# Newbie on board!



## hotchop (Feb 9, 2010)

Afternoon all..

well, i was diagnosed 1 month ago with type 2... did my world come crashing down? yes it did!!

Started on metformin today, even though im not overweight....much! ( weigh 10 stone! )

Im lucky enough to have a great doctor who spent over an hour mopping up my tears and another hour telling me im going to be fine!>>> all in a 10 min appointment!  oh the patients behind me were sure cursing! 

Im not sure what constitutes fine!  the fact that i feel like im trapped in a life I cant freely control like I used to or fine in the fact that I can control this diabetes thing and sustain a good quality of life!  ahh well.. its a learning curve and a half!

I know i can never eat an iced donught again! blood shot up to 22.8 and took forever to come down! and white bread!  a distant memory!

I know that tesco chilled indian and chinese was actually not bad, considering, for my blood and I managed to scape through on an 8.1 which is good for me!

Anyway..... just a short intro from me!


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## Steff (Feb 9, 2010)

Hi there hotchop and welcome to the froum i have been type 2 for just under a year, infact a year is up on the 12th, anyways dont now think cause you have diabetes your life is not at an end, things just have to be eaten in moderation and self care is something as well, you mention the tesco chilled chinese and indian meals they might be abit dodgy if you start having like say naan with the indian or say accompniments with the chinese.Some of us stick to having basmalti rice and for the curry make our own , thats of course if you have the time and means.Anyway dont hesitate to ask anything anytime no question is a stupid or silly one x


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## Northerner (Feb 9, 2010)

Hi hotchop, welcome to the forum There are a few things in your favour from the start - you have a good doctor, who obviously allows you to test so you can measure your responses to different foods, and you found us!

I'd suggest getting a book on Low GI or Low GL diets - this might give you some idea how you can occasionally incorporate some of those treats.


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## am64 (Feb 9, 2010)

welcome hotchop have a good look around and Im sure you'll pick up some good hints ...friendly bunch on this forum so dont be afraid to ask


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## ypauly (Feb 9, 2010)

hello and welcome


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## recyclequeen (Feb 9, 2010)

*hi hotchop*

hi there

Welcome to the forum we are a really friendly bunch on here pleasedon't hesitate to ask us any questions there is always someone on here who will have the answer

angie


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## hotchop (Feb 9, 2010)

Thanks everyone!!

My most viewed website in this last month has been this one! 

Bye bye everything else!

For the first week or so I hardly ate a thing I was so scared but my common sense head kicked in when my stomach shrank so much that half a yoghurt filled me up lol

I'm learning such a lot from you lot though I'm still trying to understand all the logic in a sensible way! Lol

I'm looking forward to speaking to u all!


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## Northerner (Feb 9, 2010)

hotchop said:


> Thanks everyone!!
> 
> My most viewed website in this last month has been this one!
> 
> ...



There is a good book we recommend: Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker (amazon link)

This will give you a good starting point to begin understanding diabetes and the way forward.


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## cazscot (Feb 9, 2010)

Hi Hotchop, welcome to the forum  x


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## Tezzz (Feb 10, 2010)

Have a look at www.bloodsugar101.com.

It's American, run by Jenny, a Type 2 diabetic.


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## PhilT (Feb 10, 2010)

Hi Hotchop, welcome to the forum.


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## choccy72 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hi Hotchop

I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago and can totally empathize with how you've been feeling as i had total meltdown 2 days after being diagnosed (now know i needed to eat as i'd probably dipped a bit low!) Read my thread 'down in the dumps'!

You were very lucky to have had such help from your Gp as i got the bare minimum of info AND he stuck to the 10 minute appointment. He printed me off some info then sent me on my merry way (well far from merry!)

I now feel much better and the education is great on these threads. I also have had support from a lady my OH knows who is a diabetes nurse specialist. She provided me with a really detailed booklet about diabetes which covers everything from entitlements to glucose control .....to DVLA issues.

So far 2 weeks later and i feel fairly in control.....i have my good and bad moments and i could do without the side effects of the metformin but apart from that i'm eating better than i did ......of course i have sooooo much still to learn as its only early days but having joined this forum i feel better equiped to deal with the future.

Good luck to you x


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## hotchop (Feb 12, 2010)

Thank you everyone for your kind replies..

Ive started swimming in the morning before work... Ive read that this will help lower my blood and also excersise is meant to be good for me lol

Im GOING TO STOP SMOKING.... there, ive said it.. ive probably smoked 25 ish a day for the last 15 years or so.. doc says there are loads of new tablets newly available to help..
Ive not told hubby yet incase I dissappoint him.. he hates me smoking

im still struggling with my food.. ive been conditioned into slimming world dieting for a number of years which encourages high carb intake... im bloody starving all the time! not to mention tired.. AND WIND! OMG! I understand this is a side effect of metformin so i must get used to it and buy nappies incase i errrr have an accident lol

I was in bed by 7pm last night ans slept through until 6am. I must have needed it heheheh but honestly, all the blinking time, im tired.. work are very understanding fair play to them. I sneak into the office for a nap in the afternoon, come home from work and nap on the sofa again.. im feeling proper lazy

the 101 site has opened my eyes! thank you for the recommendation!


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## choccy72 (Feb 14, 2010)

I need to quit the weed aswell Hotchop so fingers crossed for both of us!

with regards to the tiredness....i have good and bad days but have to say that since i've had 3 balanced meals daily i feel so much better.


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## hotchop (Feb 14, 2010)

hiya choccy

im struggling with the 3 meals a day bit... I never used to eat breakfast or lunch then had a good tea after work about 7pm

now i eat breakfast as i need to take metformin with food, have sugar free jelly and onken for llunch and tea at 7 or 8 pm.... very late to be eating.

im still very tired and have cancelled a trip to cambridge to see my nan this week as i dont think i could manage the 6 hour drive.. im gutted... im on hols this week so will make an effort to eat properly.

ive started swimming 3 4 times a week which im enjoying and gearing up to stopping smoking!!


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## choccy72 (Feb 14, 2010)

Hiya Hotchop.....like you i never ate an early breakfast but would raid the fridge around 11.00 ....miss lunch then get hungry after picking kiddo up from school! Vicious circle and hey presto i have diabetes!

I was the original chocoholic ...wouldn't eat 1 or 2 ferrero fochers but ate 12 or so.....comfort food was my life. Like you my body became accustomed to the rubbish diet but mine got bigger in the process.

Since diagnosis i now eat 3 meals a day.....breakfast around 9.00.....lunch between 12 and 2.00 depending on what i'm doing and then i try and have tea before 19.00 as i work night shifts and i hate feeling full (although i feel less so these days)

In between this i munch fruit spread out over the day and save some of the portions for during the night at work as its a 12 hour shift. This seems to be working for me well and i do feel so much better and far less sluggish than a few weeks ago. I know the metformin seems to be helping but cutting out the rubbish and eating at the right times has benefitted greatly.

Your tiredness might be because you've increased your exercise but you seem to be eating very little.....you need to eat carbs that sustain you....i find granary bread reaaly good as it doesn't bloat me like white bread does and i have to admit it keeps me fuller.

I WAS the original sinner but realised i had to make some real changes.....believe me i could sit here now and eat 1/2 a box of choccies but to feel like i did.....NO THANKS!


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## hotchop (Feb 17, 2010)

Afternoon all!

well i went back to the docs today... really struggling with the tiredness! I spend more time asleep than I do awake.. not funny 

Doc wanted to put me on Novorapid but then decided to try Gliclazide for 2 weeks to see if that works.. alongside 2 x metformin a day

Diet is working well, I think! Metformin is lowering levels but im still averaging maybe 10 before meals.

off for another snooze!!!...... thank god im on a week holidays from work!!


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## Northerner (Feb 17, 2010)

hotchop said:


> Afternoon all!
> 
> well i went back to the docs today... really struggling with the tiredness! I spend more time asleep than I do awake.. not funny
> 
> ...



Hi hotchop, hope the gliclazide do the business for you Getting regular, lower levels will really help boost your energy levels. At the moment the energy is not getting into your cells efficiently because of the insulin resistance, so your body is feeling generally 'tired' - the gliclazide should improve things.


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## hotchop (Feb 17, 2010)

Thank you for such a quick response!

Will these tabs increase my energy levels fairly quickly then?

I feel so low because im sooo tired yet im sure that a bar of choc will make me feel better, as in now, lol but would undo all the hard work im already doing


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## Northerner (Feb 17, 2010)

hotchop said:


> Thank you for such a quick response!
> 
> Will these tabs increase my energy levels fairly quickly then?
> 
> I feel so low because im sooo tired yet im sure that a bar of choc will make me feel better, as in now, lol but would undo all the hard work im already doing



Hi, as I understand it, gliclazide helps stimulate your pancreas to produce more insulin. With more insulin available, your body can use more of the glucose in your blood for energy, so yes - they should help! If not, then injecting insulin certainly will, but doctors prefer to try the drug therapy first.

Unfortunately, however tempting the chocolate bar may seem - and it is logical for a non-diabetic that it will give you an energy boost - for you it will just make things worse, as it will simply increase your blood sugar levels. Your body is a bit stupid in this respect - it doesn't realise that you have diabetes and cexpects you to produce just the right amount of insulin to convert that glucose into energy. If it can't do this (despite all the lovely, available glucose in your blood!) it thinks you are starving! 

If you can manage it, exercise is an excellent way to increase your sensitivity to the insulin you are producing and to use up some of the glucose in your blood. Losing weight will also help to increase your sensitivity to insulin - this is why diet and exercise can be of such benefit to Type 2s. If you need a snack, go for something low GI, like a slice of granary bread with peanut butter - your body will be much better capable of handling this and giving you a steady supply of energy than a chocolate bar.


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## hotchop (Feb 20, 2010)

blimey now im swinging from one extreme to the other.. high then very low  lowest ive been is 2.9 and highest is now 11 which is lots better than it has been.

im finding it easier to control when its lower and i need to find that happy medium! 

im pleased that i know the figs can go low and the meter actually works heheh

not so tired now and feel so much better!!

spent the best part of the last 2 days on bloomin trains............ nice and relaxing! NOT lol


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