# Confused newbie



## Clairebear7919 (Feb 5, 2020)

Hi all, just new and looking for a bit of help. I’m only 35 years old and have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Only have a stone and a half to lose.  This was nearly a month ago but no appointments with dietician for another 6 weeks. Had a follow up appointment with nurse 2 weeks later but she wasn’t able to test blood so I have no idea if I’m bringing it down as they haven’t given me a test kit either. I’m finding the food labelling difficult as some show green but have nearly 10g of sugar yet some amber have 6g. I’m trying to be so strict incase I do anything wrong. Iv realises the low fat options tend to be loaded with sugar. So whatever I knew about healthy eating mainly from slimming world isn’t really helping. Any tips for someone newly diagnosed would be brilliant. There’s so much to take in


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## Tee G (Feb 5, 2020)

Hi and welcome.  Could you tell us what your reading are?, it will help those on here to guide and give you some useful info. You will find some great topics on here, take your time to absorb it all.     I cut out all obvious and hidden sugar, reduced dinner plate size, added more veg (generally those that grown above ground), eat very low carbs, especially at lunch (salad mainly with chicken, ham, cottage cheese) and upped my exercise. Seems to be working, ive lost weigh. I got rid of things like tomato ketchup, sauces etc (high in hidden sugars).  Im careful around carbs (potatoes, bread brown or white, rice, pasta).   I think this suits me and im hoping for a good result when I go back in April.   I want to be able to maintain any new eating patterns i make, because I know im prob in for the long haul.  So my advice is dont panic, take your time gathering info, listen to peoples stories, you will find what suits you best.  You have made a great start already by joining this forum, we are all here for you.  Ask as many questions as you like. and please, keep posting and let us know how you are doing.


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## Toucan (Feb 5, 2020)

So good that you have joined the forum, there is plenty of help and support here.

I would suggest starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.

The way we react to foods is different for everyone but diabetics usually have extra sensitivity to carbs. The amount of tolerance varies, and even the same foods eaten at different times of the day can have varying effects.
It will help if you can find out which foods cause your blood sugars to rise, and eventually arrive at a lists that lets you maintain good blood sugar levels, that you enjoy eating, and fits your lifestyle in terms of how much preparation and cooking you like and have time to do.
A glucose monitor is a way to find this out, by testing before and 2 hours after eating. (The aim is to have a rise of 2 or less) Also if you can keep a tally of the total number of carbs eaten in a day, your morning reading will guide you on working out how much you need to adjust.
It is all trial and error, so try to be patient, you are aiming for the long term, and a diet that you can sustain.

One of the most affordable meters is the SD Gluco Navii which has test strips at around £8 for 50
It does all take time to find what’s right for you and adjust your lifestyle, but please be patient, it will be very worthwhile. 

Hope you will let us know how it goes for you and please ask about anything you are concerned about.


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## Docb (Feb 5, 2020)

My top tip is to forget the front of the packets with the traffic lights and big labels saying healthy or organic or low fat or whatever the latest buzz phrase is and go straight for the nutrition information on the back.  The thing you are interested in on the list is the total carbohydrate.  Is usually expressed as grams of carbohydrate in 100 grams of the product.  You then want to be selecting things where that is low compared with other similar products.  The best example I can think of is tinned soup.  Next time you are in the supermarket and fancy a tin of soup for lunch, check out the labels and you will be surprised at the variation in carb content for what are supposed to be the same thing.  Simply choose the lowest carb.  Start doing it for anything you buy and a whole new world will open up for you.


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## SueEK (Feb 5, 2020)

Clairebear7919 said:


> Hi all, just new and looking for a bit of help. I’m only 35 years old and have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Only have a stone and a half to lose.  This was nearly a month ago but no appointments with dietician for another 6 weeks. Had a follow up appointment with nurse 2 weeks later but she wasn’t able to test blood so I have no idea if I’m bringing it down as they haven’t given me a test kit either. I’m finding the food labelling difficult as some show green but have nearly 10g of sugar yet some amber have 6g. I’m trying to be so strict incase I do anything wrong. Iv realises the low fat options tend to be loaded with sugar. So whatever I knew about healthy eating mainly from slimming world isn’t really helping. Any tips for someone newly diagnosed would be brilliant. There’s so much to take in


Hi Claire and welcome to a great forum. Sadly we have all been where you are and spent hours looking round the supermarket with not a clue what to do or even what we are supposed to be looking at. 
A quick run down - only look at the carbs on the back of packets, forget the traffic colours on the front or calories - just the carbs. All carbs turn to sugar and so low fat yoghurts etc are just as full of sugar as other things. Most of us, not all go for LCHF, low carb high fat. When we reduce our carbs we need to get our energy from good fats and protein so butter, cheese full fat milk etc are fine for us as are all meats and fish, green leafy veg, eggs etc. There is a good recipe section on the forum to help but feel free to ask any questions about anything.
We seriously need to reduce potatoes, pasta, rice and bread plus pastries and obviously cakes, sweets, chocolate etc. 
Don’t panic you will be surprised how you manage to adapt and once you get the hang of it it becomes easier. Not sure what your glucose level is, mine was 90 so quite high but if yours is not too bad then a few adjustments to your diet will hopefully be ok.
A meter is a really good idea as it shows us what foods we can and cannot tolerate, we are all different. I give any more info as it will be overload but that is a basic outline.  Come back to us at any time, ask any questions at all, we are all happy to help you navigate this difficult time. Sue


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## Clairebear7919 (Feb 5, 2020)

Tee G said:


> Hi and welcome.  Could you tell us what your reading are?, it will help those on here to guide and give you some useful info.   All I can say at the mo is you sound like i was 9 months ago, I went to the Dr as i was under extreme stress and she did blood test which showed i was Diabetic (level 51) said 'cut out all obvious sugar and we will test again in 3 months' I did that and I got down to 47 (pre-diabetic).  She was really encouraged, as i was, and gave me a further 6 months to see if i could drop lower with just tweaks to my diet. However, Xmas came along and i fell down and got sloppy, stupid really when i think back, that extra mince pie and dob of ice cream just wasnt worth it.   But my Dr realises it was just a hump and has given me a further 3 months to see what i can do (Im in the middle of that now.  I have found some grate topics on here, go take a look around, see what suits you. I havent really got a sweet tooth normally, so i checked my larder and started chucking out things like the tomato ketchup, sauces etc.   I have also cut down on my portions (using a side plate to have my meals on)  Im a greedy guts usually  lol....im especially careful around the pesky carbs (potatoes, bread brown or white, rice, pasta and root veg)  and have given myself extreme limitations on those.  Because i dropped quite readily before and I am not a true diabetic yet, I think this suits me and im hoping for a good result when I go backk in April.   In doing all this i have already lost over half a stone and its only been 16 days since i started this new regime.  I have about another stone to go, but slowly does it.  I want to be able to maintain any new eating patterns i make, because I know im prob in for the long haul with this.  So my advice is dont panic, take your time gathering info, listen to peoples stories, you will find what suits you best.  You have made a great start already by joing this forum, we are all here for you.  Ask as many questions as you like. and please, keep posting and let us know how you are doing.




Hi thank you for the reply. My overall level was 96 I went back a few days later for the diagnosis and she pricked my finger which showed up as 18.


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## Drummer (Feb 5, 2020)

You are starting off just slightly above the levels at which I was diagnosed, and by eating low carb high (normal) fat I was no longer diabetic in a few months - top end of normal in half a year. I had the advantage of having done Atkins for decades and I found that the level of carbs to control my blood glucose was the same as used to control my weight - no surprise there then.
All my life I have struggled to deal with carbs, but was never given a blood test for diabetes. Urine dips have never shown any glucose - but it doesn't show up below 10 so I am not surprised.
The meals I eat now are much tastier than those full of the stodge I was advised to eat to control cholesterol - which didn't work either.


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## Clairebear7919 (Feb 5, 2020)

Toucan said:


> So good that you have joined the forum, there is plenty of help and support here.
> 
> I would suggest starting by reading Maggie Davey's letter, which gives a lot of information on how this lady approached the problem.
> 
> ...




I find it odd that I don’t test my blood as Iv always known people to do this. A lot of my family have diabetes and they all do the blood sugar tests. I mentioned it a few times to the nurse but both times she said she would advise I didn’t test them as it can become obsessive but I feel like I’m not sure what I’m eating is okay or what is spiking if I don’t even know what my levels are x


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## Clairebear7919 (Feb 5, 2020)

SueEK said:


> Hi Claire and welcome to a great forum. Sadly we have all been where you are and spent hours looking round the supermarket with not a clue what to do or even what we are supposed to be looking at.
> A quick run down - only look at the carbs on the back of packets, forget the traffic colours on the front or calories - just the carbs. All carbs turn to sugar and so low fat yoghurts etc are just as full of sugar as other things. Most of us, not all go for LCHF, low carb high fat. When we reduce our carbs we need to get our energy from good fats and protein so butter, cheese full fat milk etc are fine for us as are all meats and fish, green leafy veg, eggs etc. There is a good recipe section on the forum to help but feel free to ask any questions about anything.
> We seriously need to reduce potatoes, pasta, rice and bread plus pastries and obviously cakes, sweets, chocolate etc.
> Don’t panic you will be surprised how you manage to adapt and once you get the hang of it it becomes easier. Not sure what your glucose level is, mine was 90 so quite high but if yours is not too bad then a few adjustments to your diet will hopefully be ok.
> A meter is a really good idea as it shows us what foods we can and cannot tolerate, we are all different. I give any more info as it will be overload but that is a basic outline.  Come back to us at any time, ask any questions at all, we are all happy to help you navigate this difficult time. Sue




With this in mind would this be something like following a Keto diet plan x


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## DebbieC (Feb 5, 2020)

Clairebear7919 said:


> With this in mind would this be something like following a Keto diet plan x


Hi @Clairebear7919 my son T2, aged 32, his fingerpick was 20! He also did slimming world as struggled with weight for a decade... so we have found low carb high fat very effective in shedding over 4 stone in few months and halving his Hba1c. Like you GP and DN advised against testing saying people got obsessed ... he has only tested once or twice a week and got the kit as was initially on gliclazide but stopped that in a month. The low carb worked well for him, everyone is different, so not as strict as keto but trying to limit carbs and cut out mostly cereal bread rice pasta... takes some time to get the hang....everything we have learnt has been from others on here, we found the education course particularly poor...still urging eating considerable carbs etc , good luck and ask away for any foodie ideas x


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## Clairebear7919 (Feb 5, 2020)

DebbieC said:


> Hi @Clairebear7919 my son T2, aged 32, his fingerpick was 20! He also did slimming world as struggled with weight for a decade... so we have found low carb high fat very effective in shedding over 4 stone in few months and halving his Hba1c. Like you GP and DN advised against testing saying people got obsessed ... he has only tested once or twice a week and got the kit as was initially on gliclazide but stopped that in a month. The low carb worked well for him, everyone is different, so not as strict as keto but trying to limit carbs and cut out mostly cereal bread rice pasta... takes some time to get the hang....everything we have learnt has been from others on here, we found the education course particularly poor...still urging eating considerable carbs etc , good luck and ask away for any foodie ideas x


Thank you so much this is all really helpful. Yes they told me to still have carbs but limit them so 3 potatoes maximum and I can still eat pasta just small portions of it but I’m scared to eat it. They also said pasata is fine or tinned tomatoes to make a sauce but it seems high by the time you add pasta too x


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## CathyB (Feb 5, 2020)

Hmmm I had the same advice about carbs when I started, but luckily I had read as much as my eyes could take on this forum and decided to go with the ‘lived’ experience and its worked as well for me as everyone here said it would.  We are all different so tolerate different amounts of carbs, I try to stick to around 100 a day, cutting out potatoes, rice and pasta completely (dont miss it at all now), the only bread I eat is LivLife, a great low carb option.  I found it really helpful at the start to track my bg readings in a food diary, testing before and two hours after each meal, didn’t take long to see where I had to tweak or avoid.  I found it insulting to be told testing could become obsessive, if you know when to test and why you are testing, you learn how foods impact on your blood glucose levels.


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## Clairebear7919 (Feb 5, 2020)

CathyB said:


> Hmmm I had the same advice about carbs when I started, but luckily I had read as much as my eyes could take on this forum and decided to go with the ‘lived’ experience and its worked as well for me as everyone here said it would.  We are all different so tolerate different amounts of carbs, I try to stick to around 100 a day, cutting out potatoes, rice and pasta completely (dont miss it at all now), the only bread I eat is LivLife, a great low carb option.  I found it really helpful at the start to track my bg readings in a food diary, testing before and two hours after each meal, didn’t take long to see where I had to tweak or avoid.  I found it insulting to be told testing could become obsessive, if you know when to test and why you are testing, you learn how foods impact on your blood glucose levels.


I agree completely. Without testing I literally have no idea if my levels have came down, if I’m doing okay, eating right. I feel completely clueless if Iv had any improvement and the haven’t made me another appointment with the go till April. I’m just going to stick with low carbs and get myself a machine to test for my own peace of mind xx


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## DebbieC (Feb 5, 2020)

Clairebear7919 said:


> Thank you so much this is all really helpful. Yes they told me to still have carbs but limit them so 3 potatoes maximum and I can still eat pasta just small portions of it but I’m scared to eat it. They also said pasata is fine or tinned tomatoes to make a sauce but it seems high by the time you add pasta too x


Hi @Clairebear7919 so yes James has 2-3 small new potato about once, twice a week, we do cauliflower rice and either courgette or this low carb pasta found in Aldi made from soybeans I think...yes we use tin tomsto make cottage pie or spaghetti Bol, lots of green veg and salad... cheese coleslaw is ok (Lidl lowest carb) lots of recipes from Blood Sugar diet recipe book, fathead pizza recipe online, heck sausages, salmon, avocado, nuts, cheese, hummus, peanut butter, a few slices low carb bread a week... but only one a day and probably no more than 4 a week... but everyone is different so need to see what works for you..full fat Greek yoghurt with few berries nice for breakfast? X


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## Brando77 (Feb 5, 2020)

Clairebear7919 said:


> I find it odd that I don’t test my blood as Iv always known people to do this. A lot of my family have diabetes and they all do the blood sugar tests. I mentioned it a few times to the nurse but both times she said she would advise I didn’t test them as it can become obsessive but I feel like I’m not sure what I’m eating is okay or what is spiking if I don’t even know what my levels are x


Get a tester and test. I'm an 'obsessive' finger pricker, I need to know where my blood sugars are. Test away, it's the only tool in the box.


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## SueEK (Feb 5, 2020)

Clairebear7919 said:


> With this in mind would this be something like following a Keto diet plan x


I suppose it is similar but to be honest I’ve never been on a diet in my life so not exactly sure what that consists of. I simply followed the advice given on the forum about changing my way of eating and reduction of carbs. I don’t see it as a diet simply eating what is good for me as a diabetic.  I’m sure it will also work for you and would also encourage you to get a meter. It is a little obsessive to begin with but once you are aware of what does and doesn’t spike you then you can really reduce testing as well but you must do what you think is best for you x


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## Mephistophlillie (Feb 5, 2020)

SueEK said:


> Hi Claire and welcome to a great forum. Sadly we have all been where you are and *spent hours looking round the supermarket with not a clue what to do *or even what we are supposed to be looking at.



Oh my, can I identify with that. I actually got really upset in the supermarkets in the first few weeks.  All I could see is what I couldn’t or shouldn’t have.


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## Felinia (Feb 5, 2020)

Hi Clairebear7919 Welcome to the club.  I've read all the posts and you've been given excellent advice.  I'd like to tell you how I tackled Type2 when I was diagnosed last August, to give you some tips I found worked for me.  
But first a few questions.  
1) You said overall your reading was 96 - was that your HbA1c?  If it was, were you given medication like Meformin?  If so, what dosage?  I've not heard of anyone with a level that high who was not immediately put on Metformin etc and monitoring arranged.  Type 2 diabetics don't get supplied with meters usually, but it is a good idea to get one as others have suggested.
2) You said your finger prick was 18, but how long was that after eating - it makes a difference as does what you ate?  
This information helps members advise you.  
3) Were you told about all the tests you should have done annually on automatic recall?  These include eye scans for retinopathy, foot tests for nerve damage, blood tests for cholesterol levels and organ function.  If you have not been advised about these tests, or they have not been booked or carried out, then please chase your GP surgery to get them organised.  
4) Were you told that as a diagnosed diabetic you were entitled to free prescriptions (so don't get a pre-paid certificate or if you already have, find out about getting a refund)?  
5) Were you told you are entitled to a free Training Course, which the GP has to make a referral for you?  It will include dietary information.  Again chase your GP to get one arranged, if it has not been.

I am very lucky to have such a good GP practise but the more I read on here, the more appalled I am that so many people are just told "you have Diabetes" and sent on their way with pills, left to struggle for weeks until the appointments eventually come through - or don't.  

The tips/suggestions
a) Work your way through the Learning Zone for Type 2.  It is absolutely invaluable.  I did one or 2 sections a day, to give them a chance to sink in.  One of the things it will give you is a list of the 15 (I think) annual tests you should have.
b) Exercise!!!  You don't have to be a gym bunny if you don't want to, but there are plenty of classes out there.  It could be something as simple as a walk each day, round the block at lunchtime, walk part of the way to work.  For me it was the swimming pool.  I've gone from couch sack of potatoes, to 4 Aquafit sessions a week, but I know of people who do an early morning swim, or lunchtime, or after work.
c) Drink lots of water - yes it does have consequences but is so good for you.
d) Monitoring  You are aware about reducing carbs from others here - not just the usual suspects, but the hidden carbs.  But carbs affect people differently, we are all unique and have to find what suits us best.  I too was told not to monitor, to avoid becoming obsessive.  But if you don't monitor, you can't work out what affects you.  For example, potatoes and apples are lethal to me, but I can take the occasional slice of low carb bread, or a small portion of oats.  Others will get totally different results.  The advice I was given was to monitor on rising, then immediately for eating, then 2 hours after eating, then immediately before going to bed.  Some even monitor in the middle of the night.  I compared them to a food diary to see what I could eat, and what I was best to avoid.  Once I was comfortable I stopped monitoring, except for new foods, and my sore fingers thanked me.
e) Eating plan.  To keep control of my carb intake, I plan a day in advance, and record everything on a website which has thousands of foods, with their carbs, sugars, cals, protein, fat, sat fat, fibre and salt values.  It takes just a few minutes, and you know what to get out of the freezer!  It does require a little discipline to weigh everything, but I keep my digital scales on the kitchen worktop ready for meal preparation, and it quickly became 2nd nature.  Guessing is fatal - a recent TV programme showed people massively overestimate a portion size, so take in far more carbs etc than they should!  And don't forget to record everything - milk, snacks, the odd nibble - nothing is free
f) Carbs.  DUK recommend less than 130gm carbs a day, but most of us go a lot lower.  I experimented to find out what suited me and settled on 75gm +- 15gm a day.  Less than that and I felt ill.  But some manage happily on less, some need more.
g) Relax - you will soon learn to manage and what seems overwhelming at first becomes 2nd nature.

BUT 35 is young for Type 2 when you are not particularly overweight, so please make sure you do get your HbA1c redone within 3 months.  It will also help your peace of mind if you know you are going in the right direction.  I never assume no news is good news - these days you seem to have to chase for your test results.  Best wishes


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## Mephistophlillie (Feb 5, 2020)

Felinia said:


> Hi Clairebear7919 Welcome to the club.  I've read all the posts and you've been given excellent advice.  I'd like to tell you how I tackled Type2 when I was diagnosed last August, to give you some tips I found worked for me.
> But first a few questions.
> 1) You said overall your reading was 96 - was that your HbA1c?  If it was, were you given medication like Meformin?  If so, what dosage?  I've not heard of anyone with a level that high who was not immediately put on Metformin etc and monitoring arranged.  Type 2 diabetics don't get supplied with meters usually, but it is a good idea to get one as others have suggested.
> 2) You said your finger prick was 18, but how long was that after eating - it makes a difference as does what you ate?
> ...



wow. It never ceases to amaze me the time people take to respond, and genuinely try to help people out on here. It’s a fabulous place. @Felinia - that’s a fabulous post


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## SueEK (Feb 5, 2020)

Mephistophlillie said:


> Oh my, can I identify with that. I actually got really upset in the supermarkets in the first few weeks.  All I could see is what I couldn’t or shouldn’t have.


I actually started crying one day, completely out of the blue, just suddenly felt so overwhelmed and out of my depth. My poor husband hadn’t got a clue what it was all about


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## Drummer (Feb 5, 2020)

Don't test because it can become obsessive?
Honestly I am driven to despair by such stupid statements.
Go ahead and test until you hardly ever need to test - as a type two once you know what you can eat it is possible to turn back the clock and become healthier, feel younger, become more active, thinner, stronger -  not be a burden to your family, to the local surgery and the NHS in general - but chiefly to yourself.


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## Neens (Feb 5, 2020)

Clairebear7919 said:


> I find it odd that I don’t test my blood as Iv always known people to do this. A lot of my family have diabetes and they all do the blood sugar tests. I mentioned it a few times to the nurse but both times she said she would advise I didn’t test them as it can become obsessive but I feel like I’m not sure what I’m eating is okay or what is spiking if I don’t even know what my levels are x


Welcome to the forum - a great place to find support and knowledge. 
T2 don't automatically get monitors which is crazy - especially in the beginning because you need to know what food you can tolerate and it helps monitor spikes in levels so most of us get one. I didn't have one until Week 5. Unfortunately waiting for initial appointments and not getting dietary advice seems to be common holes in an otherwise good diabetic health service. You have been given lots of advice already so I won't repeat it. 
I follow a Low Carb eating plan and have lost just over a stone (2 months - with Christmas/New Year). Otherwise I would have lost a few lbs more. 

There is a lot to take on board, and it can feel overwhelming, especially at the beginning. 
You are not alone.


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## Neens (Feb 5, 2020)

SueEK said:


> I actually started crying one day, completely out of the blue, just suddenly felt so overwhelmed and out of my depth. My poor husband hadn’t got a clue what it was all about


 Me too - nearly had a complete meltdown when I realised I could probably never have rice pudding again! My partner was very good about it - pointing out Custard was lower in carbs!


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## Drummer (Feb 6, 2020)

Try real custard, whip eggs into cream and warm gently until it thickens - flavour with vanilla.


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## Mephistophlillie (Feb 6, 2020)

Drummer said:


> Try real custard, whip eggs into cream and warm gently until it thickens - flavour with vanilla.


That’s been added to my to do list !


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 6, 2020)

Felinia said:


> 4) Were you told that as a diagnosed diabetic you were entitled to free prescriptions (so don't get a pre-paid certificate or if you already have, find out about getting a refund)?



Just to clarify... free prescriptions apply to those who are prescribed medication for their diabetes management.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 6, 2020)

Welcome to the forum @Clairebear7919 

You’ve already had some great suggestions, and hopefully you can begin to apply them to your own situation. 

I think the ‘obsessive testing’ comment from your nurse possibly does apply to some people, though I’d question whether it was a good reason to deny access to monitoring technology for those people interested and motivated to use it to improve their BG results! There are some studies that suggest people with T2 derive little benefit from testing BG and become depressed but the results, but these seem to be ones where people were not allowed to deviate from a prescribed diet (which perhaps didn’t suit them) and were just confronted by lots of results that told them they weren’t doing very well. 

However even studies which are quite negative about self-monitoring in T2 accept that there is ‘a subgroup’ for whom self monitoring works really well. It just seems that the subgroup includes everyone here! 

Sometimes I think it suits surgeries to only prescribe strips for people at risk of hypos, because it saves a lot of prescription cost!

Keep us updated with how you are getting on, and keep asking questions


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## Felinia (Feb 6, 2020)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Just to clarify... free prescriptions apply to those who are prescribed medication for their diabetes management.


Thanks for the clarification which I left out!!!!  I strongly suspected with an HbA1c of 96 medication must have been prescribed.  But that gave me a thought.  If a diabetic's medication is discontinued, does that mean they must then start paying for their prescriptions again?  I don't recall seeing anything about that on the Forum.  Thanks (not that it affects an old wrinkly like me, but some might like to know).


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 6, 2020)

Felinia said:


> Thanks for the clarification which I left out!!!!  I strongly suspected with an HbA1c of 96 medication must have been prescribed.  But that gave me a thought.  If a diabetic's medication is discontinued, does that mean they must then start paying for their prescriptions again?  I don't recall seeing anything about that on the Forum.  Thanks (not that it affects an old wrinkly like me, but some might like to know).



Sadly I believe that is the case.


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## Neens (Feb 6, 2020)

Drummer said:


> Try real custard, whip eggs into cream and warm gently until it thickens - flavour with vanilla.


Thanks - I didn't even think of this - too busy desperately seeking diabetic friendly rice pudding recipes - in the end decided I could have 1/4 of a can occasionally (less than 20g carbs - which is what those yoghurt sized pots are) but going to wait until I have lost the weight and the can idea would involve having other people around to consume the rest!  Might try real custard though because those ingredients are low carb!


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## Neens (Feb 6, 2020)

_Felinia said: ↑
Thanks for the clarification which I left out!!!! I strongly suspected with an HbA1c of 96 medication must have been prescribed. But that gave me a thought. If a diabetic's medication is discontinued, does that mean they must then start paying for their prescriptions again? I don't recall seeing anything about that on the Forum. Thanks (not that it affects an old wrinkly like me, but some might like to know)._



everydayupsanddowns said:


> Sadly I believe that is the case.



When this happens (she says confidently ha ha) I will want to use the other 60% of my PPC that they wouldn't reimburse!
I have a feeling and I read this somewhere but no note of source that this is true - but not before the expiry of the certificate. So when it comes to renewal you have to still be on meds to get a new one.


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## Mephistophlillie (Feb 6, 2020)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Just to clarify... free prescriptions apply to those who are prescribed medication for their diabetes management.



I have free ones for my thyroxine. So after the diabetes meds prescribed last December, it would seem fair that they actually pay ME now.


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