Just diagnosed T2 and struggling

[Barb T]

First of all hello to everyone here, this is my first attempt to use this forum, and will be grateful for any advise. I was diagnosed type 2 diabetic a few weeks ago, which was a shock. Over the years I have had regular health checks, and no previous sign of diabetic type problems. Two years ago my blood sugars were normal. Now, I seem to have skipped pre diabetic, and found myself in a state of full blown diabetes. Sort of come out of the blue! I have put on weight, though not excessively, partially due to the lockdown. Normally I am active for my age, having two big dogs I walk daily........... I have little support from my GP, and currently no diabetic nurse, and I find I have so many questions....... I don’t feel I am coping very well. My Husband has ignored the diagnosis and is unsupportive. Sorry for the whiny post, There seem to be so many issues.

 

[Docb]

Hi @Barb T and welcome to the forum. Your story is not unfamiliar on the forum but here you have found somewhere where you can ask questions and get support. Read around the forum, check out the learning zone and ask whatever questions you want, nothing is considered silly or trivial. You are talking to people who have been where you are now and appreciate what it is like to be given a diabetes diagnosis and then left to get on with it.

I like to start with the numbers. Do you know what your HbA1c was? It is the result from the blood test which was used for the diagnosis. How far over the diagnosis level of 48mmol/l you are is a good guide to the amount of work you have to do to get things back under control. If you are not for over the level then the effort required need not be burdensome.

 

[trophywench]

Hi @Barb T - welcome to the club no-one wanted to join!

Has the doc prescribed any medication and what did he say your HbA1c blood test result was? - just trying to see how far into diabetes territory you have strayed so far, is the reason we'd like to know that. It might be that you can manage absolutely fine with only fairly simple dietary changes - not ones that seem earth shatteringly difficult to you!

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi @Barb T, welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry your GP hasn't been very helpful, but you will find lots of support and encouragement here. Do please ask all the questions you like, and we'll be happy to answer - we've all been where you are now, and between us have years of experience!

 

[Barb T]

Hi @Barb T - welcome to the club no-one wanted to join!

Has the doc prescribed any medication and what did he say your HbA1c blood test result was? - just trying to see how far into diabetes territory you have strayed so far, is the reason we'd like to know that. It might be that you can manage absolutely fine with only fairly simple dietary changes - not ones that seem earth shatteringly difficult to you!

HbA1C was 53 when I first went to my GP in January. I have been having symptoms like very dry mouth, drinking lots, weeing lots at night, itching, wounds taking ages to heal, for at least a year. This blood result doesn’t appear to be to much above pre diabetic levels, but I was shocked by the symptoms I was getting. I haven’t seen my GP, just phone consultations. At first, another GP reviewed the result and said ‘everything is fine, no further action required’.......... I was horrified, and got a second opinion from the Dr who ordered the blood test, and she agreed with me that we did need to take action. I don’t feel it has been taken very seriously. I feel I am coping with the diet, though no weight loss yet, but I still have thirst and drinking loads...... especially at night.

 

[mark king]

Hello Barb T and welcome to the Forum.
From your comments in your last post YourHbA1C is not excessively high and should be controllable with your diet.
My Dr looks for diabetics to achieve a HbA1C reading of 45. Your other results that you quote are class diabetic symptoms.
Has any medication been prescribed for you yet.
You say you are dieting but not losing any weight so what is your diet for to lose weight or to reduce your Hb.
Keep referring to your Dr as it seems you haven't been to see a diabetic clinic yet.
You also say the Dr said we need to take action what action was that.

Best

 

[Barb T]

Hello Barb T and welcome to the Forum.
From your comments in your last post YourHbA1C is not excessively high and should be controllable with your diet.
My Dr looks for diabetics to achieve a HbA1C reading of 45. Your other results that you quote are class diabetic symptoms.
Has any medication been prescribed for you yet.
You say you are dieting but not losing any weight so what is your diet for to lose weight or to reduce your Hb.
Keep referring to your Dr as it seems you haven't been to see a diabetic clinic yet.
You also say the Dr said we need to take action what action was that.

Best

My Dr asked me how I wanted to handle it, either medication or diet and lifestyle changes, and I told her I would try to deal with my diet and lose some weight. She arranged for me to have my bloods checked again in 3 months and to see their diabetic nurse then. I have started the NHS 12 week diet, which doesn’t really offer support, but it just helps my motivation a bit. I find it difficult as many of those foods recommended for a diabetic diet aren’t helpful for losing weight. Thing is, I have put some weight on during the lock down, but not excessively, and I have always been active, a regular dog Walker, and cycled regularly until recently.......... I just feel at a loss, but it is early days.

 

[Ditto]

Hello and welcome to the forum @Barb T 🙂

I would like to see the NHS 12 week diet, is it online?

 

[grovesy]

My Dr asked me how I wanted to handle it, either medication or diet and lifestyle changes, and I told her I would try to deal with my diet and lose some weight. She arranged for me to have my bloods checked again in 3 months and to see their diabetic nurse then. I have started the NHS 12 week diet, which doesn’t really offer support, but it just helps my motivation a bit. I find it difficult as many of those foods recommended for a diabetic diet aren’t helpful for losing weight. Thing is, I have put some weight on during the lock down, but not excessively, and I have always been active, a regular dog Walker, and cycled regularly until recently.......... I just feel at a loss, but it is early days.

What is the NHS 12 week diet?

 

[Drummer]

I found that eating a diet which reduced my blood glucose also resulted in weightloss amongst other positives.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Lose weight - Better Health

Take steps to improve your health. Lose weight and feel better inside and out. Try our free NHS weight loss plan to get you started.

www.nhs.uk

Seems a sensible first step.

 

[grovesy]

So basically it is an app!

 

[Deleted member 21371]

So basically it is an app!

No
The "app" is just a delivery method.
It's a full weight loss plan.
If you read the link, if you don't use a smart phone, you simply get the print outs that are available.
For example https://assets.nhs.uk/tools/download-panels/data/weight-loss/pdf/wlp1.pdf
These are always available through the surgery.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Barb T

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and that you aren't feeling particularly supported.

Hope the NHS weight loss plan works for you. I’ve had a quick
squint at week 1, and it seems based around a calorie restriction model which is often favoured by dieticians. It doesn’t seem to discuss blood glucose outcomes very much, so you may need to slightly adapt the suggestions with a view to moderating intake of carbohydrate and making choices which are kinder to your BG levels - eg breakfast cereals, no matter how high in fibre, may not be an ideal choice.

One of the tricky things with diabetes, is that individual reactions to the same foods can vary widely between different people, so it is not always easy to predict which foods will ’spike’ your BG levels.

As you are fairly close to the edge of the diabetes diagnosis line, it seems likely that a fairly modest adjustment to your carbohydrate intake would go a long way to normalising your BG levels, but when reviewing the suggestions in the diet plan it will be worth bearing in mind that it will be the carbohydrates in your menu that will be having the most significant impact on your BG levels, so a smaller proportion of carbs in your menu will be beneficial.