# Just back from doctors



## Chris Watts (May 15, 2017)

Hi, i am Chris.  Just back from doctors and been told definitely diabetic, type 2. My average blood thing is 94 which i think is quite high .  He had put me straight on Metformin and put me on Atorvastatin for cholesterol too. 

Quite scared if I was to be honest, not 100% on what I need to do with my food although I do go see the diabetes hca Thursday and apparently I get more info then. 

Hello, I have a feeling I will be on here alot.


----------



## grovesy (May 15, 2017)

Welcome.


----------



## Kaylz (May 15, 2017)

Hi and welcome to the forum  regarding food it may be a good idea to cut back on carbs so pasta, rice, bread, potatoes etc, feel free to ask any questions  x


----------



## Chris Watts (May 15, 2017)

Thank you, I will.


----------



## goosey (May 15, 2017)

Welcome to the club, friendly people on here always make you feel welcome


----------



## RobK (May 15, 2017)

Welcome Chris, Just fire away with any questions, Have they suggested you test you blood glucose levels? They quite often say its not needed but its the only way you can tell what foods etc cause highs, If you do look into getting one which most on here would suggest the SD Codefree metre available online is the cheapest for test strips.
Otherwise as Kaylz mentioned cut down on the carbs which also includes root veg.

Rob


----------



## Lindarose (May 15, 2017)

Hi Chris and welcome. It can be a lot to take in but you'll soon get to know what works for you. Often diet changes i.e. reducing carbs plus any extra exercise you can manage will make s huge difference.


----------



## trophywench (May 15, 2017)

Yep - just reducing carbs can improve our cholesterol numbers anyway - as well as our blood glucose - even without the statins - which are not always without their side effects.

It's ALL carbs - not just sweet stuff and quite a lot of fruit is high carb.  The body doesn't differentiate that much between the different sources it makes glucose from - but uses the easiest ones first so that's carbs,  It doesn't start on converting the protein or the fat whilst it can take the easy way out - hence plenty of carb and plenty of protein and plenty of fat - will all end up as body fat.  So ration your body - and make it work a bit harder for it's nutrition! 

There's a post from Bryan today - in just 13 weeks of lower carbing he's lost a load of weight, FIVE inches off his waist and halved his blood glucose.

It can be done, Chris !

Good luck.


----------



## Ljc (May 16, 2017)

Hi Chris and welcome.  Yes it is scarey at first, what doesn't help is that their is so much misinformation out there so it's good that you have searched us out,  you see whatever type we have, we live with it daily, you'll get lots of info , support and tips on what has helped us get to grips with it. 
We also have to be careful with cereals too   oh and fruit juice is not good for us either, it's packed full of sugar. 
One problem is that diabetes is so individual, what raises one persons BG (blood glucose) will not raise another persons,  the only way to find out is by self testing and sadly most T2s are denied the very tool that would help them in there efforts to improve their health. 
Do ask for a glucose monitor when you see the nurse , if told 'no it's not necessary , it would only upset you , it hurts'  or something equally silly then many here use the SD Codefree meter from Amazon or directly from Homehealth 
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
We use the mmol/l measurement in the uk and your entitled to claim VAT relief. 
Feel free to ask questions.


----------



## Copepod (May 16, 2017)

Others have covered diet and carbohydrates. Exercise is another vital part in managing diabetes -anything active that you enjoy doing, not just sports, but walking, cycling, swimming, gardening etc. Outdoor exercise gives you the added bonus of sunshine (avoiding sunburn) and vitamin D exposure.


----------



## Chris Watts (May 16, 2017)

Hi, thank you all so much for your information, support and advice.  I must admit i am struggling to take it all in at the moment, but i do feel determined to deal with it. I am what i think most people would think of as classic "got diabetes because he is overweight" case, so the lifestyle change is going to be quite hard, partly also because food for me is a coping mechanism.  Rightly or wrongly, that is how my brain works, so taking away that coping mechanism is a scary thought too.  I know that increasing exercise will be a big step both with coping with the stress instead of bad food, and with losing weight and helping my diabetes.  With regard to testing, you guys are right, the doctor did say the blood sugar level would be up and down all day so would be no point testing it like that, but i think i will take your advice more readily as you live with it all the time. 

So tonight i will take my first Metformin, is there anything i should expect from taking these, just so i know what not to worry about!  Also, i am starting pills for Cholesterol, statins ?  Someone mentioned side effects, what sort of side effects can i expect?

Once again, so glad i found you guys!  Thank you so much for all the help and advice!


----------



## Ljc (May 16, 2017)

Hi Chris. Re the Metformin  often called metfartin on here. I didn't have any side effects with it but some do have an upset tum , so just incase make sure you're not low on loo rolls, it often clears up fairly quickly, if not their is a slow release version that is often tolerated better. 

Yes it is a lot to take in at first, you'll get there, honest !  

Now when you're ready for a little errr light reading, head on over to the 'newbies say hello here forum' there you'll find the pinned thread called ' useful links for people new to diabetes' 
Lots of helpful blogs, letters , recommended books all by people who live with diabetes, have a read of Alan S whole blog . 
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406/
Whatever dietary regime and exersize you decide o follow , it must be something you can sustain long term. 
Not one of us lives on lettuce and fresh air, we eat good tasty grub, some of it will supprise you. 
To give you a few ideas head over to the thread, ' what did you eat yesterday '
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.30349/


----------



## Chris Watts (May 16, 2017)

Hi, thanks for the information, i will go through those links you have given me.  I am already feeling so much more "armed" to deal with all of this!  Thanks


----------



## Nadira Emjay (May 16, 2017)

Chris Watts said:


> Hi, i am Chris.  Just back from doctors and been told definitely diabetic, type 2. My average blood thing is 94 which i think is quite high .  He had put me straight on Metformin and put me on Atorvastatin for cholesterol too.
> 
> Quite scared if I was to be honest, not 100% on what I need to do with my food although I do go see the diabetes hca Thursday and apparently I get more info then.
> 
> Hello, I have a feeling I will be on here alot.


I know how you feel exactly. I am newly diagnosed too. But everyone has been so reassuring and kind that really helps you to make sense of things


----------



## Ditto (May 16, 2017)

Hello and welcome to the forum Chris...there are tons of books in the library that can give you a good grounding on the way to go.


----------



## Copepod (May 16, 2017)

Chris Watts said:


> Hi, thanks for the information, i will go through those links you have given me.  I am already feeling so much more "armed" to deal with all of this!  Thanks


Identifying / recognising what you need to change is the first step. So, you're on the right track. Some people think that tablets, with no changes by them, is enough.


----------



## LucyLoo (May 16, 2017)

Copepod said:


> Others have covered diet and carbohydrates. Exercise is another vital part in managing diabetes -anything active that you enjoy doing, not just sports, but walking, cycling, swimming, gardening etc. Outdoor exercise gives you the added bonus of sunshine (avoiding sunburn) and vitamin D exposure.



Welcome Chris, great advice from everyone already!  I would definitely second this suggestion though.

For me (and many others I'm sure), the "daily drag" of Diabetes can get quite depressing sometimes and exercise really lifts my mood, as well as all the other benefits!

Thing is though I am not a dainty little thing - I'm losing weight well but still have a way to go - so the gym is just my idea of hell......all those skinny minnies in their spandex......erm, no thanks!! 

It needs to be something that you enjoy and will maintain.  So for me, the first thing is dog walking - which is necessary so cannot be avoided   But I have also convinced my OH to accompany me to an amateur boxing class.....it's great fun, you sweat like crazy and the time passes soooooo quickly......plus I get to beat people up legally haha!!   Also taken up badminton, which I am utterly useless at but really have a laugh playing.


----------



## Ralph-YK (May 16, 2017)

Hi Chris.  HbA1c? 94 is high.  First thing is the obvious stuff. Sugar, cakes etc.  Then carbohydrates generally.  It depended what you are already eating. (When I was diagnosed I wasn't eating cake, puddings, sweet, etc.)
Self testing will allow you to find out what is affecting your BG, and what difference any changes make.


----------



## Grannylorraine (May 17, 2017)

Welcome, it is scary when first diagnosed, but you have come to the right place.


----------



## Chris Watts (May 17, 2017)

Well i have been usually quite good with sugar even before, we already have sweetener in the house, we use skimmed milk and i am not a very big sweet eater.  However, i used to like my biscuits, and my carbs would have been through the roof with pasta and potatoes.  So i have switched now to 2 x shredded wheat for breakfast, salad with some form of meat for lunch with a fat free yoghurt and not having pasta or potatoes with my dinner.  Feels like a minefield, i don't know if i am going too far with cutting out carbs and sugar or not far enough!  Been taking Metformin now for 3 doses so i have no idea if i should feel different, the same or what!  Think i am driving my wife mad!


----------



## Ralph-YK (May 18, 2017)

Chris Watts said:


> Feels like a minefield, i don't know if i am going too far with cutting out carbs and sugar or not far enough!


Ive been there and I'm guessing that's common. And that's where the self testing will help.


----------



## james44 (May 21, 2017)

good luck chris


----------



## Carolg (May 22, 2017)

Hello Chris and welcome to forum


----------



## Chris Watts (May 22, 2017)

Thanks everyone.  A week in to the Metformin and i am having occasional stomach "issues" an hour or two after taking.  I have been told this is normal and will settle but it isn't at all pleasant!


----------



## LucyLoo (May 22, 2017)

Chris Watts said:


> Thanks everyone.  A week in to the Metformin and i am having occasional stomach "issues" an hour or two after taking.  I have been told this is normal and will settle but it isn't at all pleasant!



Ugh It's awful right?  It does usually settle down though so hopefully you will feel better soon   Personally I found that once my diet changed, I coped much better with the Metformin......they don't seem to like carbs haha!


----------



## Chris Watts (May 22, 2017)

Yeah, i have been mega low carbing my diet so hopefully it will calm


----------



## Bloden (May 25, 2017)

Hiya Chris. Welcome!


----------



## Grogg1 (May 29, 2017)

Chris Watts said:


> Well i have been usually quite good with sugar even before, we already have sweetener in the house, we use skimmed milk and i am not a very big sweet eater.  However, i used to like my biscuits, and my carbs would have been through the roof with pasta and potatoes.  So i have switched now to 2 x shredded wheat for breakfast, salad with some form of meat for lunch with a fat free yoghurt and not having pasta or potatoes with my dinner.  Feels like a minefield, i don't know if i am going too far with cutting out carbs and sugar or not far enough!  Been taking Metformin now for 3 doses so i have no idea if i should feel different, the same or what!  Think i am driving my wife mad!


I was diagnosed with a hba1c of 117 in Nov 16. My diet was very heavy on carbs as not a big meat eater.  I still struggle with my reduced carb diet to a degree but I have tested daily since diagnosed (My gp gave me a meter but only 50 strips a month so I bought the code free as well).

Bread - Tesco finest high protein 400g sliced bread, Burgen soya and linseed sliced bread or fresh from Lid bakery high protein rolls are all under 10g of carb per slice /roll (normal bread about 16g per slice and rolls 30-40g).  I have max of 2 slices a day

I rarely eat potatoes or pasta now and I have a spoonful of rice.  I limit root veg like swede/carrots/parsnips etc.

Wine is fine as it lowers my blood glucose 

Indian takeaways are fine for me providing I limit rice.

Eggs, cheese, milk, cream, chicken, quorn, tofu, nuts and importantly green veg (if you low carb you can become constipated while your body adjusts) are the rest of my daily diet.  I also allow myself a kinder bar (5.6g carbs) as a treat!

3 months later my hb1ac was down to 42.  I'm on 1000g met daily, never had side effects from it.


----------



## Davo (May 29, 2017)

I've never had side affects from Metformin (take 2000mg a day). i am sure it will calm down. I have found the best thing for me has been reducing my carb intake. I do not strictly count carbs but limit the amount of bread, potatoes, rice etc that I have. It certainly has an effect on my sugar levels.
All the best
David


----------

