# Newly diagnosed type 2.head full of information



## Carolg (Jan 7, 2016)

Hello all.
I was diagnosed in november.never really thought of the implications.I've gone back to work this week, and now facing the challenges of food prep for the day.exercise is my downfall.looking forward to learning from others who are further along this similar journey.Carol


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## Northerner (Jan 7, 2016)

Hi Carolg, welcome to the forum  Sorry to hear about your diagnosis  Are you on any medication for your diabetes? How did you come to be diagnosed? There is a lot to take in to begin with, but it does get easier!

I'd recommend having a browse through our Useful Links thread, where you will find links to lots of good resources  I would particularly recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter and it's also worth getting hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These will provide you with a good understanding and how to approach things to get your blood glucose levels under control  Please ask any questions you may have and we'll do our best to help out!


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 7, 2016)

Hi and welcome to the forum. There are plenty of knowledgeable folks round here xx


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## KookyCat (Jan 8, 2016)

Welcome CarolG, there's lots of help available here.  Hope your return to work went well


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## Stitch147 (Jan 8, 2016)

Hi Carolg, it can be very daunting at first but you will soon get used to the adjustments you need to make. This forum is a great place for help and advice.


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## Mark T (Jan 8, 2016)

Welcome to the forum Carolg


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## Carolg (Jan 8, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Hi Carolg, welcome to the forum  Sorry to hear about your diagnosis  Are you on any medication for your diabetes? How did you come to be diagnosed? There is a lot to take in to begin with, but it does get easier!
> 
> I'd recommend having a browse through our Useful Links thread, where you will find links to lots of good resources  I would particularly recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter and it's also worth getting hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These will provide you with a good understanding and how to approach things to get your blood glucose levels under control  Please ask any questions you may have and we'll do our best to help out!





Northerner said:


> Hi Carolg, welcome to the forum  Sorry to hear about your diagnosis  Are you on any medication for your diabetes? How did you come to be diagnosed? There is a lot to take in to begin with, but it does get easier!
> 
> I'd recommend having a browse through our Useful Links thread, where you will find links to lots of good resources  I would particularly recommend reading Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter and it's also worth getting hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These will provide you with a good understanding and how to approach things to get your blood glucose levels under control  Please ask any questions you may have and we'll do our best to help out!


Hi northerner.thanks for this. History-routine bloods and went to see gp as really tired,thirsty ,rapid weight loss , blurry eyes and all the rest. Blood sugar came back at 20, so right on to an increasing dose of metformin, no messing. Now on metformin 1000mg twice day, and after 2 weeks bloods came down to 16.and now getting modified releade metformin.i feel every bit of me has been tested. I got new specs, so can see better.Dietitian suggested Carrbs and Calories book which has made a bit sense of some of it.thanks for the offer of support. I will look at the links and all the rest


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## Carolg (Jan 8, 2016)

Mark T said:


> Welcome to the forum Carolg





Mark T said:


> Welcome to the forum Carolg


Thanks MarkT for the welcome


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## Carolg (Jan 8, 2016)

Lynn Davies said:


> Hi and welcome to the forum. There are plenty of knowledgeable folks round here xx


Hi lynn. Thanks for the welcome.someone at work told me about the forum,and raved about the support network. I dont think there is anything like the advice you get from people who live with a condition.so watch out for my questions


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## Carolg (Jan 8, 2016)

KookyCat said:


> Welcome CarolG, there's lots of help available here.  Hope your return to work went well


Hi Kookiecat.thanks for your welcome. Back to work went well,lots of support from my manager, but letting me take control of my work times etc.glad its friday and i am tired, but better than i thought i would be. Had a few slumps mid afternoon, so will have to think about that.have a good weekend all


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## Carolg (Jan 8, 2016)

Stitch147 said:


> Hi Carolg, it can be very daunting at first but you will soon get used to the adjustments you need to make. This forum is a great place for help and advice.


Hi stitch145. Thanks for your welcome


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## Matt Cycle (Jan 8, 2016)

Hi Carol and welcome to the forum.


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## Andy HB (Jan 8, 2016)

Hello Carol, welcome to the forum. I may have a little bit of bad news for you. 

I noticed that you have bought a new pair of glasses. That may have been a little premature. Hopefully not though. If your BG levels are still a little high and you continue to improve there may be further sight adjustments to come.

I'd have hoped that your GP and optician would have advised you though.

Andy


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## Cowboy Bob (Jan 8, 2016)

Carolg said:


> Hi Kookiecat.thanks for your welcome. Back to work went well,lots of support from my manager, but letting me take control of my work times etc.glad its friday and i am tired, but better than i thought i would be. Had a few slumps mid afternoon, so will have to think about that.have a good weekend all



Hi Carol, welcome to the forum. Seems like a great bunch of people here. I'm newly diagnosed too after a routine health check a few weeks ago. It's scary, but my mind has been put at ease after reading the excellent advice given on here.


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

Andy HB said:


> Hello Carol, welcome to the forum. I may have a little bit of bad news for you.
> 
> I noticed that you have bought a new pair of glasses. That may have been a little premature. Hopefully not though. If your BG levels are still a little high and you continue to improve there may be further sight adjustments to come.
> 
> ...


Hi andy. Thanks for this information. The change to my presctiption was +1.5 less so i was quite blurry vision,just driving standard, and reading was poor.optom did say there might be changes again I have 3 months grace where they will change lenses free of charge if any changes to vision. Hope thats long enough.  As glasses were expensive. I would probably not coped coming back to work with my old glasses-och never mind-its a learning curve. Gp was good, and told me to access the diabetes uk web site, which i did, but hadn't joined forum. That might have helped right at the start if i had, but too much info rattling in my head. Thanks again and i will ask questions when i go bavk to optom.one good thing-retinopathy screening was normal. Carol


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

Matt Cycle said:


> Hi Carol and welcome to the forum.


Hi matt. Thanks for welcome


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

Cowboy Bob said:


> Hi Carol, welcome to the forum. Seems like a great bunch of people here. I'm newly diagnosed too after a routine health check a few weeks ago. It's scary, but my mind has been put at ease after reading the excellent advice given on here.


Hi cowboy bob. Thanks for this.yes its a scary journey, with so much info to juggle. Just think i have got a grip  of what i think then its a bit then its like a spider running round a web. If i catch the spider, i will pin its feet to its web and this forum is definately a great help. . Good luck to you as well


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

Sorry folks.never took part in a forum before,so if my replies are in wrong place, too long, not sent etc orwhatever-please excuse me.carol. also can anyone tell me how to add a photo to the profile? 5hanks


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## Northerner (Jan 9, 2016)

Carolg said:


> Sorry folks.never took part in a forum before,so if my replies are in wrong place, too long, not sent etc orwhatever-please excuse me.carol. also can anyone tell me how to add a photo to the profile? 5hanks


Replies are fine Carolg  If you want to add a picture, click on your User Name in the upper right of the screen and it will give you a screen showing your settings - click on the option to add/change your 'Avatar'


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

Thanks .i will try later


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## Mini-Vicki (Jan 9, 2016)

Hi Carol and welcome! 
This forum is brilliant  
Diagnosis is scary, but great you're getting on board with taking control. 
I'm healthier now than I was before, diet and exercise wise!


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## Amigo (Jan 9, 2016)

Welcome Carol and it sounds like you're starting to adapt and make changes which is great. I was diagnosed type 2 this year too and it's a major head wack to be honest! 
My advice for what it's worth is to read the links northerner has provided because there's some really valuable advice in there and it's real, experiential info not just the advice medics give (which can be a bit dated and out of touch). My friend was recently diagnosed and the nurse told her to eat as much fruit as she could so after 4 bananas a day and spiking BG's, she realised there was more reliable advice elsewhere! 

I test regularly even though I'm unmedicated and I swear by it (actually I even swear at it when it's high) but at least I know what's going on and can tailor food to my unique tolerances.

As for exercise...I'd say don't think just in terms of formal exercise. Walking, taking the stairs and making small changes can help. You'll get there I'm sure and once you start to feel so much better, you'll feel more motivated. Good luck!


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## AndBreathe (Jan 9, 2016)

Welcome aboard Carol.

It's not clear whether you don't like to exercise or you have a problem that makes exercise impossible, but I would say that it's great if you can exercise, and it can make a difference to your blood scores, but (and it's a big but), what you eat and drink is far more important in terms of grasping control.

If you can even just park further from the entry/exit at work, shops, cinema or whatever and within reason shun lifts, it's likely you could be exercising more than before.  I spend quite a bit of time abroad in the heat and find it so much easier to exercise over there, where I walk and swim every day.  In this horrid, cold weather (I don't care that "they say" it's the warmest winter for years!), I find I just want to hibernate.

If you don't already, I would recommend you acquire a a finger prick test meter and strips and start testing your bloods, around your eating regime, so that you can see what affects your bloods most.  For most people that will be the obvious things like sugar, sweets, cakes, fizzy drinks, but for many, many bread, pasta and rice are a bit tricky, at least at first.

Once you get a grasp of what impacts your bloods it becomes a whole load easier to work out what you need to do to move forward to an improved life.  The immediate feedback is simply invaluable.

Good luck with it all.


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

Mini-Vicki said:


> Hi Carol and welcome!
> This forum is brilliant
> Diagnosis is scary, but great you're getting on board with taking control.
> I'm healthier now than I was before, diet and exercise wise!


Thanks mini vickie.small changes to make.nice to hear your positive results


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

Amigo said:


> Welcome Carol and it sounds like you're starting to adapt and make changes which is great. I was diagnosed type 2 this year too and it's a major head wack to be honest!
> My advice for what it's worth is to read the links northerner has provided because there's some really valuable advice in there and it's real, experiential info not just the advice medics give (which can be a bit dated and out of touch). My friend was recently diagnosed and the nurse told her to eat as much fruit as she could so after 4 bananas a day and spiking BG's, she realised there was more reliable advice elsewhere!
> 
> I test regularly even though I'm unmedicated and I swear by it (actually I even swear at it when it's high) but at least I know what's going on and can tailor food to my unique tolerances.
> ...


Thanks amigo. I wasn't told to test glucose levels.i am reading the links northerner posted.what is worst i think,diet wise i think over xmas was ok,but then there was rhe extras left that no one would take away. As the bin(me)doesn't like waste it causes conflict. I am emptying cupboards today. As for exercise, i plan to park further from where i work(pleasing to others as spaces are limited).when i get home its dark,and don't like to walk out alone,but there is weekends and soon lighter nights. Thanks for the advice.


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## Carolg (Jan 9, 2016)

AndBreathe said:


> Welcome aboard Carol.
> 
> It's not clear whether you don't like to exercise or you have a problem that makes exercise impossible, but I would say that it's great if you can exercise, and it can make a difference to your blood scores, but (and it's a big but), what you eat and drink is far more important in terms of grasping control.
> 
> ...


Hi and breathe. I am basically lazy. Work all day and recently before diagnosis i came from work, made evening meal which was sometimes beans on toast etc, fell asleep then went to bed. See my reply to amigo. Also i have a lidl shop about 10 mins walk, so might try parking at home and walking down to shop and take the long way around( once its lighter nights).i will try the furtest away spaces at supermarket.


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