I was just diagnosed 4 months ago and went through what you are describing. It is a lot to take in and digest (pun intended)

I echo what Lynn said. Take a diabetes education class. The Doctor is important, but he can only spend a few minutes with you. The diabetes educators can spend hours and I found it extremely helpful. You will find there is a ton of information on the web; some of it conflicts with each other. Your educators will help you sort out what is correct; and how it applies to YOU personally.

Logging your food here is a huge help. Your doctor will probably tell you how many carbs per meal you should target; and MFP makes that so easy to track.

There is no getting around the fact that it is a huge life change. But I have found that since I was diagnosed, I am much healthier and feel much better. Diabetes is a disease where you have to take control of your own treatment. The doctor cant be at your side 24x7 telling what to eat or not eat. You have to take that control. The good news is; you can do that and you can feel much better.

Sign up for an education class as soon as you can. And ask Lots of questions.

Thanks, that is just what I am going to do. I'm also havng some trouble with fatigue, is that part of it?

Absolutely. Before I was diagnosed, I would fall asleep if I sat still more than 10 minutes. I was almost always tired, living off caffeine to stay alert. You will learn in the classes how Low and High BS can cause fatigue and how to recognize it.

Since I have gotten my BS to a normal range; I have a lot more energy, (without caffeine) and I am loosing weight!

Kama...

when I was first diagnosed almost 2 years ago, I was in denial for at least six months... during which I went through a myriad of emotions including anger, sadness, back to anger lol... and probably looking back a little depression too... and overwhelmed.. omg.. my doctor is fabulous but as someone else said, they aren't the best resource for learning about the disease. Mine made me go to a diabetes class; in some ways it was excellent; mostly because it scared me "straight" if you will - I learned what the disease does to you, and they used visual aids to explain how the high blood sugars left in your blood course through your body and attack your organs.... it was absolutely the thing that made me start taking my meds to protect myself, and to change my lifestyle to start moving and learning how to eat right. The down side of the class was the food charts .. confused the heck out of me and as a result I wasted a few months checking the nutrition labels on everything for the sugar content - and never once looked at the carbs because altho they said to watch carbs, EVERYTHING has carbs. even veggies?? so I was totally confused and just looked at the sugar levels... oatmeal seemed like an awesome healthy breakfast for me... no sugar and whole grains?? what's not healthy?? But in my case (and everyone does differ with this) my blood sugar would spike like crazy...and I had no idea why. so I started doing research on my own and fortunately found MFP and several groups (like this one) wth resources and people who were able to help me figure it out..

It didn't happen overnight....by any stretch... fifty years of bad habits are not easy to break... but I had to (and still do) think of it of saving my life.. small changes lead to big results; I started walking every day; only 15 min to start then up to at least an hour a day.. I walk outside as often as possible because a treadmill to me is the most boring thing in the world lol... but I love being outside. And I have learned I have to do something I enjoy or I won't stick with it. And I learned about carbohydrates.... far more important in my opinion and from what I have learned, than the sugar content in something! Learn to read nutrition labels, and read all you can on the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs - and how blood sugars are affected by what you eat.. and be kind to yourself..... it's going to take a little time to adjust and accept that you have diabetes and allow yourself to feel whatever you feel - but don't put off taking the meds and starting to make changes... and don't be afraid to ask for help... we're all in the same boat and at various stages of learning how and what we can do to get healthy and fit and enjoy our lives, and you've taken the most important step by coming here... )

Take a look at the sticky notes on the group page - there are some awesome resources (the best one I got off it when I first started was the bloodsugar101... )

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1198398-helpful-online-diabetic-resources

I'm glad you're feeling more confident about managing diabetes. Keep asking questions! ~Lynn /Glucerna