# Newbie and waiting to hear from you all :-)



## Smitha (Oct 20, 2017)

Hello Everyone,

Good morning!
I am being diagnosed as Type 2 in July 2017 and is on Metformin SR 500mg twice daily. Moved to UK a few months back and settling down was a great stressful few months. Now registered with GP and have Diabetic nurse's appointment next week. Just wondering what I should be expecting and what are the kind of support we will be provided.

Thank u


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## Greymouser (Oct 20, 2017)

Hi Smitha and welcome to this great forum, good move joining I think. 
As for what to expect well, that depends mostly on luck it seems. My GP for instance is crap, but some others here seem to been much luckier. I got hardly any question answered at the GP/nurse and found this forum much more helpful. Please ask about anything, no matter how silly you think it is, ( because it really never is! ) someone will answer you and help, I feel sure.


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## grovesy (Oct 20, 2017)

Unfortunately it varies from surgery to surgery.


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## Smitha (Oct 20, 2017)

Greymouser said:


> Hi Smitha and welcome to this great forum, good move joining I think.
> As for what to expect well, that depends mostly on luck it seems. My GP for instance is crap, but some others here seem to been much luckier. I got hardly any question answered at the GP/nurse and found this forum much more helpful. Please ask about anything, no matter how silly you think it is, ( because it really never is! ) someone will answer you and help, I feel sure.


Dear Greaymouser, Thanks very much for your quick response. I wish NHS were a little more educational about these things esp for newbies to make their life little more better isnt it? I was lucky to have consulted a Endocrinologist/Diabetologist back home who was so good to bring my levels down and motivate for more weightloss. I hope this forum will be a great platform. Hopefully my next week appointment goes alright. Have a good day.


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## Smitha (Oct 20, 2017)

grovesy said:


> Unfortunately it varies from surgery to surgery.


Hello Grovesy, thanks for the reply. I hope mine is not that bad. Touchwood.


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## Mark Parrott (Oct 20, 2017)

Hi, Smitha, & welcome to the forum.


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## Guest (Oct 20, 2017)

Hi Smitha, welcome aboard. Agree with the comments previously. 

When you meet the specialist I'm sure they will want to know all about your history, symptoms etc and should give you advice (hopefully you'll get one of the better ones). They will no doubt want to talk about lifestyle, history, meds etc but I would though recommend asking for an appointment with a dietician as well, which may give you some valuable insights. Good luck


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## Ditto (Oct 22, 2017)

Hello Smitha, welcome to the forum.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Oct 22, 2017)

Hello @Smitha - welcome to the forum!

Look forward to getting to know you better.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Thank you Everydayupsanddowns. Same here.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Ditto said:


> Hello Smitha, welcome to the forum.


Thank you Ditto


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Mark Parrott said:


> Hi, Smitha, & welcome to the forum.


Thank you


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

NickD said:


> Hi Smitha, welcome aboard. Agree with the comments previously.
> 
> When you meet the specialist I'm sure they will want to know all about your history, symptoms etc and should give you advice (hopefully you'll get one of the better ones). They will no doubt want to talk about lifestyle, history, meds etc but I would though recommend asking for an appointment with a dietician as well, which may give you some valuable insights. Good luck


Thank you so much.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Hello all, new here is that I am back from my 1st Diabetic Nurse review. She took some blood and gave a brochure to read about Diabetes. She said she will give let the doctor write prescription. I have another review of my results next week and I guess that's it. Wondering if we need to do self monitoring of our BG or would GP be able to do it once a month or something? How do you all do when on Type 2?


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## MikeTurin (Oct 23, 2017)

Hello smitha,
I don't know if you have already done this, but...
First thing you should do in my opinion is to go to the public library and borrow some books on diabetes, and read them. The booklets are lacking of a lot of informations.
You could also read this and other sites for useful informations.

Unfortunately advices forum GP/Nurses or specialists
 could be lacking.
For self monitoring, most of us Type 2 (even in Italy!) have bought a meter and are buying strips for blood testing. I've also bought strips for urine testing that are useful to check if something is going bad or is only prostatic adenoma...


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## Vince_UK (Oct 23, 2017)

Smitha said:


> Hello Everyone,
> 
> Good morning!
> I am being diagnosed as Type 2 in July 2017 and is on Metformin SR 500mg twice daily. Moved to UK a few months back and settling down was a great stressful few months. Now registered with GP and have Diabetic nurse's appointment next week. Just wondering what I should be expecting and what are the kind of support we will be provided.
> ...


HI Smitha and welcome
I was diagnosed in Sept this year and this forum and the supportive people is an amazing resource.
As previoeulsy said, don't be afraid to ask any question, any at all and the response you will get will be invaluable, motivating, supportive and extremely beneficial.
Without this forum and the people I would have been searching in the dark.


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## Bubbsie (Oct 23, 2017)

Smitha said:


> Hello all, new here is that I am back from my 1st Diabetic Nurse review. She took some blood and gave a brochure to read about Diabetes. She said she will give let the doctor write prescription. I have another review of my results next week and I guess that's it. Wondering if we need to do self monitoring of our BG or would GP be able to do it once a month or something? How do you all do when on Type 2?


Hi Smitha...were you given much advice by the nurse...or just told to read the leaflets?...and wait to see the doctor...one thing I can recommend is a book titled Type 2 Diabetes The First Year by Gretchen Becker...she is a type 2...she takes you though her first year as type 2 month by month...she explains what T2 is...how/why it develops...how to mange it...the book contains advice on diet...testing our blood sugars...what benefit we get from that...why its important to do that...I would really recommend it...it will give you a good understanding of what diabetes is...how to manage it...it is available from Amazon...you can preview it before you decide whether to buy it...good luck.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

MikeTurin said:


> Hello smitha,
> I don't know if you have already done this, but...
> First thing you should do in my opinion is to go to the public library and borrow some books on diabetes, and read them. The booklets are lacking of a lot of informations.
> You could also read this and other sites for useful informations.
> ...



Thank you so much for Mike. I shall do some research and invest on a meter soon.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Vince_UK said:


> HI Smitha and welcome
> I was diagnosed in Sept this year and this forum and the supportive people is an amazing resource.
> As previoeulsy said, don't be afraid to ask any question, any at all and the response you will get will be invaluable, motivating, supportive and extremely beneficial.
> Without this forum and the people I would have been searching in the dark.


Thanks Vince. I hope we all help each other. Cheers.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Hello Bubbsie, nice to hear from you. She just handed over a booklet on My Diabetes and another on first step to healthy eating for diabetes. She said to join the 6 week course and if still confused then can refer to a dietician. I am just waiting to see what my HbA1c would be next week and see if they reduce my metformin from twice daily to once or not. I have heard about the book and will be getting one soon. Thanks.


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## Bubbsie (Oct 23, 2017)

Smitha said:


> Hello Bubbsie, nice to hear from you. She just handed over a booklet on My Diabetes and another on first step to healthy eating for diabetes. She said to join the 6 week course and if still confused then can refer to a dietician. I am just waiting to see what my HbA1c would be next week and see if they reduce my metformin from twice daily to once or not. I have heard about the book and will be getting one soon. Thanks.


It is a great book Smitha...it means you can start to manage your diabetes right away if you choose to...sometimes there is a wait for a place on the education courses...in the meantime there is nothing to stop bringing your blood sugars down while you are waiting...get ready for the course...you have to do things in your won time of course...don't rush...but...nothing to stop you getting ready...if you have any questions post them here...someone will probably be able to help.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Bubbsie said:


> It is a great book Smitha...it means you can start to manage your diabetes right away if you choose to...sometimes there is a wait for a place on the education courses...in the meantime there is nothing to stop bringing your blood sugars down while you are waiting...get ready for the course...you have to do things in your won time of course...don't rush...but...nothing to stop you getting ready...if you have any questions post them here...someone will probably be able to help.


Thanks Bubbsie, Yeah I am trying my best to control my diet and being active. Have lost a lot of weight and still counting. Any idea if someone has reversed or put this on remission?


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## Barbara W (Oct 23, 2017)

Hi, Smitha welcome to the forum.


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## Smitha (Oct 23, 2017)

Barbara W said:


> Hi, Smitha welcome to the forum.


Thank you Barbara.


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Oct 23, 2017)

Hi and welcome


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## Beck S (Oct 25, 2017)

Smitha said:


> Hello all, new here is that I am back from my 1st Diabetic Nurse review. She took some blood and gave a brochure to read about Diabetes. She said she will give let the doctor write prescription. I have another review of my results next week and I guess that's it. Wondering if we need to do self monitoring of our BG or would GP be able to do it once a month or something? How do you all do when on Type 2?


I test my BG about three times a day, and extra if I'm testing to see how much a certain food has affected me.  My DN told me to test about three times a day, and to vary when I test, although I forget to do that bit.  Presumably because I'm on Glycazide, but she didn't tell me it was only for a short time or whatever.


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## grovesy (Oct 25, 2017)

Beck S said:


> I test my BG about three times a day, and extra if I'm testing to see how much a certain food has affected me.  My DN told me to test about three times a day, and to vary when I test, although I forget to do that bit.  Presumably because I'm on Glycazide, but she didn't tell me it was only for a short time or whatever.


If you drive you should also test before driving as Gliclazide can cause hypos.


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## Beck S (Oct 25, 2017)

grovesy said:


> If you drive you should also test before driving as Gliclazide can cause hypos.


Yes, that was one of the other things they told me. I got a leaflet on that too.


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## grovesy (Oct 25, 2017)

Beck S said:


> Yes, that was one of the other things they told me. I got a leaflet on that too.


That is good, as many been put on it and not been told or prescribed testing kit.


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## Beck S (Oct 25, 2017)

It was one of the first things they asked me when they were talking about the medicine, and I was asked again in a follow up appointment with my GP.  I guess they're really on top of things.


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