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Newbie. Type 2 diagonosed last week

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Jillybean

Jillybean

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello all, I'm new to all this. I was diagnosed with T2 last week and the doctor prescribed me Metformin - one three times a day with meals. Just trying to get my head around what foods I can eat at the moment. I started to suspect I was diabetic a few weeks ago when I was getting extreme thirst, fatigue and tiredness, so I promptly started eating more healthily cutting down on sugar and carbs. I've lost half stone but I have a long way to go as I'm a few stone overweight. I'm now looking into fitness classes and gym.
The day after I was diagnosed my vision started getting quite blurry which worried me a lot. I have to wear glasses most of the time now as opposed to just when I read. I have read on here that this might improve once the blood sugar levels are lower?

Although I was feeling anxious (and a bit down hearted) following diagnosis I have found this forum to be very helpful. I've already bought a couple of the recommended books, plus the Codefree Monitor😉
 
Welcome Jillybean, sounds like you have already taken an important step in the management of your disease.
 
You're well on the right track Jilly so well done! It's hard knowing what we can uniquely tolerate so testing is a good idea. You'll work out your carb tolerance and what types. Keep reading and recording outcomes for your own guidance. I was diagnosed 15 months ago and it's a steep learning curve at first. Do you know what your Hba1c was at diagnosis?
Yes it's isn't unusual for the high glucose levels to distort vision but it does settle so not a great time to be buying glasses. Sometimes the vision improves significantly once the BG's have stabilised.

Good luck and welcome 🙂
 
Jillybean said:
Hello all, I'm new to all this. I was diagnosed with T2 last week and the doctor prescribed me Metformin - one three times a day with meals. Just trying to get my head around what foods I can eat at the moment. I started to suspect I was diabetic a few weeks ago when I was getting extreme thirst, fatigue and tiredness, so I promptly started eating more healthily cutting down on sugar and carbs. I've lost half stone but I have a long way to go as I'm a few stone overweight. I'm now looking into fitness classes and gym.
The day after I was diagnosed my vision started getting quite blurry which worried me a lot. I have to wear glasses most of the time now as opposed to just when I read. I have read on here that this might improve once the blood sugar levels are lower?

Although I was feeling anxious (and a bit down hearted) following diagnosis I have found this forum to be very helpful. I've already bought a couple of the recommended books, plus the Codefree Monitor😉
Click to expand...
Hi Jillybean, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but well done on making such a great start in learning about it and trying to get things under control 🙂 Your eyes should return to normal, but it can take a couple of weeks, so try not to worry - I had to turn up the 'zoom' setting on my laptop and bought some cheap reading glasses after I was diagnosed 🙂

Glad you have found the forum helpful 🙂 Some lovely, friendly and knowledgeable people who can probably identify with all you are going through, so any questions you have, please let us know 🙂
 
Hi jillybean. Welcome to the forum. You are off to a good start.
 
Welcome Jillybean from a fellow T2 who's 18 months in. I've just hit that year and a half.
 
Thank you for your warm welcomes guys. Sorry the delayed reply.

Yes I agree Amigo, it is a steep learning curve, and has been a big wake up call for me. I dont know what my Hba1c is. The blood test results should come through this week and I'm seeing the diabetic nurse on Friday. I was diagnosed via a urine test at the Doctors.

It will be three weeks this Wednesday since diagnosis and being on Metformin and still no sign of improved vision!! Its getting me down to be honest. I just hope its not permenant! Good idea Northerner....I'll zoom the laptop settings! My old reading glasses dont seem to be strong enough now:(

My meter came on Saturday and I started using it today. My first reading was 7.1 upon waking up, the second - 2 hours after brekki was 7.4, my third - 2 hours after lunch was 6.7. I haven't done my evening meal one yet as the two hours havent past yet. Do the readings sound reasonably ok?
 
Jillybean said:
My meter came on Saturday and I started using it today. My first reading was 7.1 upon waking up, the second - 2 hours after brekki was 7.4, my third - 2 hours after lunch was 6.7. I haven't done my evening meal one yet as the two hours havent past yet. Do the readings sound reasonably ok?
Click to expand...
Three weeks from DX, those numbers are fantastic!!!! What have you been doing?

As for the vision, remember that your body has been living with elevated BG for probably a long time; it takes a while for the body to readjust...
 
Thank you for your warm welcomes guys. Sorry the delayed reply.

Yes I agree Amigo, it is a steep learning curve, and has been a big wake up call for me. I dont know what my Hba1c is. The blood test results should come through this week and I'm seeing the diabetic nurse on Friday. I was diagnosed via a urine test at the Doctors.

It will be three weeks this Wednesday since diagnosis and being on Metformin and still no sign of improved vision!! Its getting me down to be honest. I just hope its not permenant! Good idea Northerner....I'll zoom the laptop settings! My old reading glasses dont seem to be strong enough now:(

My meter came on Saturday and I started using it today. My first reading was 7.1 upon waking up, the second - 2 hours after brekki was 7.4, my third - 2 hours after lunch was 6.7. Fourth 2 hours after evening meal - was 7.5. Do these readings sound reasonably ok?
 
I agree those numbers are fantastic !
Sometimes what happens when your BG (blood glucose) drops rapidly your vision gets worse for a while, this happened to me when I first went on insulin, it did take a while to improve.
 
Jillybean said:
My meter came on Saturday and I started using it today. My first reading was 7.1 upon waking up, the second - 2 hours after brekki was 7.4, my third - 2 hours after lunch was 6.7. Fourth 2 hours after evening meal - was 7.5. Do these readings sound reasonably ok?
Click to expand...
These numbers are great, you should not be seeing a rise of more than 2-2.5 MMol, if you do then evaluate what you have just eaten (keep a food log) & find room for adjustment.
 
I'm pleased my BG reading numbers sound ok. I have been on a healthily eating regime for five weeks so far and have lost 12 Lb. I suspected I had diabetes before it was confimed two weeks later at the doc's (had to wait two weeks before I could get in to see the doctor). I was very unsure of what I could eat to be honest, so I have been very extra careful. I think its just a matter of eating sensibly though and I might not need to be so rigidly strict on myself. I think I might end up feeling very miserable just living on salads and home made muesli:confused:

Thanks for your replies🙂
 
Jillybean said:
I think its just a matter of eating sensibly
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You absolutely get it!!!!
It's all about carb reduction, reduce the carbs & all things should fall into line. Your ongoing diet is not all confined to salads, actually I rarely have salads, things to avoid are starchy foods; it's easy enough to replace them with vegetables grown above ground... Cooking can actually become quite fun & creative, for example a new favorite of ours is Orange Chicken, replacing the honey with stevia drops & breading on the chicken with ground Pork Rinds.
 
Yes you have to find ways/food that work for you, both in BG levels and enjoyment else it won't be sustainable. I wouldn't say I'm low carbing but I have cut down on the starchy carbs ie rice, pasta and potatoes, Ive got used to only having about 6 chips, this is working for me but may not for others.
Don't forget you are allowed an occasional treat.
 
Martin Canty said:
You absolutely get it!!!!
It's all about carb reduction, reduce the carbs & all things should fall into line. Your ongoing diet is not all confined to salads, actually I rarely have salads, things to avoid are starchy foods; it's easy enough to replace them with vegetables grown above ground... Cooking can actually become quite fun & creative, for example a new favorite of ours is Orange Chicken, replacing the honey with stevia drops & breading on the chicken with ground Pork Rinds.
Click to expand...

Thanks Martin. Sounds like you are enjoying some tasty food creations. I never used to take the time to prepare breakfast or lunch, but now I am and I suspect the getting creative will happen in time as well😛
 
Ljc said:
Yes you have to find ways/food that work for you, both in BG levels and enjoyment else it won't be sustainable. I wouldn't say I'm low carbing but I have cut down on the starchy carbs ie rice, pasta and potatoes, Ive got used to only having about 6 chips, this is working for me but may not for others.
Don't forget you are allowed an occasional treat.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ljc. I'm going on holiday in a couple of weeks and I'm alowing myself a couple treats😛
 
Jillybean said:
I never used to take the time to prepare breakfast or lunch
Click to expand...
One strategy a lot of diabetics use for Breakfast is to prepare some Hard Boiled Eggs for the week & have them during the week as a zero carb Breakfast, personally I don't eat Breakfast.... Lunch was a pre-packaged (store bought) salad (9 carbs); often it's just deli meat, cheese & lettuce wrap (easy for me as I work out of my house)..
 
Jillybean said:
Thank you for your warm welcomes guys. Sorry the delayed reply.

Yes I agree Amigo, it is a steep learning curve, and has been a big wake up call for me. I dont know what my Hba1c is. The blood test results should come through this week and I'm seeing the diabetic nurse on Friday. I was diagnosed via a urine test at the Doctors.

It will be three weeks this Wednesday since diagnosis and being on Metformin and still no sign of improved vision!! Its getting me down to be honest. I just hope its not permenant! Good idea Northerner....I'll zoom the laptop settings! My old reading glasses dont seem to be strong enough now:(

My meter came on Saturday and I started using it today. My first reading was 7.1 upon waking up, the second - 2 hours after brekki was 7.4, my third - 2 hours after lunch was 6.7. I haven't done my evening meal one yet as the two hours havent past yet. Do the readings sound reasonably ok?
Click to expand...
Numbers are looking very good Jillybean, hopefully won't need too much tweaking to bring them regularly into range 🙂 Hope the eyes improve soon - I know mine got worse before they got better, but then returned to normal 🙂
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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