Silly to be scared?

[Badnicki]

Hello everyone,
I was just diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes today. My HbA1c was…48.

I’ve looked through some posts and just wanted to ask people with more experience: am I right in assuming I’m literally just on the border of being diabetic?

I have an appointment scheduled but I don’t think I am being given any medication. All I know is that my father lost his leg to diabetes, although he was a heavy drinker and had an appalling diet.

I’m overweight and I know that’s a problem. I’m slightly annoyed my tests were done when they were because I had just quit vaping (hence eating more chocolate than usual) and started on a medication known to make your blood sugar increase. This is all in preparation for major surgery next month.

The diagnosis has really sent me into a spin. Do these numbers represent a degree of severity, or is it just anything that’s 48 or over is bad? Is there such a thing as being “just a little bit diabetic?” (she asks hopefully realising the question is probably a bit stupid).

We just had Fathers Day weekend and mine has sadly passed away so the timing isn’t great. I’m scared but…I’m being silly, right?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
-BN

 

[Drummer]

Not at all silly - you are quite right that 48 is the very lowest result which would give you a diagnosis of diabetic, but most doctors and nurses are very pessimistic about diabetes regarding it as a progressive and incurable condition.
The good news is that they are wrong, and many people alter their diet and quickly return to normal numbers, they even lose weight and their health improves, so having to watch the carbs is no great hardship.

 

[Badnicki]

Not at all silly - you are quite right that 48 is the very lowest result which would give you a diagnosis of diabetic, but most doctors and nurses are very pessimistic about diabetes regarding it as a progressive and incurable condition.
The good news is that they are wrong, and many people alter their diet and quickly return to normal numbers, they even lose weight and their health improves, so having to watch the carbs is no great hardship.

Thank you Drummer, that’s very reassuring. I don’t mind watching my carbs at all. I am my father‘s daughter in many ways, but not when it comes to my health. I will take this as the swift kick to the bottom I need to lose the extra pounds.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, there are a mixture of people at various stages of diagnosis, some very experienced 'old hats' to give you lots of sensible advice. The main thing is not to panic, you are only just in the diabetic zone so you can tackle this with some changes to your diet, the primary thing is to reduce your intake of carbohydrates. Reducing portion size of the high carb foods and cutting out the main offenders like cakes, biscuits, and sugary drinks. Make sure the carbs you have are worth it. You can still have tasty food by basing your meals on meat, fish, eggs, dairy and veg salads. Fats and Protein are not a problem so avoiding low fat versions is better as they tend to be higher in carbs.
Have a look at the thread What did you eat yesterday, for ideas of the meals Type 2 folk have, some will have higher carbs than you can perhaps tolerate as they may be on medication or insulin so bear that in mind. Many people find low carb higher fat (really just not low fat) is successful in losing weight and reducing blood glucose.
Do ask any questions you have.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Badnicki, welcome to the forum.

You're not being silly at all, you are on the borderline but it's still worth taking it serious so that it doesn't develop. The test are done based on a period of three months so your actions immediately prior to the test will only play small part in the overall result.

It's great that you've identified things that need to change as making healthy changes soon after diagnosis has shown to *potentially* help with people going into remission.

It's a lot to take in so please don't worry, we're here to support you all the way so feel free to look around and ask any questions you may have.

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi @Badnicki, just popping in to echo what the others have said - it's certainly not silly to be scared, especially considering what happened to your dad.

Weight loss will help greatly if you can manage it, and reducing carbs. Have a read around the different sections and look at the recipes, read about people's different stories...and don't panic 🙂

All the best to you, and keep us posted with your progress.

 

[Badnicki]

Thank you everyone for your kind and supportive words. I was definitely panicking!
I now realise I have a lot more influence over what happens next than what I thought. And now that I’ve seen a range of number, I think I can safely call myself “a little bit diabetic”. Definitely the kick in the bum I needed.

Shame I couldn’t have got my diagnosis last week: just did a massive shop which involved filling my cupboards with…carbs I guess on the bright side they will last for an extremely long time, seeing as I’ll be having far less going forward.

Thanks for the reassurance. What a lovely forum this is.
🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Badnicki

Let us know how things go for you and keep asking questions.

Glad you have found the replies in the forum reassuring. Certainly taking this seriously is the best way to support your long-term health, but there’s no need to panic 🙂