Newly diagnosed and left to it

[Badger Butter]

Forgive me for the likelihood that this has been posted a gazillion times before, but I'm in need of information and, whilst googling has been interesting, it's not been very helpful in terms of ascertaining which information is legit or not.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a couple of weeks ago and the nurse assigned to me (and every other diabetic patient at the surgery), while lovely, has not given me much to go on.

She checked my feet (not really sure why), checked my blood pressure (within normal range), took a urine sample (no results, so presuming that's good news) and then handed me a magazine by Diabetes UK (dated last year) and told me to see her for another blood test in October and to try to lose weight by then.

I have no idea what having diabetes means for me on a day to day basis, no idea how to control it (or if I'm even supposed to?) nor do I seem to be able to lose any weight and am instead putting it on, despite upping my exercise and dropping my calorie intake.

Sorry for the ramble, but I'm just exhausted all the time, I feel lightheaded most days, incredibly thirsty and a bit fed up of feeling worse than I did before they diagnosed me.

At my surgery it's not possible to see someone or ring for advice unless it's a medical emergency - since the pandemic, it has all but shut its doors.

Any tips or advice? I am on no diabetes medication and I was told glucose monitoring was not necessary as my levels are not high enough to warrant it (levels are 50, whatever that means)

 

[Bruce Stephens]

She checked my feet (not really sure why), checked my blood pressure (within normal range), took a urine sample (no results, so presuming that's good news)

Those are some of the standard annual checks which are described here https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/care-to-expect

Doesn't really explain why the foot checking. The issue is that raised blood glucose can cause damage to nerves, so one of the possible complications is peripheral neuropathy. And it can reduce circulation to feet (especially). The two together can make damage to feet a problem: and they may not heal as quickly and we may not notice.

 

[Leadinglights]

If you look at the link suggested by Bruce there are other tabs which will give you lots of explanation about managing your condition and what various things mean. Also in the thread Newbies are some links you might find useful.
If the 50 you mention was the result of an HbA1C test then you are just in the diabetic zone and with some dietary changes you should be able to improve it. There really is no excuse for surgeries to be so dismissive of a diagnosis of a condition which is giving you unpleasant symptoms. The things you mention are all typical of high blood glucose levels and once you start to get them down you should start to feel better.
Keeping a food diary noting everything you eat and drink will provide a starting point to see where you can make some changes in your carbohydrate intake.
This includes things like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, cereals, pastry, bananas, tropical fruit as well as cakes, biscuits and sugary drinks.
Basing your meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, full fat dairy, vegetables and salads and fruits like berries are a good place to start.
The learning zone has lots of info as well, I hope this is not infoglut but do ask any questions you have when you have had a look at some of those links.

 

[Badger Butter]

Thank you both - I will take a look at the links. It's so overwhelming, especially as I just have been given nothing to start from by the nurse. Presumably if my levels were much higher, they'd give out more info?

I just want to drink water and nap all day. I think I've turned into my cat...

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you both - I will take a look at the links. It's so overwhelming, especially as I just have been given nothing to start from by the nurse. Presumably if my levels were much higher, they'd give out more info?

I just want to drink water and nap all day. I think I've turned into my cat...

Thirst is often one of the symptoms that send people to their GP as well as tiredness. It is a way of the body trying to flush out excess glucose from the system. As you reduce the amount of carbs you eat you should start to notice an improvement in those symptoms.
Yes all the information can be quite overwhelming going from nothing from your G P to the stuff available on here but just read through stuff in your own time and make a plan on how to move forward. Starting that food diary is a good first move and making a shopping list of low carb foods so you know what you are going to get.
Supermarket web sites will give you the total carb (not just sugar) content of their products rather than having to look in the shop where you might need a magnifying glass to see the small print.

 

[Badger Butter]

Yeah, my diagnosis came as a result of blood tests for something else entirely. They repeated them three times before they told me why and that was my diagnosis appointment over the phone: "so you're in diabetic range so pop into the surgery next week for your checks" with no explanation.

I think the assumption was that I would Google everything and be up to date by the time I had my first appointment. I only know two other people with type 2; one is ignoring the diagnosis because she doesn't want to change her lifestyle and the other goes to a surgery where they put her onto the Desmond programme and Metformin immediately, even though her levels are the same as mine. I guess every surgery is different...I mentioned feeling dizzy after every meal and the nurse dismissed it, so I'm guessing that's not a diabetes thing either.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Badger Butter, welcome to the forum.

I never thought of it that way but I too have turned into a cat! Unfortunately you're not alone in being given a diagnosis and left to it. Hopefully you'll get some of the support you need on the forum.

Essentially, reducing carbs and sugar should help get your numbers in check. Lots of water and a decent level of exercise, such as walks after dinner, can help.

I'm guessing that because you're numbers are low, they've not bombarded you with much info due to the fact that a few small changes can get your numbers back to a normal range which depending on your GP's school of thought is about 42.

Your HbA1C number of 50 is a measurement of your blood sugar levels over a 3 month period. With your HbA1C number being 50, you're in a good position to turn things around.

Might be worth keeping a food diary for a week and looking at some changes that can be made then seeing how that goes.

Do let us know if there are any questions you have and we'll be happy to help.

 

[Sullipepper]

Forgive me for the likelihood that this has been posted a gazillion times before, but I'm in need of information and, whilst googling has been interesting, it's not been very helpful in terms of ascertaining which information is legit or not.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a couple of weeks ago and the nurse assigned to me (and every other diabetic patient at the surgery), while lovely, has not given me much to go on.

She checked my feet (not really sure why), checked my blood pressure (within normal range), took a urine sample (no results, so presuming that's good news) and then handed me a magazine by Diabetes UK (dated last year) and told me to see her for another blood test in October and to try to lose weight by then.

I have no idea what having diabetes means for me on a day to day basis, no idea how to control it (or if I'm even supposed to?) nor do I seem to be able to lose any weight and am instead putting it on, despite upping my exercise and dropping my calorie intake.

Sorry for the ramble, but I'm just exhausted all the time, I feel lightheaded most days, incredibly thirsty and a bit fed up of feeling worse than I did before they diagnosed me.

At my surgery it's not possible to see someone or ring for advice unless it's a medical emergency - since the pandemic, it has all but shut its doors.

Any tips or advice? I am on no diabetes medication and I was told glucose monitoring was not necessary as my levels are not high enough to warrant it (levels are 50, whatever that means)

Hi I was diagnosed 2 months ago but only told a few weeks ago Eventually I was rang by a diabetic nurse who said to start metformin I was very sick so gave me a SR one. No vist to the surgery no checks no BP checks yet put on BP tablets with out ever being seen. Was given no information at all. No one to talk to at the surgery for advice. I have been in tears. My heart is with you. The whole experience has been a traumatic one. Hope you manage to get a better level of care and support. X ..

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you’ve been left rather adrift without much to go on by your surgery. As you suggest, the pandemic has made this a particularly difficult time to be diagnosed, with access to appointments being very restricted.

She checked my feet (not really sure why),

Over time diabetes (well… high blood glucose levels) can affect nerve endings and sensation in the legs, feet and hands. You should get an annual ‘toe tickle’ to check sensation, and the pulses checked in your feet to check circulation.

checked my blood pressure (within normal range),

People with diabetes are at statistically higher risk of heart disease, so keeping on top of things like blood pressure, and the amount, types and ratios of cholesterol in the blood is important.

took a urine sample (no results, so presuming that's good news)

Urine can be checked for glucose, but can also be used to monitor kidney health.

and then handed me a magazine by Diabetes UK (dated last year) and told me to see her for another blood test in October and to try to lose weight by then.

That will most likely be Balance? When I was first diagnosed it was pretty much the only source of information and updates I had outside of appointments with my Dr or DSN.

Losing weight helps to improve insulin sensitivity and in some cases can restore the proper function of the pancreas and liver, especially if the loss of weight is visceral fat around the organs. At your HbA1c of 50, it’s likely that relatively modest tweaks to your diet and levels of activity might be very effective for you.

I have no idea what having diabetes means for me on a day to day basis, no idea how to control it (or if I'm even supposed to?) nor do I seem to be able to lose any weight and am instead putting it on, despite upping my exercise and dropping my calorie intake.

Sorry to hear that your efforts so far are not having the effects you were looking for. As you may already be gathering, one of the most effective tweaks you can make to your diet is to keep a close eye on the amount of total carbohydrate. Along with cutting right back on sweet and sugary things, reducing or moderating your total carb intake (with smaller portions of things like potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals, bread, and fruits other than berries) can have a positive impact on your BG levels.

For a solid grounding of what diabetes means to you, there are loads of helpful modules in the Learning Zone (check the highlighted item in the main menu), plus members on the forum frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book T2 Diabetes, the first year.

Sorry for the ramble, but I'm just exhausted all the time, I feel lightheaded most days, incredibly thirsty and a bit fed up of feeling worse than I did before they diagnosed me.

High blood glucose can result in increased urination and thirst, and profound tiredness. I wonder if these symptoms were already beginning to build before you were diagnosed. Hopefully they will begin to ease and lift as you begin to make some changes and reduce your BG levels.

Welcome to the forum, and look forward to hearing more about how you are getting on over the coming weeks and months.

 

[Barfly]

Hello @Badger Butter
Join the club. I was diagnosed a month ago and pretty much the same as you just told and left to my own devices. My surgery is awol too. I have been totally confused with information overload and my head was spinning after the first couple of weeks. Sorting the wheat from the chaff and coming to the realization that every individual diabetes sufferer is totally unique and you have to eventually work out what is best for you.

As others have said, a food diary is the first step. You can just write it all down if you are a technophobe.
I use something called strangely enough "food diary" an app on Android, there is an equivalent for the evil empire (Apple) too I believe. As a bonus, though not really needed, It is easy to use and connects easily to a pc and drops in a simple text file. I stick this into a spreadsheet as nursie has asked me to email her my first week in that format.
Here is a sample from the app:

http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.food.diary
-------------------------
Food Diary - 24 July 2021
Breakfast (08:06): bowl muesli, orange , 1 slice of toast with Marge and marmite cup of tea
Medication (08:31): 500gm Metformin. 1000gm omega 3, 500gm vitamin D.
Snack (09:50):  banana, glass of water
Lunch (12:45): Mac and cheese  cup of tea
Snack (17:06): Apple  glass of water
Dinner (18:53): Nachos  with lean turkey mince home made lots of strange spices,kidney beans.  Glass of water.
Medication (18:55): 500gm Metformin
Drink (19:15): Large glass of Port
Supplements (21:25): 37g aspirin, 1000g omega 3

Start with your diary and read the learning bit on this website, keep on coming back and asking questions here, everyone is in the same boat as you, we all want to help each other out as best we can.

EDIT: an app called Carbs and Cals is recommended here by many. I won't touch it because it is a subscriber model app. With the free version it is so badly crippled as to be useless, and pushes you to take out a subscription. If that's ok with you then fine, personally if I pay for something I want full use without paying forever. Tony.


Good luck, Tony.

 

[trophywench]

Well Carbs and Cals is fairly constantly updated, so that's why you subscribe really. Not much help whilst eating out if eg Harvester or MacDonalds/Domino's latest menu offerings aren't listed really, which was the case and still is, with the book originally (which again wasn't free) Such a lot of normal people can't instantly recognise things which contain carb, or take a reasonably good guesstimate of how much of it is in them, any guideline is going to be helpful - and C&C has photos - so the investment (in their own health) of a very reasonable amount of their personal hard earned cash - should not be pooh poohed out of hand, in my opinion, for what it's worth. If you don't personally wish to - well fine. Entirely up to each and every one of us what we spend our own money on.

Years ago - we had to learn how to eyeball carbs pdq and were only told eg 7 chips = 10g carb. Hang on there - what are the dimensions, or the weight, of these 7 chips? Are 14 of them this evening too much or too little for me? Of course, I won't know until I boil my wee up in a test tube tomorrow morning, will I? So frankly - I'm glad of ANYthing practically that can make it all a bit easier for ordinary people with diabetes like me and slightly less of a mystery!

 

[Barfly]

Jenny, as you say each to his own. I find the once only paid app food diary has all I need. The subscription model is a slippery slope for many...it's just a couple of quid a month for this app, another fiver for that, and I simply must have Skytv subscription....the problem is it's an insidious practice that preys upon the intellectually disabled and the weaker members of society. If I could I'd have it owtlawed.