New diabetic.. and need advice.. when i eat, and if i am going to check my glucose after I eat, how long?

you know, i'm in nursing program.. and we're actually studying diabetes, and i would tel you what i know.. but i dont know everything.. AND i cld be wrong on some things.. but what i DO know, is you do NOT f*ck with diabetes.. go to a doc, and talk a nurse about diabetes education..

they shld've told u all this , it counts under "survival teaching" the basics..

sounds like you got a lotta questions, and many leading to other questions.. so, talk to a nurse, that's what they're supposed to do, answer your questions =) (of course, as a part of their main job- i'm not belittling nurses or anything..)

good luck.. dont delay!!

~clueless

1

Please don't be offended but it sounds as if you have a steep learning curve ahead of you. I would try to spend as much time as possible reading up about diabetes management because these are basic survival skills that you will need from now on.

I find that in general, the about.com series is quite informative and they are not trying to sell you anything which always helps. Check out http://type1diabetes.about.com/

As to your specific questions:

- The more you check your blood sugar, the better your management. Blood sugars can fluctuate wildly for all sorts of reasons - and the reasons are not always to do with what you put in your mouth. I have Type 1, I check at least 10 times a day. First thing in the morning, before eating any meal or snack, 2 hours after eating, before bedtime, and anytime I feel weird.

- Normal non-diabetic blood sugars are 80-100 fasting and under 140 post meal. This is what I aim for.

- Check 2 hours after eating

- Max gram of carb per meal - it's entirely up to you. Some people can tolerate more carbs per meal, others less. But it's safer to start with less carb per meal. Less carb meals less insulin = less chance of going high or low.

- I only ever eat if my fasting blood sugar is under 140. The higher the blood sugar, the more insulin resistant a person.

- If your sugar is below 72, eat 15g of quick-acting carb to get it up to a normal level. It is very easy to go crazy and eat a lot more than that. Resist the temptation as otherwise you'll be really high and that feels horrible. 15g of carb is 100ml orange juice or 1 mini can of Coke. You do not give yourself a shot for the hypo treatment.

- test out the 1:7 and the 1:30 because those are theoretical and might not work for you. Everyone's body is different.

Good luck and I wish you all the best!

2

you really need a better education from your doctor . I know how overwhelming learning about diabetes can be and you are always wondering if you are doing this "right".

When the doctor says to check your blood glucose 3 times daily , he means that you are to test 2 hours from the time that you have taken the first bite of food in your major meals. Supper, lunch and breakfast. It is important that you test at the 2 hour point from when you start your meal NOT from when you finish. The eating 5 -6 times a day refers to a small snack that you can eat mid morning, mid afternoon or before bed. Those snacks are usually limited to about 15 carbs. You will get really good at looking for carbs in foods. Example a small piece of fruit will usually have about 15 carbs or one slice of plain bread. For a woman the carb limit per meal is usually about 45 and for a man about 60. If you are young or very active you will be allowed more and a sedentary person may need less. These are all things that your doctor can tell the dietician to help you know what to do. Since all of us react to carbohydrates differently, you really need a better explaination and guidance than can be given here. Best wishes .

Ask your doctor to get you a referal to a dietician . All hospitals have them and getting a good idea of what to eat and portion sizes is going to be a real eye opener when you sit down in a one on one lesson.

You really need to discuss this with your doctor if you don't understand when to test your blood sugar. That is the most basic of tasks that you have to do for your health.

You should always test before you eat so that you can make any adjustments before the meal, and then test two hours later. You should also test before going to bed, and if you are newly diagnosed you should be testing again a few hours after going to sleep. You should test after little meals too, it doesn't have to be a "major" meal.

You should also be testing any time you feel "off" to see if you are high or low.

You have to wait 2 hours after you eat.I am guessing he means after breakfast,lunch and dinner.If your sugar is low and you eat to bring it up you should not have to take a shot to bring it back down.I am allowed four servings at meal times but that maybe different for you.I eat three regular meals and two snacks a day.

Safely Reverse Your Diabetes : http://www.diabeteskeybook.com/Help

there are some really good answers posted here..but i would also say this is stuff your doc should have told you...even if they did (and they should have) i know its something you may not remember/keep track of real well. so i suggest asking the docs until you understand everything (it takes time) but also do some reading from the books and pamphlets they give you...hopefully they gave you some

wish you all the best!!!!

The "American Diabetes Association" has a lot of information that can help you.

Here is a free online tool that you can use. It is called "Diabetes 24/7" and it makes it easier to organize and act on your diabetes management information.

http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treat...