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ECHG4679

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Hi Everyone! I have just been diagnosed with Type 2. I'm 45 and my HbA1C is 52mmol/mol. I am overweight but working on it... I have family members with diabetes, so I know a little bit about some of the changes I need to make but my first appointment with a diabetes nurse isn't for another couple of weeks and I'm feeling impatient! Does anyone know if it is likely that I will be given a blood glucose monitor? I want to have as much data as I can get my hands on to make sure I am tackling this correctly - I don't want to wait months between blood tests and hope I've been doing the right thing. If I'm not given one, can I just buy one?

Thanks in advance!
 
Welcome @ECHG4679 🙂 I can’t say for sure but it’s unlikely that you’ll be given a blood glucose monitor. Of course, you can buy your own. There are a couple of cheap but accurate ones recommended here. Let me find their names…
 
With a HbA1c of 52 mmol/mol diet and exercise should be enough to move your numbers down -

A HbA1c test reflects your average blood glucose over a 3 month (ish) period so not normally repeated at more regular intervals

I bought a BCM a VivaChek Ino was around 15 pounds with 50 strips and lancets and about 12 pounds to restock - I am mainly testing every morning then taking a weekly average to see it come down.

There are converters here. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html
But your morning readings might not accurately reflect you HbA1c others on here know a lot more than me.
 
Most HCPs will dismiss self-testing as being unnecessary unless you're put on glucose-lowering medication, which isn't going to be the case if your HbA1c was 52. If you do buy a meter it's best to avoid random testing, as that won't tell you anything meaningful. The usual regime in to test on waking (fasting test), immediately before a meal (pre-prandial) and 2 hours after a meal (post-prandial). The former will show how your body managed your blood glucose in the absence of food (you've been asleep all night) and the latter will show you how your body reacted to the meal and is invaluable in sorting out diet. You will need weeks of readings to get an idea of whether your BG is trending downwards (hopefully), upwards (hopefully not) or is flat (as mine has been for some years now, having come down from the initial high).
 
Hi & welcome to the forum @ECHG4679 as others have posted it’s highly unlikely you will be provided with a blood glucose meter by the HCP’s plus as others have posted check on the price of the test strips before deciding to take up the manufacturers offers of a “Free One” which can lure some people in

good luck on your journey especially if your already looking at loosing some weight
maybe with some changes you can soon be moving to a lower HbA1c score
 
Thanks so much everyone! I'll take a look at the BGMs people have mentioned!
 
ECHG4679 said:
Thanks so much everyone! I'll take a look at the BGMs people have mentioned!
Click to expand...
Yes do look at the cost of strips as they are the consumable part, lancets can be re-used (unofficially but many do). On line will almost certainly be cheaper.
With an HbA1C which is just over the diagnostic threshold hopefully you will be given opportunity to make some dietary changes and be re tested in 3 months to see if it is being successful before being prescribed medication.
To that end you might find the ideas in this link useful in modifying your diet.
https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
It is a low carb approach which many find successful, note it is not NO carbs and sensible choices will still enable you to have tasty filling meals, it is more about cutting out the high carb foods and concentrating on basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, nuts, cheese, dairy, vegetables and salads and fruit like berries. No need to have low fat unless you need to for other health reasons. The link has good explanation as well as meal plans if that is what suits you, otherwise you can just follow the principals.
 
Leadinglights said:
Yes do look at the cost of strips as they are the consumable part, lancets can be re-used (unofficially but many do). On line will almost certainly be cheaper.
With an HbA1C which is just over the diagnostic threshold hopefully you will be given opportunity to make some dietary changes and be re tested in 3 months to see if it is being successful before being prescribed medication.
To that end you might find the ideas in this link useful in modifying your diet.
https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
It is a low carb approach which many find successful, note it is not NO carbs and sensible choices will still enable you to have tasty filling meals, it is more about cutting out the high carb foods and concentrating on basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, nuts, cheese, dairy, vegetables and salads and fruit like berries. No need to have low fat unless you need to for other health reasons. The link has good explanation as well as meal plans if that is what suits you, otherwise you can just follow the principals.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link!
 
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