Quickstart
This quickstart assumes you are in the UK. In the rest of this website, I combine information and personal experience, and try to be balanced. For example, I link to many different resources, and generally avoid giving strong recommendations. This page is different. To cut through the noise, here is a short list of what worked for me. Use it as a starting point, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed.
Get diagnosed
Untreated diabetes is very very bad. If you have symptoms, make an appointment with your GP and get tested.
Buy these books
If you possibly can, buy:
- The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: A Patient-Expert Guide for the Newly Diagnosed, by Gretchen Becker. This book is relatively old (published 2004), and sometimes shows its age, particularly when it treats the internet as a novelty. However, it is still the single best resource I've found so far. It combines compassion, practicality, and a lot of information.
- Life Without Diabetes: The definitive guide to understanding and reversing your Type 2 diabetes by Professor Roy Taylor. I don't necessarily recommend the diet it describes (having attempted it three times), but it contains a detailed explanation of the exact causes of type 2 diabetes.
Take ownership
The NHS can give you medication, tests, checkups, and advice. Books and the internet can give you information overload. Only you can control your blood glucose. With great power comes great responsibility.
Learn how to do fingerprick tests
Fingerprick tests allow you to monitor yourself, and work out exactly what you need to do to manage your blood glucose levels.
Be kind to yourself
It's a marathon, not a sprint. Your mental and emotional wellbeing are key. Take a breather.