New diagnosis Type 2

[Subzero]

Hi there, just a few words of introduction and thanks for letting me join. My name is Steve and I was diagnosed last Thursday over the phone and spent the weekend in denial. Today however I had more blood tests and a kind nurse explained the numbers to me. Apparently I am in the significantly diabetic range. 74 mmol/mol so it's time to get a grip. I will probably be asking a lot of questions so please be kind.

 

[PerSpinasAdAstra]

Welcome and may the Blood Glucose Gods smile upon you on your grip-getting quest 😉

When I was first diagnosed I spent quite some time googling things and being confused and anxious. I found information booklets to be a soothing tonic early on, to get a handle on the basics. After that, online resources such as those in the 'Learning Zone' (link above) helped me get a better understanding. Then lots of time on to places like this forum which are full of advanced knowledge based on lived experience. I'm now waiting on my first two diabetes books, now that I know exactly the kinds of books by trusted authors that will be the most helpful to me.

Booklet links:

Booklets & Leaflets

shop.diabetes.org.uk

Patient Booklets - Diabetes Ireland

Diabetes Ireland is the only national charity in Ireland dedicated to helping people with diabetes. We achieve this by providing support, education and motivation to everyone affected by diabetes. We also raises public awareness of diabetes and its symptoms and fund research into finding a cure...

www.diabetes.ie

The very best of luck to you 🙂

 

[Martin.A]

Hi there, just a few words of introduction and thanks for letting me join. My name is Steve and I was diagnosed last Thursday over the phone and spent the weekend in denial. Today however I had more blood tests and a kind nurse explained the numbers to me. Apparently I am in the significantly diabetic range. 74 mmol/mol so it's time to get a grip. I will probably be asking a lot of questions so please be kind.

HI, and welcome. 74 is high but many of us were diagnosed with a 3-figure score and still managed to turn things around, and in some cases come off medication. Please ask as many questions as you like, we don't mind.

 

[franHH]

Hi there, just a few words of introduction and thanks for letting me join. My name is Steve and I was diagnosed last Thursday over the phone and spent the weekend in denial. Today however I had more blood tests and a kind nurse explained the numbers to me. Apparently I am in the significantly diabetic range. 74 mmol/mol so it's time to get a grip. I will probably be asking a lot of questions so please be kind.

Hi Steve, I am in a very similar place to you, my results were also 75 and had a diagnosis delivered over the phone although no discussion took place. I would be interested to know what medication you were given. My diabetes isn steroid induced and was prescribed Gliclazide 40mg, but this gave me headaches and nausea, I have come off them and am waiting for an appointment with my GP to discuss further. I have also switched to the Mediterranean diet. It’s scary being given this diagnosis and like you there is an element of denial especially as I do not have any of the regular symptoms. We can help one another I think, good luck Fran

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Subzero

Glad you have found us!

Be kind to yourself too. Regrettably type 2 diabetes can come surrounded in a cloud of blame and stigma from the media and society in general. But no one deliberately sets out to give themselves diabetes, and two people could make the same choices and one would develop T2 diabetes while the other never would.

We have lots of people on the forum who have been able to successfully manage their diabetes long-term, and quite a few who have been able to get their HbA1c level below 48mmol/mol without needing (or being able to stop taking) any medication for their glucose levels (sometimes termed remission)

The two major strategies for managing T2 on the forum are:

1. losing weight, especially around the abdomen. Either gradually, or through a short intensive intervention such as the NHS soup and shake / Newcastle diet.

2. reducing carbohydrate intake (low carb menu) aiming to find the level of carbohydrate your metabolism can cope with while keeping your glucose levels in range.

Alternatively, some people find a blend of weight loss and low/moderate carb works for them.

Good luck in finding a set of strategies that work for you, and which you can sustain long-term 🙂

 

[Drummer]

I was living with a HbA1c of 91 and blissfully unaware of it.
Fortunately I'd found Atkins and eaten low carb before being berated for the dangerous way of eating - my GP and the nurses I have seen since have had to admit that I'm doing really well on it.
I went from a very bad diabetic to normal numbers all round in 6 months, lost loads of weight, regained a waist and feel so much better. The effects creep up so gradually that one adapts, it is only when they are gone that things begin to look so much brighter.
Basically, avoid high carb foods - that's all - well, low fat options too, but it is a really easy diet to follow and once you sort out what you can and can't eat - it varies person to person, but for an ordinary type 2 diabetic it is then only a matter of time before lower numbers become the norm.
A blood glucose tester was something I found useful, so I could see how a meal affected me.