overwhelmed and tearful

[rachches]

Hi
I'm new to this world - having been diagnosed just last week with Type2. I had a hba1c blood result of 54.
I'm completely overwhelmed - I just keep crying!
I've been given Metformin which I've been taking for 2 days now which makes me feel pretty sick and gives me heartburn and im only on the half dose.
I'm feeling incredibly sorry for myself!
i don't know where to start.....

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, many do feel overwhelmed when diagnosed but 54mmol/mol is not desperately bad and is disappointing that your GP has not given you the opportunity to try by lifestyle changes, diet and increasing exercise if you can, before prescribing medication.
Metformin only gives the body a helping hand to use the insulin you are producing more effectively but it is reducing carbohydrates in your diet that will be just if not more powerful in reducing your blood glucose.
Have a look at this link which is a low carbohydrate approach which many find successful at reducing blood glucose and losing weight if you need to. There are some do's and don'ts and some suggestions for modifying your diet with some meal ideas based on real food.

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

Please do come back with any questions but most of all look upon it as an opportunity to make some better food choices which many then find improve their overall health.
Taking the metformin with a substantial meal can help and allow your stomach to settle but if not then there is a slow release version which is supposedly kinder on the stomach. I would not increase the dose if it doesn't.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

So sorry to hear that you have a diagnosis of diabetes but the good news is that you qualify to join our "Merry Band" here on the forum. For quite a few of us here, we used our diagnosis as the kick up the pants we needed to get our act together, lose a bit of weight, get a bit more active and eat better and that has led to us feeling fitter and healthier and younger even, than we did before. Personally, now that I have changed my diet to low carb, I no longer suffer the regular and acutely debilitating migraines that I have for the past 20+ years and significantly less join aches and pains to the point that I can now run or even skip down steep hills whereas I was hobbling before.... I hope the idea of a nearly 60yr old woman skipping down hills puts a smile on your face because it does on mine and the drivers that drive past me 😉. My gut health and bathroom visits are also so much better than it has been for many years, if not all my life. Yes, I have changed what I eat and that was difficult at first, but I really enjoy my new way of eating now and I am happy to eat like this for the rest of my life, so whilst I have given up the excesses of my previous diet and cut out the stuff that was clearly causing my body problems, I have found new things to enjoy.

I know it is really overwhelming at first but this could be the gateway to a new healthier you rather than feeling that this is the beginning of the end and something to be sad about. I fully intend and expect to live a lot longer and with better quality of life now that I am diagnosed and managing my diabetes well and I hope that once you get to grips with it and make some changes, you will feel the same too.

 

[Terry O'Rourke]

It's always quite a shock when you've been given a troubling diagnosis. Yet, this diagnosis, more so than many others, provides you with an incredible opportunity to improve your health and life, if you choose to take it. Probably the hardest thing you need to deal with is your relationship with food.

No one likes to markedly change the way they eat, especially at the suggestion of a third party. We consider our way of eating as sacrosanct, tied up with our personal autonomy, traditions and culture. Asking someone to change their eating style is akin to asking that they change their religion or political affiliation. It's never easily done and why so many people at the juncture you now find yourself, are slow or even unable to adopt suggested eating changes.

It took me many years as I tried to bargain with myself over changing my way of eating. May I offer one idea that has proven its merit with many before you? It's called "eat to your meter" and allows you to customize your way of eating to your needs. Get yourself a blood glucose meter and systematically check your blood sugar just before you eat and also at one and two hours after eating. Don't worry, you don't have to do this forever! Record your numbers in a hand written long. This is both useful and personally motivational.

If the numbers are consistently too high for some meals, you might consider dropping that meal or altering it to make the after meal numbers more acceptable. You may also be pleasantly surprised to find that meals you suspected are bad for your blood sugar are not really that bad at all. You could also experiment with taking a 15-20 minute walk in the first hour after eating.

Using this method, you can discover a way of eating that works for you. Don't slip into the role of victim! Instead, see yourself as an opportunist that can make the necessary changes to improve your health to better than it has ever been.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

So sorry to hear about your diabetes diagnosis @rachches

It’s not at all unusual to feel knocked sideways in the beginning. 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. With your HbA1c at 54 you are only a little over the dividing line of a diabetes diagnosis, so you should find that a few tweaks and changes to your menu, avoiding sweet and sugary things and reducing portion sizes of carbohydrates in general will really help.

Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. 🙂