# saying hi



## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

hi folks just diagnosed diabetic type 2 today scared and confused


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## Steff (Dec 7, 2011)

Hi Paul and welcome to the forum, so sorry to hear of your diagnosis and that you have to be here x But never fear now you are you will be just fine,what were you told today, have you been given any advice or were you given any medication? 

Please try and keep yourself calm it is a heck of alot to deal with and to get your head around but everyone on here was in your situation at some point,that feeling of one hundred and one questions going through your head at once, but please dont try and take it all in to quick, take your time and digest things slowly....I know that now your a member of this forum you will get all the help and support you desire.

I suggest a little reading matter many of us type 2s have relied on this book in the past and many of us still dive back in to it when we need some help, if you go to Amazon you can pick the book up fairly cheaply it is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Type-Diabet...sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323288389&sr=8-1-spell you wont regret it x
Any questions you have just ask away.

Ps just wanted to say well done on finding this place so quick you have an advantage on others.


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## Mark T (Dec 7, 2011)

Welcome to the forums Paul 

That book referenced by Steff is quite excellent.

Feel free to ask any questions, even if you think they could be silly!


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## Northerner (Dec 7, 2011)

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum  Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but glad you have found us so soon. There are lots of very friendly, knowledgeable and experienced people here who will be happy to help with any questions you may have. Hopefully, we can also offer you plenty of hope that your diagnosis is not as frightening as you currently think, and that you can learn to manage your blood sugars well and live a full and normal life. 

How did you come to be diagnosed, and have you been given any medication and a blood glucose meter so that you can test your blood sugar levels at home? Have a look in our Useful links thread - I would particularly recommend that a good place to start is by reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter. I'd also highly recommend getting hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker  - a superb introduction to Type 2 diabetes and what to expect.

Many people find that their diagnosis has helped motivate them to become much healthier and happier than they have been for some time as they review their diet and become more active - I certainly hope that the same will be true of you! Pleas ask anything that may be worrying or confusing you - nothing is considered 'silly' - and we will do our best to help 

I look forward to hearing more from you.


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

hi everyone ,thankyou to you all for your kind words of support and advice, not been given to much info at this point other than type lol however have first clinic in January 2012 not sure what else to say as don't know or just so gutted,angry,confused,scared. although now i have for life just need to get right in my own mind but hoping that with good advise from you guys & gals my new life journey wont be so self destructive with this condition


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## Robster65 (Dec 7, 2011)

Hi paul. Welcome 

I hope you find that your new lifestyle will feel healthier.

Rob


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

hi Rob can i ask something you folks i keeps seeing HbA1C what is this? also am aleady on simvastatin and my finger prick test today came up as 9.4 but in last fortnight was 7. something each time


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## Northerner (Dec 7, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> hi everyone ,thankyou to you all for your kind words of support and advice, not been given to much info at this point other than type lol however have first clinic in January 2012 not sure what else to say as don't know or just so gutted,angry,confused,scared. although now i have for life just need to get right in my own mind but hoping that with good advise from you guys & gals my new life journey wont be so self destructive with this condition



It was a big wake-up call for me Paul, and with a bit of effort and lots of support it's surprising how much you can turn things around and start feeling more positive about everything. Do you have any family history of Type 2?


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

sadly i'm the first


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## Robster65 (Dec 7, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> hi Rob can i ask something you folks i keeps seeing HbA1C what is this? also am aleady on simvastatin and my finger prick test today came up as 9.4 but in last fortnight was 7. something each time


 
The HbA1c is a measure of your blood glucose (BG) over the past 8-12 weeks based on how much glucose has attached itself to your haemaglobin.
A non-diabetic would have a figure up to about 5 but most diabetics aim for below about 6 or 7. Shortly after diagnosis, many are in double figures, but I would imagine yours isn't anywhere near that.

Rob


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## Steff (Dec 7, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> sadly i'm the first



Similier to me im the only type 2 , can i ask how old are you Paul


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

thanks rob, i guess i will get more info from gp's/nurse as and when i go for my next blood test  january 10th.
but thanks to you all and i will get that book Steff & Mark T mentions


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

i'm 37 with family history of various heart problems


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## Steff (Dec 7, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> i'm 37 with family history of various heart problems



Thanks Paul hope you dont mind me asking


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

no its cool hey i'm gonna ask some real dumb questions no doubt and i apologise before hand lol
also how do i put a face pic on my profile


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## Graeme (Dec 7, 2011)

Hi Paul, welcome.

I was diagnosed just over a month ago with Type 2, I'm 37 as well. The support and advice on here has been incredible and invaluable for me over the past few weeks

Sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but it sounds like you are looking to take the correct approach to it. Good luck

G


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

cheers Graeme, hows it been since day one?


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## Northerner (Dec 7, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> no its cool hey i'm gonna ask some real dumb questions no doubt and i apologise before hand lol
> also how do i put a face pic on my profile



No question is silly Paul!  You need to add an Avatar using the User Control Panel (User CP in the upper left of the screen). The file has to be quite small so I usually shrink the picture using http://www.shrinkpictures.com/create-avatar/


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## Katieb (Dec 7, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Paul. Am still relatively new and learning myself! You've come to a great place for advice and support so ask away, I do! No-one ever makes you feel like your questions are daft or unimportant, quite the opposite! I've had incredible support from the guys and girls on here and I bet you will too!


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

i was meant to have a glucose tolerance test next week but the nurse advised no point what do u guys think? have it or not bother?


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## Graeme (Dec 7, 2011)

Paul

i just flung myself into it, I am by nature sometimes a cynic and a pessimist, but this is concerning my health. I've done a lot of reading up, understanding about blood sugar, levels, what Type 2 means to me, understanding the food labels and the role the carbohydrate has to play.

It's an emotional rollercoaster as well, been mostly positive though, had a wee wobbly today, but a quick post on here even just to let of steam and concerns has helped.

But you know what; I still do all the things I had done pre diagnosis, watch what I eat a bit more, making wiser choices, bringing in a bit more exercise into my life and I'm feeling a difference already. I've still been out with mates, had a few drinks etc.

A month and a bit down the line, it's getting easier, I'm still learning.  It does get easier though.

As northerner has said, no question is stupid, I'm still asking!!

G


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

well as not clear what i can and can't eat thought best to eat thai rice with oven baked chicken breast in breadcrumbs and yoghurt for puds lol


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

whats the best thing to snack on if like right now you get the munchies, ps i don't like nuts so any other ideas?


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## Northerner (Dec 7, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> well as not clear what i can and can't eat thought best to eat thai rice with oven baked chicken breast in breadcrumbs and yoghurt for puds lol



I'd suggest getting a copy of The GL Diet for Dummies - not a weight loss diet, but a way of selecting food that will release energy slowly and steadily and therefore very suitable for diabetes 



pauldoe said:


> whats the best thing to snack on if like right now you get the munchies, ps i don't like nuts so any other ideas?



Cheese?


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## pauldoe (Dec 7, 2011)

cheese? seriously, would have thought that would be really bad for you watch out cheddar here i come lol


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## Robster65 (Dec 7, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> cheese? seriously, would have thought that would be really bad for you watch out cheddar here i come lol


 
Just be aware of the calories and saturated fat, if you're wanting to limit those. All the good stuff has to be rationed 

Rob


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## slipper (Dec 8, 2011)

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum. I'm a relative newbie, diagnosed in August, and got all the help and advice I needed, and still do, here. 

I needed to cut out a lot of carbs and lose a couple of stone, which I have done, mainly by smaller portions and changing from white carbs like rice and pasta to the wholemeal variety, but still in small portions.  Hope that helps a bit, also just take your time, it will all come together in due course and you will settle into your new way of life.


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## pauldoe (Dec 9, 2011)

im really confused about what im reading on here and on other websites, not sure what is good for me to eat or not lol granary whole grain seams to be good but not sure about carbs etc. help any one please


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## Northerner (Dec 9, 2011)

pauldoe said:


> im really confused about what im reading on here and on other websites, not sure what is good for me to eat or not lol granary whole grain seams to be good but not sure about carbs etc. help any one please



Hi Paul, it can be very confusing! There are two things to bear in mind: all carbohydrates in food will raise blood sugar levels, and each person's tolerance for different sources and/or portion sizes of carbs may be different. The task is therefore to eat food that will release its energy slowly and steadily and ALSO be something that you personally can cope with well. One of the most popular approaches is to follow the GI (Glycaemic Index) or GL (Glycaemic Load) diet principles. This is a flexible method of selecting food or food combinations that will have the most gradual impact on your blood sugar levels. I would recommend getting a copy of The GL Diet for Dummies as a good introduction. For the second part of the problem, individual tolerance, you need to follow a programme of testing your blood before and after eating to discover how a particular meal affects YOU. For example, one person might find that they can eat one slice of granary toast and retain good blood sugar control - however, if they were to have two slices then this would be too great a portion of carbohydrate for their body to deal with well and their blood sugar levels would rise too high. Similarly, one person may be fine with porridge, another person may find it leads to unaaceptably high blood sugar levels.

Some good information on testing and why you need to do it is provided by Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S , Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter.

Some people advocate low or very low-carb diets, arguing that if you don't eat as much carbohydrate then your meals will have less impact on your levels. This is largely true, but you need to find the acceptable balance for you so that you continue to enjoy your food whilst retaining good control, and this may not mean going to extremes, but simply juggling content and portion sizes within meals.

This all might seem very tedious and long-winded, and it can be, but it is the best way to educate yourself about a suitable, personalised and flexible diet for good blood sugar control. Once you have established what are good and what are bad foods for you, testing can be reduced significantly, so it's not forever!

Hope this helps clear things up a little, but if you have any more questions, please ask!


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## teapot8910 (Dec 9, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Paul


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## pauldoe (Jan 15, 2012)

hi guys just wanted to catch with you and wish you all thanks and a happy new year. also an update, since diagnosis on the 7th dec 11 i went from 15st.7lbs to 14st.12lbs at my first clinic on the 10th jan 12 so really pleased, i threw myself into my diet n have done really well n really positive about it still dont know my hba1c, although the doc was really pleased with my progress. have been advised no drugs til poss end of year but ongoing.. although on down side has been discovered i do have genetic inherited hart probs n will be sent to a cardiologist vv soon. hope your all keeping well ,its deffo getting easier


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## Robster65 (Jan 15, 2012)

Hi paul. Well done on the weight loss. I hope you can keep at it and feel the benefits. You could do with an HbA1c so you know what to aim for in the future. 

Bad news about the heart defect but better to know than not. If you hadn't been diagnosed diabetic, you may never have found out. I hope it's something you can live with without need for intervention.

Rob


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## pauldoe (Jan 15, 2012)

cheers robster, true enough about diagnosis, am off to see diabetic nurse tomoz so hoping she can tell me my hba1c, also gp want going to issue test kit for blood sugar level testing but has now been agreed i can have as managment id so thats a pls side lol


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## Steff (Jan 15, 2012)

pauldoe said:


> cheers robster, true enough about diagnosis, am off to see diabetic nurse tomoz so hoping she can tell me my hba1c, also gp want going to issue test kit for blood sugar level testing but has now been agreed i can have as managment id so thats a pls side lol



Good luck with appointment tomorrow Paul lovely to hear from you a happy 2012 to you, A fabulous weight loss as well.


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## pauldoe (Jan 15, 2012)

but i really wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone in my threads for all your kind support n kind words n advise


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## pauldoe (Jan 15, 2012)

Steff said:


> Good luck with appointment tomorrow Paul lovely to hear from you a happy 2012 to you, A fabulous weight loss as well.


cheers steff has been such a huge boost to my morale n as starting to see the changes only got 2stone to go lol


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## Northerner (Jan 15, 2012)

Hi Paul, great to hear you have made such good progress! Wishing you continued success for 2012


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## pauldoe (Jan 15, 2012)

cheers northener n u mate


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