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Shock diagnosis

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Millie58

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Type 2
Hi , I was told by my gp on Tuesday that I have type 2 diabetes. This was discovered by a blood test for something else. To say I was shocked is an understatement! I've no family history, eat healthily and have a normal bmi. I'm still wondering if they got my bloods mixed up!
My gp just gave me the diagnosis , said she'd set up various appointments and sent me on my way. I'm a nurse/midwife so do know a bit about this condition but it must be awful if you don't and your gp is like mine.
Seems like there's lots of good information on this site so hopefully this will help me along the way
 
Millie58 said:
Hi , I was told by my gp on Tuesday that I have type 2 diabetes. This was discovered by a blood test for something else. To say I was shocked is an understatement! I've no family history, eat healthily and have a normal bmi. I'm still wondering if they got my bloods mixed up!
My gp just gave me the diagnosis , said she'd set up various appointments and sent me on my way. I'm a nurse/midwife so do know a bit about this condition but it must be awful if you don't and your gp is like mine.
Seems like there's lots of good information on this site so hopefully this will help me along the way
Click to expand...
Hi Millie, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis :( It's not completely unusual for someone to get a diagnosis like this out of the blue as there is a considerable proportion of people who do not fit the usual risk factors for diabetes. Unfortunately, it's also not unusual for people to receive a diagnosis with little or no information or advice about it - awful for those who don't have any knowledge of it, as you say :(

Do you know the results of the test, and have any other tests been scheduled to try and determine the Type of diabetes? Often it is assumed to be Type 2 when it comes out of the blue like this, with no prior symptoms and not fitting the stereotype, but there is also the possibility it is a slow-onset version of Type 1 so it's important that you keep a lookout for any signs of increasing symptoms.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and we will be happy to help! 🙂
 
I think gp said blood glucose was 8.8 and Hba1c was 14.8. Not sure what measurements the hospital used tho.
I've to see the practice nurse in 2weeks time so hopefully will get more information then.
Thank you for your reply and information,I really appreciate it.
 
Millie58 said:
I think gp said blood glucose was 8.8 and Hba1c was 14.8. Not sure what measurements the hospital used tho.
I've to see the practice nurse in 2weeks time so hopefully will get more information then.
Thank you for your reply and information,I really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
That HbA1c is pretty high, especially if you've not really been aware of any symptoms, Do keep a close eye on things, hopefully you will get more clarification from your upcoming appointments 🙂 Do you have a blood glucose monitor? It would be a good idea to do periodic tests, particularly waking tests and pre-and 2 hr post-meal tests to get a better picture of what is going on.
 
Hi Millie, I’m glad you haven’t had symptoms as they can be pretty nasty! There is so much information here so I would strongly recommend you start by reading through some posts, it’s how I learned quickly and got ideas about self management. Diet change is the obvious first move, remember it’s not just the sugars but carbs too, I chose the low carb route so cut out pasta, potatoes, rice and the only bread I eat is Burgen, a linseed and soya low carb bread. I also started walking (with the help of my neighbours dog!), my numbers came down quite quickly, although my starting point was higher than yours at 22, the bonus has been thT both me and the dog are also losing weight :D
 
Well , I got myself a blood glucose monitor and on testing two hours after eating, I' ve ranged from 5.5 to 8.9. How does that sound? Is this a good way of judging what foods you should avoid?
I'm still thinking the docs have got me mixed up with someone else
 
Well it sounds diabetic to me! No non diabetic reaches 8.9 after eating. I presume the reading was taken 90 - 120 mins after the first mouthful?
 
Hi @Millie58 and welcome 🙂

Yes, testing after eating is a good way of judging what foods you should avoid - but ideally you need to test before eating as well as two hours afterwards, and then you have an idea of how much particular carbs send up your blood sugar (eg, that 8.9 isn't a big problem if you were 7.5 before the meal, but is rather more of a concern if you were 4.5 before the meal). You don't sound as though you are doing too badly so far to me if your highest reading has been 8.9, but as Jenny says, that is definitely in diabetic rather than non-diabetic range.

When I was diagnosed I also had no family history of diabetes, a healthy diet, and a normal BMI (still do, in fact, I just eat less dried fruit and more nuts now). I couldn't quite believe it either. If you've been referred to a hospital diabetes team, it's worth making sure they test to establish which type of diabetes you have, as Northerner says, because GPs just tend to assume an adult with diabetes is going to be type 2, and quite often they turn out to be a slow onset type 1 (or type 1.5 LADA).
 
Hi Millie

Well done for getting started on your new exercise regime, and no doubt you have a happy dog and happy owners next door.

By checking your glucose before a meal you know what is happening to your background glucose, which is released by your liver all the time. Checking two hours after your meal tells you about the impact of the food you eat.

We all react in our own way, so there are no hard and fast rules, however we all change any carbs (as others have said not just sugars) we eat into glucose. Our bodies are not fussed what form the carbs arrive in, but some take a bit more effort to digest so do not raise the glucose so quickly, giving the insulin your body makes, (or I inject) to get to work.

It sounds like you have made a good start and I hope that your forthcoming appointments make things clearer. Keep in touch and ask any questions you have.
 
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