Really struggling with diagnosis

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welshwoman

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Type 2
One week in and I am REALLY struggling with my diagnosis. Can't help feeling I am at death's door, even though I know my stats are actually at the lower end (fasting blood sugar was 7, other thing 50 at diagnosis). I keep thinking 'maybe I'm not T2', then I beat myself up because I know that I am. Bought a blood sugar monitor and have been a bit obsessed this week. Seems my sugar dropped to 5.9/6 mark but only when I'd barely eaten anything. Had some breaded chicken fillets last night and it shot up to 11.9 1.5 hours after, was 7.9 this morning.

I am going on holiday on Saturday to Italy where I was looking forward to pasta and bread and wine. Now I am dreading it.

I know I'm being silly but this has hit me really hard.

Any advice on emotional stuff? I get anxiety/depression at the best of times.
 
You're not being silly - you've just been diagnosed with a chronic health condition and it's totally normal to feel overwhelmed at first.

My advice would be not to worry TOO much about your diabetes on this holiday. One week of higher BG levels isn't going to finish you off! There are lots of delicious lower carb foods in Italy - meat, fish, and seafood dishes for example - but if you fancy pasta, I'd advise eating it at lunchtime rather than evening. That way, you can go for a stroll after your lunch (exercise will increase your sensitivity to the insulin you are making), and if you eat a lighter meal in the evening you should have a better chance of normal BG levels overnight. You could also perhaps have a starter-sized portion of pasta rather than a main meal?

Hope you have a lovely holiday 🙂. Whereabouts in Italy are you going?
 
Thank you. We are going near Pisa and Florence. Hopefully the weather will be nice.

I guess it's accepting I have to look after myself, I'm not very good at that. Plus I keep thinking I'll go blind, lost my feet. :(
 
Hi WW,

Yes a diagnosis is daunting and possible complications fill our minds but take heart, Type2 is manageable and is all to do with food choices.
Read through this link and it will help you understand that a diagnosis is like a grieving process. You grieve for your old life where you did not have to put any effort in, no management strategies, eating what you when you like.

http://www.diabetesexplained.com/the-five-stages-of-grief.html

The good thing is that now you will eat healthier, feel healthier and start a new chapter in your life.

It is good that you are testing and I would suggest that the coating on the chicken was what made a difference to your readings. A chicken fillet, loads of veggies and a small helping of potatoes, not mashed, rice or pasta might have been a better choice for you. We have individual responses to certain foods and it is best to keep a food diary to see what does and does not spike you

Italy is a lovely place to have a holiday and you can always ask for more veggies or salad rather than a normal portion of pasta, bread.

It's early days yet and remember this is a marathon and not a sprint.

You will get there even if it feels daunting at the moment. Remeber we have all been where you are now and come out the other side.

(((((hugs)))))

Maisie.
 
wishing you a fabulous relaxing holiday. I find I end up doing more on holiday and if it is warmer, I need less insulin anyway, so have a nice stroll around after a lovely pasta meal and try not to worry too much.
 
It's not silly at all, it's information overload when you're first diagnosed and it takes a while to make sense of it all! Try not to panic, it does get easier and it's completely manageable once you get your head around it and understand how certain foods etc affect it. Buying a monitor is a great first step as it'll help you and your health care team to spot patterns and tweak things based on that. Just take it one step at a time, in a few weeks time you'll notice that you understand things a lot more and with that comes confidence in managing it 🙂
 
Thanks everyone. It really is a help. I am hoping these feelings will pass and I'll get a handle on stuff 🙂
 
welshwoman said:
Thanks everyone. It really is a help. I am hoping these feelings will pass and I'll get a handle on stuff 🙂
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They will pass, we all feel overwhelmed at first, and we all get the hang of it all at different times. Enjoy your holiday and a bit of pasta and take the opportunity to try less carby dishes which might just be yummy 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum. As others have said, what you are going through is normal and will hopefully pass.

I was diagnosed in October 2009 and changed my exercise and diet pretty drastically. For a month or two I often felt like 'death warmed up' when trying to get back home after a walk. This was down to my body thinking that normal(ish) blood sugar levels were 'too low'.

I also had blips where my blood sugar levels peaked higher than I wanted (usually when I indulged in the wrong kind of foods ... I learned the lesson and moved on after making some changes).

Now, I have been diet and exercise controlled only for nearly five years and recently had my best ever HbA1c. So things can get better. 🙂

My wife and I went on holiday to Florence a couple of years ago (and paid a visit to Pisa too ... the plane went there). We had a cracking time in Florence (not so bothered about Pisa, but the tower was worth a visit!).

I hope you have a good time (just moderate the pasta/pizza intake and I'm sure that you'll be fine!).

Andy 🙂
 
Hi welshwoman, I love going to Italy so I really hope you have a fabulous time! Relax, soak up the sun/art/culture/food and you are sure to feel a whole lot better 🙂

We all feel low at times, but this forum is a real lifeline, not to say tonic, and I'm sure will help you get over the bad days.

All the best :D
 
Hi welsh woman. Wishing you a wonderful holiday. Don't let the D spoil it for you. I think forewarned is forearmed or something like that. I love Italian ice cream in moderation.
 
Hi there
I'm a new diabetic too and soon after my diagnosis I went on holiday. You run around so much on holiday that you end up burning off a lot of what you eat. Just go and enjoy yourself!

All the people on the forum here are great, and they've helped me get through some quite difficult times and I'm very grateful for all their help....
 
welshwoman said:
Thank you. We are going near Pisa and Florence. Hopefully the weather will be nice.

I guess it's accepting I have to look after myself, I'm not very good at that. Plus I keep thinking I'll go blind, lost my feet. :(
Click to expand...

I went on a cruise ship with all the endless food not long ago.
I ate well but sensibly, avoid the fast food and desserts, but go for main courses. With the exercise my blood sugar was not very different.

Life carries on.
 
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