[1970clea]

hi,
my name is Clea and I am a 40 year old high school Maths teacher in the UK. I got my initial diagnosis 3 weeks ago and am shortly off to get my first HBa1c results and find out what meds I am to be put on. Wish me luck.

Six weeks ago I stopped smoking and started going to the gym, changed my diet etc as BP has been a problem since I started early menopause at 36. The symptoms of that seem to have masked the diabetes? Has anyone had a similar experience?

Six weeks on the diet and exercise have made a small impact: Fasting Blood Glucuse was 9.0mmol rather than that 9.7mmol of the first set of tests and I have lost 3lbs. I am 5'2" and currently weigh 150lbs. Am working on that - although with my physique you wouldn't necessarily think I was overweight just to look at me!!

Anyway I guess I have yacked on enough for my first post so I will leave you to it

Best wishes,
Clea

 

[anuradha.m]

hi,
my name is Clea and I am a 40 year old high school Maths teacher in the UK. I got my initial diagnosis 3 weeks ago and am shortly off to get my first HBa1c results and find out what meds I am to be put on. Wish me luck.

Six weeks ago I stopped smoking and started going to the gym, changed my diet etc as BP has been a problem since I started early menopause at 36. The symptoms of that seem to have masked the diabetes? Has anyone had a similar experience?

Six weeks on the diet and exercise have made a small impact: Fasting Blood Glucuse was 9.0mmol rather than that 9.7mmol of the first set of tests and I have lost 3lbs. I am 5'2" and currently weigh 150lbs. Am working on that - although with my physique you wouldn't necessarily think I was overweight just to look at me!!

Anyway I guess I have yacked on enough for my first post so I will leave you to it

Best wishes,
Clea

Hi Clea, welcome to the forum, I am a type 11 on insulin. Genetically prone to diabetis, I had it after I went for hystrectomy for endometriosis, when I was 34..since then been takeing several medications and since 15yrs ben taking insulin..I am 5'4 and weigh 68kgs(I dont know how much in lbs) Feel free to ask anything you want, this is a nice place where everyone lets their hair down...:ranger:

 

[Countrygal]

So nice to meet you Clea! And so glad you stopped smoking too that is a great accomplishment!!! I stopped around the 1st of January and never thought it possible You will love it around here, lots of greats people and information from those who know so much about diabetes. I am a newbie too and am currently adjusting my insulin because I tend to run too high, especially in the mornings.

 

[Guest]

welcome Clea glad you've joined us. Being newly diagnosed can be hard to deal with. You will find lots of support and information here. I hope you have a good medical team behind you. Whatever the outcome of your first HbA1c test, you can control this condition most of the time (I say that so that you don't feel like a failure when things don't look right as so many things impact on your BGLs that sometimes is out of your control)... you just have to have the right attitude to keep on doing the best you know how. Congrats on quitting smoking that will help you healthwise too. Look forward to hearing your experiences.

 

[jwags]

Welcome to our little group. I was dx'd a couple of years after menopause at the age of 56. I do think I didn't pay attention to many symptoms because I thought they were related to menopause. 4 years later I am so much healthier. Even though I was not terribly overweight- 148 at dx. I now weight in around 115 give or take a few pounds. I was a vegetarian before dx but have now realised as a diabetic I need a lot more protein and real fat to balance my bgs. So in the past 4 years I have really changed up my diet. It took lots of trial and errror and lots of test strips. Most of my bgs are under 100 now a days. Again welcome

 

[1970clea]

Thx for the support

Well, as expected the meds have been prescribed: 1500mg Metformin and 40mg Simvastatin. I have been told to ease into the Metformin - 10 days on 1 tablet then up to 2 with the aim to be on 3 in a month's time. Guess the side effects can be unpleasant then?

Doc was pleased with my pragmatic approach, but what else can you do? I have no intention of rolling over or playing ostrich. I get to go on a one day course called "Getting Started with Type 2 Diabetes" - could be good though to meet new people in the locality...and there is a free lunch, which made me laugh.

I was expecting to have to do the BS readings but the doctor wasn't keen - he said it can be misleading as the levels go up and down so much but that I would get a free meter if I went on the course? SO will wait to see what new information I get from the "experts" re testing and diet. Re diet: I am calorie counting and keeping a watch on carb intake although not counting carbs yet. I am exercising at the Gym 3 times a week and at home as well on the non-gym days. Any advice welcome re diet as it is all new to me. A friend of mine told me fruit is a bit of a no go area, which surprised me at first but kind of makes sense really.

So thanks again for listening

 

[Shanny]

Welcome aboard, Clea! So many docs discourage us from home testing, and yet how else are we to learn our bodies' reactions to certain foods and what changes we need to make to control glucose levels?

Many of us use the method "eat to your meter", which entails a lot of testing in the beginning especially, but it enables you to build a food list & make meals that don't elevate your BS - which in my "pragmatic" opinion, is our goal, right?! So we test before we eat, and we test again one hour after the first bite to find how high that meal took us. If it's over 7.7 (140), then that food might be limited to small portions/infrequent occasions. Take another test two hours after the first bite, and if you're still over 7.7 (140), that food should prob'ly be avoided. But if you're dropping back near your pre-meal reading, that is good.

After you get several readings on the foods you normally eat, you'll be able to weed out the things that "spike" you over 7.7 (140), and you're well on your way to controlling this diabetes beast!

I'm happy you found us and I hope you'll find time to visit often!

 

[breezeonby]

hi,
my name is Clea and I am a 40 year old high school Maths teacher in the UK. I got my initial diagnosis 3 weeks ago and am shortly off to get my first HBa1c results and find out what meds I am to be put on. Wish me luck.

Six weeks ago I stopped smoking and started going to the gym, changed my diet etc as BP has been a problem since I started early menopause at 36. The symptoms of that seem to have masked the diabetes? Has anyone had a similar experience?

Six weeks on the diet and exercise have made a small impact: Fasting Blood Glucuse was 9.0mmol rather than that 9.7mmol of the first set of tests and I have lost 3lbs. I am 5'2" and currently weigh 150lbs. Am working on that - although with my physique you wouldn't necessarily think I was overweight just to look at me!!

Anyway I guess I have yacked on enough for my first post so I will leave you to it

Best wishes,
Clea

Hello Clea and welcome to the forum! I hope that you will feel comfortable here. I hope you visit often and take care.