Type 2 newbie

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RichCP

RichCP

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi guys,

I was diagnosed with type 2 just before Christmas and have struggled with diet. I’m a biggish lad who was a gym person and until the last three years fairly fit. I then found out I had four crushed discs in my back which has caused lots of nerve pain and in turn leading to a more slow lifestyle. I did well keeping the weight down, but then I found out about the diabetes and now I have a condition with my lungs caused by my work in the prison service. So I thought, as I’ve had no interaction yet from the diabetes team just blood tests I would do some research.

Thanks
Rich
 
Welcome Rich, you are absolutely in the right place for information!
 
Hi Rich and welcome. We are a friendly bunch and happy to help. No question is silly - we have asked them all in our time!
Firstly, you need to chase up your diabetes team/GP surgery. You should ask them what your HbA1c was. That is the blood test which determined your diabetes, and you NEED to know where you are on the diabetic scale. 41mmol/mol or below is normal, 42-47mmol/mol is pre-diabetic, and 48mmol/mol and above is diabetic. However, as you have not mentioned medication, I hope you are just above 48, and have the opportunity to reduce your blood glucose by lifestyle changes, without medication. We can better advise you if you share your HbA1c and any medications you take for your various medical conditions.
Then there are various tests they need to do or arrange, including: a specific eye test annually for retinopathy; a foot test for nerve damage; arranging/advising about diabetes courses for Type 2; regular checks of weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, follow ups of HbA1c at least annually and more frequently just after diagnosis.
In the meantime you can help yourself. The Learning Zone (orange tab above) is a great starting point. I suggest you take it slowly, so you can absorb the information. I fully understand the exercise issues - I have 3 crumbled discs and a twisted pelvis with hip erosion. So exercise is tricky, but I'm in the pool 2/3 times a week, and I have a mini exercise bike where I can exercise seated. My neighbour cycles a couple of times a week.
I would recommend you keep an honest food diary. I can't be bothered with packet checking or doing my own paper records, so I record all my cals and carbs on an app - it was the first thing I did when diagnosed. I use NutraCheck which is UK based - it offers a free trial then there is a small monthly fee. There is also MyFitnessPal which is USA based and free. There are others. I also keep digital scales and a clear glass bowl to weigh my portion sizes (not salads or above ground veggies) - no guesstimating. You soon get to recognise a portion size. It is suggested you aim for less than 130gm carbs a day for Type 2. Everyone is different so it takes trial and error to find out what suits your body. I'm usually between 75gm-90gm as I found any lower did not suit me. If you are currently way above 130gm, please reduce slowly over a period of weeks, as too quickly can affect the eyes.
Food can be fun, so please check out Food/Carb queries + recipes for Type 2 posters. I post daily to keep myself honest, and there are lots of pictures and suggestions.
I'm sure more people will come along and offer further suggestions. Best wishes
 
Felinia said:
Hi Rich and welcome. We are a friendly bunch and happy to help. No question is silly - we have asked them all in our time!
Firstly, you need to chase up your diabetes team/GP surgery. You should ask them what your HbA1c was. That is the blood test which determined your diabetes, and you NEED to know where you are on the diabetic scale. 41mmol/mol or below is normal, 42-47mmol/mol is pre-diabetic, and 48mmol/mol and above is diabetic. However, as you have not mentioned medication, I hope you are just above 48, and have the opportunity to reduce your blood glucose by lifestyle changes, without medication. We can better advise you if you share your HbA1c and any medications you take for your various medical conditions.
Then there are various tests they need to do or arrange, including: a specific eye test annually for retinopathy; a foot test for nerve damage; arranging/advising about diabetes courses for Type 2; regular checks of weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, follow ups of HbA1c at least annually and more frequently just after diagnosis.
In the meantime you can help yourself. The Learning Zone (orange tab above) is a great starting point. I suggest you take it slowly, so you can absorb the information. I fully understand the exercise issues - I have 3 crumbled discs and a twisted pelvis with hip erosion. So exercise is tricky, but I'm in the pool 2/3 times a week, and I have a mini exercise bike where I can exercise seated. My neighbour cycles a couple of times a week.
I would recommend you keep an honest food diary. I can't be bothered with packet checking or doing my own paper records, so I record all my cals and carbs on an app - it was the first thing I did when diagnosed. I use NutraCheck which is UK based - it offers a free trial then there is a small monthly fee. There is also MyFitnessPal which is USA based and free. There are others. I also keep digital scales and a clear glass bowl to weigh my portion sizes (not salads or above ground veggies) - no guesstimating. You soon get to recognise a portion size. It is suggested you aim for less than 130gm carbs a day for Type 2. Everyone is different so it takes trial and error to find out what suits your body. I'm usually between 75gm-90gm as I found any lower did not suit me. If you are currently way above 130gm, please reduce slowly over a period of weeks, as too quickly can affect the eyes.
Food can be fun, so please check out Food/Carb queries + recipes for Type 2 posters. I post daily to keep myself honest, and there are lots of pictures and suggestions.
I'm sure more people will come along and offer further suggestions. Best wishes
Click to expand...
Wow, thank you for the information. So I’m on two lots of Metformin twice a day and 25mg empagliflozin once a day. My eyesight was already getting worse and I’m losing some peripheral vision. I’ve been for a recent blood test and my last one was 102 if that means anything as I was told a nominal range was 32, but I’m not sure what that means. I do have an eye test in three weeks and I see the diabetic nurse in two weeks. I had a foot test carried out and my sensations were null in my left foot, but they’re doing another scan on my back to check.
I’m on various other medication, from pain killers and nerve medication to medication for my lungs and steroids to my medication for my PTSD which has slowly become worse over the last 5 years.
I suppose I’ll just wait for my next lot of results.
 
You are definitely in the right place for information, this forum and website are fantastic!!

I was diagnosed Type 2 in January this year and was totally overwhelmed at first. My HbA1c was 96 so I needed medication but my GP practice have been very good and given me a blood glucose monitor so I can see what foods to avoid and what has no impact.

I’m following a low carb approach and doing very well on it. I’m losing loads of weight, not at all hungry and my blood glucose is consistently coming down. There are loads of recipes on here to support this approach.

I had been struggling with my eyes (blurred vision) but miraculously that seems to be correcting itself. I see you have been having issues with your peripheral vision. Make sure you book into the opticians as this can also be the first sign of other issues, including glaucoma.

Things that have been invaluable to me have been a supportive GP, a blood glucose monitor, support from friends and family and this website and forum. Good luck.
 
RichCP said:
Wow, thank you for the information. So I’m on two lots of Metformin twice a day and 25mg empagliflozin once a day. My eyesight was already getting worse and I’m losing some peripheral vision. I’ve been for a recent blood test and my last one was 102 if that means anything as I was told a nominal range was 32, but I’m not sure what that means. I do have an eye test in three weeks and I see the diabetic nurse in two weeks. I had a foot test carried out and my sensations were null in my left foot, but they’re doing another scan on my back to check.
I’m on various other medication, from pain killers and nerve medication to medication for my lungs and steroids to my medication for my PTSD which has slowly become worse over the last 5 years.
I suppose I’ll just wait for my next lot of results.
Click to expand...
The HbA1C test gives the average blood glucose over the previous 3 months and yes 102mmol/mol is high which is why you have been given the two medications. The metformin helps your body use the insulin it produces more effectively and reduces the amount of glucose the liver releases and the empagliflozin encourages the kidneys to excrete glucose via urine so it is important to drink plenty or you could become dehydrated and more prone to UTIs but it still requires dietary changes in terms of reducing you carbohydrate intake, no good taking meds to help the body cope with the glucose whilst still eating the foods which convert to glucose.
This link may help you with some ideas for changing your diet, it is a low carb approach which may have found successful in losing weight and reducing blood glucose.
https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Low carb is suggested as being no more than 130g per day total carbs but definitely is not NO carbs.
You mention steroids which are renowned for increasing blood glucose so that need to be considered in respect of expectations of reducing blood glucose.so would be worth discussing at your appointment.
For most people with a diabetes diagnosis it is a more realistic to aim at an HbA1C of below 42mmol/mol not 30 as you mention though the NHS seem to suggest below 48mmol/mol without medication for remission. I don't say cure as in reality once diabetic the lifestyle that got you in remission has to be maintained.
 
I think you misheard the 32 - cos up to 42 is 'normal' non diabetes level. Steroids are more than a bit of a bugger as they are notorious for increasing blood glucose - but there again anything you happen to have going wrong with your body be it trauma or any infection - also increases it - though short courses of em to get rid of whatever whilst we're otherwise very healthy usually cause no harm. When we need them - we need them and no doctor prescribes them unless they need to.

But - the thing I'd really like to concentrate on is that Noooooooooooooooooooooo - you certainly do not have to 'just wait for the next lot of results' like you can have no input to your own health and improving it as far as the diabetes is concerned. Instead, you can get yourself a blood glucose monitor and start finding out how the food you eat affects you blood glucose day to day because the 'armful of blood' (to paraphrase Tony Hancock) tests which the NHS arranges for us only gives us the average of our blood glucose readings over the last 3 months. So if we can reduce those on a day to day basis, gradually we should be able to reduce that initial high result. Empagliflozin encourages the body to excrete excess glucose via the bladder in urine - hence it's very important to drink plenty of fluids ( and water is best) to keep that flushing out of the body cos otherwise the sugary pee round our 'naughty' bits is more than very inclined to give us thrush cos fungus just thrives in that environment. Thing to know is that glucose does not actually spill over into urine in the first place until blood glucose gets to the 13.0 mark - when the normal non diabetes average level of that is 5.0 - so something more than metformin was needed - but whether its enough or not you'll have to see.
 
RichCP said:
Wow, thank you for the information. So I’m on two lots of Metformin twice a day and 25mg empagliflozin once a day. My eyesight was already getting worse and I’m losing some peripheral vision. I’ve been for a recent blood test and my last one was 102 if that means anything as I was told a nominal range was 32, but I’m not sure what that means. I do have an eye test in three weeks and I see the diabetic nurse in two weeks. I had a foot test carried out and my sensations were null in my left foot, but they’re doing another scan on my back to check.
I’m on various other medication, from pain killers and nerve medication to medication for my lungs and steroids to my medication for my PTSD which has slowly become worse over the last 5 years.
I suppose I’ll just wait for my next lot of results.
Click to expand...
The other replies have explained what your numbers and medications mean. It sounds like your GP surgery is doing all the right tests, although perhaps not with the explanations you needed. You might like to put together a list of questions to ask your diabetic nurse when you see them. So easy to forget things otherwise.
 
Welcome to the forum @RichCP

Hope your appointments come through speedily with your GPs so that you can get their input. OUCH! crushed discs in your back sounds very painful - and back pain can be so debilitating :(

If it’s proving tricky to get support from your GP - which sadly isn’t uncommon these days, you might find it helpful to sign-up for the Learning Zone (orange tab in the main menu) which is packed full of information in bite-sized modules.

For a more personal introduction, you might want to check the free recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter to the Newly Diagnosed or pick up a copy of Gretchen Becker’s respected book T2 Diabetes, the first year, which many forum members have found very helpful.

Good luck, and let us know how things go 🙂
 
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