Just over 3 months ago I was a 59 year old smoker, very overweight, confused and pretty scared newly diagnosed diabetic with an hbA1c of 124 and in hospital with an infection.
At discharge I had no clue what type of diabetes I had, had been given some insulin pens and told how much to take and when and a glucose monitor and with BG readings up in the late teens pretty much told to just get on with it with very little information about what food I could and couldn't eat.
Now, 3 months on, I haven't smoked since, have lost about 4 stone, have a confirmed diagnosis of type 2, am off insulin and on metformin and have BG readings mostly between 5 and 6 with no recorded BG levels higher than 6.5 for a couple of months now and I am going to have a referral for an Active Health programme at the local sports centre.
I still have issues with what to eat but that is more down to me being a fussy eater but I have started baking for myself from sites that I have found with recipes for low carb foods such as Sugar Free Londoner. I've made bagels, breakfast pancakes, cookies etc, who would have ever thought pre diabetes that you could make pancakes out of coconut flour, not me, that's for sure.
Diabetes nurse is going to wait to do my hbA1c until the beginning of April in order to get a reading once I've been off insulin for 3 months, she is optimistic that it will show a good drop from where I was in October.
I may not post much on here but I do read the forum frequently and have really taken on board many of the comments and suggestions made to other posters, so thank you all, you have helped this confused and pretty scared new diabetic to start to understand diabetes and begin coming to terms with her diagnosis.
At discharge I had no clue what type of diabetes I had, had been given some insulin pens and told how much to take and when and a glucose monitor and with BG readings up in the late teens pretty much told to just get on with it with very little information about what food I could and couldn't eat.
Now, 3 months on, I haven't smoked since, have lost about 4 stone, have a confirmed diagnosis of type 2, am off insulin and on metformin and have BG readings mostly between 5 and 6 with no recorded BG levels higher than 6.5 for a couple of months now and I am going to have a referral for an Active Health programme at the local sports centre.
I still have issues with what to eat but that is more down to me being a fussy eater but I have started baking for myself from sites that I have found with recipes for low carb foods such as Sugar Free Londoner. I've made bagels, breakfast pancakes, cookies etc, who would have ever thought pre diabetes that you could make pancakes out of coconut flour, not me, that's for sure.
Diabetes nurse is going to wait to do my hbA1c until the beginning of April in order to get a reading once I've been off insulin for 3 months, she is optimistic that it will show a good drop from where I was in October.
I may not post much on here but I do read the forum frequently and have really taken on board many of the comments and suggestions made to other posters, so thank you all, you have helped this confused and pretty scared new diabetic to start to understand diabetes and begin coming to terms with her diagnosis.
