Yes, it can be overwhelming. Most people I know who have been diagnosed with diabetes have that feeling at some point.
Ask your doctor about obtaining one.
As an alternative, you might as a pharmacist about one - they, of course, can not recommend you get one, or tell you which one to get, but they are sold in pharmacies and pharmacists in such places will be able to explain, in general, how they work. Modern meters are very easy to use. I think the thought of needing one is more daunting than the reality of using one.
If you go that route I’d suggest going at a time of day that is not busy and tell the pharmacist that you may have diabetes, your doctor is working on evaluating you, and that even though you don’t have a prescription for a meter right now you are interested in some general information just in case you need one in the future. While what they can legally tell you is limited they can certainly guide you to more information.
You don’t have to buy books - go to a library. If you can find Diabetes for Dummies or The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Diabetes that might be a good start. Don’t be afraid to ask a librarian for help in locating such a book.
As stated, you can obtain glucose meters for free - then you have to pay for the rest of the testing supplies. If you do need a meter investing the on-going costs is a good idea. These days there are many options for meters, but all of them will do the job.
You do NOT need “replacement foods”!!! Diabetics need to eat normal foods, although the quantities they eat may differ, and quality of food is important, too.
It’s a lot to absorb. However, since this was found from a urine test and not because you collapse and wound up in the hospital it is likely that you don’t need to make drastic and sudden changes. There is a world of difference from someone with a fasting blood sugar of, say 180 versus 400. We don’t know which end of the spectrum you’re on, and that should be checked, but on the lower end you have time to make changes.
You don’t have to have a perfect diet and everything under control by next week. Make small changes. Maybe this week you make an effort to have a good breakfast every day. Maybe next month you work on portion control. You need to develop new eating habits, but that does take time and must be done in increments. And there is help available.
As an example - for most of his adult life my husband only ate one meal a day. That’s OK for a healthy adult, but very bad for a diabetic. He had to change that. He started by eating twice a day, then with a snack, then three meals a day, and now he’s three meals a day with a couple snacks. He’s also lost weight and kept it off. He’s eating more often you see, but less at each meal. It took him about six months to really do this, and he still has to exert some effort, but by now it’s a permanent change. It’s not how fast he did it, but that he sticks with it.
The medication costs are a problem. You will understand how I felt when we lost our insurance and my husband needed to continue his medication. Our local pharmacist informed us of a country program designed to help people with no insurance and chronic medical problems that helped us immensely. Many hospitals have or sponsor free seminars and classes on managing diabetes.
It’s overwhelming but there is help out there. Take a deep breath, you can do this.
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You can learn a lot from the