• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Just diagnosed T2, feeling in limbo

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
S

SerialLurker

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed about a week and a half ago, following 2 consecutive high HbA1c tests (April 50mmol/l, June 49mmol/l). The diagnosis wasn't really a suprise, my GP had said after the first high result that it was pretty likely the second would be too.
Unfortunately between me making the appointment for the second blood test, and getting the results, he retired! So I've seen one of the other GPs at the practise, who told me that the two high readings automatically triggers the diagnosis of T2, prescribed me Metformin and said I'd get an appointment with him at the Practise Diabetes Clinic in about 3 months, with the Practise Nurse about 2 weeks before that "for blood pressure tests etc", and he'd refer me to the local Diabetes Clinic as well, which should come through "before the appointment at the surgery". But they "don't do testing via a monitor", so I should just "try to eat more healthily and do some more exercise" in the meantime.
I've been having a lurk around this forum since then, but thought I'd take the plunge & say Hi *waves*.
Sarah
 
SerialLurker said:
Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed about a week and a half ago, following 2 consecutive high HbA1c tests (April 50mmol/l, June 49mmol/l). The diagnosis wasn't really a suprise, my GP had said after the first high result that it was pretty likely the second would be too.
Unfortunately between me making the appointment for the second blood test, and getting the results, he retired! So I've seen one of the other GPs at the practise, who told me that the two high readings automatically triggers the diagnosis of T2, prescribed me Metformin and said I'd get an appointment with him at the Practise Diabetes Clinic in about 3 months, with the Practise Nurse about 2 weeks before that "for blood pressure tests etc", and he'd refer me to the local Diabetes Clinic as well, which should come through "before the appointment at the surgery". But they "don't do testing via a monitor", so I should just "try to eat more healthily and do some more exercise" in the meantime.
I've been having a lurk around this forum since then, but thought I'd take the plunge & say Hi *waves*.
Sarah
Click to expand...
Hi Sarah, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis :( Those HbA1c results just tip you above the level where diabetes is diagnosed (48 or above), so it looks like things have been detected early - hopefully, when you understand things a little better making a few adjustments to your diet should bring your levels under good control 🙂

That parting bit of advice REALLY annoys me! 😡 Testing (as you may have gathered if you have been lurking and following the threads) is by far and away the best method of discovering your tolerances for different things - without it you are only guessing, I'm afraid. What they really mean is that they are looking to save money in the short term by scrimping on the test strips and hoping that the vague advice about 'eating healthily' will be enough. I'm sorry, but that is so short-sighted and really will not help you to understand your diabetes - something you need to do for the rest of your life (or until there is a cure, which usually seems to be '10 years away' 🙄)

Start by reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter and get yourself a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. Once you have a better idea of what it is all about you will be in a better position to gain good control and good health. Diabetes is a serious condition, but only if you don't know what you are doing, or getting poor advice and support, so please do ask any questions you may have and we will be more than happy to help 🙂

Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand why testing can help you to tailor your diet so that you retain maximum flexibility whilst keeping your blood sugar levels nicely in range. If your GP won't provide a meter and strips (and what he/she said is contrary to advice - there should be NO blanket bans on providing these, each case is supposed to be considered in consultation with the patient, not simply told they 'don't do testing' :() then I would suggest getting an SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50 - the strips are the expensive bit as you need to use quite a lot of them at first, less as you become more informed about your common food favourites 🙂 High Street meters have strips costing between £25-£30 😱 so best to steer clear of them! Carbohydrates are the main thing to watch out for, as they will raise your levels the quickest. You might like to investigate the GL (Glycaemic Load) approach to selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels - The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction.

Regular exercise will also help enormously, so anything you can manage is worthwhile. Find something you enjoy and can stick with 🙂

Let us know how you get on - and once again, any questions, fire away! 🙂
 
Hi Sarah and welcome to the forum.
 
Welcome from a fellow T2
 
Thank-you all for your warm welcome!
Northerner, I thought the GP's comment about not testing & eating healthily was code for "we can't be hedgehogged to pay for the meter/test strips", but didn't want to challenge them until I had more information. My mum & MIL are both Type 2 as well, and they both say that the nurses at the clinics are far more helpful and clued up than the doctors. Mum got a meter as soon as she was diagnosed, MIL had to fight to get hers (she also has Crohn's disease, so was *really* struggling with diet).
Exercise is a bit of a challenge for me at the moment - I work full-time, have two youngish children (9 & 5 3/4), am a Cub leader (& "extra pair of hands" for the Beavers since my youngest joined them), and have chronic pain issues due to hypermobile joints. And I've been having problems sleeping for about 2 1/2 years now - even had a sleep study done which concluded I am not getting enough REM sleep due to the anti-depressants I was on at the time. I've been through two other anti-depressants since then, and I'm still having issues. In fact, I started the most recent one (Mirtazipine) about 2 months before my first high HbA1c test.
But I will find something I can do!
 
Hi Serial LOL - nice to 'meet' you. A few people on here also with hypermobility issues now - is it getting more common or something? - cos I confess it's not thing I'd even heard of before the individuals on here (and I'm hardly in the first flush of youth!)

(Define 'healthy eating' - Ha Ha blooming Ha!)

You seem well able to interpret the message from your GP correctly anyway, except it's no actual comfort being right in this instance. I'd recommend investing the few quid in a 'Codefree' and the ongoing strips, if you want to stay as sane as you definitely seem to be at the moment!
 
It's isn't very good when they don't give you a road map and just say ""try to eat more healthily and do some more exercise"

I can share what I would have liked to have known, when I was first diagnosed
I found sugars and starches addictive. I cut the Sugars including fruit/juice and Starches, including breads, pasta, rice, potato etc
This gives a simple overview to how it works for me. The more carbs I eat the more carbs I want. They don’t give up easy and it’s biochemical


an introduction to low carb, LCHF, no need to pay to see more, there is enough on the net.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb

what to expect the first week, besides being hungry for the first 36 hours, then it stops
https://www.verywell.com/getting-through-the-first-week-2242037
 
Well, I have an appointment with the Community Diabetic Clinic in a couple of weeks, and I've had a letter about booking in for an eye test, so things are starting to move forwards.

Trophywench - don't go pinning the "S" word on me ;-p
I can't speak for anyone else, but for me the Hypermobility is likely genetic, as looking back I can see things I was able to do as a child which went beyond "normal" (standing upright with legs bowing backwards at the knees, able to bend fingers backwards more than 90 degrees etc), and my dad had problems with his back for as long as I can remember. We also share the "fun" reaction to anaesthetics - locals take more time or a larger (or more carefully placed) dose to take effect, generals affect us more strongly and take longer than usual to shake off. That's one of the things that marks the difference between someone who's "just a bit bendy" and being classed as having Joint Hypermobility Syndrome. I think awareness of the condition and its variations has increased over the last few years, partly due to the fact that one variation affects heart muscle and can cause serious problems with little/no warning (I was screened for that when I got pregnant with my youngest, luckily I've just got dodgy collagen in my joints, and no problems with my heart).

bilbie - your second link doesn't work, is it missing a file type ending (.doc, .pdf, .jpg etc)?
 
Hi Sarah, I was diagnosed with type 2 last Feb and so much has happened and so much has changed for me since then. It feels like much longer!

First of all you sound switched on and already pretty much on top of this. Your Hba1c results aren't shockingly high and you'd already managed to bring the second one down to a borderline 48. As a busy mother with lots of activities and volunteering, you're hardly sedentary so although it isn't formal exercise, you're obviously on the move anyway. A walk after meals works wonders.
I just had a meter thrust into my hands and can't recall any follow ups mentioned so I went away and learned myself with the help of this site. I hated Metformin so decided to do it by mainly diet changes. My last Hb was 41 and as I haven't heard from the GP, can only assume I'm on annual testing.
You simply need to reduce the carb element of meals and cut sugary snacks. Don't automatically think sandwich with 2 slices of bread and be craftier with what you eat. Much smaller portions of potatoes/rice and pasta but mainly, get yourself a meter and teach yourself what your body uniquely tolerates. It can be an eye opener. I can get away with a portion of chips but certainly not 2 slices of white bread for instance. I'd never have known that without testing.

Like you, I have other health problems and many don't play nice with diabetes but it's something we can get under control and I feel,sure you will. Good luck! Amigo
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top