Re: New to Diabetes Type 2

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crazycat

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Type 2
Hi
can anyone help? Recently diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 (June 2010) not massive readings 6.9 before fasting 11.9 after the drink of lucozade.

Have been told to loose weight I am 5.9 and weight was nearly 15 stone and i am loosing weight down to 13.11 at the moment I have cut out all the choc, crisp etc. I am struggling with what to eat. I am so tired, moody, depressed, I have brain fog, blurred vision, pains in the arms, neck, cloudy head, chatter in my head. I have read so many stories and most say to cut out carbs. I am not checking my bloods at present my Nurse told me she and Doctors do not recommend this. I am fed up of feeling like this i am going mad has anyone else felt like this does it mean my sugars are up or down? Or is it my body getting used to not having sugar etc. Spoke to my Nurse and Doctor they were no use couldn't tell me why i feel like this said it was not diabetic related. Sorry to go on just wanted to see how others felt what they have done and how long it took before they felt normal or sort of normal 😛 thanks
 
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Me again sorry i have posted this in the wrong forum.

I have recently joined this site today look forward to reading the forums etc thanks
 
Hi crazycat, welcome to the forum.

I am T2 and have been for about 5 years. Must say your GP or Nurse don't sound very supportive! I know I couldn't quite believe what was happenin to me and it took me quite some time to get my head round it. The best thing for me was coming on this forum, made me realise I wasn't alone with this thing. Please ask your doctor if they can arrange for you to see a dietician that may help with the diet.

Try to take each day as it comes and good luck, take care, Shirl x
 
Can't think that your symptoms are down to the diabetes, didn't your GP refer you to a dietician?, diabetes specialist? Did they put you on any medication (usually Metformin is the first step)? Did they measure Blood Pressure and was that OK? When do they want to see you again?

The diagnosis seems a bit strange (anyone else comment?) I thought you usually had to have a fasting glucose level>6 (tested twice). If your 6.9 was say, just after breakfast or lunch I would expect a drink of lucozade to put it up significantly for a non-diabetic, just not for long.

You should not cut out carbs, you should cut down on them. Cutting them out altogether can lead to other problems. You should really seek specific advice from a dietician. Diabetes affects us all in different ways, so you can only get anecdotal advice here. I suspect your GP is putting your problems down to being overweight and concentrating on you losing it and they are probably right (although some are pretty crap at diabetes). Losing weight should help with the diabetes.

Diabetes symptons:
* Increased thirst
* Having to pee all the time, especially at night
* Extreme tiredness
* Blurred vision
* Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
* Wounds which are slow to heal
Did you have any of these?
 
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Hi Cat
Have to say your experience of diabetes sounds a bit like mine. I get foggy headed when my blood sugars areb high, i also get lethagic and a bit emotional. I've never been low so i don't know what that's like. Like you my GP isn't at all keen on me testing, so on the whole, if i'm feeling iffy, i'll assume it's coz i'm high. There's not a whole lot i can do about it if i am high so i guess that's their point. I'm currently on Metformin, but today i still hit 15 midmorning (porridge overdose i fear). I'm not one for low carbing, largely coz i'm somewhat addicted to carbs. Like you i've already cut out most of the fat and sugar out of my diet and wonder what's left. On the other hand, i'm not losing much weight and my blood sugar clearly spikes after carb heavy meals. The dietary advice i've had says reduce portion size and eat more veg.
Being diagnosed with diabetes is quite a traumatic expereince, don't expect to get it sorted in your head or to be able to make the nessasary changes all at once. Don't be afraid to ask questions, especially here.

Rachel
 
Welcome to the forum Cat.

You are still in the early post diagnosis days and your body will take a little time settling down to the new (hopefully much lower) blood glucose levels.

I think it took me a couple of months before I could confidently take my regular daily walk. A few times, I did wonder whether I was going to get back home or not (but I always did!).

If you can start exercising regularly and sort your diet out (definitely worth seeing a dietician to get some useful advice) you will reap the benefits. I can honestly say that I haven't felt as good as I do now for years (possibly decades!).

Another thing, try and get on a Diabetes X-Pert course (your GP/DSN should know about it). It is run by the NHS over 6 weeks (one afternoon per week). I found that it gave me a really good grounding as to what Diabetes is and how I can control it.

Good luck

Andy 🙂
 
Hi Crazycat, welcome to the forum.
 
Thank you everyone for your kind replies. Some more details I am 33 years old and like i said i was diagnosed with diabetes type 2 in June 2010. I Have been to a dietician it was like a group drop in session and it was interesting however because i feel ill most days and the nurse and doctors are telling me it is not diabetes related i have found myself searching the internet and finding that other people who felt ill cut out carbs altogether or atleast cut down. I have not been given any medication my nurse wants me to try diet first as me and my partner want kids i want to loose weight and i want to get my body in the best shape it can. I just wanted to know if it is normal to feel like this the brain fog, tiredness, etc as mentioned above and is it because my body has been used to sugar etc that its taking time to settle. I think i will purchase a meter so i can do a food diary and check if it is my levels. When i first got diagnosed i had a glucose test where you didn't eat for 24 hours and then drank lucozade before lucozade my level was 6.9 i hadn't eaten for 24 hours and two hours after lucozade it was 11.9. I am grateful for this site i shall certainly be back and i will have look around. Another moan sorry but do others also loose their train of thought, and feel spaced out like you could sit and stare into space? well enough waffle thanks again your all very kind xxxx
 
Hi Crazycat,

I think you will benefit from getting a meter and at least getting some idea of how your levels are from time to time and how that reflects how you are feeling. Be careful of some of the extreme low carb diets you may find as they may not be suitable for you at this time - you need to learn over time by gradual changes to see what you can happily tolerate and testing these against your meter for confirmation. Some people find that going very low carb can deprive them of readily available energy - carbs are the easiest forms of food to convert to energy, others can require more work so this may be contributing to how you have been feeling. Have a look into Low GI and low GL diets as these allow carbs that release their energy slowly and give you more flexibility in your food choices. 🙂 Look in the recommended books section for some ideas of what members have found useful.

You might be interested in the following links:

Maggie Davey's letter to newly diagnosed Type 2s:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=5836

and also Jennifer's good advice:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=5835

Plus, a book I always recommend, as do many others here: Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker (amazon link)
 
Hi Crazycat, welcome to the forum. I'm T2 and a newcomer myself.

Does it mean some (or all??) people with T2 are not supplied with a meter??? I was sort of lucky, diagnosed with T1 first and supplied with everything on prescription.

It's a huge learning curb, but I hope you feel more comfortable with your condition soon.🙂
 
Hi

Hi Crazy cat. I am also 33 and I was diagnosed with Type 2 a year ago. It is great that you are already able to express your emotions as I have been in total denial. The tiredness is what made me go to my GP in the first place - I thought I had ME because I was so exhausted. My blood sugars were 27! I get blurred vision when my sugars are high - my eyesight in general seems much better now I have a little more control of things. Lack of concentration can be a sign of depression - is this something the GP has addressed with you - associated with diabetes and a normal reaction when diagnosed with a life-changing illness I think!!
I'm finding it hard to find support groups with people my age - I am new to this forum today and I hope this will be a good substitute for that x
 
lollypop77 said:
Hi Crazy cat. I am also 33 and I was diagnosed with Type 2 a year ago. It is great that you are already able to express your emotions as I have been in total denial. The tiredness is what made me go to my GP in the first place - I thought I had ME because I was so exhausted. My blood sugars were 27! I get blurred vision when my sugars are high - my eyesight in general seems much better now I have a little more control of things. Lack of concentration can be a sign of depression - is this something the GP has addressed with you - associated with diabetes and a normal reaction when diagnosed with a life-changing illness I think!!
I'm finding it hard to find support groups with people my age - I am new to this forum today and I hope this will be a good substitute for that x
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Hi lollypop, welcome to the forum 🙂 We have people of all ages and varieties here, so I'm sure you'll find a lot in common with many people. To be honest, I don't think age tends to be an issue on here, but I can understand that it is nice to meet people of your own age out in the 'real world'. A lot of voluntary groups tend to be skewed either to older people (50+) or the younger ones, so it can be difficult. I'm odd in that I am Type1, diagnosed aged 49, but it tends to be associated with much younger people.

We do have quite a few in your age group though, both Type 1 and Type 2! 🙂
 
Hi Northerner

Thank you i will be getting a meter and i will have a look this weekend and start a food diary. I have the book Type 2 diabetes the first year by Gretchen Becker i need to start reading this. I will also have a look at your links thanks very much I know it takes time Cat xx
 
Hi Cat, welcome to the forum :D
 
Again thank you for all you kind comments and helpful advice I will be buying a meter this weekend and i will start a food diary. I have a low GI book and low carb counter so i shall try different foods and log my levels to see what are best for me. I know some foods i could eat others may not everyone is different. I will be going back to my GP soon and i will mentione depression etc as i have been down before i was diagnosed. Speak to you all soon and thanks again xxx
 
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