Hi
@SteveH , welcome to the forum. A little more info would help
Was that 17, the result of the hb1ac blood test usually from the arm or a finger prick with results given in a few seconds ?
I assume it’s the Hb1ac blood test , (17 is rather high) it gives an average of our blood glucose over the last three months, normally the first line of medication prescribed is a tablet called Metformin, this is what’s making me think the test is the Hb1ac.
Speaking as someone with T2 who has needed insulin for a couple of years now (I was diagnosed around 23 yrs ago ) I will say, please don’t be afraid of insulin , for me and many others it’s wonderful. If it’s needles that bother you you will p yourself laughing when you see them as they are minute and they don’t hurt.
TBH whether or not we are on any type of diabetic medications , diet and if possible exercise plays an important part in controlling diabetes.
It is carbohydrates (sugar is just a simple carbohydrate) our body can no longer handle too well we usually have no problems with protein and this may well supprise you, or good fats.
We have some very informative threads and blogs on here that you will find helpful.
This is rather a long one but very informative
maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s
test-review-adjust by Alan S
If you would like to test to see how the various carbohydrates affect you so you can make informed choices on which carbs need restricting as weare all different in this ie some people can have porridge , it’s healthy right , where others need to avoid it like the plague as it sends there blood glucose into the stratosphere.
The consider buying the SD Codefree glucose meter as it is the cheapest one to self fund the ongoing cost of the test strips around £8 for a pot of 50 , high street br@nds are over £15 a pot
Initially you test just before starting to eat then 2 hours afterwards so cost is important
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-Glucose-Monitor-Monitoring-Testing/dp/B0068JAJFS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=drugstore&ie=UTF8&qid=1506485682&sr=1-1&keywords=sd+codefree+meter+mmol/l&linkCode=sl1&tag=xfm-21&linkId=f39210144fdc26c27738e45b6d957003&th=1
You will need to buy more test strips and a box of lancets as they only provide a few in starter packs , however if you do go onto insulin temporarily you should be provided with a meter and strips.
This long running thread should give you some good ideas
what-did-you-eat-yesterday
We have some good innovative cooks on here who put their own creations on this thread
recipes
You will find the above and more on the thread called useful links for people new to diabetes which is at the top of the newbies forum .
Ask as many questions as you need to about diabetes, we’ll do our best to help.
