[lorib64]

My doctor diagnosed me with diabetes today after 2 consecutive readings over 130 fasting. She prescribed metformin which I will pick up later today. She could have referred me to a dietician, but I have been seeing one for weight loss and I can ask her to counsel me on how to control my blood sugar.

But, I don't know what else i am supposed to do. I have never monitored my blood sugar. Should I start doing that? Does insurance cover it? I know my pharmacy carries the monitors and supplies.

I go back to my doctor for a recheck in 6 weeks.

I should have asked more questions when I was there, but I was taken aback. And, she kept assuring me that the metformin would help me lose weight which right now is not my biggest concern.

[JLUS]

You can get a prescription for a blood glucose meter, test strips and lancets. Your doctor can give you the prescription and it should be covered by insurance, though different plans sometimes have different amounts of coverage. My doctor writes on the prescription how many times per day I should test so they order the correct amount of supplies and my insurance pays all but my co pay.

Did the dr. Do an A1C test too or only fasting bs? The A1C gives you an average blood sugar for the past 3 months. It is very important to get that in addition to the fasting test. You could have the higher sugar in the morning, yet have better sugar readings throughout the day... Or your fasting could be an indicator of much higher readings throughout the day. Testing will help you figure those changes out, but the A1C is a much truer overall picture. It is possible they did that test but didn't go over it with you.

Start reading and learning what diabetes us, what raised blood sugars mean, etc. Just get the basics online from WebMD, blood sugar 101, etc. Also your weight loss nutritionist can give you some overviews and insights on ways to start adjusting your eating.

The BIGGEST single change you will find that starts controlling your blood sugar is to start learning about and flowing a low carb eating plan. Almost every diabetic that turns lie carb will see significant drops in bs. Even (finally) the Amerivan Diabetes Association is acknowledging the critical role low carb plays in controlling diabetes. For years they told diabetics they could eat 45 carbs per MEAL and be fine... Most of us eat lower than 70-80 per day and most true low carbers eat waaaaaay less than that!

You will get lots of info from various message boards. Read then read more, keep asking questions, but most of all, I would say find a low carb eating plan and start cutting those carbs!

[lorib64]

My A1C was 6.4 6 weeks ago and 6.1 now. I thought she might just follow me longer since that was improving. Thank you

[Wannabehealthy]

Hi Lori, if your A1c was in the low 6 range, it was caught early and that's good. Many are in the 9 or 10 range or even higher by the time they are diagnosed.

Laurie gave you some good advice and I don't have much to add except that testing your blood sugar at 1, 2 and 3 hours after meals will let you know how various carbs effect your readings. It's best to avoid starchy carbs as much as possible, or just have them in small portions. Exercise also helps lower blood sugar over time, and you only need 30 minutes per day to get that effect. It's good to take a 15 min walk after dinner, which is usually the biggest meal of the day. Try to eat your carbs at breakfast and lunch and avoid them at dinner if you can.

When choosing a meter, check the price of the strips. Your insurance will probably have different copays for different strips. I like to test often and my insurance doesn't pay for many strips, so I use a Relion meter and strips from Walmart. Some people have had poor results with them, but they are working fine for me.

Some people have side effects from Metformin, such as nausea or bowel issues but over time, they should go away. It's best to start with a low dose, such as 500mg daily or twice a day.

I know for me, the diagnosis was very scary. I knew nothing about diabetes. I learned by reading online and asking a lot of questions. The best help for you is someone who is already living with it.

It's good that you're already seeing a dietician. She should be able to help you

Good luck to you!

[lorib64]

Thank you.