New and full of questions...

[pixiefae]

Hi,

i was told yesterday i have diabetes but i am still under going tests ( i get results tomorrow) to see how things are going to go.

I had a HbA1c test which the results were 13 (anyone know what that exactly means?) and i had gestational diabetes in my pregnancy's so i suppose its no huge shock...i have the classic symptoms, drinking my own body weight in fluids, peeing all the time, headaches etc etc etc

i am just worried now about what treatment will be and what type i have and how things will progress...

i'm sat here at work (graphic designer) with a headache and worrying lots about tomorrow when i see the diabetic nurse!!

pix

[davef]

Pix,

Welcome to the forum, I found the forum 10 weeks ago just after I was diagnosed and have found really great supportive people here. I can understand what you are going through, the worry, shock etc, that's all natural.

The HbA1C test is to get an average of your Blood Glucose (BG) over the past 90 days. It does this by measuring how much glucose attached itself to your red blood vessels. In most people red blood vessels "live" about 90 days, sometime more/less. One thing you will see a lot when reading is YMMV (your mileage may vary) as diabetes is rarely the same for two people.

In my case I was put on a medicine called Metformin (two tablets a day), I cut way down on carbs, for me a potato will cause my BG to rise more that a piece of chocolate! I also needed to lose weight, 28 pounds so far. My BG reading when diagnosed (DX'ed) was 378 (which is high), now 10 weeks later I have this down to an average of 93, within the "non-diabetic" range.

I am healthier now with Diabetes than I have been in YEARS. You don't mention if you have a meter yet, if not ask the nurse for one and then test, test, test, as that way you will know what foods work for you.

The important thing (for me anyway) was to tackle this head on, if you approach it with a positive attitude you will do much better. It will mean making some lifestyle changes, but most of us knew before DX that we needed to do that anyway.

Remember, you control your diabetes it does not control you. I'm not making light of it, cause I really do know the shock and emotions (including denial, guilt, anger) when you are diagnosed, but it really is not the end of the world/life. I look on it as a wake up call and a chance for a new healthy life.

It is important that you know and that your family know and understand that having Diabetes is NOT your fault.

I would strongly recommend writing down any questions you have for the nurse as at DX I took in about 2% of what they told me. In fact 5 days after DX, my doctor brought me back (with my wife) to talk things through as he knew that with the shock I wasn't taking much in.

There is also an excellent book "The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes", which if you have type 2 is really great to read.

Keep posting, keep visiting, ask questions and know that there are lots of people here who are ready to support you.

[UpNorth]

Welcome to the forums :)

Seems to be a boom of newly diagnosed lately:eek: Anyways, I can understand you're worried, but once you get your bloodsugars down again, you will at least feel better!

Don't be afraid to ask any question that comes into mind! There's always someone here who'll have an answer :)

[pixiefae]

thank you for the informative replies....

i guess i am most worried about what happens now and how bad all this is?

i have no idea what the 13 HbA1c is high or how high, and what does that mean treatment wise....

i feel like such a Newbie.......i can't wait till tomorrow when i finally get to know exactly what's going on. I keep thinking it can't be "that" bad as i am waiting till tomorrow and if it was "BAD" they would have dragged me in sooner...


i just want to feel well, the past month or so i have fallen asleep at work countless times, had chronic headaches if i don't eat and drinking, drinking drinking........oh and the whole thrush thing has been majorly unpleasant (TMI- sorry)


ok rant over :-) and thankyou again

[UpNorth]

Having an A1c of 13 is very high... Someone who has diabetes should try to keep it at least below 7, but preferably lower than 6.5 or maybe even 6... I've heard so many different oppinions about that. My latest was in the 5's, and i'm due to have another done tomorrow and i'll be happy if it's below 10 this time due to running high a lot lately:eek:

[Olidus]

pixiefae

Welcome to club D and welcome to DF.
I like to think of the A1c as a motivation and bragging rights.
As you can see in my signature mine was close to your when I was told that I have the D.
And since then with the help of my new friends on this site and lots of reading been working on taking it down.

You are going to take in a lot of information over the next little while, pace yourself and take a deep breath. If you feel anything like I did when I was just diagnosed it was all a blurrrrrrr.

Best thing you can do now is ask questions and then ask more questions.

A1c aka HBA1c
Hemoglobin A1C definition - Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on MedTerms (http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16297)

Also - incase no one told you yet - you will/should get your blood tested by your Endo or GP every 3-4 months for updated results.

[princesslinda]

Welcome PF, glad you found us! You've been given some great information already. Look around, ask lots of questions, you'll do well!

A1C of 13 means you've had a 90 day average blood sugar in the upper 300's....WAY higher than you want to see. No wonder you've been feeling so tired/sleepy/lousy. I couldn't believe how much better I felt once my levels normalized.

What meds did your doctor start you on? I'm assuming since you had gestational diabetes, that you are a Type 2. I encourage you to do whatever it takes to get those numbers down.

A great book for newly diagnosed T2s..."Type 2 Diabetes, The First year," by Gretchen Becker....full of really helpful information.

Also, as Dave mentioned, testing is VERY IMPORTANT. If you test 2 hrs after your FIRST BITE of food, you'll see how different foods affect your blood sugar, and be able to make smarter food choices. When first diagnosed, I kept a food journal, listing everything I ate and my corresponding blood sugars. In just a short while, I had a good menu of things that were blood-sugar friendly. BUT, if you don't test, you won't know.

Look around, ask lots of questions, we're here to help!

[kgm0612]

Hi Pix & Welcome! I would imagine your doctor will put you on an oral medication to start out with.

My advice.......test often, limit your carbohydrate intake, and get in some form of exercise if you're not doing so already.

Good luck with your appointment and please be sure to let us all know how you made out.

Karen

[morrisma]

Welcome to our little club pixiefae.

We've all been where you are in one way or another. Think of diabetes as yet another challenge with ups, downs, struggles, triumphs and goals, especially goals. One goal is to get the A1c down to more reasonable levels - under 7 as UpNorth suggested would be a good first goal.

Along the way you will learn about a whole group of new drugs, drug delivery systems, diets, carb counting, exercise regimens, and a lot of other things you ignored or took for granted before. We're here to help as most of us have managed some degree of control or, like you, looking for answers.

Again, welcome,
Mike

[Jill-O]

Welcome to the forum!

You've come to a really good place here. There are so many nice people and tons of good information.

Also, some books that helped me a lot are Diabetes for Dummies and Complete Idiots Guide to Diabetes. As the titles imply, they are easy to follow and also have good indexes to look up specific areas of concern.

Before long, you'll be having better numbers and things will be making more and more sense to you.

[mzteacher]

hi and welcome....i went from being over 13 at diagnosis to 6.4...so my advice is to follow the advice of the others here! i have learned so much and met some lovley people....good luck to you!
susan

[xMenace]

A belated welcome. Lots to learn and do. My only advice is to come here for a daily dose of the good stuff! ;)

[Elina]

I am quite new myself, diagnosed with type 1 a few days ago, my HbA1c was 12:eek:

Welcome to the forums :)

[mho357]

Hello pix and welcome to the forum.

You have already received some good info and advice. Keep coming around here and you will be an expert before you know it.

Mark

[pixiefae]

thankyou all for your welcome!!!

i saw the Nurse today, who took my vital's heigh weight, blood pressure...

she said i had type 2

she gave me a blood glucose moniter which i tested on not long ago bour 2 hours after breakfast it came back as 17.2 all i had was toast and a cup of coffee sans any sugar....

she has toldme to make an appointment with my dr, which i can't for over a week -joy- as she is busy!!!

so in the mean time i am trying to keep my bs down by diet an still feelin yuchy tired and sick - and very frustrated, i feel like i am being pushed from one person to another and not getting anywhere :(

[princesslinda]

PF, might want to forego the toast for b/fast, and instead try some type of egg or egg substitute...add some cheese/bacon (or turkey bacon), green pepppers, onions and have a nice omlette...less carbs will keep your blood sugars from spiking.

Some people also have problems with coffee causing a rise as well.

If you're not a b/fast person, get some of the low-carb protein shakes...they aren't bad. I buy the EAS CarbAdvantage at Walmart, they are very easily portable, don't require refrigeration (though they taste better cold).

Be sure and watch your carbs (esp. bread, potatoes, rice, pasta). Check your blood sugar often to see how different foods affect you.

[pixiefae]

hi thanks for the advice i had egg and bacon scrambled up this morning and my bs after breakfast was 12.6 high but better than yesterday

[xMenace]

Exercise should be a vital part of your program. Can you get out for a light but steady walk every day, perhaps after breakfast?

[CaptainMike]

Many Dr's will make a snap diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 based solely on age, There are some tests which can be done to determine for sure, including C-Peptide (which basically tells how much insulin you are actually producing), and GAD-antibody are the most common. More important than knowing for sure at this point though is getting those numbers down.
Sounds like you are off to a good start. I'd try to avoid anything heavy in carbohydrates as mentioned. Rice, bread, potatoes, and pasta can all have more carbs (and raise blood sugar) more than eating table sugar.
You'll see loads of confusing numbers on here, the UK and Canada mostly measure BG in mmol/liter, while us Yanks use mg/dl multiply your numbers x 18 to get the US equivalent and obviously divide ours by 18 (or multiply by .055) So a 10.0 on your meter would be a 180 on mine. (moderately high).
Keep asking questions, and keep your spirits up, you'll be feeling much better soon. Good luck dealing with the medical establishment. Something we ALL need.