# Very New Newbie - Found Out This Morning.



## sbeqs (Jan 20, 2020)

Hi. Very newly diagnosed....
I’m assuming it’s type 2. I was too shaken to ask and my GP didn’t say. 

I’ve been pre-diabetic for about 5 years but this morning my GP told me I’m diabetic and prescribed Metformin. 

I’ve  got a nurse appointment in 2 weeks but right now I’m just... numb and yet shaking with reaction.
It’s not really a surprise and yet I’m reeling a bit. 
I don’t know what to think. Or what to do. Or how to BE diabetic.


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## Ralph-YK (Jan 20, 2020)

Welcome to the Sbeqs from a fellow T2.
Being prescribed metformin it's likely T2. My advice is always make them tell you *Everything*. I know it's not easy, particularly when being given a diagnoses. (This is something I've not managed  )


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## Northerner (Jan 20, 2020)

sbeqs said:


> Hi. Very newly diagnosed....
> I’m assuming it’s type 2. I was too shaken to ask and my GP didn’t say.
> 
> I’ve been pre-diabetic for about 5 years but this morning my GP told me I’m diabetic and prescribed Metformin.
> ...


Hi sbeqs, welcome to the forum  Try not to worry! Although this is a serious condition, it is one that you can learn to manage well with the right support and information  I'm guessing that over the past 5 years you haven't really received much in the way of information to help you manage things? Apologies if that's not the case, but I'm afraid to say it's something we often see here  Time to make a fresh start! Have a read of Maggie Davey's letter and see how the advice there compares with how you have been trying to manage things so far  I'd also recommend getting a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which is highly recommended by our members and ought really to be given to every newly-diagnosed Type 2 

As I said, try not to worry. Nothing drastic is going to happen overnight, so work your way through the information and ask any and every question that may arise - we will be very happy to help  More often than not, people find themselves in a much happier and healthier AFTER their diagnosis than before it, thanks to the greater understanding they gain, the kickstart to their determination, and the adaptations they make  And you've come to the right place so that's an excellent start!


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## Felinia (Jan 20, 2020)

Welcome.  Last August I was in the same position as you and Northerner has given you great advice.  I suggest you ring the surgery and ask what your HbA1C was, and that you post it on here.  People can then tailor their support to you.  
Four bits of advice I was given in no particular order:  
1) prepare a list of questions to ask the nurse at your appointment;
 2) Look at the DUK Learning Zone for Type 2 (one or two sections a day, so you take it in); 
3) start a lower carb diet.  DUK recommends <130gm a day - many go much lower.  I experimented  and settled on 75gm +- 15gm a day.  I use an online website which records everything and saves me a lot of sums!  
4) Increase your exercise (or if you are like me, start it!), and if necessary lose weight.
I, and many other new Type 2, have made significant reductions in their HbA1c by following these points - my results are below.  I feel so much better, as Northerner suggested.


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## Neens (Jan 20, 2020)

Felinia said:


> 3) start a lower carb diet.  DUK recommends <130gm a day - many go much lower.  I experimented  and settled on 75gm +- 15gm a day.  I use an online website which records everything and saves me a lot of sums!


Felinia - is it a subscription site or free? Would you mind sharing - currently paper based food diary and sometimes calculator - but this is already 7 sheets of A4 in the folder.


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## Neens (Jan 20, 2020)

sbeqs said:


> Hi. Very newly diagnosed....
> I’m assuming it’s type 2. I was too shaken to ask and my GP didn’t say.
> 
> I’ve been pre-diabetic for about 5 years but this morning my GP told me I’m diabetic and prescribed Metformin.
> ...



Welcome to the best forum sbeqs- it has been a real saving for me. Recently diagnosed, just before Christmas, that feast of food. I was prescribed Metaformin straight off too and now on maximum dose, my blood glucose levels have dramatically reduced in 7 weeks and I will never know if it is the low carb diet or the meds or a combination of them both, but do not panic that you are already on medication, possibly more common than we think. The reaction is normal and having read the thread I know members have left sound advice, I am only a novice but I won't ever forget the diagnosis appointment or the immediate emotional reaction/fall out. 
I also had to wait 2 weeks for the nurse apt. 

You will be well supported here. I found it on Day 1 of diagnosis but it was a few weeks before I joined up - so already you are helping yourself. One of those it is not okay but it will be okay things. We are here for you. 


In the 2 weeks before the nurse appointment I wrote down all my questions and went in with a sheet of paper. They will be used to the overwhelm and are there to help you, there are also people you can see for dietary advice and psychological, your Diabetes health team should offer help or point you in the right direction. I have found using this forum has rested a lot of my initial concerns. 

Be gentle on yourself.


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## Drummer (Jan 20, 2020)

The trick is to be non diabetic.
First - the problem is starch and sugar.
I am really sensitive to carbohydrate, and I want normal numbers, so I am eating  no more than 40 gm of carbs a day. I started off at 50 gm per day, and just skimmed the top of normal - Hba1c of 41 but next test was 42 - so I cut down, and there was no change - but I feel fine.
If you can start off by swapping potatoes for less carby veges, eat eggs for breakfast - or kippers, sausages, left over dinner - not cereals or toast, then you'll be taking the top off the mountain you need to get over. 
I only eat twice a day now, as the foods I can eat are so nutritious I don't need to try to find lunch when I'm out, nor carry much with me. Usually I take a thermos of coffee and bottle of cream, as it is almost impossible to find that quality when I am out of the house.


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## sbeqs (Jan 20, 2020)

Thanks. Great welcome.  
Head spinning.


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## Ralph-YK (Jan 20, 2020)

Felinia said:


> 3) start a lower carb diet. DUK recommends <130gm a day


Diabetes UK? I thought they were wishy washy on even managing carbs at all.


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## CathyB (Jan 20, 2020)

Hi and welcome from me too  Once you get your head around the food side of things, its really not so bad, honestly!  Testing my bg was key for me, i tracked my readings in a food diary alongside my meals for the first few weeks, it made it easier to see what foods worked or what needed tweaking or cutting out. We are all different so it takes a little time to find what works for you so be patient, this is a marathon not a race.  Read what you can here and then ask any questions.  We are a friendly bunch and have all been where you are now   For me personally Diabetes has been a positive influence in my life, I eat better, sleep better, feel better and am now over 4 stone lighter


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## trophywench (Jan 20, 2020)

The Diabetes UK site is free - though may of us are long term members - it is the only UK charity for Us.  They invest in research and lobby Government where it's needed - eg a lot of support for schools with newly diabetic youngsters for instance.  They are the future - our future as much as anyone else's - we need them ALL to grow up get jobs and pay tax, don't we?

And the times they are a-changing to quote Bob Dylan - lower carbing is now far better supported generally both ny DUK themselves and the medical profession - it takes the latter even longer to catch on than it ever did DUK,  But none of that affects the fact that many on this forum find it works and have for a very long time.  It isn't new - it was the case when I was diagnosed until they 'chucked the babby out with the bathwater' - but sensible stubborn folk like us lot (broadly LOL) stuck with it cos we knew it made sense.


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## Felinia (Jan 20, 2020)

Neens said:


> Felinia - is it a subscription site or free? Would you mind sharing - currently paper based food diary and sometimes calculator - but this is already 7 sheets of A4 in the folder.


I belong to Nutracheck - it has a website and downloadable app.  The website is £7.99 a month, but the first week is free to trial (like 3 coffee's out so not too expensive).  I'm not sure if there is a charge for the downloadable app to your smartphone, as I don't use it.  I know there are more facilities available on the website.  There are thousands of foods, showing cals, carbs, sugars, fat, sat fat, protein, fibre, sodium.  You can choose what you want to display, and you have various plans to choose from, standard, low carb, 5:2 etc.  I have chosen "Set your own" where I specified a max carb of 90gm.  You then have a daily diary, forum, and various reports and display options.  It caters for people who want to lose weight, gain weight, eat healthy, cater for medical conditions like us.  So each day I decide on my food, type in say "Hovis" and it brings up all sorts of options, from low carb, seeded, wholemeal etc.  You then enter the weight or portion size, and click on the meal you want to add it to, and hey presto - there it is, showing all the gm values for your choice.  It maintains running totals for meal, day and week.  And you can print it out, so no more writing, or sums.  I basically do it the night before, and it takes about 5 minutes!  One of the benefits of modern technology.

Hovis Lower Carb Seeded 400g  Slice 36g 
Cal 97 Carb 9.8gm Of which sugars1.0gm Fat 3.0gm Sat fat 0.6gm Protein 5.7gm Fibre 4.1gm Sodium 137mg

Worth having a look at for a week.  I think there are others which are actually free - others on the forum might have more suggestions.  All the best.


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## ianf0ster (Jan 20, 2020)

Neens said:


> my blood glucose levels have dramatically reduced in 7 weeks and I will never know if it is the low carb diet or the meds or a combination of them both



Hi Neens, No question about it. It is almost all due to the Low Carb diet. - Though I hope for your sake that it is really a Low Carb 'Way Of Eating' rather than a calorie restricted 'diet'.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 20, 2020)

Hello @sbeqs 

Welcome to the forum. 

It’s not at all unusual to feel more that a little overwhelmed and knocked sideways by a diagnosis of diabetes, even if you’ve been told you are ‘prediabetic’ and therefore a bit on the edge for several years. 

But as Northie says, try not to worry. Diabetes is generally a slow moving foe, and you have time to learn, and to slowly experiment to try to find a way of eating that suits you and your metabolism. 

And members here will be on hand to offer their hints, tips and suggestions from their own experiences.


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## Eddy Edson (Jan 20, 2020)

Neens said:


> Felinia - is it a subscription site or free? Would you mind sharing - currently paper based food diary and sometimes calculator - but this is already 7 sheets of A4 in the folder.



I've started using https://cronometer.com/  Free, fairly easy to keep track of all macro- and micro-nutrients, exercise, links into the US govt nutrient databases which I think are probably the most comprehensive and widely used, and you can customise your own.


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## Neens (Jan 20, 2020)

Thanks @Eddy Edson I will look into it.


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## Neens (Jan 20, 2020)

Thanks, Felinia, that is a familiar site to me - use it to check carbs/foods often. I stopped having coffee out about a decade ago as I couldn't afford it and with a year of not being able to work I am trying to balance my books with cloth that's cut to the tiniest squares... so for now I need free resources, although the charges are reasonable and the service a good one. Appreciate the detailed response though.


And apologies to @sbeqs for jumping onto the thread to enquire about food diaries. All info that may be useful for you too though. Take it a day as it comes - as you say - head spinning... it will seem that way - I went mad for a fortnight and researched the heck out of Type 2 - found some fiction and some fact - so best not to overthink it on first steps. I overloaded and panicked and then worried some more. I had to keep reminding myself I may have had it for weeks/months/years... and until I knew I was not doing much of what I do now. But everywhere (including Learning Zone here) advises small swaps and changes, don't pull the rug out from underneath you in one foul swoop!


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## Neens (Jan 20, 2020)

Thanks @ianf0ster - I use diet as in eating not a diet/diet... it isn't as low carb as a lot of people here. 7 weeks in I have emptied food cupboards/restocked and learnt about a lot of foods, my main challenge is not so much the carb but how to manage the balance the insoluble/soluble fibre needed and other nutrients etc. I should probably post questions on the recipe or weight loss area.


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## ColinUK (Jan 21, 2020)

sbeqs said:


> Hi. Very newly diagnosed....
> I’m assuming it’s type 2. I was too shaken to ask and my GP didn’t say.
> 
> I’ve been pre-diabetic for about 5 years but this morning my GP told me I’m diabetic and prescribed Metformin.
> ...



Hi sbeqs, 

I was told I was T2 last week so we’re in a similar situation. I’ve found this forum hugely supportive both practically and emotionally. 

As a newbie I’d say take time to familiarise yourself with the forum and explore some of the categories. Just read. Then ask as many questions as you want and share feelings and thoughts etc. You are not alone.


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## sbeqs (Jan 21, 2020)

Thanks everyone. I keep reminding myself I can’t learn everything or change anything in a day. Just got to get my head around it all.


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## Grannylorraine (Jan 22, 2020)

welcome to the forum,  

first of it is quite normal to feel overwhelmed when first diagnosed, plus as you have seen, there is no one size fits all approach, we all manage it slightly differently, so that can make it feel even more confusing.  

It may take you time to get your head around this and get control, took me 2 years to really get proper control, many people do it much quicker than that, but again it is an individual journey, I would do a few months start making progress and then fall back.


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