2. Diagnosis.

Continued from my 1. Introduction post ...............

The results were returned after Christmas and I visited my doctor on 5 January 2005. My blood pressure was down to 140/80 (good for my age) and my cholesterol was only 3.7 mmol/L [US 144 mg/dL] (good for any age) - both very pleasing results indeed.

My blood glucose level, however, was 16.9 mmol/L [US 304 mg/dL]. As my blood had been taken over 3 hours after a meal, this was far too high. This meant, of course, that I was a type 2 diabetic.

Although this revelation was a big shock, I was quite pleased to have learnt about it when I did. At the time I was diagnosed, I did NOT have any of the normal symptoms of being diabetic so would not have found out about it until it had done much more damage to my body. It could even have finished me off without my being any the wiser.

My doctor then prescribed some Diastix Strips for me so that I could measure the sugar in my urine 2 hours after every meal. I was to do this daily until I could see his diabetic nurse in a week's time with the results.

From his diagnosis, it appeared that I might be able to control my type 2 diabetes with just diet and exercise and would not need any kind of medication.

I saw the diabetic nurse a week later and she explained more fully what type 2 diabetes was and how it would effect me - and, of course, my family.

(Unfortunately, the Diastix results were of no use to her as I had been recording the wrong ones. Not my fault really as no-one told me which numbers were required.)

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