New & blindsided

[Kev79]

Hi folks, just been diagnosed type 2 with HBA1C of 70.

Some background, I work as train driver and recently had a work medical. All was going ok until the doctor tested my blood sugar which was at 12.9 (hadn’t eaten for 12 hours) and asked me ‘have you taken your insulin or meds for your diabetes today?” I replied “my what for my what??” Anyway fast forward to Friday and I’m with the diabetic nurse getting the news, She was very friendly but I’m still so unsure of everything.

My diet isn’t too bad but needs work but due to the job I end up eating at very unusual times which isn’t really going to help, anyone have any tips? The nurse has prescribed me Invokana 300mg which I started today, first test this morning was 12.5 and dropped within 3 hours after taking a first dose to 7.2, is this a normal drop? With this drop in mind I’ve been wondering about testing, the DN said testing didn’t have to be done but with my job I can’t have big drops that could be too low without warning. As finger testing would be awkward at work I was thinking of Libre, would this be a good idea?

sorry for rambling on, head is just spinning ‍ Any help will be greatly appreciated

Kevin

 

[gll]

Hey Kevin.

Firstly welcome to the forums 🙂

The drug you are on shouldn't cause low blood sugars on its own.
The risk of a hypo is when also taking other medications that increase your insulin production or if you are injecting insulin.
Check the patient info leaflet on your tablets for all side effects.
You should be making sure you drink enough throughout the day on this medication, hope you had that mentioned to you.

That hopefully answers the should I test through the day bit. Libre is £48 (with vat excluded as you are diabetic) every 2 weeks and from that standpoint alone, not worth it as you will have to self fund.

Fingers testing is quick and there are small packs of wipes you can get called diawipes that you can give your finger a quick clean with on the go if hand washing is an issue. I even use it to wipe any excess blood drops. The pack and wipe is small and fits in your meter case.
You can do what most of us do and just not bother change the lancet so no sharps to worry about. (as long as you are the only one using it of course).
I use the accu-chek fastclix pricker which has a drum of 6 lances in and you can rotate to the next one when you do need to change it if you don't want to use the same one.
3 months on and I am still on my first drum 😉
Just take your meter to work and you have the option if you are concerned.

Did you get told your test result of your HBA1C (should be a number 48 or above). That is your 3 month average blood test and knowing that can indicate how far into the diabetic zone you are.
What is your day to day diet like?

There are things you can do to help yourself that are above and beyond what the nurse would have advised you to do.
The important thing to understand early on is that carbs convert to glucose and they are not really our friends so be mindful how much you are having. Sorry, its not just sugar

We often test our own bodies response to carbs using our meters but I don't want to overwhelm you with all the info but please let us know if you want to know more. It can really help to learn how your body responds so you can make better choices within your diet.

Do you have any questions? I certainly felt like I was thrown into the deep end. The lovely folks here have gone above and beyond with helping me get to grips with things and stop my head from spinning.

 

[Drummer]

hello @Kev79. With any luck you could be back into normal numbers quite quickly by reducing your intake of carbohydrate. I was far further into type two with higher blood glucose at diagnosis and in 6 months I was back to the top end of normal. I did not need any medication, which in view of your job might be the easiest way to manage.
Testing after eating was very useful, but I only needed to confirm I was doing it right and sorting out what foods I could cope with. Now I am 5 years from diagnosis I don't need to test at all.

 

[sarahb83]

Hi! I’m quite new to all of this to and although daunting the learning curve for me has been quite quick. I was diagnosed last September with an hba1c of 89 in 10 weeks it had dropped to 45 without any meds at all just diet and exercise, I’m still working on it I’ve lost 4 1/2 stone so far and have another 2 1/2 to go. Do you mind me asking what age you are? I’m 38 and my dad was diagnosed type 2 age 45 (so have a genetic predisposition to this ) do you have a family history of type 2?

 

[Felinia]

Hi and welcome

I'm on Invokana (Canagliflozin) as well. I found I had to up my fluid intake as the medication makes you thirsty, and you get rid of excess sugars in your urine. I now drink about 6 pints of decaf tea, coffee, water and soda water each day. When I was working I invested in a cooler bag and took my own food in it. You could make up salads, chopped vegetable crudities, chopped lower carb fruit. At the other end of the scale, I also had a thermos in which I put hot home made vegetable soups. So I could control my carb intake that way, rather than grab-and-go.
Testing immediately before and 2 hours after eating is the only way you will know which foods spike your blood glucose. I tested religiously for the first few weeks until I'd worked out what was not good for me. Now I just test new foods. We are all different so it's trial and error. You will need to keep a food diary as well. If you have a mobile phone, you can get an app where you can record your foods. MyFitBit I believe is free, and NutraCheck is I think £23.99 a year for the app only. I find by recording my food daily keeps me on the straight and narrow.
I suggest you work your way through the Learning Zone here, one module a day. It is overwhelming at first, but it soon becomes easier and a new way of life. I am fitter than I was before thanks to starting to exercise. Best wishes

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

i got type 2 diagnosis in Nov. You might want to plan what you eat from now on - depending on what type of diabetes you have (2?) If it's 2, then reducing carbs overall is the plan. So meals need to be more focused on protein and greens as much a possible? and reduce carbs of all kinds (beige foods bread pasta rice spuds all down down down).

Worth getting an HBA1C blood reading as this is a 3 month record of blood sugars.

can you make food and put it in pots to take to work? A pot of chopped chicken with dressing and a pot of salad or veg with it? find some low carb options.

 

[Windy]

Hi Kevin, sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It does mess with your head at first, though thankfully, this mostly wears off after the initial shock has passed.
I also keep a record of what I eat (on a spreadsheet, though a paper notepad or the apps recommended by Felinia do similar), and plan my meals in advance, as recommended by Mrs Mimoo. The advantage of this is that I can test my BG for a particular meal (before the meal and 2 hours after), and then if I have the same meal again, I'm much less likely to test it again, though I'm mindful that loads of other factors can affect your BG level in addition to the food you eat.
I aim to keep my BG levels as level and in a normal range as much as I can with my diet, and have been losing weight to try and help also, as excess weight (especially if you carry weight round your middle) and diabetes go hand in hand.

I know it's all a bit much to take in at the moment, so take time to have a think about where you are now, and what you eat, and how much exercise you take, and how you can tweak those to manage your BG better.
We're all happy to answer any questions, and I've found the forum and its members lovely and helpful.
Best wishes, Sarah

 

[Leadinglights]

It must have been a bit of a shock to suddenly get your diagnosis. As said the medication works by removing glucose though increasing urine production which is why it is important to drink plenty, the consequence of that is of course more frequent loo visits which can be awkward.
It also needs dietary changes, people think they are eating healthily but that is not always so once diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic.
The link below gives a good explanation and principals of managing diabetes that many people here have found successful.

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

 

[andyp64]

I'm three months into my journey and would suggest not jumping in too deep.
I found all the (sometimes conflicting) information about what to eat and not eat very confusing.
The obvious steps are:-

• cut down or remove items with added sugar (in tea, office and fizzy drinks). Avoid fruit juice - it's concentrated.
• Avoid and reduce chocolate and sweet thing like cakes and ice cream
• Stop smoking if you do!!!!!
• Avoid or reduce alcohol intake.
• Move more - even an extra ten minutes walking a day pays dividends.

I know that might seem like all the fun has gone from life but after a few weeks of struggling it will become a lot easier.
These seem to be the "low hanging fruit" and should help tame your BG level!
Information is vital - start off with the Learning Zone films on this site.
Good Luck!

 

[Kev79]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My HBA1C was 70.
I'm already drinking a lot more water and have looked into lowering my carbs and increasing my veg. I’m 42. I guess I’m a bit anxious about working and diet as i work shifts and some unsociable hours.

 

[gll]

Taking meals and snacks with you is the ideal way of fixing that.

Well done for the changes you are making already. It is a lot to do all at once, for some, its like flipping a switch and they change their whole lifestyle and others take a slower approach and tackle the biggest problem areas first.
Whatever works for you as long as it is sustainable.

Just so you know, over in the general forums we have a daily waking thread where folks post their waking reading and have a bit of a check in and a chat. Everyone is welcome to pop in and post (and doesn't have to be morning on the clock, just the reading after your main sleep).

Do keep asking questions as you have them 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My HBA1C was 70.
I'm already drinking a lot more water and have looked into lowering my carbs and increasing my veg. I’m 42. I guess I’m a bit anxious about working and diet as i work shifts and some unsociable hours.

Sounds like you are off to a great start @Kev79

Hope you see your efforts reflected in your next set of bloods. Have you been told when your next follow-up will be? Some members seem to be having to wait quite a long time between routine checks because of the pressure Covid has put on the system.

 

[rebrascora]

Oops! Posted a message on wrong thread

 

[andyp64]

I work weird and wonderful shifts as well, and know how much it can take out of a person.
I am on-call so may do a full day and get called out in middle of night to work.
This can really screw with three-meals-a-day and no snacking. Have to work hard to ensure a regular but controlled ingestion of carbs.
Also need to watch caffeine intake! Too easy to grab a strong coffee (or three) to keep the motor running.
For me, the only answer is to be mindful of how I'm feeling and keep a careful eye on what I eat and drink.