Type 2 Newbie

[Miristu]

Help! Just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and tbh struggling with it - been given a leaflet by my doc and thats it - not much else except they want to see me in 6 weeks to see if they are going to start me on tablets or I am heading in the right way with the "diet" and therefore no need.... Hacked off at the little or no info given - understand the "need to lose weight" part but what can I and cant I have within reason - if I eat a large McD's and fries and milkshake and then go out and get blathered would that be me screwed no matter what I did for the next 5 weeks prior to appt...... Should I just join a convent now and throw away the key....

[almaradlu]

avoid the McD's, you need to be looking at the amount of carbs you are eating, I have been told to aim for no more than 40 carbs per meal -blooming hard but it keeps the blood levels down and I have lost 3 1/2 stones as well :)

When I was first told I was diabetic , it was a huge shock and a heck of a lot to take in. Luckliy I have a GP who specialises in diabetes who gave me info on what to eat/avoid but also I was given a blood meter to montior myself. I know not all GP's will give type 2's meters but I was seriously ill when I was diagnosed.

I found this forum www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/ to be full of useful information when I was first diagnosed.

HTH

[somersethouse]

Can I ask how you knew you had this, or rather what prompted you to go to the doctor? I have tingling in my feet which is worse at night and I have read this could very well be diabetes.
Did either of you have this symptom?

[Miristu]

Hi somersethouse - I would say that if you are at all worried about your health in any way then you should get it checked out with your GP - I havent had tingling in my feet and I was diagnosed through other health issues that I have and blood tests that I routinely go for... Am making a list of all the questions that I want to get answers for from my first visit with the clinic when it comes through - other than that I have been reading the websites that you suggested almaradlu and they have been very informative - many thanks to you :-)

[somersethouse]

Thanks Miristu, really kind of you to answer.
I hope you feel better soon. I was talking to a friend today whose mother was diagnosed with type 2 and she controls it through diet. Not too strict a diet as far as I can tell.

I hope you are able to go down that route.
Thanks again.

[almaradlu]

Hi somersethouse, I went as I couldnt stop weeing and was thirsty to the point I couldnt stop drinking. My eyes had gone blurry just before the weeing but the optician said I need glasses.
I also had tingling toes to the point that it was keeping me awake but as I have arthrits I had put it down to that.

Anyway I mentioned the toe pain to one of the nurses I first saw and she dismissed the idea and recommeneded I saw a podiatrist which I paid to see. Lovely podiatrist said high blood levels can cause tingling toes and if I got my levels down if the tingling goes we would know it was down to the diabetes.
Guess what, since levels have been down, the pain has gone. Also my eye sight came back not long after my levels came down and I got a full refund for the glasses that I was told I needed.

[somersethouse]

Ahha! almaradlu. Thank you very much, this sounds like me, except for the weeing and blurry eyes.

Off to the docs for me.

Glad your eyesight is good again and that you got the refund!

Hope you are feeling well, thanks again for the reply.

[almaradlu]

somersethouse , if you cant get an appointment soon, I had my blood checked for free at a chemist. It was a fasting test but only a finger prick test and then they sent me to our GP for the full blood tests.

Good luck and wishing you all the best