Diagnosed yesterday...
celestep2k1
Posts: 55 Member
I was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday: 329 BG/10 AC1 at the Urgent Care facility where I live. I haven't spoken with anyone about it yet. I don't have a real Dr., just a PA/referral person...I see her 29May.
After the initial shock wore off, I got busy researching. I'm reaching out to others that have already been on this journey. I'd love to read your story with the disease. Please point me in the right direction on what to do next. ~ Celeste
After the initial shock wore off, I got busy researching. I'm reaching out to others that have already been on this journey. I'd love to read your story with the disease. Please point me in the right direction on what to do next. ~ Celeste
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Replies
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Hi there Celeste,
Welcome to this very helpful, supportive and encouraging group of people who share this very treatable condition with you.
The My Fitness Pal program is a wonderful tool not only to help you adopt healthier nutrition habits, but also helps improve your blood sugar control and diabetes management when used as designed.
One of the first and paramount defenses in lowering your blood sugars is using a glucose meter to monitor the effects of the food choice you make on your blood sugars. By testing before meals and again 2 hours after meals, you will quickly learn what effect if any, those choices had on your blood sugars. The general consensus is to shoot for a test result in the range of 120 to 140 2 hours after mealtimes, however you should seek out target ranges to aim for from your healthcare provider.
The second and equally important defense is lowering your carbohydrate consumption as carbs raise and spike blood sugars to unhealthy levels for those of us with diabetes. Diabetes is a very individualistic condition each of us share and what works for me in controlling my blood sugars may or may not work for you or the next person. Your glucose meter is the new new sheriff in town and best friend, and it will also help you make the healthy food choices you need to make for good blood sugar control. As I mentioned earlier we're all different but, you might aim for 40-45 grams of carbs per meal, limiting yourself to one to two snacks a day at 15 grams of carbs each.
I strongly encourage you to seek out the help and advice of a diabetes education clinic from your healthcare professional treating your diabetes as it was very beneficial to me when diagnosed.
www.bloodsugar101.com
www.diabetesdaily.com
www.diabetes.co.uk
www.diabetesselfmanagement.com
The above links are packed with invaluable information designed to answer your questions about successful diabetes management practices.
My story? I'm a T2 diabetic diagnosed in 1982 with a fasting BG of 429 and an A1C of 14.0. I'm successfully managing my blood sugars currently by using the My Fitness Pal program along with taking oral diabetes medication and insulin (MDI) therapies daily.
I wish you quick success and good health Celeste!
A warm welcome!
Bob0 -
Hi Celeste,
First of all, welcome to the group. As Bob mentioned, there are a lot of wonderful people here who are working on becoming healthier and will offer support. I've learned a lot since joining and have been able to begin bringing down my numbers since losing some excess weight, moving more and seeing what will work for me.
As mentioned, carbs are a main concern and not all carbs are "created equal". Find those that will fill you up yet not cause quick blood spikes...and testing is the main key to that. I'm glad you're to see someone at the end of the month and with all the research you've been doing, I'm sure you'll have a lot of good questions ready. The whole process is pretty much trial and error to see what works for you.
Good luck and I admire you for getting right on this. Many people wait years before becoming active in their care of diabetes.0 -
Thanks so much for the warm welcome! You have both made me feel much less alone and I am grateful to you.
First and foremost, when I see my PA on the 29th, I plan to ask about getting outfitted with a CGM. I want to know what I'm doing that makes this disease worse.
Have either of you used one of these? Thanks in advance for your reply and anyone else who cares to share their story.
Celeste0 -
Hi Celeste and welcome to the group. Bdubya, as usual, has effectively covered the main points and given you excellent reference sources. Information is power, take your time to read over the various grou threads and get a feel for the site. When you're ready to ask questions you will find lots of genuine people in the group who will be willing to share their experience and to give you support and encouragement. I wish you well on your journey to a healthy and active life and will certainly help in any way I can.0
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Hi Celeste, and welcome!
I was diagnosed 6 months ago and have managed to get my numbers under control without medication. So it is possible to control this disease, however it never truly goes away.
The main things are what you eat and getting in some exercise. Like others said, not all foods are created equal. Also what might trigger your spikes, might not trigger someone else. There are high carbs and sugars in a lot of foods out there. Even so called healthy foods can be high in carbs and sugar. So now reading food labels is going to be your new thing to do. With any food, try to stick below 15% -20% of daily value for carbs on any one item and under 10g of sugar to start out while reading labels until you can manage it better where you can take the numbers lower.
It's an adjustment, and it's not easy. It's a daily struggle to make the right choices, but I promise that it does get easier. There are no shortage of resources out there and plenty of diabetic cookbooks to help in making food substitutions.
We're all here to help and answer any questions you may have. You're not alone in this at all and remember it is not a death sentence.0 -
Welcome to the group, for someone diagnosed for such a short time, your determination to find help and advice is truly amazing, well done. Too many people leave everything to their Doctor. When I was first diagnosed I was shown this website: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf It helped me so much to learn how to reduce carbs and make healthier choices that fitted into the readings on my meter.
I am not sure where you are, in the UK getting a CGM would not be an option certainly for a T2 on diet and exercise, or even on most drugs in tablet form. The rules slacken a little for people on insulin therapy.
I found diabetes forums to be a real life saver. I joined a large one in the UK and found being surrounded by people who knew how I was feeling was invaluable.
Getting control takes a wee while, as you adjust your diet and get used to what is safe to eat and not safe to eat. Try to stay away from low fat foods as they tend to be bulked up with sugar, and as you drop your calories in the form of carbs, you will need extra fat to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Ask as many questions as you like, people have all kinds of experiences, so I'm sure no matter what your problem, someone will almost surely be able to help.0 -
Hi, Celeste! Don't panic. Education is half the battle against Diabetes and there is plenty of information out there. I totally agree with checking out bloodsugar101.com. I think it has a fountain of info.
My story in a nutshell...was diagnosed in May 2011 after being hospitalized with an unrelated illness. BS was over 400...I wasn't told my A1C at the time. After getting out of the hospital and feeling better, I went into denial. It took until May of 2012 for me to get serious about my condition.
My fasting BS goes anywhere from 90-110, my last A1C was 6.5. I am off glimeperide and only take metformin now.
MFP is a great place to help keep track of your food. You CAN get your sugar under control and keep it there for life. There are many success stories here. Good luck!0 -
I haven't read so much in such a short time since college. I loved bloodsugar101.com. Trust I'll be devouring the other links in short order too. Again, grateful to you, Bob.
I got a quick reply back from Dexcom which was helpful: "For people with type 2 diabetes, a few insurance companies have coverage for CGM devices, but only for people taking insulin." Now I know I'll have to buy one.
Do hospitals/Doctors ever rent them out for patients? I'd really like to record the exact time of everything I consume and all my activities while wearing the device for a week, and then chart the results. It'll give a baseline going forward, and also perhaps help me to understand what foods like me and what foods don't.
I didn't freak out when I got the news, I was pissed off, and I'm still pissed off. I'm a freaking heritage seed grower...a serious-butt gardener with 25-of those years spent putting out crops in Interior Alaska. I eat AMAZINGLY good food not just because I grow it and preserve it, but because I'm also a gourmet cook..
If you look in my cupboards you don't see junk food. You see spices, canned and dried preserves, virgin oils, nuts, homemade granola, etc... Heck, we have chickens and bees to raise our own honey and eggs! The only junk food you'll find in this house a jar of hard candy on the dining room table, ice cream in the freezer and a stack of Pringles. The only processed foods my pantry are a few boxes of Crackers, Rice-a-Roni, Burger Helper and boxed potato mixes for when I don't want to cook, which is seldom.
Oh, I am pissed I can't see straight!!! Thanks for letting me vent, y'all. Grrr.0 -
Celeste, its also in the genes..
But when I started I thought almost the same "seriously, I eat healthy!"
But I wasn't eating enough (every couple of hours) and I had some serious "Whoa!" moments when entering foods in, that I had considered healthy.
Its a learning curve, and we are all here to help if we can
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You're right. I wasn't eating healthy enough either. My old routine was a big meal at lunch, 32-64 oz of Old Orchard juice or lemonade a day, cocktail 'hour' meant sipping on tequila for 3-hours and only a couple bites of food for dinner, followed by a serving of whatever the dessert de jour was on the counter or a bowl of sherbet/ice cream. Since I learned I have this disease, that's all history.
You're right too that it's all in the genes too. I read that unless you have the genetic precursor to T2 diabetes, you'll never get it. Diabetes HAS to be in your genes in order for a body to develop the cell/molecular defect. Mom had it. Once again, I'm so glad I never had children.0 -
You probably already read bloodsugar101's "You Did NOT Eat Your Way to Diabetes!" but it's worth repeating: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14046739.php0
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Welcome to the group!
An affordable meter and strips can be found here: http://www.relion.com/I got a quick reply back from Dexcom which was helpful: "For people with type 2 diabetes, a few insurance companies have coverage for CGM devices, but only for people taking insulin." Now I know I'll have to buy one.0 -
In the USA most insurances will pay for a basic glucometer for type 2 diabetics. You don't need a meter that monitors continuously.0
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A CGM seems such a smart thing to use for a week, whether on insulin or not.
On a side note, I just discovered Pepperidge Farms Pretzel Thins and Safeway Mini Rice Cakes - Kettle Corn flavor. Now that I've got my sweet and salty...I know I can do this!!!0 -
Hello! First of all, welcome to MFP and taking the first step towards a healthier you. Everyone else has give you such valuable information, so there isn't much more I can add.
My story, I was diagnosed 8 years ago. After 6 months of trying Metformin, my doctor put me on insulin. I take Lantus and Novolog (sliding scale based on my BG levels). I spent about 6 years, sort of watching what I ate, but not ever truly making the committment. January 3, 2013 I started taking my health seriously and started watching what I ate. I have dropped nearly 30 lbs and more importantly, my BG levels have gotten so much better. I am very proud of the success I have achieved. Key for me was not only the food intake, but getting in the exercise is what has really helped with my success.
Add me as a friend and I will be supportive. I don't have all the answers, just another T2 looking to get healthier.
Nancy0 -
Right on, Nancy! I'm certain seeing the numbers improve gives you encouragement and validates all the efforts your making for your health. Friendship request inbound!0
