hi just diagnosed type 2, gutted

[Stitch147]

Its a very helpful book, even for oddball non type 2's like me!

 

[Ralph-YK]

...at the angry, frustrated and lost faze ... I haven't got a clue and it's frustrating the life out of me!!

I've been this for months.

 

[grovesy]

I found it very useful and she talks sense.

 

[Steady]

Welcome...! I was diagnosed Type 2 around 3 weeks ago and like you, immediately went into panic mode over what I could and could not eat. I found that buying a glucose meter and testing, testing, testing to be invaluable. I am still experimenting with different foods but really missing sweet things though.
This forum has been great with help and advice and there is also a section on different food experiments and recipes which is interesting reading.
Keep smiling.....

 

[Carolg]

Hello to all you newbies. I would like to say that frazzled, frustrated, self blame and all those other things you have all said, I can identify with at diagnosis. My friend worried that I was showing signs of dementia, but 7 months on, things are better. I blamed myself and the fact I had been stuffing chocolate n diluting high sugar juice like a totally wee piggy, but weight pouring off- no wonder as my body was probably screaming for energy source. This forum also helped me get the support and tools to make sense of the questions I had, although nhs support was good. Good luck on this journey, and as others have said, ask the questions, cause your questions often are the ones that other people don't want to ask.

 

[Jeffrey Forward]

Just been diagnosed with type 2, I am shocked and angry, I never eat sugar and eat healthy, why has this happened, I have been given tablets but don't know what to eat or anything now, please can someone help.

Hello Karen,
Yes it can come as a shock.
6ft tall and at my heaviest 13.7st being told I was diabetic hit me hard, and for the first time I was a bit depressed. The writing was on the wall for me, both parents diagnosed at 60.
I had a tumour in the soft tissue between the roof of my mouth and nasal cavity, was constantly on Antibiotics for about 12 months while I waited for my operation. I had all my teeth removed down one side and three on the other, with the intention of having screw in teeth. However the tumour had better plans and was woven in and out of my jaw, so I lost a section of jaw bone from the canine to the wisdom, leaving no firm holding position for the teeth, so I have dentures at 44.
Luckily my wife and kids 18 and 22 have been so supportive.
My doctor says it wasn't just one thing it was contributing factors that all a lined at the same time.
3 years in and
I have a better diet than I've ever had, even enjoy trying new foods that before I would have walked past.
Only drink at special occasions, so my wife is happy I'm a cheap date.
I'm now 12.7st.
Walk on average 12k steps a day to and from work.
Not on any meds yet for my Diabetes, and my hbA1c is now on the edge of being considered pre-diabetic at 49.

It's hard work and you can never stop working at it.
You may find, like me you eat food that you like rather than stuffing Mcdonald's because your hungry or you don't have time. You make time for food and that's no bad thing.
Although working in London and the culture of booking meetings at midday can be awkward. No most have got used to me now and accept if it's between 12 and 1 I won't attend, unless it's a bring you own lunch or out to lunch.

My advise would be just breath easy, and take it one day at a time. Easy for me to say but I have been there and it took me 12 months to really get to grips with it.

 

[OwlBeBack1990]

Just been diagnosed with type 2, I am shocked and angry, I never eat sugar and eat healthy, why has this happened, I have been given tablets but don't know what to eat or anything now, please can someone help.

Hello Karen, welcome to the forum! I got diagnosed last Friday (17/06/2016) that I have got Type 2, I can relate with you on feeling angry/gutted. Hope you are able to find this forum helpful

 

[pottersusan]

Hi , I have only just been diagnosed with T2 this week, feel gutted and anxious of what's ahead of me .Trying to read forums for top tips.

You've found the right place for support and help🙂

 

[Martin9]

Hi Karen, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis There's an undue emphasis on lack of exercise and poor diet being a cause of Type 2 diabetes, and other factors such as genetic susceptibility are often overlooked, so please don't blame yourself - many thousands of people find themselves in exactly your situation.

As has been suggested, it is not just sugar (which is just one form of carbohydrate) but all carbohydrates that you need to be mindful of - so bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc. are all things that will have an impact on your blood glucose levels. The trick is learning how your body tolerates these various things and understanding how diabetes affects you. Have a read of Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter for starters - these will help you understand things better, and the more you understand, the easier it will be to manage your diabetes. I'd also recommend getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which many of our members have found really useful, positive and encouraging 🙂 Diabetes is a serious condition, but it can be managed well and it doesn't have to stop you living a full, happy and healthy life 🙂

Using a blood glucose meter will help you to understand how well (or otherwise!) you tolerate elements of your diet. Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this can be done. If your doctor won't prescribe test strips for you (unfortunately, most don't ) then it is worth buying your own whilst you get to grips with things. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50 (strips are commonly £25-£30 in high street pharmacies). Start a food diary and record the amount, in grams, of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink for a couple of weeks. This is a bit tedious, but hugely useful in allowing you to look for areas where you might reduce or replace things so that your diet becomes more diabetes-friendly. Doing this, and using your meter will allow you to retain maximum flexibility in your diet which will make it more sustainable (and enjoyable) for you - these are changes that need to be fundamental, not just for a week or two, but you will be surprised at how your tastes can change in a relatively short period. You've probably already got a head start as you say your diet is healthy to begin with - it's just a case of identifying things that you need to treat more cautiously (fruit, as mentioned, can be healthy, but can also contain a lot of sugar. Many foods marketed as 'healthy' are actually not so healthy when you look closely - they may be low fat, but high sugar/carb to replace the fat).

Many people find that following the principles of the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet is very helpful. This describes a method of selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels. The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction 🙂

Finally, don't forget exercise! If you can include some regular exercise in your daily routine this will really help with managing your blood glucose levels - doesn't have to be an intensive gym session or a 10 mile run, a half hour brisk walk in the park will do nicely 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions (and you probably have lots!). No question is considered 'silly', and you have the experience of hundreds of experienced and knowledgeable people here who collectively know far more than your GP or nurse about diabetes (which, from what you have said, wouldn't be difficult! 🙄) Let us know how you get on.

Was just looking at older posts, what a great answer @Northerner ..!

 

[becca19962014]

I was diagnosed a year ago. I was sent away with a diet which actually made me very unwell with hypos, luckily I'd registered here before starting and had a monitor already. It'll take time for you to know what effects you, the most important thing is that you now know and can begin to make changes. Go small and steady - it's much better for you than massive changes, and, even if you've been told not to, get a monitor, it really helps not only to see patterns but also if you're feeling shaky to see if it's blood sugar related (mine is compact with no strips so I can carry it with me).

I've found wierd things effect my blood sugar, especially artificial sweeteners. Some carbs others avoid I find don't effect my BS at all. I can't have berries for example and bananas sent my BS very high. The only way to work out what effects you is to experiment with foods. Small amounts are good. I eat my main meals every four hours (I have four due to medication needs) but I've found sometimes I need something after two. I've found glucophage metformin to be good, but I ended up in hospital after taking a generic one. Everyone in hospital told me it couldn't be the meds but nothing else had changed at all - so if you have side effects from Your meds it could be the brand that needs changing.

However, recently I've found out that my other medical conditions cause difficulties with BS. I had no idea thus was even possible as no one had told me that, I'd only been told about the "evils" of sugar and processed foods. In my case (emphasis on my case) sugar doesn't effect me as badly as artificial sweeteners which seem to be in everything now since the sugar tax. However, that could be down to my other conditions. One of which causes inflammation and pain and another messes up (badly) my blood pressure and heart rate - think collapsing in the street and having mini strokes. Over the last week I've been testing when my BP and HR have been bad (high or low) and have found a definite link with my blood sugars. There's now some difficult decisions to be made.

One other thing I've found is that different people react in different ways to hearing you have type 2 diabetes - please try not to let that negatively impact you. I've had a lot of comments about being fat and lazy and not trying hard enough to reduce my sugars which can go very high (hard to treat as its due to other conditions) and the assumption is I'm eating cakes and chocolate all the time. I've been referred to the gym by a diabetic nurse and had it revoked by another dr due to my other conditions. I've been told to aim for the lowest of the ideal range (which meant I was going into hypos a lot).

It would, with my family history and medical history been a miracle if I didn't get type 2. Everyone (literally) older than me in my family has it. No my diet isn't ideal but I do the best I can.

 

[becca19962014]

I didn't realise this thread was so old. Sorry. Hopefully my advise might help someone else!