Newly Diagnosed and Terrified

[GroovySciFiChick]

Hello everyone, I am a 60 year old woman who got her diagnosis in September. Since then it's been a blur of trying to eat healthier, read lots of books and websites, juggle conflicting information (eat wholegrain carbs/eat no carbs, eat low fat/butter and coconut oil are okay, eat 3 meals a day/intermittent fasting is the way to go.

I have been struggling with worrying that it's too late and I cannot change, scared I will lose my sight or worse, and not really having anybody to talk to. I have lost almost 1 stone since getting my diagnosis, I have swapped to smaller plates, cut out sugar, changed carbs to be wholegrain. I started at 3,500 steps a day and have worked up to 5,500 a day.

I have a sweet tooth and am finding it difficult when cravings strike to know what is safe to eat and what isn't. I have tried a few of the low sugar foods on offer, but they are mostly sweetened with malitol and I have discovered that my tummy and malitol are not the best of friends.

I want to control and hopefully reverse my type II with diet and exercise (I think that is classed as lifestyle changes?). Also looking to share recipes and talk to others who can understand what I am dealing with. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to interacting with you all.

 

[Lucyr]

Hello and welcome

 

[Inka]

Welcome @GroovySciFiChick 🙂 I love sci fi! Don’t panic😉 Take things slowly and ignore diet extremes. Well done on your weight loss😎

 

[BobbleHat]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed in July and this forum has been a lifeline for me. I hope you find it a really helpful and supportive place too.
If you're happy to share, knowing what your hba1c was at diagnosis and whether you're on any meds helps people make suggestions to help you manage your condition. It sounds as though, like me, you're unmedicated and hoping to stay that way?

Diabetes is serious but, for many, it responds well to the changes your making. The complexity is that a) individuals react differently to different foods so there isn't a 'one size fits all' approach to managing this and b) official advice from our doctors and nurses is sometimes outdated and, in some cases, can make our diabetes worse (not always but sometimes).

A lot of us who are Type 2 on here have found eating a low carb approach helpful. Low carb isn't no carb. It's up to 130g per day but you might find you need less to keep blood sugars stable (I find 50-70g is my average). There is an app, created by 2 Essex GPs, called Freshwell that explains low carb eating really well. It's not specifically aimed at diabetic patients but a lot the information is useful to us:

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com

I got a lot of advice from my nurses about switching to wholegrain and 'brown' carbohydrates. Makes not a jot of difference. My body doesn't know the difference between wholegrain pasta and bog standard pasta - my blood sugar reacts the same. It's all carbs in the end. Part of the last few months has been finding swaps - cauliflower rice, celeriac instead of potato etc. If this all sounds a bit much, please don't worry. I love the way I eat now (I have a sweet tooth too but I manage it with berries/greek yoghurt or baking using carb light recipes) and it is possible to still enjoy eating whilst managing diabetes.

And finally - you might have been told you don't need to check your blood glucose, especially if you're diet controlling. I think this is poor advice for as we need to know how we respond to foods so we can plan the way we eat. If you haven't already, obtaining a blood glucose monitor is worthwhile. You can see what your fasting blood sugar is and also pair readings before and after eating to see which foods are good for your sugars and which aren't.

Sorry if that's a big info dump but it's thecstuff I found helpful and, once again, welcome!!

 

[JITR]

I have a sweet tooth and am finding it difficult when cravings strike to know what is safe to eat and what isn't.

I was looking at my copy of this book last night. It has a 5 day plan to deal with cravings plus a lifetime plan for healthy eating. Worth the price of a coffee?

Do you know the result of your HbA1c test?

 

[saffron15]

@GroovySciFiChick welcome to the forum. I didn't join until just before my uninspiring appointment with the diabetic nurse. I had phoned the helpline before. When I got the first reading of 69 at start of July and asked the HCP to send me some links his helpful email started you seemed a bit shocked by the result. I think many surgery's cannot be bothered with type 2s but we fall into a chasm when first diagnosed. The bonus for me was I was told to lower my cholestral so for two weeks before the diabetes test I requested I was eating mainly fish lots of veg eggs and cheese but eating some bread too. On diagnosis i checked carbs carefully. I effectively went low carb and was delighted to find I was losing almost a kilo a week effortlessly. Im now on a drug that needs some carbs and am feeling a bit lost again particularly as attempts to contact diabetic nurse about groups education have all failed.

I don't know how high your reading is or if you are already being treated for other ailments.i have high blood pressure and naively thought my annual blood test included a diabetes check.

So far as effect on eyes it can affect your eyesight both high blood sugar and dropping too quickly but changes aren't usually permanent. I had a diabetes test in 2008 when I was diagnosed with an autoimmune eye disease. I wasn't diabetic then and have discovered my surgery tested me in 2014 but not since. I was close to prediabetic but not told. My eye consultant said they do not usually detect any damage until blood sugar has been high for ten years. My best friends husband has been diabetic for 25 years and is still driving.

Well done for your weight loss. Learn to look under nutrition on food labels. On the front of packets they tend to put fat not carbs and often fat is good. My go to breakfast is full fat yoghurt.

The freshwell app site is wonderful. This site also has good info. A brisk ten minute walk after eating or gardening or stair climbing is helpful. Don't shock your body by changing too quickly. I've got a cataract op tomorrow but once I've recovered I hope to do some exercises to improve my muscle tone. I look at videos by the over 50 physio but nhs site is good too.

Keep asking and be inspired.



Good luck

 

[GroovySciFiChick]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed in July and this forum has been a lifeline for me. I hope you find it a really helpful and supportive place too.
If you're happy to share, knowing what your hba1c was at diagnosis and whether you're on any meds helps people make suggestions to help you manage your condition. It sounds as though, like me, you're unmedicated and hoping to stay that way?

Diabetes is serious but, for many, it responds well to the changes your making. The complexity is that a) individuals react differently to different foods so there isn't a 'one size fits all' approach to managing this and b) official advice from our doctors and nurses is sometimes outdated and, in some cases, can make our diabetes worse (not always but sometimes).

A lot of us who are Type 2 on here have found eating a low carb approach helpful. Low carb isn't no carb. It's up to 130g per day but you might find you need less to keep blood sugars stable (I find 50-70g is my average). There is an app, created by 2 Essex GPs, called Freshwell that explains low carb eating really well. It's not specifically aimed at diabetic patients but a lot the information is useful to us:

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com

I got a lot of advice from my nurses about switching to wholegrain and 'brown' carbohydrates. Makes not a jot of difference. My body doesn't know the difference between wholegrain pasta and bog standard pasta - my blood sugar reacts the same. It's all carbs in the end. Part of the last few months has been finding swaps - cauliflower rice, celeriac instead of potato etc. If this all sounds a bit much, please don't worry. I love the way I eat now (I have a sweet tooth too but I manage it with berries/greek yoghurt or baking using carb light recipes) and it is possible to still enjoy eating whilst managing diabetes.

And finally - you might have been told you don't need to check your blood glucose, especially if you're diet controlling. I think this is poor advice for as we need to know how we respond to foods so we can plan the way we eat. If you haven't already, obtaining a blood glucose monitor is worthwhile. You can see what your fasting blood sugar is and also pair readings before and after eating to see which foods are good for your sugars and which aren't.

Sorry if that's a big info dump but it's thecstuff I found helpful and, once again, welcome!!

Thank you so much BobbleHat your reply was wonderful and just what I needed (and everyone's welcomes, much appreciated as well) My HbA1c 68 (least I think thats my HbA1c I used to be 48, I have no idea what mol etc I am. My GP gives straight numbers and mine was 68 in Sept.)
Currently no medication, in September, the nurse I saw offered Metformin, but I already take thyroid meds and if I can control my blood sugar by losing weight, exercise and healthy eating that for me is the way to go. So yes currently unmedicated and wanting to stay that way if possible.

I currently have no way of checking my blood sugar, in truth I know there are monitors and test kits but not sure which one I should get. So not sure as yet if having swapped to brown rice etc is better, same or worse for me. Something I need to investigate
Any recommendations for an easy to use and understand monitor would be most welcomed. I am currently hyper focused on getting my HbA1c down and panicking in case I am not getting my sugars down (I am due a blood test in December to see if what I have been doing is working).

I am currently intermittent fasting eat between 12 noon and 8pm, and have started experimenting with more low carb recipes, Emma Porter is a genius. I have swapped to greek yogurt, for sweet treats I add a vanilla bean pod and some erythritol to, mixup a batch and leave in the fridge, it's nice with berries.

I am aiming for 130g carbs a day, I shudder to think what I consumed before, looking at carbs in foods I used to eat I reckon an average day was 500g and that's a conservative estimate. Thanks for the Freshwell link, downloaded and off to pick up,some extra ingredients to try some of the recipes. Thank you so much again

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you so much BobbleHat your reply was wonderful and just what I needed (and everyone's welcomes, much appreciated as well) My HbA1c 68 (least I think thats my HbA1c I used to be 48, I have no idea what mol etc I am. My GP gives straight numbers and mine was 68 in Sept.)
Currently no medication, in September, the nurse I saw offered Metformin, but I already take thyroid meds and if I can control my blood sugar by losing weight, exercise and healthy eating that for me is the way to go. So yes currently unmedicated and wanting to stay that way if possible.

I currently have no way of checking my blood sugar, in truth I know there are monitors and test kits but not sure which one I should get. So not sure as yet if having swapped to brown rice etc is better, same or worse for me. Something I need to investigate
Any recommendations for an easy to use and understand monitor would be most welcomed. I am currently hyper focused on getting my HbA1c down and panicking in case I am not getting my sugars down (I am due a blood test in December to see if what I have been doing is working).

I am currently intermittent fasting eat between 12 noon and 8pm, and have started experimenting with more low carb recipes, Emma Porter is a genius. I have swapped to greek yogurt, for sweet treats I add a vanilla bean pod and some erythritol to, mixup a batch and leave in the fridge, it's nice with berries.

I am aiming for 130g carbs a day, I shudder to think what I consumed before, looking at carbs in foods I used to eat I reckon an average day was 500g and that's a conservative estimate. Thanks for the Freshwell link, downloaded and off to pick up,some extra ingredients to try some of the recipes. Thank you so much again

I am a great fan of the Freshwell approach and found the principals worked for me. It sounds as if you have made some positive changes but as you reduce the amount of 'sweet' foods you will find your tastes change and you will find what you had before tooo sweet.
There are plenty of low carb cakes and biscuit recipes on the web site sugarfreelondoner as well as savoury dishes.

 

[Drummer]

Hello @GroovySciFiChick and I can only advise, Don't Panic.
I was diagnosed at 65 and HbA1c was 91, but all was back to normal in 6 months.
It seems to be all about carbs for me. I have to go very low, but I was left unaware of a flagged high glucose level for 10 years,
You should test, as some people can have grains and not spike - I can't, and legumes spike me too.
I have been eating very low carb for years now and all seems to be well. My normal activities seem to be all I require as exercise.

 

[BobbleHat]

Thank you so much BobbleHat your reply was wonderful and just what I needed (and everyone's welcomes, much appreciated as well) My HbA1c 68 (least I think thats my HbA1c I used to be 48, I have no idea what mol etc I am. My GP gives straight numbers and mine was 68 in Sept.)
Currently no medication, in September, the nurse I saw offered Metformin, but I already take thyroid meds and if I can control my blood sugar by losing weight, exercise and healthy eating that for me is the way to go. So yes currently unmedicated and wanting to stay that way if possible.

I currently have no way of checking my blood sugar, in truth I know there are monitors and test kits but not sure which one I should get. So not sure as yet if having swapped to brown rice etc is better, same or worse for me. Something I need to investigate
Any recommendations for an easy to use and understand monitor would be most welcomed. I am currently hyper focused on getting my HbA1c down and panicking in case I am not getting my sugars down (I am due a blood test in December to see if what I have been doing is working).

I am currently intermittent fasting eat between 12 noon and 8pm, and have started experimenting with more low carb recipes, Emma Porter is a genius. I have swapped to greek yogurt, for sweet treats I add a vanilla bean pod and some erythritol to, mixup a batch and leave in the fridge, it's nice with berries.

I am aiming for 130g carbs a day, I shudder to think what I consumed before, looking at carbs in foods I used to eat I reckon an average day was 500g and that's a conservative estimate. Thanks for the Freshwell link, downloaded and off to pick up,some extra ingredients to try some of the recipes. Thank you so much again

Sounds as though you are doing really well and that you're off to a flying start! Sugar Free Londoner is a good low carb/Sugar baking blog too. She is keto rather than low carb but it's good stuff! The lemon bars are !!

You can get a free trial of different continuous monitors - Abbott do a 2 week free trial of their Libre and Dexcom will let you have a sensor for 10 days if you pay £4.99 p&p. They might be something you might want to consider - I got used to finger pricking first, then gave them a whirl. I'm not very good on recommending monitors. I have a Contour (think it's a Next) but I don’t think it's the cheapest for strips (which is where the cost comes in). I have it because I'm a midwife and this is the monitor, our diabetes staff used to give to our women with gestational diabetes. So, I got it as I didn't know any alternatives! Somebody else might be along with better recommendations. Or, if not, you could ask it as a separate question and get a reply that way. The knowledge here is fantastic so someone will keep you right!

 

[Martin.A]

I currently have no way of checking my blood sugar, in truth I know there are monitors and test kits but not sure which one I should get.

I'm using a Gluco Rx Q meter but that was given to me by my DN. Others on the forum often suggest the Gluco Navil or Spirit TEE 2. Remember that the meter is a one-off cost while the test strips and lancets are a running cost.

 

[Alan44]

Hi @GroovySciFiChick and welcome to the forum.

As others have said, "Don't Panic" you have joined a forum with people that have been in exactly the same position as you and have won through.

An HbA1c of 68 is not that bad as we have had people on here with figures well over the 100.

Yes, this whole diabetes thing can be very confusing and sometimes very individual from person to person, but there is a wealth of people on here who can guide you through from their personal experiences on what may work or not for you.

My starting point when diagnosed was to concentrate on the 3 things I can control

1) Weight
2) Diet
3) exercise

Read as much as you can, but more importantly, ask as many questions as you want, we all do when we first join.

Take care
Alan 😉

 

[adamrit]

Hello everyone, I am a 60 year old woman who got her diagnosis in September. Since then it's been a blur of trying to eat healthier, read lots of books and websites, juggle conflicting information (eat wholegrain carbs/eat no carbs, eat low fat/butter and coconut oil are okay, eat 3 meals a day/intermittent fasting is the way to go.

I have been struggling with worrying that it's too late and I cannot change, scared I will lose my sight or worse, and not really having anybody to talk to. I have lost almost 1 stone since getting my diagnosis, I have swapped to smaller plates, cut out sugar, changed carbs to be wholegrain. I started at 3,500 steps a day and have worked up to 5,500 a day.

I have a sweet tooth and am finding it difficult when cravings strike to know what is safe to eat and what isn't. I have tried a few of the low sugar foods on offer, but they are mostly sweetened with malitol and I have discovered that my tummy and malitol are not the best of friends.

I want to control and hopefully reverse my type II with diet and exercise (I think that is classed as lifestyle changes?). Also looking to share recipes and talk to others who can understand what I am dealing with. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to interacting with you all.

You have a sweet tooth. The best way is to eat less sugary stuff gradually and you will get used to it and that craving goes. I’ve been Type 1 for 68 years. I’ve had two minor strokes and was told to stop salt. I still eat cheese, which is quite salty, but haven’t added salt to any food at all for five years. I don’t think about any more. I don’t even want it anymore. Eating more or all whole foods is a good beginning. I eat tons of veg and a bit of fish. Don’t miss meat at all. Sugar and heavily processed food blunts your taste buds. You’ll get to enjoy food more. Take it gently. You will feel better. Enjoy it. Tea and coffee without any sugar; no biscuits, half a slice of sourdough. Get interesting with your cooking. Get a smaller plate. (You’ve already done this) Don’t eat too much fruit, enough but not too much.
If you go mad, have a small square of chocolate. Only one. Wait two days before doing it again. Wait four days next time.
You’ll be fine. 60 isn’t old. You’ll feel better and partly because you’re taking care of yourself because deserve it.
Adamm

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Another welcome to the forum @GroovySciFiChick 🙂

As others have suggested, some of the most affordable and reliable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii, the Spirit Tee2, or the Contour Blue - which all have test strips at £10 or less for 50. Some other brands can be 3x that much! And once you have the meter, it’s the cost of the strips that can begin to add up!

When it comes to managing your diabetes, it’s best to make changes to your menu and activity levels gradually - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt. You’ll be surprised how quickly your tastebuds change and adapt. You’ll go back to something you used to enjoy as a ‘treat’, and find it unbearably sickly, and actually quite disappointing.

Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a sort of catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. And those changes can have positive knock-on effects on various other ailments that you had just learned to live with.

Keep sharing your progress, your victories, and your disasters - and keep asking questions 🙂

 

[JimmyBlue]

@GroovySciFiChick welcome to the forum. Like you I was diagnosed in September with my first and second blood tests showing HbA1c measures of 92 and then 86 (amazing what a bit of extra running can achieve). At 63 and sitting in front of the diabetes nurse I realised how bad a condition I was in. But with the guidance from people on here, my family and making some big changes to my lifestyle my Libre Freestyle monitor which ends in 25 minutes shows that my average BG level is 6.3 for the last 7 days and that my estimated HbA1c in Jan is likely to be around 5.7% or 39 mmol/L.
Like you I had a sweet tooth (which is probably the source of my downfall - who knew too much fruit was bad for you) and have had to cut out all sweets and most fruit (limited to a portion a day). I don't really need to lose weight but have upped my exercise levels to 4 x runs per week and 3 gym sessions a week to rebuild muscle mass . But the single biggest change was moving to a low carb diet which has worked out brilliantly for me.
I have had some issues over the past month; chia seeds are not as good as I thought and raspberries drive my blood glucose up much more than strawberries but overall I still get to eat things I like with some substitutions (spicy orange lamb with black bean noodles). So my message is experiment see what works for you and go for it. The forums of full of people willing to provide advice, guidance and most of all excellent support and knowledge.

 

[trophywench]

I never realised the amount of acid in strawberries till we had a good mate who had advancing rheumatoid arthritis and I'd deliberately prepared a strawberry trifle rather than use the tangerine jelly knowing she couldn't eat citrus fruit. Bats really, never understood why strawberries don't (therefore) have enough pectin to reliably set its jam.

 

[BobbleHat]

I

Hello everyone, I am a 60 year old woman who got her diagnosis in September. Since then it's been a blur of trying to eat healthier, read lots of books and websites, juggle conflicting information (eat wholegrain carbs/eat no carbs, eat low fat/butter and coconut oil are okay, eat 3 meals a day/intermittent fasting is the way to go.

I have been struggling with worrying that it's too late and I cannot change, scared I will lose my sight or worse, and not really having anybody to talk to. I have lost almost 1 stone since getting my diagnosis, I have swapped to smaller plates, cut out sugar, changed carbs to be wholegrain. I started at 3,500 steps a day and have worked up to 5,500 a day.

I have a sweet tooth and am finding it difficult when cravings strike to know what is safe to eat and what isn't. I have tried a few of the low sugar foods on offer, but they are mostly sweetened with malitol and I have discovered that my tummy and malitol are not the best of friends.

I want to control and hopefully reverse my type II with diet and exercise (I think that is classed as lifestyle changes?). Also looking to share recipes and talk to others who can understand what I am dealing with. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to interacting with you all.

I forgot to say that I love your username too. I don't know if I'm very groovy but I'm a Sci fi chick too!
What are your fandoms?