Hi! My name is Rosie

[rose freeman]

I am newly diagnosed as diabetic. It wasn't a surprise due to family circumstances but still a bit of a shock.
I feel I have been thrown into a lions den and have no idea what I'm doing.
Some help for a beginner would be wonderful.

 

[Martin9]

Hi @rose freeman ,
Welcome ...it’s a bit daunting at first.when you first get that diagnosis .
could you give us a bit more info about your blood results , it will help us give you more focused answers about your problem xx

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Hello Rose, and welcome. Your poll doesn't work for me, I'm afraid - both the options just say 1, but I presume one of them is meant to say yes and the other no? It probably is a good idea to test every day, several times a day, until you have found out how different foods effect you, but I don't think anyone could say definitely without a bit more information about you (eg there are some people who have chosen not to test because they suffer from anxiety and don't want to get too obsessive about it, or whose blood sugar is low enough it's probably not necessary for them to test, just to cut down on carbs a bit).

If you look at this thread you'll find lots of links to help for a beginner - https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406/ - you'll need to scroll down a bit for the type 2 and general links. You'll probably find it helpful to read Maggie Davey's letter and Test, Review, Adjust, both of which you'll find there, and there's a book which is recommended too.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Rose from a fellow T2.

 

[Felinia]

That's just how I felt 8 weeks ago! There's loads of information and videos on this website so I did a little bit each day, so I could take it in. If you are UK you will get an appointment with a Nurse Practitioner, who will do a number of tests, give you basic information, and refer you for an eye scan. You should also be referred for a Training course. The main UK one is DESMOND. Mine was called OVIVA, the NHS contracted course for my area. It consisted of a 45 minute phone conversation with a dietician, and a 2 hour face-to-face group session, also with a dietician. You then usually get referred back to your GP but are in the system for annual testing for life. That's a good thing. More serious cases will be monitored more closely.
As others have said, better advice can be given if your HbA1c is known. Some Type 2 manage with just lifestyle changes (healthy eating, exercise and if necessary weight loss). Mine was 57 and I fall into this category. For those with a higher reading some have been put on medication, usually Metformin, but there are other types. At my course yesterday, 8 of us were lifestyle changes only, and 2 were additional monitoring.
What you can do to help yourself straight away is reduce your carb intake (that's both sugars and starches), drink lots of water (4 pints a day), moderate exercise for 3+ hours per week, lose weight if necessary. This was what I was told right at the beginning. I was also given medication to reduce my blood pressure as diabetics should have a BP lower than what is normally accepted. Mine is now 124/79 which is acceptable. You will probably be told your total cholesterol needs to be less than 4, and have statins pushed your way.
Best wishes.

 

[Drummer]

No, you only need to test when you have eaten something you have not yet checked.
At first that might be several times a day, but as you build up a menu day to day you can stop testing so frequently.