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Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
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- Thread starter Nigzy
- Start date
- Status
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
High @Nigzy and welcome to the forum. Came as a surprise to many on the forum so you are not alone.
Read around the forum and check out the learning zone on the red tab above and you will begin to get some understanding of what it is all about and then ask questions. No question is considered silly on here, most have been where you are now and know what it is like!
Read around the forum and check out the learning zone on the red tab above and you will begin to get some understanding of what it is all about and then ask questions. No question is considered silly on here, most have been where you are now and know what it is like!
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Nigzy
Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life.
For a bit more background information, the ‘useful links’ thread is a mine of helpful information - useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes
Members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book, as very helpful starting points.
Good luck, and let us know a bit more about yourself 🙂
Diabetes is a serious condition, but it’s also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life.
For a bit more background information, the ‘useful links’ thread is a mine of helpful information - useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes
Members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book, as very helpful starting points.
Good luck, and let us know a bit more about yourself 🙂
Thank you all for your messages, much appreciated.
As a general reply i did a video consult about 2 months ago due to a swollen ankle and a split at the end of my toe and was put on antibiotics and sent for a blood test.
Obviously from the blood test is was told my level was 89 and i had type 2 diabetes, as i said it was a bit of a shock as i never thought i had it and was never under observation for it.
One of you asked about diet, well i was advised to follow a low carb diet and given the traffic light sheet of foods to follow.
One of the hardest things i am still struggling to come to terms with, is the lack of support i feel i have had from my doctors, basically i was told over the phone what i had and that i was booked in for a meeting with a diabetic nurse, which i had and left none the wiser.
I appreciate we are in strange times and it is difficult to speak to someone, but i have more unanswered questions the answered. I asked at my meeting about the result and the range to understand what it goes up to and when i would be a concern of becoming type 1, no answer, i asked that i was last tested 7 years ago and what they think my have changed over the time as i was under the radar last time, no answer, i even asked do i need to discuss my eating habits to see if there is anything specific that my be more of a contributing factor than others, no response, i even pointed out the sheet i was given was 2 years old and i had seen several contradictions on it and what i've seen on the web and was told to go with what i think.
What my biggest concern was, that being told and what some of the symptom are and then looking over my recent life i can see that i have some of the symptom and apart from foot issues, i pointed out a constant itch in the groin area and asked what i could do and again nothing.
I know i should have gone back and pushed, but i felt so ignored when i had the meeting with the nurse i email in to the doctors and give them there due, they arranged a call back and meeting, but with the same nurse, which i saw as pointless so am waiting to speak with my own GP.
This is why i joined this site to see what i can find out while i wait to see my GP.
As a general reply i did a video consult about 2 months ago due to a swollen ankle and a split at the end of my toe and was put on antibiotics and sent for a blood test.
Obviously from the blood test is was told my level was 89 and i had type 2 diabetes, as i said it was a bit of a shock as i never thought i had it and was never under observation for it.
One of you asked about diet, well i was advised to follow a low carb diet and given the traffic light sheet of foods to follow.
One of the hardest things i am still struggling to come to terms with, is the lack of support i feel i have had from my doctors, basically i was told over the phone what i had and that i was booked in for a meeting with a diabetic nurse, which i had and left none the wiser.
I appreciate we are in strange times and it is difficult to speak to someone, but i have more unanswered questions the answered. I asked at my meeting about the result and the range to understand what it goes up to and when i would be a concern of becoming type 1, no answer, i asked that i was last tested 7 years ago and what they think my have changed over the time as i was under the radar last time, no answer, i even asked do i need to discuss my eating habits to see if there is anything specific that my be more of a contributing factor than others, no response, i even pointed out the sheet i was given was 2 years old and i had seen several contradictions on it and what i've seen on the web and was told to go with what i think.
What my biggest concern was, that being told and what some of the symptom are and then looking over my recent life i can see that i have some of the symptom and apart from foot issues, i pointed out a constant itch in the groin area and asked what i could do and again nothing.
I know i should have gone back and pushed, but i felt so ignored when i had the meeting with the nurse i email in to the doctors and give them there due, they arranged a call back and meeting, but with the same nurse, which i saw as pointless so am waiting to speak with my own GP.
This is why i joined this site to see what i can find out while i wait to see my GP.
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Nigzy. If you read around the forum you will find that members report a very wide range in the support they get from their GP surgery so you are far from alone in feeling that you are not getting the support you need from yours. If there is a chink of light, at least they suggested a low carb diet, that idea has still to get into some surgeries by some accounts.
Your idea of getting yourself better informed before talking to your GP is a good one and that is where we can help. Read around the forum and look in the learning zone and come back with questions. The better informed you are, the easier it will be to have a proper conversation and get a plan together to get your HbA1c down out of the orange/red zone.
Just so you know what I mean by the orange/red zone, I am referring to the picture below. An HbA1c of 89 puts you amongst those of us diagnosed when things had really begun to go awry. The saving grace is that most of us got ourselves back into the green zone by getting our diet right and probably losing a bit of weight.
Your idea of getting yourself better informed before talking to your GP is a good one and that is where we can help. Read around the forum and look in the learning zone and come back with questions. The better informed you are, the easier it will be to have a proper conversation and get a plan together to get your HbA1c down out of the orange/red zone.
Just so you know what I mean by the orange/red zone, I am referring to the picture below. An HbA1c of 89 puts you amongst those of us diagnosed when things had really begun to go awry. The saving grace is that most of us got ourselves back into the green zone by getting our diet right and probably losing a bit of weight.
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Vonny
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Nigzy, have you been put on any medication? You ask when you would be a concern about becoming a type 1; that is unlikely unless you are young, or one of the relatively few people who do develop T1 at a later stage in life (they are out there, and on this forum so they will be able to give you more information). I suspect they will call you back for another blood test in the next few weeks or months, and if your Hba1c has come down from 89 as a result of low carb diet/medication, you will just continue with same diet and meds to try and get it to <48.
Re the itching, I've not heard of this as a side effect of diabetes, but I'm happy to stand corrected. I would make an appointment to see your GP and state that it isn't diabetes related and you need to speak to the GP rather than the DN.
Diet-wise, you can do worse than look at the Food & Carb section of the forum. It's a gold mine of information and ideas for recipes. It's been a bit of a life-line for me, as indeed has this lovely forum. I'm still in the early months of T2, but learning all the time with the support and help from the good folks here 🙂
Re the itching, I've not heard of this as a side effect of diabetes, but I'm happy to stand corrected. I would make an appointment to see your GP and state that it isn't diabetes related and you need to speak to the GP rather than the DN.
Diet-wise, you can do worse than look at the Food & Carb section of the forum. It's a gold mine of information and ideas for recipes. It's been a bit of a life-line for me, as indeed has this lovely forum. I'm still in the early months of T2, but learning all the time with the support and help from the good folks here 🙂
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thanks for the update @Nigzy
Yes, you don’t need to worry about turning into type 1 - the only way that would happen would be if you already WERE T1 but that someone had put a tick in the wrong box - in which case being properly identified as the type you are would would be a good thing, and significantly improve your treatment.
Sorry to hear you feel you’ve not had great support from your Dr and nurse, and that some of your questions remain unanswered.
Feel free to ask away here... or maybe check out the Learning Zone at the top of the page for lots of extra information.
Itches in the groin area could be thrush/jock itch - a fungal infection which thrives where high BG has given it perfect conditions. There are over the counter treatments if that is it, but do ask your Dr again if symptoms persist.
Yes, you don’t need to worry about turning into type 1 - the only way that would happen would be if you already WERE T1 but that someone had put a tick in the wrong box - in which case being properly identified as the type you are would would be a good thing, and significantly improve your treatment.
Sorry to hear you feel you’ve not had great support from your Dr and nurse, and that some of your questions remain unanswered.
Feel free to ask away here... or maybe check out the Learning Zone at the top of the page for lots of extra information.
Itches in the groin area could be thrush/jock itch - a fungal infection which thrives where high BG has given it perfect conditions. There are over the counter treatments if that is it, but do ask your Dr again if symptoms persist.
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rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome from me too
The groin itch is likely thrush due to your high Blood glucose levels. The chances are that there has been sugar in your urine and may still be until your levels come down to a more normal level and that high sugar level is a breeding ground for yeast infections. I am disappointed that the nurse did not offer you Canesten but you can buy it over the counter. I am guessing you are a man so probably the cream will be enough for your needs but you will probably find it in the women's health section of most pharmacies or large supermarkets.
The most useful bit of kit most of us have is a Blood Glucose Meter. This enables us to test our BG before eating each meal and then 2 hours afterwards and this shows us what effect that food we ate had on our BG levels and from that work out which carbs cause us problems and what sort of portion size we can get away with of them or if we need to avoid particular carbohydrate groups. The difference between the before and 2hrs after readings will show you how your body responded to the carbs in that meal and you are looking to keep the rise under 3 whole units (mmols) but ideally no more than 2. Keeping a food diary along with these readings is key to figuring this out as individual readings can vary a bit due to other factors but over a few weeks you will get a feeling for what causes you problems and what you can get away with.
Unfortunately most Type 2 diabetics are not provided with a BG meter but they are relatively inexpensive to buy (approx. £15) but the on going cost of consumables (test strips partuicularly but also lancets) can tot up the finances and for this reason here on the forum, the two meters we most often recommend are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2 as being reliable and relatively cheap to run (test strips cost £8 for a pot of 50 as oppose to 2x or even 3x for some other meters) and since you get through a lot of test strips in the first few months, that can make a significant financial difference. I believe there are some even cheaper BG meters on the market but we have had a few posts about problems with them whereas these 2 seem to be relatively cheap and reliable and good customer service.
Being able to see day by day, meal by meal what your BG is doing is invaluable in tailoring your diet to manage your diabetes and keep you motivated....
I remember the evening I ate almost a whole large packet of Jacobs Salt and Vinegar crackers and my BG went up to 27 and I spent all night drinking pint after pint of water to bring it down and of course the consequent pit stops throughout the night to relieve the strain on my bladder! It was 22 the next morning and falling but it was a long scary night and I will not stray like that again, but without my BG meter I would have had no real idea of the damage I was doing to myself. That was a year and a half a go and the lesson is still very fresh in my mind and helps to keep me on the straight and narrow. I avoided a trip to hospital by a hairs breadth that night (a reading of 30 would indicate a trip to A&E would be prudent) and all because I lost control of my diet.
Anyway hope you are able to benefit from the collective experience and wisdom of this forum. It is infinitely more practically useful than most of the info that the majority of us have received from health care professionals Much as they mean well, they do not have the intimate knowledge that those of us who live with it day by day and meal by meal acquire and in many cases they are confined by the NHS guidance of "Fat is bad and complex carbs are good" directive. Neither of which are helpful to us diabetics.
Good luck with bringing your levels down and take it steady as rapid change from high levels like yours can cause more damage, so slow and steady carb portion reduction is a good plan.
The groin itch is likely thrush due to your high Blood glucose levels. The chances are that there has been sugar in your urine and may still be until your levels come down to a more normal level and that high sugar level is a breeding ground for yeast infections. I am disappointed that the nurse did not offer you Canesten but you can buy it over the counter. I am guessing you are a man so probably the cream will be enough for your needs but you will probably find it in the women's health section of most pharmacies or large supermarkets.
The most useful bit of kit most of us have is a Blood Glucose Meter. This enables us to test our BG before eating each meal and then 2 hours afterwards and this shows us what effect that food we ate had on our BG levels and from that work out which carbs cause us problems and what sort of portion size we can get away with of them or if we need to avoid particular carbohydrate groups. The difference between the before and 2hrs after readings will show you how your body responded to the carbs in that meal and you are looking to keep the rise under 3 whole units (mmols) but ideally no more than 2. Keeping a food diary along with these readings is key to figuring this out as individual readings can vary a bit due to other factors but over a few weeks you will get a feeling for what causes you problems and what you can get away with.
Unfortunately most Type 2 diabetics are not provided with a BG meter but they are relatively inexpensive to buy (approx. £15) but the on going cost of consumables (test strips partuicularly but also lancets) can tot up the finances and for this reason here on the forum, the two meters we most often recommend are the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2 as being reliable and relatively cheap to run (test strips cost £8 for a pot of 50 as oppose to 2x or even 3x for some other meters) and since you get through a lot of test strips in the first few months, that can make a significant financial difference. I believe there are some even cheaper BG meters on the market but we have had a few posts about problems with them whereas these 2 seem to be relatively cheap and reliable and good customer service.
Being able to see day by day, meal by meal what your BG is doing is invaluable in tailoring your diet to manage your diabetes and keep you motivated....
I remember the evening I ate almost a whole large packet of Jacobs Salt and Vinegar crackers and my BG went up to 27 and I spent all night drinking pint after pint of water to bring it down and of course the consequent pit stops throughout the night to relieve the strain on my bladder! It was 22 the next morning and falling but it was a long scary night and I will not stray like that again, but without my BG meter I would have had no real idea of the damage I was doing to myself. That was a year and a half a go and the lesson is still very fresh in my mind and helps to keep me on the straight and narrow. I avoided a trip to hospital by a hairs breadth that night (a reading of 30 would indicate a trip to A&E would be prudent) and all because I lost control of my diet.
Anyway hope you are able to benefit from the collective experience and wisdom of this forum. It is infinitely more practically useful than most of the info that the majority of us have received from health care professionals Much as they mean well, they do not have the intimate knowledge that those of us who live with it day by day and meal by meal acquire and in many cases they are confined by the NHS guidance of "Fat is bad and complex carbs are good" directive. Neither of which are helpful to us diabetics.
Good luck with bringing your levels down and take it steady as rapid change from high levels like yours can cause more damage, so slow and steady carb portion reduction is a good plan.
Hammergirl
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
hi - I was diagnosed in May during lockdown and felt really shocked too. I felt totally confused with no real advice from my surgery. My best advice is to read, read, read from this forum and you will learn loads and feel less confused. I had a lot of symptoms - thirst, peeing loads, blurry eyes, tired, tingly fingers and the itching but happy to report all have gone now. My second blood test in August gave a nearly normal result and this was because I took the advice on this forum to follow a low carb diet. I haven't gone as low as some - I eat 80 to 100 grams a day - but this is way lower than I was eating before - i don't dare do the calculations!
I was a lurker who read and didn't post but wish I had asked some questions at the beginning especially when I was worried so use the forum - everyone here is great!
I was a lurker who read and didn't post but wish I had asked some questions at the beginning especially when I was worried so use the forum - everyone here is great!
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