Welcome to the forum
@Janet mary
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and scared is a perfectly normal reaction to your diagnosis.
Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years.
Often you don’t realise how weary, worn down and lethargic you have been feeling. Erratic and elevated blood glucose levels can be exhausting and are linked with low mood, but this may have come on quite gradually. Making a few positive changes can give you more energy, a clearer mind, and a brighter outlook. Plus the regular checks you get after a diagnosis with diabetes mean that any potential problems may be spotted earlier, and can be sorted out sooner.
If you would like a good overview of T2 diabetes, to add to the knowledge you’ve already picked up, members here frequently recommend
Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book
T2 Diabetes, the first year, which you can work through gradually and will give you a solid starting point.
One of the biggest questions when newly diagnosed with diabetes is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will want to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.
Many new members find it can be really helpful to keep a food diary for a week or two. Be brutally honest! Note down everything you eat and drink. It can be especially helpful to estimate the amount of total carbohydrate (not just ‘of which sugars’) in the meals and snacks to give you an idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your menu. The meals with the highest amounts of carbs are likely to be the ones which are raising your blood glucose the most, so it can be helpful to try cutting back the portion sizes and/or trying some swaps and changes.
And do asking questions as they come up, we have lots of friendly members with years and years of lived diabetes experience between them - nothing will be considered too obvious or ‘silly’
🙂
