New T2 diaebetes and confused

[Tony Gallagher]

Morning All

I’ve this week been diagnosed as type 2 and I’m very confused
Unbeknown to me I’ve had all the sypmtons for T2 for a longtime, Tiredness, drinking water (lots), need to use the loo (lots), tingling in my hands etc etc, however it wasn’t until I had blurred vision that I was tested for T2
Anyway my glucose levels came back at 90, which I’m told is very high?????
I’m now told that I have to take metformin twice a day for rest of life????
I’ve been for an optical retinopathy what’s this for?
What can I now eat and what do I have avoid Obviously anything high in sugar needs to be avoided (but white bread)???
Will my eye sight get better or is this it for me now?????
Are their local support groups or somebody I can speak to on a regular bases to help me other than my doctor???
Worrying times at the minute
Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer
Regards

Tony

 

[stephknits]

Welcome Tony, glad you found us. Bring diagnosed is a worrying time and there seems like loads to take in. You have come to a great place for help, info support and chat. There is a great book for type 2s that supports you through the first year and someone will remind me of its name!
You are right in thinking that white bread will be something to consider. Basically all carbs will raise your blood sugar, done faster than others (like sweets, fruit juice). We recommend getting a blood sugar monitor so that you can find out which carbs you can tolerate the best, as we are all different. Sometimes you can get one from your gp, but others self-fund. The monitor recommend on her is the Codefree, as the strips you out in to test your blood are the cheapest. They cost around £8 for 50, as opposed to up to £20.
As your blood sugars stabilise, you should find your eyes improve and go back to normal.
On the Diabetes UK site you can find if there is a local group in your area. As a forum we have several meet ups each year also

 

[Tony Gallagher]

Hi Steph

Thanks for replying, I’ll definitely go out and purchase codefree today, I asked about self monitoring with the nurse, but she said it may not be worth it at the minute, but surely anything that measure my glucose can only help?
The most worrying thing has been my sight issues and it great to hear that they should return to normal
I’ve do some research and found a local meeting on 7th February, so will be attending as I have loads of question
Once again thanks for replying
Can you advise whether 90 is just high or very high?

Thanks

Tony

 

[Robin]

Can you advise whether 90 is just high or very high?

I think this chart may help. The column you want is the mmol/mol, the % is the old way. As you can see, 90 is quite a long way into the red, but not as high as it might be!

 

[Mark Parrott]

Welcome to the forum.🙂 Firstly, don't panic.🙂 There is a lot to take in at first but everything will slowly fall into place & you will start to feel better. You may not need to be on Metformin for the rest of your life. Lots of members here have come off meds altogether, & I have never even been put on any. If you can lower your carb intake it will improve you blood sugars which will help reduce any chance of diabetic complications in the future.🙂

 

[Tony Gallagher]

Hi Robin/Mark
Thanks for replying and the helpful information and support, it’s really settle to know that others can advise on diabetes and related matters.
Good news is that I haven’t eat any bread in over two weeks and have already lost weight.
Just need to understand what carbs I can eat
Once again thanks for replying
Regards

Tony

 

[Katieb]

Welcome from a fellow type 2.you have made an excellent move joining this forum. Have a read of the links at the top of the newbies section - they will help greatly. You will find masses of help and support here so good luck wit everything. Katie

 

[Drummer]

I was diagnosed with Hba1c of 91 and dropped it to 47, no longer in the diabetic range, in 80 days.
It is all about carbohydrates - you will probably be able to eat small amounts, but I only eat the lidl protein rolls a couple of times a week, otherwise no grain at all. Also no potato or very sweet fruits and the lower carb fruits in moderation, with cream to slow down the process.
by eating low carb I have normal levels and no symptoms - but I do count myself as amongst the lucky ones as I don't have to try too hard.
I was prescribed Metformin, but it made me so miserable that I stopped taking it - it did not seem to make the slightest difference to me, other than the nasty side effects.

 

[Beck S]

Hi Tony. Welcome to the forum.

The first few weeks and months are scary, as there's a heap of information you will need to get your head around, but it does get there, honest.

Carbs are the key, and when you start out on this you just see the carbs in everything and can get scared of food. As others have said, bad carbs are the white, starchy carbs. These are mainly white bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. Steer away from these if you can because they release their glucose content into your bloodstream quicker and can quickly increase your BG levels. Wholemeal versions of these are better, but some diabetics still can't tolerate these, it's a case of testing. Food with a high fibre content is better because the glucose finds it way into the bloodstream more slowly. Vegetables are the best thing to increase to balance the decrease in carb foods - as a general rule, veg grown underground has a higher amount of carbs in them than those grown above ground. As veg contains other needed nutrients, don't be afraid to eat them and eat more of them, because you still need to eat and not go hungry! Meat is all pretty good. Not too much processed meat as a general rule, but meat doesn't really contain any carbs and can be good for your protein, so no need to steer away from this (sausages with a lower meat content can be higher in carbs because of what they're made with, so posh sausages are better!) The key for me was to look at my portion sizes and stick to the recommended portions. For a few weeks this just made me want to cry, but I got there.

There's loads of info here on the forums, and everyone is really helpful. Just keep in mind that even though we are all diabetic, food affects us all differently, so what one of us can eat, another may not be able to tolerate. Testing will help you to find out. It's worth spending time to get it right though, you don't have to get it all right straight away. Good luck 🙂

 

[Stitch147]

I think this chart may help. The column you want is the mmol/mol, the % is the old way. As you can see, 90 is quite a long way into the red, but not as high as it might be!
View attachment 6470

I wasn't even on the chart when diagnosed 😱😱😱

 

[Robin]

I wasn't even on the chart when diagnosed 😱😱😱

Nor was I!