditions.

@Docb often recommends sources of support for folks who have a role as a carer as he has some experience in that area.

It’s quite natural to feel quite overwhelmed by a diagnosis with diabetes, but try not to be too upset - Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.

You might like to check out the Learning Zone (the orange tab in the main menu). Which is packed with bite-sized modules that you can take at your own pace. 🙂
 
Hi @MarkjMK and welcome from me.

I am also a carer and would recommend that (if you have not done so already) you google "carer services" with your "County Council" and see what turns up. County councils have statutory duty to provide carer support. Sad to say there is a postcode lottery involved - some county councils take it more seriously than others - but maybe Buckinghamshire is amongst the more enlightened. As a minimum you should get a carers assessment which will give you the chance to think through all those things that caring entails but if your county allocates sufficient funds to carer support then you should get access to people who know their way round the system to make sure you can get any help you need together with contact with other carers in your area.

As others have said, a diabetes diagnosis can be a bit overwhelming at first but once you have got a perspective on how it will affect you and your particular circumstances then I am sure you will be able to cope. Ask any questions you have on here, nothing is considered trivial or silly. We have all been where you are and get it!
 
MarkjMK said:
Hi, I am Mark from Milton Keynes and today I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I have been given Metformin to take and do not know what to do next!
I have mental health diagnosis and have lived with EUPD for the last 20 years. I am a full-time carer for my wife who has Primary Progressive MS. This is a little background on me
Mark
Click to expand...
Try the 'Open Letter to a newly dxed Type 2' by Maggie Davey in the links section. Also usually recommended is Gretchen Becker's book, Type 2 Diabetes : the First Year.' but becker's book is beginning to show its age now ( mid 1990s). Avoid books about 'reversal' and 'remission' until you know more and are able to put those claims into context.
 
Suggest you read The Glucose Goddess by Jessie Incauspe. Very insightful and also very helpful.
 
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