# Hello There



## Ribenababy (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi Everyone,

I was diagnosed with ?type 2 yesterday after being told by my GP's receptionist on Monday when I rang for the results of my GTT "you have diabetes and need to see the doctor".  I went to see a doctor yesterday and was informed my fasting blood was 6.6 and post lucozade was 13.3.  After a  previous GTT in October 09 the results were fasting 6.3 and post lucozade 10.

I have been given 1 x 500mg metformin for 28 days and advised to come back for a review.  My next GTT will be in 3 months.  So I guess this is it then???

But that was actually it, no diet advice, nothing about how I monitor blood sugar, no onward referral nada.  The only other thing mentioned was that the Metformin may cause stomach problems so that is why they are starting me on one a day.  I was in and out in 5 minutes.  

Any idea what I am suposed to do next?  Should I take this Metformin with any meal or should it be first thing?  Do I need to buy a blood sugar meter? 

This is all very confusing and any help would be appreciated.


----------



## Northerner (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi Ribenababy, welcome to the forum  It's really not good the way some people are informed of their diagnosis, particularly when they are then left bemused and worried and left to cope with inadequate support and information.

Never fear though! We will do what we can to calm your fears and clear up any questions you may have - nothing is considered 'silly', so don't be shy 

Without bombarding you with information, here are a few useful links to help you find your feet. Don't try and take it all in at once, there is a lot to learn so don't think you need to know everything from day 1.


What you should expect from the NHS in terms of support:
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to..._diabetes/diabetes_care_and_you/From_the_NHS/

Try reading Maggie Davey's letter to newly diagnosed Type 2s:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=5836

and also Jennifer's good advice:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=5835

Plus, a book I always recommend, as do many others here: Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker (amazon link)

I'd recommend getting a book about the GL (Glycaemic Load) diet. You can have a healthy, varied diet, it just takes planning and a bit of compromise here and there. Nothing is forbidden, but common sense needs to be applied for 'treats'!

Here are links to a couple of good books I found useful and well written:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=7719

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=7337


----------



## KayC (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi Ribenababy
Welcome to the forum!  My diagnosis came the similar way: I was wake up earily in the morning by my GP's tel call.  He said ' You are diabetic so you must come to see me urgently.'  It was a shock to the system!

It seems that you are left alone without necessary information about this condition.  There are knowledgable people on this forum so feel free to ask as many questions as you need. (That's what I'm doing!)
This disease/condition is unpleasant, but not the end of world.
Kay


----------



## Steff (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi there and welcome to the forum.


----------



## am64 (Aug 12, 2010)

hi welcome to the forum ! sorry to hear about you DX but might add  thats a good HbA1c,  but as it has risen in the last 9months, so maybe thats why they are being cautious by putting you on metaformin . 
I was orignally put on 2x 500mg but now am only on one ...i find it just gives me an edge to keep my HbA1c a steady 6.4 for over a year now. 
my best advice is make changes in moderation ...one step at a time .. first is to cut out all obvious sugar in your diet.... dont try and do everything at once ...ask away any questions you may have and we will always try and help you and nothing is regarded silly here good luck x


----------



## Emmal31 (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi

Welcome to the forum  I hope you can get the help you need to find out more xx


----------



## wallycorker (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi Ribenababy,

I'm a non-insulin dependent Type 2 myself diagnosed nearly ten years ago. I've sorted out ny situation by cutting back dramatically on the starchy carbohydrate that I eat - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, pizza etc. In such cases doing that usually leads to a big reduction in blood glucose levels and very quickly too.

You can read details of how I changed my diet via the link below:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boa...ead.php?t=6435

As a non-insulin dependent Type 2, I have found that a tremendous amount is achievable quite simply by making a few dietary changes. 

However, it took me eight years of getting worse by following the "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate" advice given to many Type 2s before I learnt what I needed to do. These days, I wish that I'd got the right messages much sooner because the sooner that we get those messages the sooner we start to improve and the less damage we do to our bodies.

Good luck and best wishes - John


----------



## Ribenababy (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi Everyone and thanks for the welcome.  This is quite daunting but I hope it has been caught early enough for me to get it under control.  I am wondering whether it is worth buying a blood glucose meter?  I had to use one when I had gestational diabetes 15 years ago and found it useful to keep track of my blood sugars.  This wasnt mentioned by the GP yesterday but then she didnt say much about anything really.  

I have ordered the book recommended by Northerner - thanks for that.

What is Hb1Ac? Is that pre or post lucozade?  

Everything I read about diet and diabetes seems to advocate eating potatos, rice, bread and pasta at nearly every meal but then I read that you should try to cut back on these things.  I can see how people get confused and end up eating too much of one thing or hardly anything at all. I had two slices of toast for breakfast and a small fruit salad as a snack at 11.30am.  I got in from a meeting at 2.00pm made a ham sandwich, had a bag of crisps and 2 jaffa cakes.  My mind wandered completely away from healthy eating and I started cupboard surfing because I felt so hungry.  I also feel quite thirsty all the time, hence the screen name Ribenababy as I drink a lot of Ribena light.

I took my first metformin tablet a few hours ago and so far no side effects.  What I have noticed apart from the thirst is my eyesight is more blurry and I get real tired by late afternoon.  Wel I suppose these things are sent to try us.  We are going on a cruise to celebrate my 50th and our 20th wedding anniversay in November and that is going to be a challenge so maybe monitoring my blood sugar from now would help - anyone have any views on this and if so any recommendations on a good meter to buy?


----------



## scootdevon (Aug 12, 2010)

*Hello & welcome to the forum Ribenababy, same happened to me near enough, i bought my own meter and started testing to see wot different kinds of food does to my levels, so ive cut out frying food & i drink 2 ltrs of water which helps my bg levels every day, also on metformin 3 times a day, and i bought the book northener suggested earlier, no questions regarded as silly on here  *


----------



## Northerner (Aug 12, 2010)

Hi Ribenababy, I would certainly recommend getting hold of a meter. You can usually get free ones from the meter companies - try googling 'free glucose meter' and pick the UK sites. This is the only way you will know how your food and lifestyle is impacting your blood sugar levels. The strips are quite expensive, unfortunately, and some GPs are reluctant to prescribe them. Definitely worth asking though and telling them how you intend to use them to improve your levels. You'll also find they've improved a lot if it's 15 years since you used one! Using your meter you will be able to work out how much carbohydrate you can tolerate with your meals without your levels rising too high (known as 'spikes'). Start looking at packets and recording how much carbohydrate is in the food you are eating - you can start this straightaway to see how much you actually eat in a day. Some people are quite surprised at the amount and find they need to reduce portion sizes.

You will be feeling thirsty because your blood sugar levels will have been high for some time before your diagnosis. Your body is trying to flush out the excess sugar and this will be dehydrating you. This should improve as your levels improve, but may take some time. The same is true of the blurry vision - this should also improve, so don't go buying new specs just yet! 

The HbA1c is a 6-12 week average of what your blood sugar levels have been like over that period. It may be quite high to begin with, but the aim is to bring this down by altering your diet and lifestyle to improve your day to day levels. The tests you mentioned don't sound like an HbA1c, but just a 'fasting' level (before you've eated) and the post-lucozade level. The latter, if over 11, means that you were diagnosed with diabetes, lthough your fasting level was just below the number needed to diagnose (7).

Hope this helps clear a few things up!


----------



## KayC (Aug 12, 2010)

Ribenababy said:


> anyone have any views on this and if so any recommendations on a good meter to buy?



Hi Ribenababy

So it's common that if you are T2, you don't have a meter on prescription??  I think you should have one, otherwise how can you know what kind of food affects your blood sugar level.
This is the one I was given by my doctor on the day of diagnosis, which was April this year, so this shouldn't be so old fashioned model:

http://www.bayerdiabetes.co.uk/sections/productsformydiabetes/meters/contourmeter/overview

You need:
Contour ?10.50------------->the meter
Test strips ?23.60----------> small strip to set in the meter
Microlet ?7.50--------------->the divice to prick your finger
Lancets ?10.00--------------> tiny pin to set on Microlet

These are Bayer's prices, so I'm sure you can buy them a lot cheaper on e-bay.(Test strips about ?15)

Please don't think that this is a recommendation, I just know this model only. Although I have no complaint about the device, there might be better ones.  Let's wait for other people's opinion...

Kay


----------



## Andy HB (Aug 12, 2010)

Welcome to the forum ribenababy.

I was given a Bayer Contour meter by the hospital when I was first diagnosed and am quite happy with it. My GP prescribed strips for it initially, but I now buy them myself. 

Initially, I tested myself once per day and slowly built up an understanding of what changes I needed to make to my diet. Now that my blood glucose levels are relatively stable, I only test once a week on average so it isn't too expensive for me.

Andy


----------



## Ribenababy (Aug 13, 2010)

Ok, I went out this morning and bought an Accu Chek compact plus.  Came home and took a blood sugar reading at 11.30am - result 9.00. This was 2.5 hours after eating two pieces of bacon with two slices of wholemeal thick sliced Hovis and a dollop of tomato sauce.  Good or Bad?


----------



## Northerner (Aug 13, 2010)

Ribenababy said:


> Ok, I went out this morning and bought an Accu Chek compact plus.  Came home and took a blood sugar reading at 11.30am - result 9.00. This was 2.5 hours after eating two pieces of bacon with two slices of wholemeal thick sliced Hovis and a dollop of tomato sauce.  Good or Bad?



That's not bad at all! It will also depend on what you were to start with, of course. If you read 'Jennifer's good advice' it will tell you the best approach to testing :

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=5835

One thing I would add, granary/seeded bread is better than wholemeal or white for diabetics, as this has the slowest glucose release profile into the blood.


----------



## am64 (Aug 13, 2010)

tomato sauce has a fair amount of sugar in it .... but by testing you will start to see a pattern that causes your bs to rise


----------



## Copepod (Aug 13, 2010)

Meters are never prescribed, but some meter companies will give them out directly to people with diabetes or via diabetes specialist nurses, as they know they'll make far more money by selling test strips though the life of the meter. Getting strips prescribed is a problem for many people with type 2 diabetes, but recording results and proving you are using and interpretting the results can work in your favour when requesting prescriptions from GPs. However, many people have to buy their own - as others have said, there are cheaper sources. You will probably find you need fewer strips once you have worked out how various meals affect your blood sugar levels. 
Make sure you get a medical exemption card so you won't have to pay precription charges for your metformin or any other items prescribed eg tablets for high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc. Your GP should automatically sign a certificate to get your certificate sent to your home.


----------



## wallycorker (Aug 15, 2010)

Ribenababy said:


> Ok, I went out this morning and bought an Accu Chek compact plus.  Came home and took a blood sugar reading at 11.30am - result 9.00. This was 2.5 hours after eating two pieces of bacon with two slices of wholemeal thick sliced Hovis and a dollop of tomato sauce.  Good or Bad?


Hi again Ribenababy,

It's a great idea to buy the meter - that will help you a great deal to see what different foods do to your blood glucose levels.

However, in my opinion, you need to get your readings below the level that you mention. The food that you mention that would have caused that high reading would have been the "two slices of wholemeal thick sliced Hovis". 

Why not try eating the bacon with eggs and or mushrooms - i.e. without the bread - and see what reading that gives you. I'll tell you now that it will almost certainly be much lower.

Best wishes - John


----------



## cherrypie (Aug 15, 2010)

How about only eating one slice of bread, stoneground or soya and linseed and substituting the tomato sauce for Worcestershire sauce.  I have found that granary bread, advised by HCP's,  raises my blood sugars but the two I have mentioned seem OK.
It is all trial and error to work out what suits you personally and the meter is your best friend in the early stages.


----------



## Ribenababy (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your comments.  What readings am I meant to be aiming for and what is the best times to test?  The last few mornings my fasting glucose has been 6.7 and 6.5.  On Saturday at 17.20pm three hours after lunch I had a reading of 10.2.


----------



## Andy HB (Aug 16, 2010)

The recommendations that I was given were ....

Immediately Before meals (Fasting Level) --> Between 4 and 7 mmol/L
2hrs After meals --> Between 7 and 9 mmol/L

Avoid going below 4mmol/L (hypoglyceamia)
Avoid going above 10mmol/L (hyperglyceamia)

Some people suggest testing 1hr after meals, because that is more likely to show the peak BG level. However, personally, I have only ever tested after 2 hrs and that seems to have worked for me.

The best time to test? Well, that depends on what you are trying to do. If you want to work out what a particular meal does to you, then you'll need a before and after meal reading.

Andy


----------



## wallycorker (Aug 16, 2010)

Ribenababy said:


> ...........On Saturday at 17.20pm three hours after lunch I had a reading of 10.2..........


Hi again Ribenababy - that really is too high. 

What had you been eating?

John


----------



## Andy HB (Aug 16, 2010)

wallycorker said:


> Hi again Ribenababy - that really is too high.
> 
> What had you been eating?
> 
> John



But don't worry about it just yet (in case you are!). 

You have only recently been diagnosed and it will take a little while to settle down to more reasonable levels.

Andy


----------



## Ribenababy (Aug 16, 2010)

I'm going to have to start writing down what Ive been eating as I can't remeber - other than a few garibaldis, a bag of crisps and some nuts and raisins. 

The trouble with me is I rarely eat a proper lunch and I think Im going to have to from now on.  Just tested now after 2 hours after a ham sandwich, a bag of crisps and some 30 mins after some garibaldis and my BS is:9.2


----------



## Andy HB (Aug 16, 2010)

Ribenababy said:


> I'm going to have to start writing down what Ive been eating as I can't remeber - other than a few garibaldis, a bag of crisps and some nuts and raisins.
> 
> The trouble with me is I rarely eat a proper lunch and I think Im going to have to from now on.  Just tested now after 2 hours after a ham sandwich, a bag of crisps and some 30 mins after some garibaldis and my BS is:9.2



Oooh! Actually, I think a little adjustment may be in order here! 

May I suggest that you look to get on a Diabetes X-Pert course (it's run by the NHS and there may be one available in your area - chat to your GP or DSN about it when you next see them). It'll give you a good start in working out what to eat. 

Failing that, I'd suggest trying to see a dietician.

It is important that you start to control your carbohydrates to avoid running high blood glucose levels consistently. Part of that is to eat three meals a day on a consistent basis, taking care to balance your carb intake over those meals. This need not be a tightly controlled thing, but you do need to spend some time thinking about it now to avoid problems in the future.

Andy


----------



## Steff (Aug 16, 2010)

Andy HB said:


> Oooh! Actually, I think a little adjustment may be in order here!
> 
> May I suggest that you look to get on a Diabetes X-Pert course (it's run by the NHS and there may be one available in your area - chat to your GP or DSN about it when you next see them). It'll give you a good start in working out what to eat.
> 
> Andy


I'll back Andy up here getting yourself on that course would be great I did it earlier on in the year and i highly reccommend it.


----------



## wallycorker (Aug 16, 2010)

Hi again,

My recommendation would be to cut out the Garibaldis and any other biscuits altogether - same for the crisps - and be very careful with any bread that you might eat. 

Try to think meat and vegetables and dairy.

Good luck - John


----------



## PhilT (Aug 17, 2010)

Hi, welcome to the forum.


----------

