Hi, I'm a 51 year old strong woman with a great husband, 3 grown up children and 1 adorable grandchild. Over the last 6 months my world has been turned on its axis. My husband has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and I've just been diagnosed with diabetes ! How do I feel? Try extremely lost, lonely and broken
Just had a diabetes review with my Gp - I have lost 1Ib after 4 weeks without sweets, cake and bread! Need help and stamina to get my life Kickstarted again...
Hi Ladybird52, welcome to the forum
🙂 Very sorry to hear about your and your husband's diagnoses
How did your diagnosis come about? Have you been given any medication for your diabetes?
Try not to worry. Although diabetes is a serious condition it is one which can be managed very well with the right knowledge and application
🙂 There is a lot of information to take in to begin with, but you should take it at your own pace and ask questions here if you are confused by anything or have concerns - there are lots of friendly, knowledgeable people here who know just how you are feeling right now who will be more than happy to help
🙂 Nothing drastic is going to happen overnight, it is a marathon, not a sprint, so the adjustments you make need to be sustainable. In my experience here most people feel they benefit greatly from learning how to manage their blood sugar levels, and end up feeling happier and healthier than they did prior to diagnosis
🙂
I would recommend starting by reading the excellent
Maggie Davey's letter which will give you a good overview. You should also get hold of a copy of
Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which is highly recommended by many of our members.
Start by writing a food diary. The main thing to be aware of is your carbohydrate consumption, so bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, plus sweet or sugary foods and food made with flour - these will all raise your blood sugar levels. Write down at every meal the amount of carbohydrate consumed (in grams). This will give you a firm idea of your daily carb consumption and you can then use the diary to see where you might substitute items or reduce portion sizes to make the diet more 'diabetes-friendly'. And don't worry - a diet which is healthy for people with diabetes is one which is healthy for everyone, so whilst there will be changes it does not have to be overly-restrictive or affect your quality of life
🙂
Now the slightly difficult bit. People are complex and find that their tolerances for things can vary considerably. So, for example, one person will be fine with porridge in the mornings, another might find that it pushes their levels unacceptably high. The only way to discover how well you personally tolerate things is to test your blood sugar levels before and after eating, using a blood glucose meter. Read
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S in order to understand how to do this effectively and efficiently. If you haven't been given a meter and prescription for strips by your GP/nurse (they are often reluctant because they are trying to save a little money, misguidedly
) then it is worth finding your own for a while as you learn your personal tolerances to elements of your diet. The cheapest option we have come across is the
SD Codefree Meter which has
test strips at around £8 for 50 (High St brands can charge up to £30 for 50 strips
😱)
That's probably more than enough information to take in for now! Remember, there is hope with diabetes and the problems it presents can be overcome. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any concerns or questions - no question is considered 'silly' or obvious. Let us know how you get on
🙂
