Newbie here!

[MissMJReid]

Hello Folks.

Firstly, I hope you are all doing well.

Secondly, hi. My name is Melissa and I'm 33 years old. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year (2024) and have had a tough time since. Most meds don't work well for me or with other meds so it's been fun trying to find the right fit. I have other disabilities that have slowly progressed over my life span. I live in the North of Scotland where there is 0 to little help or guidance with how to tackle this disability so I find myself stranded and looking for answers. I'm currently doing the Only Water challenge for charity and have reached my goal of £100 thanks to my friends. I love music and arts and crafts. I do not have a partner but I do have a cat, Gogi. I know, it's an unusual name but I am for all things Asian. I love their culture, food and music. I visited South Korea a couple of years ago and loved it.

If you would like to ask any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. I'm honestly on open book.

 

[mashedupmatt]

Hi @MissMJReid and welcome to the forum - sorry to hear you've been having a tough time with your Diabetes and you feel like you're not getting enough support from your healthcare team (Unfortunately it can be a bit of a postcode lottery) - what is it in particular that you are struggling with? There is decades of experence on this forum, and we're all here to help each other - and well done on the fundraising 🙂

 

[HayleyR]

Hi @MissMJReid and a very warm welcome from me too! 🙂. I'm so glad you decided to join particularly as you don't appear to have been given much support. Rest assured though, you are not alone and will find lots of support here, just ask away! 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome from me also, you are only fairly recently diagnosed so in the scheme of things it is early days and I can understand it can be more challenging when you have other conditions to consider.
Would you be comfortable to share a bit about your diagnosis, what your HbA1C and what medication you have tried. What that is will determine which approach is most suitable for you and we can suggest some links that may help.
This link is for a low carbohydrate approach which may be suitable depending on any medication but in any event the information in the introduction may help you make some dietary changes to get you started.
https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

 

[silver minion]

Hello @MissMJReid and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear that you are not getting much support. Have a look through the pinned posts at the top of the Newbies Say Hello Here forum. Lots of useful information and advice.
Also worth registering with the Learning Zone on Diabetes UK website. You can work through the modules at your own pace.

I got a lot of advice and support from the kind folks on the forum during the months following diagnosis when I felt a bit overwhelmed and lacking in knowledge about the daily issues of living with diabetes.
Some good advice posted already. Try out different diet strategies and find out what works for you. Meanwhile ask any questions, nothing considered silly. We all started as Newbies.

 

[Ieva DUK]

Hi Melissa and welcome to the forum!
I'm so sorry to hear you've not received proper guidance from your team. Depending on where you are in the north (yay for the postcode lottery), the Highlands NHS has a Diabetes centre (01463 255930) that you might be able to 'tap into'. I'm based in the North East myself, but I've heard about the team so perhaps you could reach out?
I won't echo what others have said in terms of finding support here or using the forum for any questions, queries or rants you might have. Everyone here is really knowledgeable and the gathered experience is a sort of mind-hive (definitely better than Google in my humble opinion ) - someone always has an answer.
And as a fellow Asian culture enthusiast, I'm always looking for new recipes, so if you've 'brought back' any or have any go-to's - do share! Same goes for the 'compulsory' cat pictures