Are You Newly Diagnosed with Diabetes?

I have been recently surprised by the number of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Even the members of our support group are surprised. In the last few months, our group has encountered about a dozen people that have been diagnosed since the first of the year. What has been even more shocking is they are not being secretive and are asking many questions.

Allen and Barry have been talking to many of them and answering many of their questions. Most of them are aghast when they find out how many are on insulin. Some even ask if we are type 1's and then ask how long we have to live when we say we are all type 2's. We just laugh and say that what they have heard is a myth. We also say that only God knows when we will die.

I had wanted to use a post from a diabetes forum, but the poster would not give me permission, but you can still read it here. The original poster had some very good points and directions for the newly diagnosed.

Most of us with type 2 diabetes have been through much of what we receive questions about and most of the newly diagnosed feel they are unique. They are unique as a person and with diabetes, but they often feel that their way is the only way. I hate to disagree with most of what they say, but what works for them may not work for me, and the other way around.

I will credit David Mendosa and Gretchen Becker for their guidance on eating low carb and higher fat, but the higher fat really came from reading many articles on disproving the results of statements by Ancel Keys and the American Heart Association. My heart doctor and I came to a parting of ways when he ordered me (not politely) to eat low fat. I told him that with the lipid panel being where it was that I would not eat low fat and have the lipid panel go high again. I haven't seen him since that appointment.

I am thankful that one-size-does-not-fit-all and that people are generally all different - unique. I have been able to eat 40 to 80 grams of carbs per day, depending on the food and still have room for many fruits. I only eat two meals per day – breakfast and dinner and my fruit snack between the two meals. In general, I have few problems staying under 140 mg/dl, but not always when I add a new to me food. Then I have to do a correction with rapid acting insulin to bring it back down. And when this happens I always need to be careful about the amount of insulin that still is in my system to avoid going too low.

The one word of caution to the newly diagnosed is that there is a lot of misleading information on the internet and care needs to be taken not to get separated from your money. There are too many scammers that have deals for you and diabetes is no exception. Those claiming cures and similar schemes are about the worst of the lot. Many don't have diabetes to begin with, but claim this to sell their products.