Hi everyone I was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago so blood tests are regular . What was not regular was you have T2 . So I gave my head a shake and said ok what now .
The reply was absolutely pants !! Eat healthy take these tablets ( gliclaside) and I will see you in 3 months . I picked my open mouth up because the bottom jaw had hit the floor at the reply , do I not need to check my bloods I ask , no see you in 3 months . I'm raging that's all I was told . Due to my cancer I have pelvic radiation disease and fibre fruit and veg are toxic to me , I live on loperamide as my body goes into over drive with the healthy food . I'm also in a wheelchair so how can I exercise properly , I really could do with some help . Thank you
Hi Denise, welcome to the forum
🙂 Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and particularly sorry to hear that you have been given such poor information
Sadly, this is all too common (and unforgivable, in my opinion
😡)
Don't worry though, there is a wealth of knowledge and experience here, so hopefully we will be able to help you with any questions or concerns you may have
🙂 Firstly, I would suggest reading
Jennifer's Advice and getting a copy of
Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - these will give you a good grounding in what it is all about and have helped many of our members understand things much better. 'Eating healthily' is such a lazy piece of advice - what exactly does it mean? Well, in terms of diabetes it means finding out what foods you, as an individual, tolerate well with regards to your blood sugar levels, which provide you with good all-round nutrition, and is enjoyable and sustainable for you. We are complex beings and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, particularly when you may have other health needs and restrictions as many people do, and is true in your case.
Initially, I would suggest looking at the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet. This is an approach to selecting and combining foods so that they have a slow, steady impact on blood glucose levels, which is what you are looking for in order to help you bring blood sugar levels under control and keep them there.
The GL Diet for Dummies is a very good introduction - I'd suggest getting a copy and browsing through it to see what elements you might be able to incorporate in your diet. I would also recommend starting a food diary and recording, in grams, the amount of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink for a week or two. This will clarify your carbohydrate intake and provide a basis for looking at areas you might be able to change things so they help more with your blood sugar levels. All carbs will raise blood sugar levels, some at different rates to others, so it is important to keep the amounts and types within limits you cna tolerate well. How can you know how well you tolerate things? You need a blood sugar meter and test strips so you can monitor the effects of things on your levels. The advice that you 'don't need to test' is nonsense, I'm afraid, and is driven by a short-term saving that leaves you completely in the dark. Have a read of
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how using testing can help you with your food choices. If your GP won't provide you with a meter and test strips, it is worth getting your own - the cheapest option we have come across is the
SD Codefree Meter which has
test strips at around £8 for 50. You may need to do extensive testing initially, but once you have established your tolerances you won't need to test so often, just when trying new things or to check that things are still on track. Without the information provided by the blood tests you are guessing, I'm afraid
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns and we will be happy to help!
🙂
p.s. just spotted the note about gliclazide - you should be provided with a meter and strips as this medication can resut in low blood sugar levels - go back to your GP and request a meter and strips on prescription.
