just found out im diabetic

[pazzy11]

Hi my name is helem im 38 and just been told im diabetic went to docs last wk for a routine pill check and doctor was concerned about weight lose and tiredness was sent for bloods on fri morning to be called back the same day to come in to be told im diabetic my sugar reading was 34 not really knowing if this is bad doctor didnt say much else has give me tablets and booked in with diabetic team weds but worried between now and then any advise please x

 

[Northerner]

Hi Helen, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear this, how are you feeling? There are two types of diabetes test and depending on which test that number refers to then it is either perfectly non-diabetic, or it is very high. I would suspect from the weight loss and tiredness that it is the high number. What tablets were you given? How much weight have you lost over what sort of timescale? I don't want to alarm you, not knowing all about you, but it's possible that you have a slow-onset version of Type 1 diabetes. This is where your pancreas gradually loses the ability to produce insulin. As insulin is needed to keep your blood sugar levels in range, this may be why your level is high. To give you an idea, a non-diabetic who had a fingerprick blood test might show a number in the range 3.3-6.0. Diabetes is usually indicated above 7.0 if this appears more than once on a fasting' test. My level was 38 when I got diagnosed, and I had also lost weight and experienced tiredness, so that is why I think you might be similar (I was 49years old).A test result of 34 would be high for a Type 2 diabetic, but not impossible.

If you do suddenly start feeling very sick then I'd advise you to seek advice from your doctor straightaway, don't wait for your appointment.

If you are slow-onset Type 1 then this can take months or even years to fully establish itself, so it is sometimes possible to manage with tablets for some time, but you will then need insulin. But please don't get yourself in a tizzy about it, it is something that can be managed very well, whatever type you have, and new treatments are being discovered all the time - there are a lot of us, so it's worth the companies investing in things to help us! 🙂 There are people here who have managed perfectly well for decades, but it does have quite a steep learning curve to begin with. It sounds like your GP is pretty switched on though, by getting you the appointment with the specialist team straightaway, so hopefully they will be very helpful when/if your diagnosis is confirmed. I'd only suggest limiting your carbs (sugar, rice, pasta, potatoes etc. between now and your appointment, as these will push your levels high.

Please let us know how things go, and if you have any questions, please ask and we will do our best to help as we have all been where you are right now.

 

[AlisonM]

34 is very high indeed, no wonder you were feeling terrible. What tablets has he given you and did he tell you type of diabetes you have?

 

[Andy HB]

Hello there. Welcome to the forum. It is a good knowledge resource and source of a lot of experience from people who have been there and done that!

Andy 🙂

 

[pazzy11]

Hi she didnt say what type i was but i have been given metformin 500g ive been booked in with the diabetic nurse tomorrow so hopefully get more info just came as a shock as no family history and concider myself quick fit and heathy x

 

[Northerner]

Hi she didnt say what type i was but i have been given metformin 500g ive been booked in with the diabetic nurse tomorrow so hopefully get more info just came as a shock as no family history and concider myself quick fit and heathy x

Hope you get to find out more tomorrow pazzy 🙂 I was similar - no family history and due to run a marathon the week I was diagnosed! 😱

 

[pav]

Welcome to the forum, this is an excellent place to be for information and help. 🙂