Newly diagnosed Type 2

[RitaW]

Hi everyone...I've just had a phone call from the Diabetic Nurse at my surgery to tell me my annual blood test result has just returned showing my level has gone up from 6.4 last year to 9.6 a week ago. Completely shocked as I have shown no symptoms. I have been around the 6.2 - 6.4 level for about 3 years now and haven't done anything significantly different to cause the rise other than reducing my exercise regime. I eat healthily...no sugary drinks, very little bread and only wholemeal if I do, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, porridge or Weetabix and muesli for breakfast, chicken, turkey and lots of fruit and veg.
I have an appt. with her in couple weeks time to discuss but in the mean time I wondered what advice anyone could give me.
Thanks

 

[Northerner]

Hi Rita, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear this It may not be anything you have done or not done, and it does sound like you have been taking steps to try and keep things under control. Although carrying extra weight and a poor diet and lifestyle are significant risk factors in developing Type 2 diabetes, there are also a large number of people who have strong genetic links to the condition - something like 20% of Type 2s are not overweight at diagnosis and lead healthy, active lives. Do you have any family history of diabetes?

There may be things you can do to improve your diet, tailoring it to your own tolerances - these can be very much down to the individual, so what works well for one person may need to be reduced or removed for another. I would suggest starting a food diary and recording the amount of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink, in grams. This will give you a good picture of your current diet and areas where you might investigate changing items by either replacing or reducing portion size. Ideally, you should also follow a programme of self-monitoring so you can clearly see the impact of your meals on your blood glucose levels. This is described well in Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S. If you don't have a blood glucose monitor, it's worth investing in one whilst you learn about your body's response to food. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

I'd also suggest reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter, which will both give you a better understanding of diabetes, and how to approach the management of it. Many of our members also find the book Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker very positive and helpful.

Is there a reason why you have recently reduced your activity levels? It's highly unlikely that this will have been the sole cause of the increase in your levels, but regular exercise will help if you can manage it 🙂

If you can do as I have suggested you will be better placed and informed when it comes to your appointment 🙂

I know it can be a big shock, but the good news is that it is a condition that really can be managed well, and doesn't have to cause you problems 🙂 Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and we will be very happy to help! 🙂

 

[grovesy]

Welcome!

 

[pav]

Welcome, noticed you say you eat lots of fruit. Fruit contains sugar all be a natural one, and we all respond differently to fruit, what fruit are you eating for an example bananas are a big problem for some yet other like myself are ok as long as they have only just turned yellow, very ripe ones its forget them for me.

 

[James 048]

Hi everyone...I've just had a phone call from the Diabetic Nurse at my surgery to tell me my annual blood test result has just returned showing my level has gone up from 6.4 last year to 9.6 a week ago. Completely shocked as I have shown no symptoms. I have been around the 6.2 - 6.4 level for about 3 years now and haven't done anything significantly different to cause the rise other than reducing my exercise regime. I eat healthily...no sugary drinks, very little bread and only wholemeal if I do, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, porridge or Weetabix and muesli for breakfast, chicken, turkey and lots of fruit and veg.
I have an appt. with her in couple weeks time to discuss but in the mean time I wondered what advice anyone could give me.
Thanks

Hi Rita ,welcome and good look with your upcoming appointment .

 

[Mark Parrott]

Hi Rita & welcome to the forum.

 

[Martin Canty]

Hi Rita, welcome to the group..... Plenty of people here to give advice....

Firstly, as Northerner has stated, testing is important.... I noticed that your breakfast alone would have my BG through the roof😱

Second, consider what carbs you are consuming.... Cut or reduce things like bread, pasta, rice, cereals & starchy vegetables such as potatoes, replacing them with green leafy vegetables

 

[RitaW]

Hi Rita, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear this It may not be anything you have done or not done, and it does sound like you have been taking steps to try and keep things under control. Although carrying extra weight and a poor diet and lifestyle are significant risk factors in developing Type 2 diabetes, there are also a large number of people who have strong genetic links to the condition - something like 20% of Type 2s are not overweight at diagnosis and lead healthy, active lives. Do you have any family history of diabetes?

There may be things you can do to improve your diet, tailoring it to your own tolerances - these can be very much down to the individual, so what works well for one person may need to be reduced or removed for another. I would suggest starting a food diary and recording the amount of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink, in grams. This will give you a good picture of your current diet and areas where you might investigate changing items by either replacing or reducing portion size. Ideally, you should also follow a programme of self-monitoring so you can clearly see the impact of your meals on your blood glucose levels. This is described well in Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S. If you don't have a blood glucose monitor, it's worth investing in one whilst you learn about your body's response to food. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

I'd also suggest reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter, which will both give you a better understanding of diabetes, and how to approach the management of it. Many of our members also find the book Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker very positive and helpful.

Is there a reason why you have recently reduced your activity levels? It's highly unlikely that this will have been the sole cause of the increase in your levels, but regular exercise will help if you can manage it 🙂

If you can do as I have suggested you will be better placed and informed when it comes to your appointment 🙂

I know it can be a big shock, but the good news is that it is a condition that really can be managed well, and doesn't have to cause you problems 🙂 Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and we will be very happy to help! 🙂

Hi Northerner
Thanks you for your swift and helpful response. In answer to your questions...Yes I have a history of diabetes in my family..my mother being the closest in line and, yes, I do appreciate it will probably be genetic/hereditry. I'm 62yrs old, approx 54/56kg ,approx 5'6" tall, have always been slim and have always led an active and healthy life having run marathons and half marathons up until a couple of years ago. I stopped running because of wear and tear on joints so turned to walking instead. The last 26 mile walk I did was in July and, due to family constraints and other commitments, haven't done much walking since although the shoes made a miraculous reappearance from the back of the cupboard after the nurses phone call!! The nurse told me to keep a food diary for a week before seeing her and I went to look at getting a monitor yesterday because, as you mentioned, different foods cause spikes in different people so what suits one may not suit me. After discussing the monitors with the pharmacist I've decided to wait until I have my appt. with the nurse although any advice re monitors would be appreciated and I'll certainly look at the one you mentioned. Thanks again for all your links...lots of interesting reading to get through. One thing I haven't mentioned is...I'm needle phobic!!! to the point where I had to have therapy a few years ago to try and control the fear :-( I am now able to donate blood but still would be hiding under the table at the thought of having an injection!! Will I still be able to donate do you know?
Anyway, my walking shoes are calling..best get going before it gets too dark ;-) Thanks again for all your positive advice.

 

[RitaW]

Welcome, noticed you say you eat lots of fruit. Fruit contains sugar all be a natural one, and we all respond differently to fruit, what fruit are you eating for an example bananas are a big problem for some yet other like myself are ok as long as they have only just turned yellow, very ripe ones its forget them for me.

Hi Pav...yes I do eat a banana every day but I'm steering clear of them until I get myself a blood glucose monitor so see what effect they have on me.

 

[PinkGrapefruit]

The following website I have found hugely helpful.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/diabetes

 

[RitaW]

Hi Rita, welcome to the group..... Plenty of people here to give advice....

Firstly, as Northerner has stated, testing is important.... I noticed that your breakfast alone would have my BG through the roof😱

Second, consider what carbs you are consuming.... Cut or reduce things like bread, pasta, rice, cereals & starchy vegetables such as potatoes, replacing them with green leafy vegetables

Hi Martin..thanks for your response. I had a look at monitors yesterday but, after speaking to the pharmacist, I've decided to wait until I've seen the nurse but any advice on them would be much appreciated. It's not going to be easy cutting down the carbs because I eat very little bread, pasta, rice and potatoes already. I eat sweet potaoes instead of white and lots of veg which I roast or steam including curley kale. Which would you say is better for me...weetabix or porridge? In the past I usually add nutty museli to my weetabix and mandarin segments to my porridge. I think I've got to add more seeds and pulses (like cannaloni and butterbeans) to my diet though I'm not very good with seeds. I LOVE nuts though...good or bad do you think? That's what I tend to snack on in the evening.

 

[Northerner]

One thing I haven't mentioned is...I'm needle phobic!!! to the point where I had to have therapy a few years ago to try and control the fear :-( I am now able to donate blood but still would be hiding under the table at the thought of having an injection!! Will I still be able to donate do you know?

If you are confirmed Type 2 then needles will be a very long way off, I think - if ever! 🙂 There are many oral medications that can be given before injectables are considered, and you may not actually need any medication at all if the adaptations to your diet are sufficient to keep your blood sugar levels under good control 🙂 In any event, the injections needed to treat diabetes (for those of us who need them!) are nothing like the other types of injection you may have experienced - the needles are tiny, very fine (you can hardly see them!) and don't hurt, so put that concern out of your mind! 🙂

There is one thing that you do need to be aware of though - there is a possibility that you may be a slow-onset Type 1. Type 2 is often diagnosed based on age alone, but you can be diagnosed Type 1 at any age (I was 49!). Just something to bear in mind if you find the normal Type 2 treatments are not working well for you.

I think that you can give blood as long as you are not on certain types of medication, including insulin - I was a donor before my diagnosis and can no longer give blood.

When testing your blood with a home monitor, the main expense is the test strips - the monitor I mentioned has some of the cheapest available at around £8 for 50, whereas High Street ones can cost £25-£30 for 50 😱 All monitors conform to the same strict accuracy standards, so apart from price there's little to choose between them. I suspect it's unlikely that your nurse will recommend testing, but without doing it, it's impossible to determine what you should avoid in your diet! GPs and nurses think they are saving the NHS money, but it effectively keeps you in the dark about whether any decisions you make are improving your situation, until you have a test every 3 or 6 months - by which time you haven't a clue what the culprits might be if things ave got worse! 🙄

Anyway, good luck, let us know how things go for you, and also if you have any other concerns or questions 🙂

 

[Lindarose]

Hi Rita and welcome from another type 2.
I also have a family history of type 2 (mum sister nanny and aunt) which means it doesn't necessarily give the chance to improve things by losing weight.
However a lower carb diet with testing and exercising as much as possible certainly help keep levels down. Good luck! 🙂

 

[RitaW]

Hi Northerner...thanks for all your advice especially about monitors. I will certainly let you know how I go on with the nurse tho I don't get to see her til 16th so you can understand why I'm looking for help and advice in the mean time to set me on the road to improvement so thank you so much. Ps....can I just say...piglets are my very favourite baby animals 😛