Just been told have diabetes- bit worried

[Orchidlady]

Just been told by GP that I have Diabetes, feel a bit devastated tbh. Should not a total surprise as runs in the family but don't know a whole lot about it. said my glucose blood test was 15.5, not sure what that means. Looks like to need some advice, just wondering if anyone here has experience with his, but stupid but feel a bit scared and gutted.

Type 1 or 2?

Not that it matters but your BG isn't that high. Have they put you on pills or insulin?

Type 2, I am 47. 15.5 not too high? bit of relief you start reading on web sites and said should be 5 something, only found out about half an hour ago, am going on holiday in 1 week and wondering if I need to massive massive changes, sorry probably sounding like an idiot :o(

I was dx with gestational diabetes whilst on holiday via a voicemail message (had had the glucose test the morning before we left) and spent the rest of the holiday worried sick. I remember so well the panic and confusion. If it's any comfort to you it took me, the diabetes nurse and the nutitionalist about a month to get my diet and then my medication sorted out, so don't panic. I was on holiday with my family, including my DGran, who is diabetic, so I just followed her lead when it came to eating proper meals and avoiding high sugar snacks.

15.5 is much higher than a non-diabetic but not so high to need hospital treatment.

It's good that you know now and can work on managing it. Keeping your sugar levels tightly controlled will minimise the risks of complications.

Diabetes UK have great info.

Briefly, you will probably need to try various medication to see what suits you. Look after your feet, get any wounds seen to promptly and get regular eye checks.diabetic special foods are unnecceary expensive and just as high in calories,generally. Maintaining a healthy weight is very helpful.

I'm assuming real diabetes is similar to gd of course, I think it is (until it goes away after birth, of course :o)

Easiest thing you can do is go for a few walks and eat less carbs and sugars. They are the biggest culprits in any diabetic and they contribute to elevated sugars

I mean - 15 is high but I was diagnosed 2 months ago with auto-immune Type 1 and need insulin but I went in with sugar level of 37

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to go for a 20min walk after every meal.

GD is almost a predisposition to type 2 diabetes so they are the same.

But just keep the carbs and the sugars down. And do that for the rest of your life :)

Then go walking and do that for the rest of your life :)

Type 2 is also mostly reversible with good diet and exercise :)

Thanks for your kind words, I just wish I know bit before going away, not sure how serious 15.5 is and what that means, do I avoid all sugar now,? what about alcohol ?, can't imagine going on hols and not having a few drinks :o(. Just had a good cry not sure why I am so upset, just not like me.

Ring your doctor if you are concerned. I wouldn't be too worried about it on holiday but as I said, my sugar was much higher and it was type 1 so I didn't have any insulin in my body. Your insulin is there, it just isn't as effective.

To make it effective, go for a walk. I really, really want to hug you. I got a lot of really good care and advice because I was a random 30 year old type 1 and they needed me for research...

Your doctor should prescribe a little pill for you that you pop once a day. I would avoid all sugar yes. I am not sure about alcohol on a type 2 - I know that most alcohol is high carb and high sugar so I get a very delayed spike. My delayed spike is bad though because I don't have insulin to bring it down. I can drink white wine and whiskey fine because it has lower carbs and is lower sugar so I don't get that spike. I am not going to say what you can and can't drink from an alcohol perspective because I really don't know enough about you and what you eat with it and all that.

Have they even explained diabetes to you? Do you understand the fundamentals of it?

Oh and let yourself cry and be upset. It's perfectly allowed and you're allowed to feel completely and utterly let down

But if you do well with the diet and exercise, you can keep it at bay. You will eventually be able to stop with the pills and you can have a normal life.

If you literally buy sweetners and sugar free drinks and avoid carbs - high GI cards like bread and hamburgers and pizza and white rice and white pasta, you will be ok. So go onto brown rice and brown pasta - don't eat rubbish out, eat fresh fruit and vegetables.

I don't have any insulin but if I eat a salad, I don't need to inject. That means that nothing will go into my blood stream enough to make me need to get it out. Salad is your friend :)

Oh dear have been doing some reading don't think this is helping. I am trying to find out is 15.5 is major high or nothing to panic about. Would I be wasting the dr time if asked for more info.

15 IS high. It's not a dangerous level though but it's indicative of your body not using insulin as it should.

But ring the doctor and ask if there is anything you should be mindful of.

STAY off Google. Trust me. And stay off those diabetic forums. They are a mass of naysayers and negativity. Talk to medical people and chat to your doctor. Go to Boots and ask the pharmacist. Don't even really listen to me but get advice from an OFFline medical person if you're concerned.

Google and other people are just scary. They don't know you, they don't know what causes it, or how you react or what you life history is so don't go clumping yourself into a group.

The doctors were THRILLED when my sugars hit 18 but that's because they were at 37.

Now, I keep my sugar between 4-5 and I am happy there. Occasionally, I get a post meal spike (if I have pizza) that goes up to 15.

The thing here is that (short of diet and exercise), if your doctor is going to put you on a pill, those are the only 3 things that are going to help.

kick you were right about google wish I had never looked now , do think the DR will think I am wasting their time if I call for more info to put my mind @ rest before going on holiday

i don't think they will mind. and if they do, change bloody doctors!!

Hi orchid
Must be a shock for you but you can live a normal life with diabetes.

Ask for a referal to the diabetes specialist nurses and a dietician who can give you advice on management.

Did GP say whether you need to start medication or are to be diet controlled?

15mmols is higher than desired. Between 4 and 9 is the level to aim for.
With type 2 diabetes a few random highs aren't anything to worry about. It's the effects of long term high blood sugars on the body that are dangerous and can result in eye/ kidney/ heart/ and vascular problems.

You must take good care of your feet, check them every day as any wounds won't heal properly.

Diet wise aim for a healthy low fat low sugar diet. Low GI is particularly good.
Once you have control a one off chocolate bar etc is not the end of the world as diabetes is for life.

Good luck

I was diagnosed with type 2 about 6 years ago and control it with diet as the pills they prescribe make me feel ill.
I keep my blood sugar levels down to between 6-7 but am trying to lose weight and exercise and know I can bring it down much further.

Are you overweight? Try to lose some and it wil help. I have been as high as 15 very ocassionally but check my bloods regulalry ie every day even though it's expensive

Thanks for your advise and support, I just really know nothing about diabetes and if you start googling then can scare yourself to death. I am off on holiday next week so seeing nurse to llak about diet and possbility of starting medication when I get back. I would prefer to try and control with diet and exercise, I am quite a fit person and would not consider myself majorly overweight. Size 12/14 5.5 tall. I am probably over reacting but suddenly went into a tail spin about what to eat and not eat.

My stepdad (66) was diagnosed with Type 2 about three years ago.

When they told him what was causing his symptoms, he nearly fell off his chair in surprise.

In his youth he was a sport-nut, as he got older he kept it up, walking, running, the lot - as a result he's as slim as a wand, and what my parents eat at home could not be any healthier; all home-cooked from scratch, no processed stuff, not many biscuits, cakes etc etc. They don't smoke, or drink much, either.

He's not found the transition to a diabetic diet too hard - after all, his diet was not unhealthy before. What he has done is to cut out sugary stuff like jam and fruit juice, and limited his carbs a bit more.

Don't beat yourself up, OP: sometimes these things just happen to us.

He does make me laugh when he describes going to the diabetes clinic though: it's full of huge people who literally sit there swigging from cans of coke and eating chocolate before going in to see the consultant....!

You can have alcohol when you are diabetic but it's best to stick to spirits with diet mixers and not to exceed the guidelines on alcohol consumption eg a couple of singles or one double a night. Not half the bottle.

It will make your sugar dip a bit then rise as alcohol is metabolised into sugar. Dont make the common mistake of drinking holsten pills as "all the sugar becomes alcohol" quite a few diabetics seem to think they can get trollied on holsten .

I give type II dh lacto free milk as it has half the sugar of milk, and it stops him drinking 4 pints a day (which probably knackered his pancreas in the first place)

Just found out i have diabities went for blood tests fri morning as lost a bit of weight not feeling unwell just weight lose and tiredness so wasnt really expecting call same day to be told im diabetic suger levels came back 34 not really sure if thats bad doctor just said to make appoinment to see diabetic nurse which is weds so at this moment just worried what i should be doing any advise would be gratefully recieved thanks

Get yourself to the diabetes.co.uk forum and make yourself known on the new members threads.

I reversed my type 2 diabetes within 3 months by adopting a LCHF lifestyle.

Thank you x

For the immediate future until you have your head round this and get the info you need, just follow a few sensible rules.

No sweets, cakes or chocs
No wine, if you want booze stick to spirits and diet mixers
Don't panic!

Hopefully a diet tweak will bring you into normal ranges.