I have just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes - anyone any advise on what expect?

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Answers:
Type 2 Diabetes means that you are making some insulin (your pancreas does that) but not enough for the amount of food you are eating.
All the cells in your body need sugar to use as fuel, the way a car needs gas.
All the carbohydrates you eat are converted to sugar in your body.

Insulin opens the cells, like a key, to let the sugar in, like opening the cap on a car's gas tank.

Without insulin your sugar level goes up but you feel weak because your muscles have no energy. Even if you dont eat your suger level rises because the body breaks down fat to convert to sugar because it doesnt recognise that there is sugar in the blood, only that the cells / muscles need sugar.

You will usually be told by your doctor to stick to a healthy diet, low in sugar and to excercise more.
For some people this is enough to keep blood sugar levels within the normal range.
If not, after a few months you will be given tablets to take daily. Metformin makes the insulin you produce work more effectively.
If they are not enough your doctor will add another type of tablet.

There are about 300 million diabetics in the world today, so you are not alone. If your blood sugar can be kept in the normal range you should lead a happy, healthy, normal life.

If you ignore your diabetes and your blood sugar level stays high you are at risk of several complications in the long term.
I don't want to scare you with listing them because most people don't get them.
The UK National Guidelines state that these things are important:-
1, HbA1c less than 6 (this is a blood test that shows how good your blood sugar control had been for the last 3 months)
2, Blood pressure less than or equal to 130/ 90
3. Cholesterol level less than 5
4. Waist circumference (sorry, Ive forgotten the number, but a BMI within the normal range, ie, staying slim)

It is really hard accepting that you have something wrong with your health that is not going to go away but all the research shows that people who face up to it and take control of managing it themselves do better, live longer and suffer less complications than those who dont.
I hope this is helpful. Mail me if you have any specific questions

Other Answers:
i have type 2 also and don't worry all u need is to go on some tablets and get checked out now and again by ur nurse and try not to have 2 much sugar.

http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes.jsp My mother has type 2 and she weighed 18 stone, since getting type 2 she now weighs 9 stone, This is mainly due to a strict diet, no sugars, no fats.

Sorry

Call your doctor & ask questions or call the nurse in charge. Ask for pamphlets or brochures that will explain it to you. Also, go online & research the disease so that you can educate yourself. Get some books from your library. Do all you can to learn about it. Your health is very important & should not depend on only one source for information. Manythings can be said about it.
The good news is this condition can be better than
type I diabetes.
And the better news is you can control it.
Visit a nutritionist and begin a safe diet.
Begin daily exercises under the control of your physician. These two will help a lot.
And if you have been given any medicines, use them, never forget them.
I know two champions of swimming who have type I Diabetes and are quite active and healthy.
Nothing to worry about. Just keep watching your diet, exercise and medications.

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I have just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes - anyone any advise on what expect?

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