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1) Don't Panic.
We all panic at first. Its a great shock to be diagnosed and all sorts of things run through your head. There seems to be so much to learn and its all a bit much. You dwell on the negatives and the future looks bleak.
However, its not as bad as it first appears. With a little knowledge and advice from experienced diabetics you'll find that you are able to manage, understand and deal with diabetes.
So calm down, take a deep breath and I'll run you through the first steps of what you need to know to make sure that diabetes has as little impact on your life as possible.
2) It is NOT your fault that you got diabetes.
The media are fond of telling us that its all our fault from being fat and lazy. They are wrong. You may be blaming yourself for bringing this condition on yourself.
Heres a quick explanation:
Diabetes Myths #1 - Its all your own fault
And a more detailed explanation for the more technically minded:
You Did NOT Eat Your Way to Diabetes!
3) Diabetes affects everyone slightly differently
You are an individual and you will respond to different things in a slightly different way to everyone else. Some people have a problem with a particular food where others do not.
Some people experience awkward side effects with some medications and some do not.
Just because one person has a particular problem does not mean that you will automatically face the same problem. So when someone is telling you a horror story in relation to diabetes and its effects on someone, do not automatically assume it will happen to you too.
4) Type 2 Diabetes can generally be controlled and its not as bad as it first appears
There are three tools to control type 2 diabetes. Medication, exercise and diet.
a) Medication
Do not be afraid of medication. It can be daunting to think of things in terms of "I am going to be on these pills for the rest of my life". The thing is, the pills help to reduce the dependence on diet and exercise and make control easier. Some people can manage diabetes without using pills but it is generally harder and you have less margin of error for slipups and "cheats". So it can give you a bit more freedom for the times you need that extra flexibility.
Never think that needing medication means that you are in any way a "failure". By the time some people are diagnosed they will need medication. It may be that some time later they will not require it, or that they always will. Dosages and drugs are changed routinely so suit the individual patient. It doesn't matter if another person has something different because its tailored to them and making their life easier. So long as your medication is what YOU need, thats all thats important.
b) Exercise
Exercise helps to keep your blood glucose down. The effects last to some degree for 24-48 hours, so your blood glucose control is easier for the next couple of days. It can also be used as a short term fix to reduce your blood glucose if you go a little high.
c) Diet
Right now you are thinking in terms of "I can never eat X, Y and Z again". The truth is a little different. The best approach found by diabetics across the world is to see how certain combinations of foods affect you personally. Then you can make future choices based on those results.
For example, through testing the effects that different meals have on my blood glucose I can now find something on any takeaway menu or in any restaurant that I can "get away with".
And no, its never the salad.
The way to test how foods affect your blood glucose is here:
http://diabetesforum.org.uk/jennifers-advice
I would add that I take the extra step of testing just before a meal and an hour after rather than 2, to see the difference. You can get a fair idea from Jennifer's method of how your blood glucose is affected, but if you know your BG reading before the meal as well, you can see how much of a rise a particular meal caused.
You may find something different works for you. The important thing is that you learn from it and gain greater control in the future.
5) Its not about sugar.
Its one of those things that "Everybody knows....." that diabetes is about sugar. Its not.
Its about ALL carbohydrates.
I go into more detail here:
Diabetes Myth #2 - Its all about sugar
6) There is no "cure"
Anyone who tells you there is, is just after your money. You can't just take a vitamin supplement, some magic herb or some very expensive water and have it go away
Thats a lot of information to start with. Take your time. You don't have to learn everything overnight.
However, knowledge is power. The more you learn, the better you will be able to control diabetes, rather than it controlling you. Also learn from diabetics. If they have learned from testing and read up a lot on the subject, they often know a lot more than a general practitioner (GP/Family Doctor) does.
Note: I was diagnosed in Oct 2003 with an HbA1c of 10.8% and put on metformin immediately. Since the first 6 months while I was learning and getting my blood glucose under control I have not logged an HbA1c over 6.0% - which is non-diabetic numbers according to the DCCT trial.
In January 2011 having had a period when I "fell off the wagon" and stopped taking my pills, I still managed to clock an HbA1c of 5.5%. I am no longer prescribed metformin as a result. Rather than go downhill and be on insulin after 7 years as some people might expect I've managed to improve to the point where I can drop the pills. I'm still diabetic but its all controlled mostly "on autopilot" without having to think about it constantly.
I've been lucky but by learning and with a bit of luck I hope you have the same outcome.
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