Slightly overwhelmed

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ElliD said:
Hello to everyone, good to know this group is here
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Welcome to the forum
Would you like to say a bit about your situation, how long have you been diagnosed, what is your HbA1C, are you on any medication as that will influence answers to any questions you may have.
Do have a read around to various posts and sections of the forum as there are plenty of ideas you might find helpful, do bear in mind that there are people who are Type 1, Type 2, Type 3c who will all manage their condition in different ways and that might not be appropriate for you.
 
To be honest I’m a little in shock and confessed (cannot recall if they said type 1 or 2). I don’t know any technical terms so excuse my referencing. I had a standard health check with bloods on Thursday and got a call from the doctor yesterday to say my sugar count was very high at 129. I had to go back and have the pin prick, ketones 0 but other was 25. They debated admitting me to hospital but didn’t because I am not displaying major symptoms. I do have a long standing history of high prolactin levels and they think that may be escalating the readings and they spoke with endocrinologist at hospital who wants me to see them quickly. Another couple of doctors call took place. Given a prescription which they told me to start immediately and wouldn’t wait until next week. Repeat tests booked for Tuesday and waiting for diabetes appointment. I am comforted by their quick response but they have alarmed me to say the least. I’m left with the impression I could keel over any minute. Done a shop and got rid of all the sugar food and drinks. The medication worries me, I am one of those who doesn’t take tablets for anything and it frightens me.
 
Taking out sugary stuff is good but it's not just sugar @ElliD - it's all carbohydrates - bread, pasta, rice and potatoes in particular. If they form a large part of your diet you need to reduce the amounts you eat, especially with your HbA1c being so high.
 
Martin.A said:
Taking out sugary stuff is good but it's not just sugar @ElliD - it's all carbohydrates - bread, pasta, rice and potatoes in particular. If they form a large part of your diet you need to reduce the amounts you eat, especially with your HbA1c being so high.
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Ah good to know. I hadn’t picked up on this and I do have bread and potatoes. I guess I will learn as I go along, I was just bamboozled yesterday as it seemed to all come at once without warning.
 
ElliD said:
Metformin.
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Ok, that’s a very normal medication to get. The only problem it can sometimes cause is tummy issues. Not everyone gets those but they often settle down anyway. Don’t let that put you off taking them. They don’t cause hypos. They more have a gradual effect on your blood sugar, so you shouldn’t be scared of them 🙂

As said above, you’ll also need to look at your diet and look at places where you can reduce carbs (all carbs not just sweet ones, so bread, potatoes, rice, etc)
 
Once you get your hospital appointment hopefully they will do the extra tests to check if you are Type 1 which would be c-peptide and antibody tests. However one of the pointers for Type 1 would be sudden loss of weight as well as high blood glucose but if it turns out to be that the treatment will be different than if you are Type 2 but in the meantime looking at reducing your carb intake and making sure you drink plenty of fluids to help your kidneys excrete the excess glucose.
If they think you are Type 2 then they may add extra oral medication but a low carb regime will be needed. This link may give you some ideas so you can be prepared with questions and some suggestions for ways of reducing your carbs.
lowcarbfreshwell.com

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com lowcarbfreshwell.com
 
ElliD said:
Ah good to know. I hadn’t picked up on this and I do have bread and potatoes. I guess I will learn as I go along, I was just bamboozled yesterday as it seemed to all come at once without warning.
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Alas, judging by postings on this forum, being bamboozled after the initial diagnosis is far too common. It is almost inevitable that such a diagnosis will come without warning and very disappointing that all too often people are bounced into this new scenario.

Meanwhile this forum is a pretty safe place to be; there is a wealth of accumulated experience from Members here. There is also lots of generic advice on the Internet and by no means all of that safe or accurate; but it can be consistently contradictory! Good luck with next week's follow up and your future Hospital appointment. Do keep us informed, if you are happy sharing.
 
If those levels were correct i'd have expected you to have symptoms, like having to pee a lot. Your ketones were zero and that is reassuring on the 'keeling over' front
 
But its a good idea to lower your carb intake whilst they are looking into it...if you are t1 you will get insulin, which you very soon get used to, and you can eat a mormal diet. If type 2 then the low carb diet is often the way to go
 
Welcome to the club no one wants to join @ElliD

Glad you have found the forum. Hopefully it will give you a friendly place to ask all the questions you forgot to mention in your appointments, and provide you with useful questions to ask your Dr at the next follow up!

Don’t worry about being completely bamboozled. It would almost be more weird if you weren’t! You’ve just been thrust into a whole new world, with it’s own lingo, and it’s a steep learning curve, but diabetes (whatever type you have) is something that can generally be managed well with a few changes and adaptations, and some meds if needed. It is something you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy.

Good to know they are investigating your type, and not just assuming you are one or another. There are a few niche varieties of diabetes that some non-specialists miss, so good to know your team are being thorough. It can take a while for the situation to become clear, as diabetes can be a fickle and feisty adversary, so be patient as they try to get to the bottom of things.

Let us know how you get on at your next appointment 🙂
 
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