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Bubsy 19

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Type 2
Newly diagnosed and a bit disappointed at having no information from GP. A practice nurse told me I had diabetes, to look it all up on the internet, and asked me to leave as I have so many people to see today. So, here I am on the internet, reading and reading and getting quite confused. Give me time...
 
Welcome @Bubsy 19 🙂 Ask whatever you want here - there’s no such thing as a silly question. Ask away🙂

You might also want to look at the Learning Zone on the orange tab at the top of this page, and have a general browse around the forum.
 
Hi and welcome.

Wow! Nothing like being short and to the point although to be fair we can probably help you more than many health care professionals, so you have come to the right place.

Diabetes is where our blood glucose levels become higher than they should be and our bodies become unable or inefficient at removing it. With Type 2 diabetes, this is usually because the body has become resistant to insulin which helps to move the glucose out of the blood and into the cells to be used as energy and/or stored as fat "for later". Problems seem to arise when the fat build up gets to a point where we have more than enough and/or it gets deposited around the pancreas and liver. These two organs are responsible for balancing blood glucose levels and when too much fat builds up, they don't communicate too well and the balancing mechanism becomes broken. With Type 1 diabetes it is slightly different because the body's immune system attacks the insulin producing cells in the pancreas and so we can't make enough insulin to remove the glucose.... same result though.... high blood glucose levels which can cause problems long term with the fine blood vessels in our eyes and feet particularly.

With Type 2 diabetes the most effective ways of reducing Blood Glucose (BG) levels and helping to restore balance are...

Weight loss.... Easy to say, sometimes not so easy to do, but a short term very low CALORIE diet to effect about 15kg weight loss has been shown to be effective in a significant number of patients. This is referred to as the Newcastle diet or Fast 800 as you reduce your CALORIE intake down to 800 per day and may involve using shakes and meal supplements. The important thing is to maintain the weight loss after the end of the diet. If you struggle to lose weight or follow a strict diet or you are a Yo-Yo dieter, then that might be tricky.

Low CARBOHYDRATE way of eating. This is something that many forum members opt for and find it very effective but it takes some getting your head around initially because we have spent our whole lives piling our plates up with CARBS in the form of bread, pasta, rice, spuds, breakfast cereals etc Learning to recognise high carb foods and make swaps for lower carb alternatives takes some effort ut we can certainly help you with that. It can be surprising how even otherwise "healthy" foods like porridge and fruit can cause our diabetes a problem, so it is a bit of a learning curve but gets pretty impressive results quite quickly.

Exercise... Doesn't have to be anything overly exertive, just something which increases your heart rate a bit, gets your lungs opened up and idealy involves swinging your legs as those big muscles in our legs are great for sucking glucose out of the blood. A brisk daily walk is ideal if you are able. If you are of limited mobility, seated exercises of some form will all help.

Medication. Depending upon the level of your HbA1c result.... the blood test used to diagnose diabetes.... you may be offered medication or be given the chance to make lifestyle changes (see the 3 options above) first, which can actually be more effective than many diabetes medications if you are given the right advice and put it into practice. Metformin is usually the starting point with medication and is best taken mid meal or straight after with a substantial amount of food as it can cause digestive tract upset. At the other end of the scale, insulin is injected to help work with the insulin your body already produces to overcome the insulin resistance, but comes with it's own set of issues.

Anyway, that is a brief precis of the situation. Many members of the forum who go for the low CARB dietary change option find that a Blood Glucose meter for home testing their BG levels is an invaluable tool in helping them to modify their diet and helps them to see that what they are doing is working on a day by day, meal by meal basis which is motivating and conversely, seeing what the "naughty" stuff ie. cakes biscuits, sweets, pies, puddings, big bags of crisps/crackers does to your levels, helps to resist the temptation next time. A basic BG meter is relatively inexpensive to purchase at about £15 for a test kit, but you tend to go through a lot of consumables in the first few months of intensive testing, so finding meters which have the cheapest test strips is important. There are two which are recommended by forum members as being reliable and economical to use for this reason... The Gluco Navii and the Spirit Healthcare Tee2. Both are available to buy online and if you are going that route it is worth buying at least 2 pots of extra test strips with the meter and a box of lancets.

Hope some of that info helps point you in a direction that works for you. Please ask if there is anything you don't understand or need to know.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome.

Wow! Nothing like being short and to the point although to be fair we can probably help you more than many health care professionals, so you have come to the right place.

Diabetes is where our blood glucose levels become higher than they should be and our bodies become unable or inefficient at removing it. With Type 2 diabetes, this is usually because the body has become resistant to insulin which helps to move the glucose out of the blood and into the cells to be used as energy and/or stored as fat "for later". Problems seem to arise when the fat build up gets to a point where we have more than enough and/or it gets deposited around the pancreas and liver. These two organs are responsible for balancing blood glucose levels and when too much fat builds up, they don't communicate too well and the balancing mechanism becomes broken. With Type 1 diabetes it is slightly different because the body's immune system attacks the insulin producing cells in the pancreas and so we can't make enough insulin to remove the glucose.... same result though.... high blood glucose levels which can cause problems long term with the fine blood vessels in our eyes and feet particularly.

With Type 2 diabetes the most effective ways of reducing Blood Glucose (BG) levels and helping to restore balance are...

Weight loss.... Easy to say, sometimes not so easy to do, but a short term very low CALORIE diet to effect about 15kg weight loss has been shown to be effective in a significant number of patients. This is referred to as the Newcastle diet or Fast 800 as you reduce your CALORIE intake down to 800 per day and may involve using shakes and meal supplements. The important thing is to maintain the weight loss after the end of the diet. If you struggle to lose weight or follow a strict diet or you are a Yo-Yo dieter, then that might be tricky.

Low CARBOHYDRATE way of eating. This is something that many forum members opt for and find it very effective but it takes some getting your head around initially because we have spent our whole lives piling our plates up with CARBS in the form of bread, pasta, rice, spuds, breakfast cereals etc Learning to recognise high carb foods and make swaps for lower carb alternatives takes some effort ut we can certainly help you with that. It can be surprising how even otherwise "healthy" foods like porridge and fruit can cause our diabetes a problem, so it is a bit of a learning curve but gets pretty impressive results quite quickly.

Exercise... Doesn't have to be anything overly exertive, just something which increases your heart rate a bit, gets your lungs opened up and idealy involves swinging your legs as those big muscles in our legs are great for sucking glucose out of the blood. A brisk daily walk is ideal if you are able. If you are of limited mobility, seated exercises of some form will all help.

Medication. Depending upon the level of your HbA1c result.... the blood test used to diagnose diabetes.... you may be offered medication or be given the chance to make lifestyle changes (see the 3 options above) first, which can actually be more effective than many diabetes medications if you are given the right advice and put it into practice. Metformin is usually the starting point with medication and is best taken mid meal or straight after with a substantial amount of food as it can cause digestive tract upset. At the other end of the scale, insulin is injected to help work with the insulin your body already produces to overcome the insulin resistance, but comes with it's own set of issues.

Anyway, that is a brief precis of the situation. Many members of the forum who go for the low CARB dietary change option find that a Blood Glucose meter for home testing their BG levels is an invaluable tool in helping them to modify their diet and helps them to see that what they are doing is working on a day by day, meal by meal basis which is motivating and conversely, seeing what the "naughty" stuff ie. cakes biscuits, sweets, pies, puddings, big bags of crisps/crackers does to your levels, helps to resist the temptation next time. A basic BG meter is relatively inexpensive to purchase at about £15 for a test kit, but you tend to go through a lot of consumables in the first few months of intensive testing, so finding meters which have the cheapest test strips is important. There are two which are recommended by forum members as being reliable and economical to use for this reason... The Gluco Navii and the Spirit Healthcare Tee2. Both are available to buy online and if you are going that route it is worth buying at least 2 pots of extra test strips with the meter and a box of lancets.

Hope some of that info helps point you in a direction that works for you. Please ask if there is anything you don't understand or need to know.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the very informative reply. I haven't been told my HbA1c result or prescribed medication so far but have an eye test next month. I'm still a bit shocked at my brief appointment with the nurse, but the diagnosis is the real issue, and I have to get on with it. Thanks again.
 
Hi Bubsy 19, welcome to the forum.

Just popping in to say hi. Sadly, your experience is all too common so I'm glad that you found us.

Do insist on getting your HbA1c results so you can track your progress along the journey.

We've got a wealth of info on the site so do have a look around and feel free to ask any questions or concerns you may have.
 
I agree, if you don't know your HbA1c ask or look online if you have online access to your results. This is the starting point on your journey with diabetes and the means by which your progress is tracked. There can be a huge variation from just crossing the threshold at 48 up well into treble figures if things have gone seriously awry. Knowing where you are gives you an idea of how big the hill or mountain is you have in front of you and perhaps how drastic or minimal the changes you need to make are.

You should also be entitled to claim free prescriptions for everything if you are diagnosed diabetic I think.... certainly if you are prescribed with diabetes medication then you will be entitled to a prescription exemption. My nurse filled it in for me, so I just had to sign it and wait for my card to come back. Certainly worth asking if you are prescribed medication.
 
The key thing is that diabetics don't deal with carbohydrate at all well.

Once you look at your diet and see where your starches and sugars are coming from things might be a lot clearer.

To keep myself in normal numbers I eat under 40 gm of carbs a day - but I had almost a half century of being pushed to eat what I protested made me feel ill.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It seems that I am incredibly lucky with my surgery. I have NEVER had any complaints with my practice and especially my diabetic nurses. If you are not happy with your surgery just start asking a lot of questions and they will give you the attention, even if it is just to get rid of you.
I get a 30 minute diabetic review apt every time I get my bloods done.

I did send one nurse into a tailspin a couple of weeks ago by asking about low carbs and taking empaflagozin.

I still need more info on this but I can't find anything on the forum. I will start a new thread regarding this.
 
Hi Bubsy 19 and welcome aboard. That doesn’t sound like a great experience with the nurse there, perhaps a bad day or too many patients. I think it’s important not to let that stand though, so maybe consider booking an appointment with your GP to discuss what point you’re at, if medication is needed yet/strategies that can be used to avoid the medication if that’s what you want and it’s possible. I am known for going rogue and doing what I think is best for me so I can be a bit of a solo avenger, but it’s still really important to have support, they shouldn’t get away with not providing sufficient support. We have to be our own advocates with diabetes but we still need support to do that. Anyway I hope you’re getting through the initial shock and finding some good resources to look at.
 
Drummer said:
The key thing is that diabetics don't deal with carbohydrate at all well.
Some type twos store it as fat to protect their organs from thick sugary blood.

Once you look at your diet and see where your starches and sugars are coming from things might be a lot clearer.

To keep myself in normal numbers I eat under 40 gm of carbs a day - but I had almost a half century of being pushed to eat what I protested made me feel ill - the 'healthy' starchy foods as used to fatten up farmyard animals.
Click to expand...
Do you mean porridge? I have been overweight for a long time, with high blood pressure - I have always been led to believe that one causes the other. My dietician advised filling a third of my dinner plate with carbs, very little fat, but I am beginning to understand that a kind of genetic allergy to carbs is at the root of my troubles. I have been having annual blood pressure tests, and blood tests (they never told me what for) and that has shown me to be diabetic. Perhaps I should warn my children.
 
KookyCat said:
Hi Bubsy 19 and welcome aboard. That doesn’t sound like a great experience with the nurse there, perhaps a bad day or too many patients. I think it’s important not to let that stand though, so maybe consider booking an appointment with your GP to discuss what point you’re at, if medication is needed yet/strategies that can be used to avoid the medication if that’s what you want and it’s possible. I am known for going rogue and doing what I think is best for me so I can be a bit of a solo avenger, but it’s still really important to have support, they shouldn’t get away with not providing sufficient support. We have to be our own advocates with diabetes but we still need support to do that. Anyway I hope you’re getting through the initial shock and finding some good resources to look at.
Click to expand...
I shall contact the GP and find out a bit more. They seem happier to do things over the phone than see patients these days. Thanks for the lovely welcome
 
Bubsy 19 said:
Do you mean porridge? I have been overweight for a long time, with high blood pressure - I have always been led to believe that one causes the other. My dietician advised filling a third of my dinner plate with carbs, very little fat, but I am beginning to understand that a kind of genetic allergy to carbs is at the root of my troubles. I have been having annual blood pressure tests, and blood tests (they never told me what for) and that has shown me to be diabetic. Perhaps I should warn my children.
Click to expand...
Oh I was pushed to eat low fat and high carb and then told I was doing it wrong, time after time after time.
My proper diet is low in carbs, I eat meat, fish/seafood, eggs and cheese, Greek yoghurt - not reduced fat versions. I have low carb veges and berries.
I avoid all grain and eat lots of different plant sourced foods, and it works. My tests all show normal or very nearly so.
If you reduce carbs then weight and blood pressure might very well reduce too. Be aware of that if you take blood pressure reducing medication - on the low carb forum I have been on for a long time several people had falls, one quite a bad one, due to low blood pressure.
 
Bubsy 19 said:
Do you mean porridge? I have been overweight for a long time, with high blood pressure - I have always been led to believe that one causes the other. My dietician advised filling a third of my dinner plate with carbs, very little fat, but I am beginning to understand that a kind of genetic allergy to carbs is at the root of my troubles. I have been having annual blood pressure tests, and blood tests (they never told me what for) and that has shown me to be diabetic. Perhaps I should warn my children.
Click to expand...
I eat porridge.
Many of us on here start the day with it.

I find exercise helps immensely as well.
I've never really had any blood pressure issues, but I do find saturated fats push my cholesterol through the roof, and I put weight back on, so I do avoid them.

The thing to remember is we are all different in the way we react to carbs, and the type of carb.
For example, at the two extremes I reversed my diabetes, and can eat practically anything, @Drummer is strictly diet controlled, and a minimal amount of carbs will cause a massive spike in blood glucose.

You need to chat to your health care professionals, find out what hba1c you were diagnosed at, and see if you need to make a few small changes, or if you need to consider larger ones, and find a way forward that suits your blood pressure, and ask what other tests they have been doing, and if there is anything in there to consider.
 
travellor said:
I eat porridge.
Many of us on here start the day with it.

I find exercise helps immensely as well.
I've never really had any blood pressure issues, but I do find saturated fats push my cholesterol through the roof, and I put weight back on, so I do avoid them.

The thing to remember is we are all different in the way we react to carbs, and the type of carb.
For example, at the two extremes I reversed my diabetes, and can eat practically anything, @Drummer is strictly diet controlled, and a minimal amount of carbs will cause a massive spike in blood glucose.

You need to chat to your health care professionals, find out what hba1c you were diagnosed at, and see if you need to make a few small changes, or if you need to consider larger ones, and find a way forward that suits your blood pressure, and ask what other tests they have been doing, and if there is anything in there to consider.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, a great help.
 
I should correct the impression which Travellor gave, as after my having four years of normal numbers checked by my meter, I can eat carbs and go on seeing normal numbers - including the normal amount of weight gain that has always been the consequence of my eating carbs.
Due to continuing to eat a low carb diet I have had to find all new winter clothes yet again this year.

Being newly diagnosed is a very different situation from having years of controlled glucose levels.
 
And I have found the opposite to @travellor in that my cholesterol levels are reducing despite eating a lot of saturated fats and certainly significantly more than I did pre diagnosis and I feel much fitter and healthier and my weight is stable and I don't feel hungry or have the horrible cravings I used to get when I ate more carbs.
 
rebrascora said:
And I have found the opposite to @travellor in that my cholesterol levels are reducing despite eating a lot of saturated fats and certainly significantly more than I did pre diagnosis and I feel much fitter and healthier and my weight is stable and I don't feel hungry or have the horrible cravings I used to get when I ate more carbs.
Click to expand...
I used the fact the "cravings" made me put food in my mouth.
Once I took control of that, and accepted no one else did it, it was very easy to take control of my own body back.
The Newcastle Diet takes it a step further, and reversed my diabetes.
I do realise the "low carb", eat as much as you want, never feel hungry has it's own appeal, but for me, that mantra put me where I was, so it wasn't a mantra I wanted to continue with.
I do realise it's not for everyone though.
I like food, I like to feel hungry, to let me enjoy eating to stop feeling hungry.
We all find our own path.
 
travellor said:
Ah, maybe I misread your recent posts when you said you couldn't cope with carbs at all really?
Hba1c of 41 is the pre-diabetes limit as well?
Sorry for my confusion.
Click to expand...
Yes - I can't cope with carbs as I put on weight really easily - just as I have found all my life. Having carefully monitored my carb intake since I was diagnosed I am so much smaller - particularly around the waist.
There is - as I probably have mentioned several times, a disconnection between my blood glucose levels and my Hba1c test results.
I actually reduced my daily intake by 10 gm after getting Hba1c of 42 several times - and the following year my Hba1c was - 42. As it was no problem to stay under 40 gm of carbs a day I have stuck to it. My day to day blood glucose levels are good so I am not all that concerned.
I don't have cravings - never did, I don't feel all that hungry as a rule - I tend to use herbs and spices to kickstart my appetite but I have to make sure that I am not distracted when eating or I can set aside the plate and forget about eating the rest of the meal.
 
KookyCat said:
Hi Bubsy 19 and welcome aboard. That doesn’t sound like a great experience with the nurse there, perhaps a bad day or too many patients. I think it’s important not to let that stand though, so maybe consider booking an appointment with your GP to discuss what point you’re at, if medication is needed yet/strategies that can be used to avoid the medication if that’s what you want and it’s possible. I am known for going rogue and doing what I think is best for me so I can be a bit of a solo avenger, but it’s still really important to have support, they shouldn’t get away with not providing sufficient support. We have to be our own advocates with diabetes but we still need support to do that. Anyway I hope you’re getting through the initial shock and finding some good resources to look at.
Click to expand...
I have got back in touch with the surgery and the boss diabetic nurse gave me the HbA1c number and is happy to have a more indepth chat with me. And I don't have to wait ages for an appointment.
 
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