collaborative post | If you are concerned that you may be dealing with diabetes, then the chances are high that you’ve had an initial appointment with your health care provider. It’s from here you would have had your blood tested and you would have been given a diagnosis with some information.
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it can be quite overwhelming to hear that, but it’s a good idea to book a follow up appointment there and then so that you can have time away to make a list of questions that are important.
For example, your doctor might have talked about making lifestyle changes such as carb counting for diabetes as standard. To keep your insulin balanced, you need to know just how many carbohydrates you are eating throughout the day.
You may also be switched to a diabetic friendly diet and are told to be more active. If you currently smoke, you may have been told to quit so that you can keep your body as healthy as possible.
You will also need to learn how to monitor your blood sugar levels so that they are staying balanced. Your doctor should be able to prescribe medication to you to help to manage your diabetes. But what happens now?
- You have to start monitoring your blood sugar. It’s an important part of diabetes management, and you can check your blood sugar using a device called a glucose meter. With this, a teeny needle will prick your finger to produce a drop of blood. You will then put a test strip to this droplet and that will go into the glucose meter. The reading should then tell you what your blood sugar level is, and from here you can know the next steps.It will help you to identify patterns and determine whether what you are eating is affecting you or not.
- Making diet changes. If you are carrying extra weight, which is typical for those who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider should suggest healthy ways to safely lose weight and that can help you to manage type 2 diabetes. Even if you are sitting at a weight that is healthy for you, you do have to consider supporting diabetes management. This can include choosing foods with monounsaturated oils or avoiding trans fats. You may also have to count your carbohydrates so that you know when you should be administering insulin.
- Making lifestyle changes. After you’ve had a diabetes diagnosis, you need to look at the lifestyle changes that you need to make to be healthier once more. Before you start any exercise or try new physical activities, speak to your doctor first. You may have some rules about what is appropriate or safe for you and your body. If you’re not used to regular exercise, it may help to get a personal trainer so that you can ease yourself back into fitness.
Your doctor should be able to talk you through all of the things that come after a diagnosis, so make sure that you are asking those questions.
