Bonniesmum
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi I was diagnosed yesterday.Its still sinking in
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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Shell Shocked
- Thread starter Bonniesmum
- Start date
- Status
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Hello @Bonniesmum , welcome to the forum. Yes it is a shock when first diagnosed. I would like to try and reassure you that with the right info and support which you will get plenty of here.
diabetes can be well managed.
If you don’t mind a little more info would help us give you the best info
Have you been put on any medication for diabetes
Your Hb1ac (blood test) result it’s usually given like this 67 or as a percentage 8.3
Just to get you started.
You are probably wondering what on Earth you can you eat, well we are absolutely fine with protein in all it’s forms and providing you don’t have a medical condition that requires you to go low fat (diabetes doesn’t) then we are fine with good fats so dairy is ok as are many vegetables.
What needs to be reduced is Carbohydrates , esp the starchy carbohydrates, like potatoes, rice, pasta , breakfast cereals and bread , fruit juice and smoothies are out
But don’t worry their are often good substitutes. Many of us need to be careful with fruit , anything with berry in its name is often tolerated better.
Ask all the questions you need to about diabetes, we’ll do our best to help.
diabetes can be well managed.
If you don’t mind a little more info would help us give you the best info
Have you been put on any medication for diabetes
Your Hb1ac (blood test) result it’s usually given like this 67 or as a percentage 8.3
Just to get you started.
You are probably wondering what on Earth you can you eat, well we are absolutely fine with protein in all it’s forms and providing you don’t have a medical condition that requires you to go low fat (diabetes doesn’t) then we are fine with good fats so dairy is ok as are many vegetables.
What needs to be reduced is Carbohydrates , esp the starchy carbohydrates, like potatoes, rice, pasta , breakfast cereals and bread , fruit juice and smoothies are out
But don’t worry their are often good substitutes. Many of us need to be careful with fruit , anything with berry in its name is often tolerated better.
Ask all the questions you need to about diabetes, we’ll do our best to help.
Hi and welcome @Bonniesmum You must be reeling from the diagnosis, its horrible isnt it, but its not as bad as you think, with a few changes you will soon make great strides to control this condition, im sure.. Many helping hand are here for you, you can ask what you like, read as much as you can, gain knowledge and wisdom and you will soon get in the swing of it. It may be helpful if can possibly let us know your levels, any meds you are on and whether you have a Blood Glucose meter to test yourself through the day? All these things will help others tailor their advice and guide you through what must seem an enormous minefield. But it isnt really, I have been swinging between diabetes and pre-diabetes since last April (with a huge stupid hiccup over Xmas that set me back, but ive learned from it and im doing ok!) I did the obvious first, took out all obvious sugars from my diet, then i moved to the larder and threw out all the 'hidden' sugars in things like ketchup, sauces etc. I reduced all carbs (potatoes, rice, pasta & bread whether brown or white made no difference) down to a minimum. I try to have a carb free lunch (to give my insides a rest). I dont use low fat things, (I find they're usually packed with sugar/salt (and i have to watch my blood pressure). I upped lean meats and fish and started on a 10 min a day exercise regime at home (found Brit Heart Found. on You Tube suits me) I have taken to walking a bit more, get moving, and i have already lost half a stone (1 more to go) But i made changes i know i can sustain, no good going all gusto and burning out in a few weeks! This a lot to take in. My advice would be, dont panic, read and chat to all you can, Loads of helpful resources on here and external sites to help you, people will post a few up for you and of course there are all the other threads on here to go through (cherry pick what catches your eye and what would interest you, pull up a chair, make a cup of tea, and have a nice time with this forum. We are glad you are here - take your time with it all. We are all here for you.
Toucan
Forum Host
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
So good that you have joined the forum, as you can see from the replies you already have there is plenty of help and support here.
I can still remember that big shock of first diagnosis although it was over 8 years ago, it really overwhelmed me, and there is a lot of confusing information about what to do. We are all different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ and you need to find what right for you.
To summarise, there are 3 main things to consider:
Firstly, healthy eating, and the right solution for you to lower your blood sugars, and if you are overweight, loosing weight will help a lot. Secondly increasing exercise, and thirdly medication which may be necessary depending on what your HB1ac readings are.
For me, a new way of eating, and increased exercise, plus some metformin has worked. As well as cutting out all the sugary things, I cut down on the carbs particularly the ‘white’ ones (white bread and flour,rice,pasta,etc ) and mainly eat fresh fish and poultry and have learned to love vegetables (although that took a while!). I also try to avoid to much processed food, and to include plenty of fibre some from the veg, plus seeds and pulses. There are many good recipes to make these things really tasty.
I would suggest starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.
It does all take time to find what’s right for you and adjust your lifestyle, but please be patient, it will be very worthwhile.
Hope you will let us know how it goes for you and please ask about anything you are concerned about.
I can still remember that big shock of first diagnosis although it was over 8 years ago, it really overwhelmed me, and there is a lot of confusing information about what to do. We are all different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ and you need to find what right for you.
To summarise, there are 3 main things to consider:
Firstly, healthy eating, and the right solution for you to lower your blood sugars, and if you are overweight, loosing weight will help a lot. Secondly increasing exercise, and thirdly medication which may be necessary depending on what your HB1ac readings are.
For me, a new way of eating, and increased exercise, plus some metformin has worked. As well as cutting out all the sugary things, I cut down on the carbs particularly the ‘white’ ones (white bread and flour,rice,pasta,etc ) and mainly eat fresh fish and poultry and have learned to love vegetables (although that took a while!). I also try to avoid to much processed food, and to include plenty of fibre some from the veg, plus seeds and pulses. There are many good recipes to make these things really tasty.
I would suggest starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.
It does all take time to find what’s right for you and adjust your lifestyle, but please be patient, it will be very worthwhile.
Hope you will let us know how it goes for you and please ask about anything you are concerned about.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome.
You have found a great place to learn how to manage your condition and gain support from people who understand exactly how you feel.
Yes it is very overwhelming at first but take your time to come to terms with it because it is like a marathon, not a sprint and you will learn a lot from trial and some error as you go along. Managing your BG levels is not an exact science and there is a significant amount of variation between individuals, so whilst we can steer you in roughly the right direction, only you can figure out exactly what will work for you. Many people here on the forum and particularly those who have been successful, feel that a Blood Glucose meter and self testing is a vital tool in their journey and if it is not provided by your Health Care team as is the case with most patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes then self funding is well worth while. Blood Glucose Meters are relatively inexpensive to purchase @ approx. £15 but the on going use of test strips for them can run the finances up and for this reason the SD Gluco Navii (previously known as the SD Codefree) or the Spirit Health TEE2 Blood Glucose Meters are recommended here because the test strips for them are the cheapest @£8 for a pot of 50. Using a meter will show you the effect that individual foods or meals have on your levels and enable you to tailor the food you eat to prevent it from raising your levels too high.
Essentially, carbohydrates are the problem with diabetes, so that is not just sugar and sweet foods including fruit and fruit juice but also starchy carbs including potatoes and foods made with grain or grain products such as bread, pasta, couscous, rice, noodles, breakfast cereals possibly including porridge/oats. Lentils and pulses can also cause a problem to some people. It may seem like there is not a lot left to eat but once you get the hang of eating low carb, it can be quite enjoyable and not feel like you are being deprived. If you need to lose a lot of weight then keeping your fat intake reasonably low (but avoiding low fat foods which are higher in carbs) will help the weight loss, but once you reach your target weight/normal BMI then fat intake can be increased with the likes of cheese and cream and butter and olive oil and nuts and avocado etc to stabilise your weight and it is this fat which makes the low carb way of eating sustainable long term because it is enjoyable to eat fat and it provides slow release energy and stops you from feeling hungry. Eating fat is contrary to everything we have been told for the past 50+ years, but it is now suspected that the research on which low fat advice was based was flawed and our low fat diet may in fact be partly responsible for the diabetes epidemic we are now experiencing in modern life. The link between dietary fat and Cardiovascular disease and obesity and even high cholesterol levels is now in question and many of us here on this forum are confident enough to go against the low fat dietary advice which is still being promoted by the government and NHS and eat a high fat diet and feel better for it.
It would help to know what your HbA1c reading is... this is the blood test reading which defines you as diabetic and will be 48 or more. Knowing the level of that reading may help us to give you more appropriate advice... ie if you are just over the line in the late 40s and 50s you will need to make much less drastic dietary changes than if you are in the 90s or 100+ as some of us were.
It would also help to know if you have been prescribed any medication and what that is. If your levels are relatively low then it is often possible to push your levels back down with diet and exercise alone but if your levels are very high then they normally prefer you to start on medication straight away.
Many of us now see our diagnosis as the start of a positive lifestyle change which sees us eating more healthily and being more active and losing weight and feeling better about ourselves as a result, so whilst we would all wish not to be diabetic, there are definitely some silver linings to our diagnosis. Hopefully one you get over the shock and start to make changes to your lifestyle, you too will feel better.
You have found a great place to learn how to manage your condition and gain support from people who understand exactly how you feel.
Yes it is very overwhelming at first but take your time to come to terms with it because it is like a marathon, not a sprint and you will learn a lot from trial and some error as you go along. Managing your BG levels is not an exact science and there is a significant amount of variation between individuals, so whilst we can steer you in roughly the right direction, only you can figure out exactly what will work for you. Many people here on the forum and particularly those who have been successful, feel that a Blood Glucose meter and self testing is a vital tool in their journey and if it is not provided by your Health Care team as is the case with most patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes then self funding is well worth while. Blood Glucose Meters are relatively inexpensive to purchase @ approx. £15 but the on going use of test strips for them can run the finances up and for this reason the SD Gluco Navii (previously known as the SD Codefree) or the Spirit Health TEE2 Blood Glucose Meters are recommended here because the test strips for them are the cheapest @£8 for a pot of 50. Using a meter will show you the effect that individual foods or meals have on your levels and enable you to tailor the food you eat to prevent it from raising your levels too high.
Essentially, carbohydrates are the problem with diabetes, so that is not just sugar and sweet foods including fruit and fruit juice but also starchy carbs including potatoes and foods made with grain or grain products such as bread, pasta, couscous, rice, noodles, breakfast cereals possibly including porridge/oats. Lentils and pulses can also cause a problem to some people. It may seem like there is not a lot left to eat but once you get the hang of eating low carb, it can be quite enjoyable and not feel like you are being deprived. If you need to lose a lot of weight then keeping your fat intake reasonably low (but avoiding low fat foods which are higher in carbs) will help the weight loss, but once you reach your target weight/normal BMI then fat intake can be increased with the likes of cheese and cream and butter and olive oil and nuts and avocado etc to stabilise your weight and it is this fat which makes the low carb way of eating sustainable long term because it is enjoyable to eat fat and it provides slow release energy and stops you from feeling hungry. Eating fat is contrary to everything we have been told for the past 50+ years, but it is now suspected that the research on which low fat advice was based was flawed and our low fat diet may in fact be partly responsible for the diabetes epidemic we are now experiencing in modern life. The link between dietary fat and Cardiovascular disease and obesity and even high cholesterol levels is now in question and many of us here on this forum are confident enough to go against the low fat dietary advice which is still being promoted by the government and NHS and eat a high fat diet and feel better for it.
It would help to know what your HbA1c reading is... this is the blood test reading which defines you as diabetic and will be 48 or more. Knowing the level of that reading may help us to give you more appropriate advice... ie if you are just over the line in the late 40s and 50s you will need to make much less drastic dietary changes than if you are in the 90s or 100+ as some of us were.
It would also help to know if you have been prescribed any medication and what that is. If your levels are relatively low then it is often possible to push your levels back down with diet and exercise alone but if your levels are very high then they normally prefer you to start on medication straight away.
Many of us now see our diagnosis as the start of a positive lifestyle change which sees us eating more healthily and being more active and losing weight and feeling better about ourselves as a result, so whilst we would all wish not to be diabetic, there are definitely some silver linings to our diagnosis. Hopefully one you get over the shock and start to make changes to your lifestyle, you too will feel better.
Bonniesmum
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Thanks for your replies. I was a nurse. I am obese and follow a ketogenic diet plan. While testing my urine for ketosis I suddenly went to 4 + sugar. I knew this was not good. I was on steroids and antibiotics twice after Christmas for a severe chest infection. I went to my respiratory clinic check up and mentioned the sugar to the nurse. She took a blood test and yesterday I got a phone call to go to the surgery. My test results were 61 which the Doctor said was high,and although the steroids may have spiked the result a bit,she says this shows a mean result over three months.
She wanted to start me on Metformin straight away and I was very reluctant as I have diverticulitis so I had more bloods done this morning,to check my kidney function. She is ringing next week.
I got myself a blood glucose testing kit and used it this morning for the first time. The result was 21 which the chart says is dangerously high.
I eat a small amount of meat,a lot of fish,dairy,some potatoe and two dozen eggs a week.I don’t take sugar,drink sugary or fizzy drinks. I eat whole meal bread two slices a day. I don’t drink water but decaff coffee and tea and some sparkling water. No fruit or veg,and take a muti vitamin every day.
I suffer from multiple joint inflammatory disease and neuropathy due to nerve impingement in my spine and neck,and I struggle to stay awake. My vision is double and blurry.
My feet are a big problem with my toes being totally numb and I have some sort of skin breakouts.
Any suggestions on how to keep the levels down till I start treatment ?
She wanted to start me on Metformin straight away and I was very reluctant as I have diverticulitis so I had more bloods done this morning,to check my kidney function. She is ringing next week.
I got myself a blood glucose testing kit and used it this morning for the first time. The result was 21 which the chart says is dangerously high.
I eat a small amount of meat,a lot of fish,dairy,some potatoe and two dozen eggs a week.I don’t take sugar,drink sugary or fizzy drinks. I eat whole meal bread two slices a day. I don’t drink water but decaff coffee and tea and some sparkling water. No fruit or veg,and take a muti vitamin every day.
I suffer from multiple joint inflammatory disease and neuropathy due to nerve impingement in my spine and neck,and I struggle to stay awake. My vision is double and blurry.
My feet are a big problem with my toes being totally numb and I have some sort of skin breakouts.
Any suggestions on how to keep the levels down till I start treatment ?
Toucan
Forum Host
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello @Bonniesmum.
Thanks for telling us more about yourself, and you certainly have many things to take into account.
Just a thought on using the testing kit - reading can be high just after eating, so the rule of thumb is to wait 2 hours and then test.
I am sure it will be really stressful, particularly until you get your full blood test results, and can start to work out the best plan with your medical team.
It's hard to do, but some things to help relaxation would be good to reduce stress.
Thanks for telling us more about yourself, and you certainly have many things to take into account.
Just a thought on using the testing kit - reading can be high just after eating, so the rule of thumb is to wait 2 hours and then test.
I am sure it will be really stressful, particularly until you get your full blood test results, and can start to work out the best plan with your medical team.
It's hard to do, but some things to help relaxation would be good to reduce stress.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
The tablets which most are pushed to take from diagnosis do very little to deal with the main culprit - the carbohydrate in the 'healthy' diet we are so pushed to stick to.
The diet plan with two slices of bread and some potato - but no veges or fruit - no wonder you need to take a multi vitamin - my diet is close to Atkins, there is no bread or potato, but lots of different veges and salad stuff plus berries a couple of times a week, though the 40 gm of carbs which is my limit might well be less than the bread and potato. I realise that with diverticulitis and all your other problems that it might not be possible for you to eat anything like my diet - but bread and potatoes seems about as non ketogenic as you could get.
Can you eat things if made into a broth? I am not sure what the best option is - broken up foods might enter the diverts more easily - maybe also leave them, can you educate us on what is good and bad for you?
The diet plan with two slices of bread and some potato - but no veges or fruit - no wonder you need to take a multi vitamin - my diet is close to Atkins, there is no bread or potato, but lots of different veges and salad stuff plus berries a couple of times a week, though the 40 gm of carbs which is my limit might well be less than the bread and potato. I realise that with diverticulitis and all your other problems that it might not be possible for you to eat anything like my diet - but bread and potatoes seems about as non ketogenic as you could get.
Can you eat things if made into a broth? I am not sure what the best option is - broken up foods might enter the diverts more easily - maybe also leave them, can you educate us on what is good and bad for you?
Hi again @Bonniesmum. You certainly have your hands full, im sorry that you have to deal with such things. I cant advise you on those ailments but what I can say is my mother suffered for a time with diverticulitis and the NHS website which she found helpful suggested : QUOTE : Eating a high-fibre diet may help ease the symptoms of diverticular disease. Generally, adults should aim to eat 30g of fibre a day. Good sources of fibre include fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, beans and pulses, nuts, cereals and starchy foods. Fibre supplements, usually in the form of sachets of powder that you mix with water, are also available from pharmacists and health food shops. Gradually increasing your fibre intake over a few weeks and drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent side effects associated with a high-fibre diet, such as bloating and wind. END QUOTE. I can remember she avoided tomatoes because of the pips and she often peels certain fruits and veg as the bits of skin during digestion caused her an occasional flare up..... However, you will have to decide whats good for you where these foodstuffs are concerned, especially having diabetes, carbs are not good for diabetics and the advice on the NHS website may not be suitable for your body. You will need to do a little research and testing. What I would say however, it seems a wise precaution to perhaps up your intake of water? Im not sure why you totally exclude fruit and veg from your diet, but i would have thought it may be beneficial to add at least some simple veg to your menu ?...
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hello @Bonniesmum
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and numb toes. Blurry vision is a common side effect of elevated BG, so that may resolve as you return your levels towards the normal range.
Am I right in understanding that despite following a very low carb / ketogenic diet plan, your BG has begin to rapidly change in recent weeks and is now in the 20s? I wonder if this is something you should discuss with your practice, along with the possibility that even though you are carrying extra weight and therefore fit the expectation for T2, the rapidity of onset and high BG (despite minimal carbs) may suggest LADA or another form of diabetes where it's not so much that you are insulin resistant, but that you are just not producing much insulin at all. As you probably know from your nursing background, a cPeptide test would establish how much of your own insulin you are still producing.
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and numb toes. Blurry vision is a common side effect of elevated BG, so that may resolve as you return your levels towards the normal range.
Am I right in understanding that despite following a very low carb / ketogenic diet plan, your BG has begin to rapidly change in recent weeks and is now in the 20s? I wonder if this is something you should discuss with your practice, along with the possibility that even though you are carrying extra weight and therefore fit the expectation for T2, the rapidity of onset and high BG (despite minimal carbs) may suggest LADA or another form of diabetes where it's not so much that you are insulin resistant, but that you are just not producing much insulin at all. As you probably know from your nursing background, a cPeptide test would establish how much of your own insulin you are still producing.
Bonniesmum
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Thankyou for that. It certainly crossed my mind something was a bit off. I had a full blood screen done yesterday for kidney and liver function and bloods in June were completely normal,so this has come on quickly.I am waiting for a call from the surgery and will discuss other possibilities.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
We've had people over your youthful age diagnosed T1 before now - so it's by no means impossible.
sbeqs
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome.
It takes a while. I’ve known less than a month. I got so anxious about it all I couldn’t even talk about it. Things get better. I promise.
Bonniesmum
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi,
Just an update. I saw my Doctor Monday and she is not sure if I am type 2. Something in my liver results were a bit off possibly pointing to some sort of autoimmune problem.She is going to redo them in 3 months after I am settled on the metformin
Deb RR
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Bonnie welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed a week ago and like you was shellshocked. My reading was 83 and I have been given a chance to diet to avoid medication if I can reduce my reading to 50 in two months I would avoid medication.
It’s a big thing to take in but you have found the right place here for help and advice. I only joined yesterday but have had an amazing response from wonderful people with useful and very helpful advice. As I am new here I don’t have all the answers but no we can both do this.
Good luck for your future.I will look forwardTo following your progress.
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