Probable Type2

[lonelyghost]

I had gestational diabetes with babies 2 & 3 - youngest is now 11. I’ve always struggled with my weight, and finally decided I’d look at WLI privately to try and make some serious changes.
i had bloods taken including a HBa1C and thought I was likely to be pre diabetic. That came back high and well in the Type2 category.
GP has asked for more bloods - still waiting for the HbA1C result - what are likely next steps? I assume it won’t have dropped to non diabetic, am I likely to get medicated or will they say just try to lose some weight - which I have been doing for the last 25+ years!

You won’t be diagnosed on basis of one hba1c test, normally at least a month or more apart. What was the initial level? Lifestyle changes can reverse it into prediabetic range. Otherwise medication is suggested, usually metformin, with a review in 3-6 months.

I was a bit different as had a whole load of symptoms, was feeling really ill and then got myself a Glucose Monitor that you attach to your arm because I couldn’t get a Drs appt. Within a few hours of wearing the sensor it was sending scary messages to seek medical advice so I called 111 and when the Dr called me back he sent me to A&E. My sugar levels were reading 3 times the highest normal range so they did diagnose me on the spot and within a couple of hours I was sitting with a Diabetes nurse being shown how to inject insulin and handed a big bag of supplies and a prescription for additional stuff I needed to get from the pharmacy.

If you are diagnosed then you’ll be referred to the diabetes team, exactly how that operates differs by trust but in mine you get allocated to a virtual clinic and given a freestyle Libre sensor, you wear that for 2 weeks and link up to the virtual clinic so they can see your readings remotely. You also do finger print tests first thing in the morning and then 2 hrs after each meal, keep a food diary and start to identify trends in what foods spike your levels. At the end of the first 2 weeks you get a review where they decide if you need medication and what that medication should be. The freestyle Libre sensor comes off and you just do the finger prick tests, I chose to self fund the Libre as I liked the visibility and hated the finger prick tests and by then we knew the Libre was accurate so just relied on that.

Reviews every 2 weeks until you reach a stable level where they don’t need to adjust meds.

At the same time as that is happening I was being referred for:

• full blood panel - HbA1C, liver function, kidney function, lipids/cholesterol, thyroid function
• an eye screening to check for diabetic retinopathy
• a foot check to look for circulation/nerve damage.
• nutrition talk about what to and what not to eat (spoiler - reduce carbs, increase fat, fibre and protein)

My blood sugar levels were erratic and resistant to improving despite cutting carbs to only what was in green veg and dairy so I was on a 3 monthly schedule for HbA1c testing but I think it’s usually 6 monthly or even annually.