# HELP get me outta here ! Type 2 Newbie



## Orchid (Sep 4, 2011)

HI All, 

Compleatly new to Type found out after being rushed to hospital eeek ! 
anyhow Im now in a total mare as I have no idea what , where , when , they have put me on Metformin and Ramipril , I really dont know where to start , they have given me loads of printed info but I can't see the woods for the trees


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## Steff (Sep 4, 2011)

Hi Orchid,
Firstly welcome to the forum,take a deep breathe you've made it in here now so let us support you all we can.
I can highly reccommend some literature for you follow this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Type-Diabetes-Essential-Diagnosed-Patient-expert/dp/1841198048/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315168766&sr=8-1 many of us type 2s have purchased this book and it has been amazing.
Are you testing your blood sugars with a meter and test strips?
hang on in there we have all been where you are and things do feel so daunting when your first diagnosed but it will get better and you will start to have a good understanding on diabetes in no time

p.s have a good luck around the forum and ask anything anytime no question is a stupid one in here x


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## Orchid (Sep 4, 2011)

Hi Steff , 

I was self testing I got myself a Accu-Check and was quite happily testing myself to see what was going and what was making in peek etc , but the the Nurse practioner refused to give me a prescription for the lancets and test strips ( they are expensive )   so i'm a bit unsure what to do , I have a doc's appointment on Thurssday and I may take it up with him !

I have orderd the book on Amazon 
It's all very daunting 

Orchid


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## Northerner (Sep 4, 2011)

Hi Orchid, welcome to the forum  Try not to be overwhelmed by everything as there is a lot to take in. I'd suggest a good place to start would be to have a look in the Useful links thread, in particular look at Maggie Davey's letter to newly diagnosed Type 2s - it's an excellent introduction. The book that Steff mentioned,  Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, is highly recommended by many of our members and should be enough to keep you going without baffling you with science or scaring you silly 

And please do ask us any questions you may have - nothing is considered 'silly' here and people are always happy to try and help out by sharing their own experiences. I look forward to hearing more from you


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## Steff (Sep 4, 2011)

Orchid said:


> Hi Steff ,
> 
> I was self testing I got myself a Accu-Check and was quite happily testing myself to see what was going and what was making in peek etc , but the the Nurse practioner refused to give me a prescription for the lancets and test strips ( they are expensive )   so i'm a bit unsure what to do , I have a doc's appointment on Thurssday and I may take it up with him !
> 
> ...



Orchid good choice on the book x
Good luck Thursday theres some in here who have had alot of bother trying to get strips also many are ending up having to buy them off ebay which is really not fair, in the past we have helped each other out by posting strips to one another....How are your levels at the moment?


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## Northerner (Sep 4, 2011)

Orchid said:


> Hi Steff ,
> 
> I was self testing I got myself a Accu-Check and was quite happily testing myself to see what was going and what was making in peek etc , but the the Nurse practioner refused to give me a prescription for the lancets and test strips ( they are expensive )   so i'm a bit unsure what to do , I have a doc's appointment on Thurssday and I may take it up with him !
> 
> ...



Have a read of the following Orchid, before you see the doctor:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/Our_Views/Position_statements/Self-monitoring_of_blood_glucose/


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## teapot8910 (Sep 4, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Orchid


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## Orchid (Sep 4, 2011)

Steff said:


> Orchid good choice on the book x
> Good luck Thursday theres some in here who have had alot of bother trying to get strips also many are ending up having to buy them off ebay which is really not fair, in the past we have helped each other out by posting strips to one another....How are your levels at the moment?


 

Well I hope you are sitting down my last test was 12.9 @10.00 on 30th August


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## Orchid (Sep 4, 2011)

teapot8910 said:


> Welcome to the forum Orchid


 

Thanks Teapot


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## Sheilagh1958 (Sep 4, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Orchid. Within a few weeks you will start to see a difference in the numbers. What sort of symptons where you having before you where diagnosed?

I buy my strips and lancets on ebay sometimes you can get them quite reasonable on ebay


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## Orchid (Sep 4, 2011)

Sheilagh1958 said:


> Welcome to the forum Orchid. Within a few weeks you will start to see a difference in the numbers. What sort of symptons where you having before you where diagnosed?
> 
> I buy my strips and lancets on ebay sometimes you can get them quite reasonable on ebay


 

well I noticed I was drinking loads of water and then I just passed out ! 

I have the Accu - check (Aviva) when looking for the stips and lancets on Ebay , do you have a prefferd seller ?


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## Sheilagh1958 (Sep 4, 2011)

No preferred seller I just see whats available at the time I need them. When I was first diagonosed I use to test a lot but now I just test every couple of days just to make sure that that things are going in the right direcion.........will be my first anniversary in a few weeks time.

The things that really made a difference to me was changes in my diet and the introduction of exercise......and now I even enjoy my visits to the gym never thought I would ever say that 

The first few months are so daunting after diagnosis. But things will get better for you. On the morning I got diagnosed my finger prick test was 23.5 

If you have any questions just fire away they are great bunch of people on here and its a great place to come for help and support.


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## Robster65 (Sep 4, 2011)

Hi Orchid. Welcome.

Can't really offer much advice other than do what they said ! 

Exercise can do amazing things for insulin resistance/sensitivity in type 2s and 1s. And it's pretty good for the rest of the body too.

Rob


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## Mark T (Sep 4, 2011)

Welcome to the forums Orchid 

And good luck with getting your Doctor to put strips on prescription!


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## AnnW (Sep 4, 2011)

Hi, and welcome to this wonderful group of people who help with every problem however silly or trivial you may think it is!! 

I see you are from Kent.if you are anywhere near Bromley there is a Diabetes group meeting on Sep 22nd and it is to be a dietician that evening. If you are interested I can give you details, I shall be going.It is held in the centre of Bromley so not hard to get to.

Good luck! I was absolutely scared to death at first ( nearly a year since I was diagnosed) but on the whole I have calmed down and am beginning to get things a bit less manic !


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## Orchid (Sep 5, 2011)

AnnW said:


> I see you are from Kent.if you are anywhere near Bromley there is a Diabetes group meeting on Sep 22nd and it is to be a dietician that evening. If you are interested I can give you details, I shall be going.It is held in the centre of Bromley so not hard to get to.


 
Hi Ann , 

unfortunately on the 2nd I am working nights and it's slap bang in the middle of them too , I would love to have come ,  please keep me updated if there are anymore meets I would really like to go .

it is very daunting at the moment and i'm not sure if I want to scream or cry , but im sure it will become a bit more understandable soon ,maybe , possibly , perhaps , hopefully 

Orchid


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## Katieb (Sep 5, 2011)

Morning Orchid and welcome to the forum. Am new here myself and have found the wonderful members here to be a tower of strength and a wealth of information. Good advice to educate yourself by reading the articles/books already suggested and ask as many questions as you like here without judgment. I understand a lot more than I did (still floundering a bit though cos there's loads to learn!) Best advice is to take a day ar a time and learn to learn about yourself and your condition. The more you learn the better you feel! Take care. Katie


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## Andy HB (Sep 5, 2011)

Hello Orchid, welcome to the forum from me.

Did you know the NHS runs courses in some areas for newly diagnosed peeps. I think which course is available (if any) can differ from area to area. I know of two, Diabetes Xpert (the one I attended) and DESMOND. I found mine to be a really good starting point and gave me a chance to ask direct questions to a DSN without the usual time pressures. 

It also went into some detail about what diabetes is, how it can be controlled, the sort of things to look out for in your diet and lots more! 

The diet side will need some tweaking based on your own experiences though. That's one area where 'one size' most definitely does not fit all!

Andy


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## Orchid (Sep 5, 2011)

All , 

thank you so much for all your welcomes and advice I have a doctors appointment on Thursday , well he has an appointment with me I reall y am going to take this to hand and not give up and I'm going stick to my guns , Im the one with Diabetes and I'm me and I react diffrently to others  so treat me as an individuale not a number !!!!!


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## trophywench (Sep 6, 2011)

You are certainly right about that orchid - every one of us is different, and there is no 'one size fits all' with any type of daibetes.

Tell you what I'd really like to know - how did they actually establish that you are really Type 2?

Do you know if they tested you for a) ketones and b) C-peptide because your symptoms sound an awful lot like Type 1 to me ......


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## Orchid (Sep 6, 2011)

trophywench said:


> You are certainly right about that orchid - every one of us is different, and there is no 'one size fits all' with any type of daibetes.
> 
> Tell you what I'd really like to know - how did they actually establish that you are really Type 2?
> 
> Do you know if they tested you for a) ketones and b) C-peptide because your symptoms sound an awful lot like Type 1 to me ......


 

Well when I go on Thursday , I am going to ask for clarification and ask for a copy of the results and ask exactly what I was tested for , I have been out on Metformin 500g tablets ( 1 a day for the first week , then 2 a day for the second and then 3 for the 3rd week and then stay at 3 a day ), when I was told it was all a bit rushed and I did felt like it was all too much hassel , and now that I have lived with the idea of being diabetic for 3 weeks I need to know exactly how they have come to this conclusion ! so I shal ask the question you have just asked trophywench


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## Orchid (Sep 8, 2011)

Mark T said:


> Welcome to the forums Orchid
> 
> And good luck with getting your Doctor to put strips on prescription!


 
I am on repeat prescription for them as of today


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## Steff (Sep 8, 2011)

Orchid said:


> I am on repeat prescription for them as of today



Orchid thats amazing news,well chuffed. x


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## Orchid (Sep 8, 2011)

So just got back from the doctors and he has 100% confirmed I am type 2 , , he has also given me a repeat prescription for my testing strips 
and he has also put me on Simvastatin as well , so I shall be rattling around and also stabbing myself in the mornings , afternoons and evenings  , but on a good note I have lost a stone in weight since August 19th  which he was happy with he said it would settle down soon and I will get into a routine with things , he wants to see me every 2 wseeks as well , he said it was nice to see someone who was positive and has done some research on my condition ........gold star for me then


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## Orchid (Sep 8, 2011)

Steff said:


> Orchid thats amazing news,well chuffed. x


 
Thanks Steff , I was so happy but I think he is a very forward thinking doctor and was more than happy to give me the prescription when i shoed him my food diary and my testing results and my file ( yes I have a file ) on research ...


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## Steff (Sep 8, 2011)

Brillaint news for you Orchid and well done on the weight loss,i was on simvistastin but due to leg pains i was moved onto a diffirent statin x 
Good luck on the meds.


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## Robster65 (Sep 8, 2011)

All great news Orchid 

Can you tell your doctor he can have a gold star too for recognising the benefits a keen patient. 

Make sure every test counts and teaches you something meaningful.

Rob


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## Orchid (Sep 8, 2011)

Steff said:


> Brillaint news for you Orchid and well done on the weight loss,i was on simvistastin but due to leg pains i was moved onto a diffirent statin x
> Good luck on the meds.


 
He did say I may get some muscle pain ,but he asked me to give it a go for at least a month and if im not happy then we would review it , are the pains bad Steff


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## Orchid (Sep 8, 2011)

Robster65 said:


> All great news Orchid
> 
> Can you tell your doctor he can have a gold star too for recognising the benefits a keen patient.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks Robster , I am determind to rule my condition and I feel more empowerd now I seem to have the backing of a good doctor, so now I just have to find my hubbby's secreat stash of chocolate to celebrate on .......................ooops I mean where did I put the carrotts


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## Steff (Sep 8, 2011)

Orchid said:


> He did say I may get some muscle pain ,but he asked me to give it a go for at least a month and if im not happy then we would review it , are the pains bad Steff



Well to be honest they were worse at night when i was in bed hun,but you dont know you may be fine so dont panic x


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## Katieb (Sep 8, 2011)

Well done on the weight loss Orchid and for persuading the doctor to prescribe your strips Sounds like your GP is v proactive and a good listener. It's good to hear and long may it continue! Katie


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## Orchid (Sep 8, 2011)

He has told me to take them at night , I just hope it won't be too pain for when I get up for the usual 3am bathroom visit  promise I won't panic x




Steff said:


> Well to be honest they were worse at night when i was in bed hun,but you dont know you may be fine so dont panic x


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## Orchid (Sep 8, 2011)

Katieb said:


> Well done on the weight loss Orchid and for persuading the doctor to prescribe your strips Sounds like your GP is v proactive and a good listener. It's good to hear and long may it continue! Katie


 

Thank you


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## AnnW (Sep 8, 2011)

I just wonder , you seem to have such a nice doctor and it is great he is encouraging to you and helpful. 
I am just coming up to my first anniversary of Dx and I have seen the doctor once on diagnosis and the nurse 3 times, I wish I had more comforting support to be honest, I have said before about my dietician who is wonderful and the podiatrist who was lovely, but , should I be seeing my doctor ? It is confusing !!


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## Andy HB (Sep 8, 2011)

Orchid said:


> Thanks Robster , I am determind to rule my condition and I feel more empowerd now I seem to have the backing of a good doctor, so now I just have to find my hubbby's secreat stash of chocolate to celebrate on .......................ooops I mean where did I put the carrotts



Go on ..... you're allowed a nibble every now and then! 

Andy


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## Robster65 (Sep 8, 2011)

AnnW said:


> I just wonder , you seem to have such a nice doctor and it is great he is encouraging to you and helpful.
> I am just coming up to my first anniversary of Dx and I have seen the doctor once on diagnosis and the nurse 3 times, I wish I had more comforting support to be honest, I have said before about my dietician who is wonderful and the podiatrist who was lovely, but , should I be seeing my doctor ? It is confusing !!


 
If you don't feel you're getting the information or service you want from the nurse, then request to see your GP. You need to be clear about what you want from them and then push for it. Easier said than done obviously. 

Rob


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