Hi everyone, I’m Mark based on Cheshire and completely confused following my recent diagnosis with type 2. I’ve been prescribed metformin but I’m struggling to get any further information from my doctors about what the next stage is (clinic for education etc). Should I be testing my bloods and if so how often? What should my ideal readings be? Is there a pathway with the nhs that the doctors follow for people who are newly diagnosed? I’ve left messages for my doctor to call me but it’s been over a week with no call so I’m getting a bit confused with what I should be doing? Any advise greatly appreciated. Thanks-Mark
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Newly diagnosed type 2
- Thread starter Simo
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SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello Mark and welcome, confusing isn’t it. Sadly a lot of us are diagnosed and ‘left to get on with it’. Don’t worry you will get more advice from your docs and loads of advice and support from us, and we are the ones living with it. Do you happen to know what your HbA1c was as this would help us a little. I am assuming it was on the high side if you have been started on medication, as far as that goes try to take it with or after a substantial meal as it is commonly known as Metfartin for obvious reasons. Some people get on with after a little while but some can’t and need the slow release version, just see how you get on.
As for testing certainly a lot of us do it, you are extremely unlikely to get the meter or strips from your GP as they are not keen on us doing it. However it is the only way really to learn what foods you can and cannot tolerate and it is different for all of us.
We need to cut down on carbs, again most but not all members follow this way of eating as the carbs turn to sugar and that is what we need to avoid, so things like potatoes, pasta, rice and bread need to be cut down on. A lot of fruit has natural sugars to anything with berries in the name is good. Obviously we need to avoid biscuits, cakes, sweets etc. Don’t despair though there are plenty of other things we are fine with and there is a recipe section on the site to help you out but basically meat, fish, eggs, cheese, green leafy veg are all fine. Depending on how you react to different foods will add or subtract from this. Sounds confusing but believe you will get the hang of it and we are here to help you with any questions you have.
Your GP should arrange for you to see a diabetes nurse (DN) and she will arrange tests for you such as a foot test, eye test, a course if you wish etc.
Others will be along shortly and I’m sure somebody will post a link for the codefree meter which lots use as the strips for it are the cheapest but I can’t work out how to add links doh!!
Anyway welcome again, don’t panic and you don’t need to do anything drastic straight away. Have a good look around the site and ask anything you want. Sue
As for testing certainly a lot of us do it, you are extremely unlikely to get the meter or strips from your GP as they are not keen on us doing it. However it is the only way really to learn what foods you can and cannot tolerate and it is different for all of us.
We need to cut down on carbs, again most but not all members follow this way of eating as the carbs turn to sugar and that is what we need to avoid, so things like potatoes, pasta, rice and bread need to be cut down on. A lot of fruit has natural sugars to anything with berries in the name is good. Obviously we need to avoid biscuits, cakes, sweets etc. Don’t despair though there are plenty of other things we are fine with and there is a recipe section on the site to help you out but basically meat, fish, eggs, cheese, green leafy veg are all fine. Depending on how you react to different foods will add or subtract from this. Sounds confusing but believe you will get the hang of it and we are here to help you with any questions you have.
Your GP should arrange for you to see a diabetes nurse (DN) and she will arrange tests for you such as a foot test, eye test, a course if you wish etc.
Others will be along shortly and I’m sure somebody will post a link for the codefree meter which lots use as the strips for it are the cheapest but I can’t work out how to add links doh!!
Anyway welcome again, don’t panic and you don’t need to do anything drastic straight away. Have a good look around the site and ask anything you want. Sue
Ralph-YK
Much missed Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum Mark, from a fellow T2.
There's a couple of "courses" that might be availed in your area. It depends which the local area have chosen.
There's Desmond, which is 2 half days.
X-pert, which is specifically for T2 diabetics. 6 half day sessions. Nothing to do with Expert Patient Programme (EPP, which many people insist on referring to as Expert). EPP is nothing to do with diabetes.
Some areas have their own local provision, which will have its own name.
Tell your Dr or nurse you want to do sessions.
Carbohydrate awareness sessions & one miss named 'supermarket tour' might be run separately, and you'll have to say you want to do them specifically.
There might also be Diabetes Diatition in your area. Again, you've to specifically ask to see them.
There's not much support for self testing from Health Care Professionals. They'll seven dismiss it and discourage it. I recommend self testing. The SD Codefree is the cheapest I know of for strips. £8 for 50 (inc postage) and £13 for the meter itself.
Test before and 1 - 2 hours after eating. This will show the effect your food has on your blood glucose, along with any changes you make. Keep a food diary, along with a record of your levels. After a couple of weeks you should start to see a pattern.
There's a couple of "courses" that might be availed in your area. It depends which the local area have chosen.
There's Desmond, which is 2 half days.
X-pert, which is specifically for T2 diabetics. 6 half day sessions. Nothing to do with Expert Patient Programme (EPP, which many people insist on referring to as Expert). EPP is nothing to do with diabetes.
Some areas have their own local provision, which will have its own name.
Tell your Dr or nurse you want to do sessions.
Carbohydrate awareness sessions & one miss named 'supermarket tour' might be run separately, and you'll have to say you want to do them specifically.
There might also be Diabetes Diatition in your area. Again, you've to specifically ask to see them.
There's not much support for self testing from Health Care Professionals. They'll seven dismiss it and discourage it. I recommend self testing. The SD Codefree is the cheapest I know of for strips. £8 for 50 (inc postage) and £13 for the meter itself.
Test before and 1 - 2 hours after eating. This will show the effect your food has on your blood glucose, along with any changes you make. Keep a food diary, along with a record of your levels. After a couple of weeks you should start to see a pattern.
Neens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Mark and welcome. It is a confusing time.
The level of care we receive on diagnosis varies greatly but it doesn't seem unusual that the time frame is a long one.
It is a bit - you have this - get along now... however it is actually one disease that the NHS put a great care frame around.
It was 2 weeks between diagnosis and my apt with DN (Diabetic Nurse) - which felt like an age - I went with a sheet of questions and muddled through 2 weeks of research and low carb food.
You will get lots of good advice here and you should head over to the learning zone.
Most people get access to an education course - my waiting time is 4 months. In the meantime there are lots of places on DUK website you can find out bits and explore. Lots of supportive members in the forum.
Check out this thread
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406/
And these
A good place to start is by reading Maggie Davey's letter
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S
Also, because if you have to self-fund you want to make those test strips count:
Testing on a budget
A highly recommended book: Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker
Diabetes UK online training course for people new to Type 2 diabetes:
Type 2 Diabetes and Me
When you get your next medical appointment you should get an information pack.
Don't panic and take small steps.
The level of care we receive on diagnosis varies greatly but it doesn't seem unusual that the time frame is a long one.
It is a bit - you have this - get along now... however it is actually one disease that the NHS put a great care frame around.
It was 2 weeks between diagnosis and my apt with DN (Diabetic Nurse) - which felt like an age - I went with a sheet of questions and muddled through 2 weeks of research and low carb food.
You will get lots of good advice here and you should head over to the learning zone.
Most people get access to an education course - my waiting time is 4 months. In the meantime there are lots of places on DUK website you can find out bits and explore. Lots of supportive members in the forum.
Check out this thread
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406/
And these
A good place to start is by reading Maggie Davey's letter
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S
Also, because if you have to self-fund you want to make those test strips count:
Testing on a budget
A highly recommended book: Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker
Diabetes UK online training course for people new to Type 2 diabetes:
Type 2 Diabetes and Me
When you get your next medical appointment you should get an information pack.
Don't panic and take small steps.
Martin9
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Simo just a quick hello, I was where you’re at around a year and three quarters ago, through following the advice on this forum I managed to bring an initial HbA1c of 77 down to 35 within three months of diagnosis , you won’t get better advice than on this forum, I was left as you were, with Metformin and no advice ,was told was going to be referred to a Desmond training course which I wasn’t offered a place on till nearly 8 months later.
So it’s a good thing you found this forum, follow the advice here, and you can make changes which will help you make changes to BG levels and to your overall health and the way you feel...
Regards
M.
So it’s a good thing you found this forum, follow the advice here, and you can make changes which will help you make changes to BG levels and to your overall health and the way you feel...
Regards
M.
Hi, Most GPs still consider Type 2 diabetes to be a progressive disease meaning they expect you to need more and more medication to keep you alive and that there is a chance of blindness or amputations - even in this century!
The truth is that it can be controlled and reversed to such an extent that no medication at all ay be needed. The problem is that we have all been misled about which foods are the healthiest to eat. If I'd followed the advice of my GP and Diabetes Nurse I would still be in the diabetic range for Blood Glucose and also be on at least some diabetes medication!
Instead I finally saw the light after asking others who had put their own diabetes into remission.
The truth is that it can be controlled and reversed to such an extent that no medication at all ay be needed. The problem is that we have all been misled about which foods are the healthiest to eat. If I'd followed the advice of my GP and Diabetes Nurse I would still be in the diabetic range for Blood Glucose and also be on at least some diabetes medication!
Instead I finally saw the light after asking others who had put their own diabetes into remission.
ColinUK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hi Mark,
I’m not far in front of you as I was diagnosed last week. Nothing from the GP support wise but I’m back in to see them this week and want to see what happens next.
I was also prescribed metformin 500mg twice a day for a week then kicking up to 1000mg twice a day which the pharmacist said was pretty normal. Other than that nothing at the time from the GP at all so I’m glad I found this place.
With guidance from the participants on this forum I’ve realised that I wanted to know more so I’ve bought an SD Codefree BG monitor (recommended because the test strips are cheap) and have started to test.
Perhaps as equally important is that this place is a safe place to vent, to ask questions etc because every single one of us has been reeling from the shock of a diagnosis at some time or another.
And remember there are no stupid questions. 🙂
I’m not far in front of you as I was diagnosed last week. Nothing from the GP support wise but I’m back in to see them this week and want to see what happens next.
I was also prescribed metformin 500mg twice a day for a week then kicking up to 1000mg twice a day which the pharmacist said was pretty normal. Other than that nothing at the time from the GP at all so I’m glad I found this place.
With guidance from the participants on this forum I’ve realised that I wanted to know more so I’ve bought an SD Codefree BG monitor (recommended because the test strips are cheap) and have started to test.
Perhaps as equally important is that this place is a safe place to vent, to ask questions etc because every single one of us has been reeling from the shock of a diagnosis at some time or another.
And remember there are no stupid questions. 🙂
ColinUK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- He/Him
What’s your IF pattern Ian?
I just wondered, doesn't your practice want to see you for the regular annual checks regardless of your normal numbers? Thinking about it my GP told me that there is no need to contact the surgery if my next Hba1c is between 40 -50.
Brando77
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
My Clinic bombard me with reminders every year by post, email and text for HbA, nurse check ups, feet weight bp eye screening etc. They don't leave you dangling. Gotta say, my medical centre is on the ball. Maybe cos its a fairly small seaside town....if i still lived in London might be different. 🙂
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I have been told that I have been having regular annual checks since I was 40 years old - news to me.
I have a failed thyroid so my level is checked once a year, when I remind them, and I ask for my Hba1c to be checked. I used to just get an 'OK' on my file, but now I get called in to see a nurse, and one of them checks my feet. I do get an eye check as I am in the system, but the GP surgery doesn't show much interest.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Simo - and really sorry to hear that you’ve felt a bit ‘left in the dark’ by your Docs.
Those links suggested by @Neens (thanks for such a helpful post!) are a really good starting point, and have been tried and tested by many forum members over the years.
Don’t hold back in just asking questions and getting involved in conversations either. Part of the strength of the forum is in the interactions between people facing the same frustrations and challenges every day and in the ‘accidental learning’ that happens when people share their experiences.
Those links suggested by @Neens (thanks for such a helpful post!) are a really good starting point, and have been tried and tested by many forum members over the years.
Don’t hold back in just asking questions and getting involved in conversations either. Part of the strength of the forum is in the interactions between people facing the same frustrations and challenges every day and in the ‘accidental learning’ that happens when people share their experiences.
Hi Colin, My Intermittent Fasting started out as just not eating breakfast if not really hungry.
Then I started to push lunch back by 1hr in order to increase the fasting length when I skip breakfast. I pushed all lunches back so not varying the time based upon having breakfast or remaining fasting.
Then it got to the point (now over 5 weeks ago) that I stopped having breakfast ever.
So lunch at 1pm or later, dinner at 7pm - finished before 8pm after which no calories until lunch the next day.
Morning everyone, wow thanks for the replies! Lots of useful information that I will/have followed up on. I've started to get appointments through to see the DN and for my trotters so hopefully this time next week I will be in a better position with a better understanding of exactly what's going on and what the plans are for the future. Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate it.
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