# thinly disguised blessing ......mmmmmm



## wildagayn (Jan 26, 2016)

hello everyone, just heard dreaded words
"yes you are a diabetic"
i feel a panic coming on altho i am type 2 and no medication offered yet. 
its just so overwhelming.
 so i am whispering help..........
judith


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## Stitch147 (Jan 26, 2016)

Hi Judith and welcome to the forum. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want. It is very daunting being diagnosed but there are plenty of us in this boat, and together we'll ride the storm and help each other along the journey.


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 26, 2016)

Hi and welcome to the forum. Lots of help round these parts. Have a look at reducing your carbs by cutting out white food. Stuff like sugar (obviously), flour, breads etc.  Keeping your carbs lower will help to reduce your blood sugars.


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## Matt Cycle (Jan 26, 2016)

Welcome to the forum Judith.  Lots of friendly help and advice on here.


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## Northerner (Jan 26, 2016)

wildagayn said:


> hello everyone, just heard dreaded words
> "yes you are a diabetic"
> i feel a panic coming on altho i am type 2 and no medication offered yet.
> its just so overwhelming.
> ...


Hi Judith, welcome to the forum  Don't panic! Knowledge is power in this game, so I would recommend having a read of Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter to get a good idea of what it's all about  Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker is an excellent guide to getting you through the first weeks and, erm, year 

Please ask any questions you may have and we will be more than happy to help - no questions is 'silly' - if it is bothering or confusing you, let us know


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## Mark Parrott (Jan 26, 2016)

Welcome to the forum, Judith.


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## khskel (Jan 26, 2016)

Welcome, you're in the right place for advice, support and letting off steam


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## wildagayn (Jan 27, 2016)

good morning everyone, you are all so kind and the contact is really  helping.
I am keen to sort this out, off to the practice nurse Friday for a chat. 
a sincere thank you


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 27, 2016)

You are very welcome wildagayn - ask any questions you have and there will be someone along to answer you.  You are not alone in this - there are lots of us around.


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## Ralph-YK (Jan 27, 2016)

Hi from a fellow type 2 who's just one year in.


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## wildagayn (Jan 30, 2016)

hello all again,
update,
 I went to see the practice nurse yesterday and she was lovely and helpful too. She gave me a pack with lots of reading material inside and told me my hbA1c was 47. Bless her I had no idea what she meant , it could have been a foreign language, so please can some one explain this to me in simple terms.
it is very reassuring that there are strangers out there prepared to help me and answer my daft questions.
I am so grateful


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## Mark Parrott (Jan 30, 2016)

In my dreams, i'd love to be 47.  Mine was 86! 47 is higher than ideal, but sounds like you've been caught early which is good.  I'm still new to all this, so I won't try to know what i'm talking about as it may be the wrong advice, but there's plenty of lovely people on here who do know what they're talking about so i'll leave it to them.


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## Ralph-YK (Jan 30, 2016)

HbA1c is a measure of your blood sugar levels.  It's an average from the last 2 to 3 months.  47 is just below the level that you'd be diagnosed as diabetic I belive.  If you're already diabetic then you are still diabetic.
Technical:  sugar sticks to your red blood cells (this is normal).  This is what is measured.  Your red blood cells last somewhere around 2 months or so, meaning the test covers that period.  To get an idea of what's going the test has to be done at least 3 months apart.


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## Amigo (Jan 30, 2016)

Hi wildagayn and welcome.

As Ralph says, 47 is very borderline as 48 and over is the usual level for a diabetic diagnosis. So in 'diabetic' terms, you'd be classed as having 'excellent control' which is very positive. But it is pre-diabetic range and unfortunately once we are diagnosed as diabetic, the risks exist for fluctuations and increases. It can be managed (certainly at those levels) with a lower carb/sugar diet and I'm sure you'll soon get into the swing of what suits you to remain stable.

I was diagnosed last Feb and am controlling my levels without meds by home testing and being careful about the amount of carbs (potatoes, pasta, bread, rice, biscuits, cakes) I eat. Don't panic, it's do'able!


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## wildagayn (Jan 30, 2016)

There is such a lot to learn. Bit overwhelming but I have buckets of determination and all of you guys to help me. feel more positive now.


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## wildagayn (Jan 30, 2016)

now , should I be on here or in another section of the forum ?
and does anyone have good ides for little snacks?


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## Mark Parrott (Jan 30, 2016)

I'm finding the snack thing an issue.  I tend just to munch on a few nuts.


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## Robin (Jan 30, 2016)

Hmm, snacks, difficult one! I eat nuts, or a lump of cheese, which is fine if you're not trying to lose weight. I'm not, but I do tend to put it on easily, so it's a case of not too much and not too often. I think there's been a discussion on protein crips somewhere on here ( try the food/recipes section, or put some key words into the search box) but I've never tried them.


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 30, 2016)

Best snack I know is celery!


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## Northerner (Jan 30, 2016)

wildagayn said:


> now , should I be on here or in another section of the forum ?
> and does anyone have good ides for little snacks?


You're not a Newbie any more, wildagayn, post wherever you feel is appropriate


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## Stitch147 (Jan 30, 2016)

Oh for a HbA1c of 47! On diagnosis mine was 127, now down to 74. I snack on nuts now.


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## robert@fm (Jan 30, 2016)

Lynn Davies said:


> Best snack I know is celery!


There was once an urban myth that celery had negative calories, in that it took more calories to digest than its digestion yielded.


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## Cowboy Bob (Jan 30, 2016)

I'm addicted to Kabanos, a Polish smoked thin dry sausage (think Pepperami but nicer). You can find them in most supermarkets. Luckily I can carry on eating them as they're virtually carb free


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## Mark Parrott (Jan 30, 2016)

Ohh, I'll have to look out for that. Bound to find some in Wisbech.


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## Cowboy Bob (Jan 31, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> Ohh, I'll have to look out for that. Bound to find some in Wisbech.



Make sure you watch your car or it'll end up on bricks


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## Ralph-YK (Jan 31, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Oh for a HbA1c of 47! On diagnosis mine was 127, now down to 74.


Well that's heading towards 47.  So that's good.  If 47 is what you want Stitch


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## Stitch147 (Jan 31, 2016)

Ralph-YK said:


> Well that's heading towards 47.  So that's good.  If 47 is what you want Stitch


My next target set by doc is 60 for March.


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## Carolg (Jan 31, 2016)

Hi wildagayn and welcome. I've been guddling for a few months but am getting a handle on things. Good luck and theres lots of info here and lots of support


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## wildagayn (Feb 10, 2016)

Hello everyone , thank you for the replies .
Now I have become seriously stupid since this diagnosis diabetes type 2 
 I simply cannot understand all the figures . 
I just tested my blood glucose for the very first time , 90 minutes after a fruity home made smoothy and two oatcakes . It read at 8.7 , is that high or low ? 
Please help ......
Judith 
I


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## AlisonM (Feb 10, 2016)

It depends on what your reading was beforehand @wildagayn, it is on the high side, but within range for a diabetic. However, if you were 4.7 before, then it's a spike, on the other hand, if you were 6.7 or over then it's OK. I have to say, if it had been me, my BGs would have been in the teens 90 minutes after a smoothie.

My DSN keeps telling me to try and stay between 5.0 and 9.0 which I do most of the time, apparently he believes this is the Holy Grail of BGs, but I'd rather run a little lower and try to stay between 4.5 and 7.0, which is a struggle.


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## wildagayn (Feb 10, 2016)

Thank you , the panic is subsiding .


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## AlisonM (Feb 10, 2016)

Alan Shanley's blog: Test, Review, Adjust might help you better understand what to do and how to do it. It's well worth a read.


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