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Hi, newly diagnosed

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SheilaAnne

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi, I was diagnosed in November 23 and have been trying to educate myself about T2. Such a lot of conflicting information out there!
Sadly, no support group in Aberdeen!
Yearly visit to diabetes nurse is necessary but doesn't feel much like support somehow. I'll just sieve through all the information I've gathered and try to make sense of it. Feeling a bit overwhelmed tbh!
 
SheilaAnne said:
Hi, I was diagnosed in November 23 and have been trying to educate myself about T2. Such a lot of conflicting information out there!
Sadly, no support group in Aberdeen!
Yearly visit to diabetes nurse is necessary but doesn't feel much like support somehow. I'll just sieve through all the information I've gathered and try to make sense of it. Feeling a bit overwhelmed tbh!
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum
You will find lots of support here and likely more information than your GP will provide, though you will need to interact with them for the check ups of HbA1C, usually 3 months after diagnosis to check the measures you are taking to reduce blood glucose are being effective as well as eye and feet checks and often other blood tests for kidney function, Cholesterol and a full blood count.
Perhaps you would like to share what your HbA1C is that gave you your diagnosis, are you on any medication and what dietary approach have you adopted, this will help people answer any questions and make suggestions as well as give you some encouragement. In the meanwhile you may find this link helpful which should be suitable if only managing by diet and /or medication like metformin.
https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
welcome too the forum ,there is lots too learn when it comes to managing diabetes, i'm sure you will learn alot on here ask anything ,also try the learning zone at the top in red its really good and a good place to start i was diagnosed with type 2 and pretty much told to eat more salad n veg drink plenty of water , put on tablets and told to come back in a year for a hb test i was like ok , i didn,t have a clue no one in my family has had this condition so no one to talk with about it ,for a while i must admit i was in denial tbh and its only recently that i decided to try to learn as much as can just by talking to people and educating myself as much as possible so that i can manage it a bit better :confused:
 
My GP and diabetes nurse have been excellent but I have definitely learned more about my condition from logging on to this forum than from anywhere else..........it's fab 🙂

There's no such thing as a silly question and a wealth of experience at your fingertips to tap into.

You will feel overwhelmed to start with but it does get better.
 
Welcome like you to begin with it was all very overwhelming, I have had very little help from the Medical people, but have learned so much here.
 
Welcome! 🙂 I think we're all shocked and overwhelmed in the beginning, and those who get good information and support from their doctors and nurses appear to be a very lucky few.

I found information booklets produced by diabetes charities to be a good starting point to get a handle on the basics (some links below). They are written with the newly-diagnosed in mind and I found they eased my initial confusion and worry.

After that I focussed on learning about the concept of remission - 'reversing' Type 2 diabetes to the extent that may be possible. I've come to find it helpful to think of remission as being achieved in one of two ways - weight loss or diet changes. Losing weight may help to restore your liver and pancreas function, particularly for the recently diagnosed. Average blood glucose levels are essentially controlled by these two organs. A diet that is lower in carbohydrates is one that enables you to get your blood glucose levels down, within the limits that your current levels of insulin production may allow. Either approach on it's own, weight loss or low-carb diet, when sustained over the long term, can potentially bring down your average blood glucose levels to the point that you may not need any medication.

I believe the best approach to begin with is to try to achieve weight loss primarily by reducing carbohydrates. Weight loss as a way to achieve remission appears to be most successful if achieved soon after diagnosis, and it's claimed that the beneficial effects may be permanent so long as a person keeps the weight off thereafter. Losing the weight by reducing carbohydrate intake rather than focussing too much on fats has the added benefit of lowering average blood glucose levels almost immediately, for most people. The average level of weight loss necessary for an overweight person to achieve an sustain remission is thought to be around 15Kg, a little over 2 stone. Even if you are someone who is of an average weight currently, it may be relevant to think of your weight when you were aged around 21, and keep in mind that according to recent and ongoing research it may be possible to at least partially, perhaps even completely, reverse your diabetes by getting back to that weight level and staying there.

Very best of luck.

shop.diabetes.org.uk

Booklets & Leaflets

shop.diabetes.org.uk shop.diabetes.org.uk

www.diabetes.ie

Patient Booklets - Diabetes Ireland

Diabetes Ireland is the only national charity in Ireland dedicated to helping people with diabetes. We achieve this by providing support, education and motivation to everyone affected by diabetes. We also raises public awareness of diabetes and its symptoms and fund research into finding a cure...
www.diabetes.ie www.diabetes.ie
 
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Welcome to the forum @SheilaAnne

Sorry to hear you’ve been wrestling with conflicting information - it can be a confusing time for sure

Diabetes UK’s website is a mine of helpful information

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is high blood sugar levels due to your body not making enough of a hormone called insulin, or the insulin it makes not working properly, known as insulin resistance. High blood sugar levels over time can cause other health problems like heart attacks and strokes, as well as...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

And the Learning Zone is a wonderful resource. You can create an account and them gradually work through the modules at a pace that suits you.

Landing Page | Diabetes UK Learning Zone

learningzone.diabetes.org.uk learningzone.diabetes.org.uk

Plus you can always ask questions on the forum, of course!
 
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