Newbie type 2

[Loobyloo]

Hi everyone,
Been reading the forum and gathering much welcomed information as havent seen my doc and having to find out everything for myself Diagnosis was a shock phonecall in June from the Diabetic nurse telling me my hbA1c was 103 but pretty much on my own since so appreciate this site. I got checked after sudden disturbed vision and raging thirst etc. I am due a blood sugar check next week and hoping for big drop as i have purchased a meter and my results seem to be around 6.2 first thing to 8.5 2 hours after eating. I have also lost around 2.5 stone so far. Not sure on Cholesterol etc as only been told Diabetic and underactive thyroid which seems to have been resolved with 50mg Thyroxin. Will ask when i see nurse and thought perhaps not mentioned as ok. Was too shocked to remember to ask other results when i received call about being Diabetic. I am now feeling reassured a little by some of your journeys and results. My eyesight has returned to normal and the thirst etc soon went on a low carb diet. I am feeling much better already and hadn't realised how bad i was feeling as crept up so slowly.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Loobyloo from a fellow T2.

purchased a meter and my results seem to be around 6.2 first thing to 8.5 2 hours after eating.

Pretty good levels.

 

[trophywench]

... and blooming good weight loss - nursie is gonna be gobsmacked! Well done you!

 

[Loobyloo]

Welcome to the forum Loobyloo from a fellow T2.

Pretty good levels.

Thanks Ralph its been hard work getting there but getting easier. I love my food and felt like my life had ended and could never eat anything i liked again. I even struggled in restaurants to find anything i could eat at all and we left some without eating. Having the meter is helping as i can experiment with what i can eat

 

[Docb]

Hi @Loobyloo and welcome to the forum as a member.

The creeping up thing is something that others sort of mention in that a lot of things begin to make sense when you get a diagnosis. Looks like you have got a decent understanding of what it is all about and are following the road that many of us have trodden before you. With those readings your HbA1c should be tumbling down and the weight loss has probably as much to do with it as anything. As @trophywench says, nurse should be well impressed and if she isn't then give her a good talking to!

I am sure others can learn from your progress so what approach did you use to shed the weight?

 

[Loobyloo]

Hi @Loobyloo and welcome to the forum as a member.

The creeping up thing is something that others sort of mention in that a lot of things begin to make sense when you get a diagnosis. Looks like you have got a decent understanding of what it is all about and are following the road that many of us have trodden before you. With those readings your HbA1c should be tumbling down and the weight loss has probably as much to do with it as anything. As @trophywench says, nurse should be well impressed and if she isn't then give her a good talking to!

I am sure others can learn from your progress so what approach did you use to shed the weight?

I am trying to stay below 70 carbs a day..cut out potatoes, pasta, pastry, cakes and biscuits and anything high carb really. I eat mainly meat,cheese. frittatas, fry ups, vegetables and a little fruit. I have the occasional slice of Burgen bread or hi fibre which doesnt seem to affect my sugars and treat myself with a Fibre One bar occasionally if i fancy something sweet or a bag of wotsits or quavers,or a chunk of cheese if peckish. Another treat is Hartleys NAS jelly and cream or berries and Greek yoghurt.
ON the nurse being impressed i would be surprised as i wasnt weighed at any point and never see the same nurse..just have blood tests done and goodbye I don't know if this is normal or just because of the Covid situation at the moment.

 

[ianf0ster]

Congratulations, your next HbA1c will be much much nearer to normal - but only so long as you keep Low Carbing.
Please tell tell the nurse that you have changed your lifestyle, lost 2.5 stone and what your BG finger-prick readings are.
Then she will be impressed - at least until she hears you did it on Low Carb, then (if she is 'old school') she may be horrified!

We need to get the word out to GPs and Nurses that Low Carb controls Type 2 Diabetes in many/most cases!

 

[grovesy]

Not all surgeries do things in the same way, but there is list of about 15 checks you should get annual on the main site. Have you been reffered for your Retinopathy Screening?

 

[Loobyloo]

Not all surgeries do things in the same way, but there is list of about 15 checks you should get annual on the main site. Have you been reffered for your Retinopathy Screening?

Yes the original nurse who rang me to tell me i was diabetic made appointments for this and my feet to get checked and told me to ring and get kidney checks every once in a while. Feet and eyes are fine at the moment and kidney tests i have heard nothing so assume ok. I did request the lady doing my feet to check my blood pressure as that hadn't been done and i thought it should be (140/80) I've seen a different nurse in a different surgery for every test so all very disjointed.

 

[Loobyloo]

Congratulations, your next HbA1c will be much much nearer to normal - but only so long as you keep Low Carbing.
Please tell tell the nurse that you have changed your lifestyle, lost 2.5 stone and what your BG finger-prick readings are.
Then she will be impressed - at least until she hears you did it on Low Carb, then (if she is 'old school') she may be horrified!

We need to get the word out to GPs and Nurses that Low Carb controls Type 2 Diabetes in many/most cases!

 

[Loobyloo]

Thanks Ian i will tell whoever i see. When i received the news i was diabetic she did mention on the phone to get a GI Cookbook when i asked what should i do now? I don't know if this is low carb or different but i have found this site and gone the low carb way and taken snippets of advice from lots of different members. I have learnt so much and thank goodness for this site. I didnt even know whether 103 was bad until i checked this site or what normal or my target should be.

 

[Drummer]

As your Hba1c is so high I would not bother with the GI cook book - chocolate teapot would be more useful as long as it was low carb chocolate.

 

[grovesy]

Thanks Ian i will tell whoever i see. When i received the news i was diabetic she did mention on the phone to get a GI Cookbook when i asked what should i do now? I don't know if this is low carb or different but i have found this site and gone the low carb way and taken snippets of advice from lots of different members. I have learnt so much and thank goodness for this site. I didnt even know whether 103 was bad until i checked this site or what normal or my target should be.

GI is different to low Carb it worked for me for a few years. Everyone is different.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Loobyloo

Well done on your terrific weight loss, and in getting your BGs down to those levels before and after food. Whatever you have been doing is clearly working for you!

It must have been a very difficult time to get a diagnosis, without the ability to easily access the appointments and support that might have been available to you in other circumstances - but you seem to have found a way of managing your diabetes that is working really well for you