Hi newly diagnosed

[Zest]

Hi there, just joined up.
I have recently been diagnosed with type LADA about 4 weeks ago so this is all new to me. I am now taking insulin and maybe I might find some tips , advice and general shenanigans on here.

When I was tested by my nurse reading was:
HbA1C - 134 , Fasting BM 18 , Ketones 2.4.

That's got better since , just getting used to keep monitoring myself, food assessment and such.

Take care, Paul

 

[Robin]

Welcome to the forum from another late starter. (I was 51 at diagnosis, and my HbA1c was 152!). There’s a wealth of information on here, and if there’s anything specific you want an answer to, just shout and someone’s bound to know the answer, or at least point you in the right direction.

 

[Zest]

Thanks, yes I'll no doubt find useful info on here. I'm 48 so yes it's slightly strange/surreal getting diagnosed but it happens more than I thought having looked into it a bit. Thanks again.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Zest 🙂

We have a few folks diagnosed with LADA and/or classic T1 in adulthood, so there are lots of people to compare notes with.

We have quite a few who have been living with T1 for decades, and/or since early childhood, so there are all sorts of experiences for you to tap into 🙂

Look forward to hearing more from you over the coming weeks and months!

 

[Zest]

Thanks for the welcome, that's good to know there's a good well of knowledgeable people on here , in time I'll find what works best for me I'm sure. The health services are good too checking up on me so I feel with this too I'll have great support ☺

 

[PattiEvans]

Hi there and welcome from me too.

I was also diagnosed at a late age 56. It's important that you learn as much as you can to manage the condition. There are a couple of good books, one is "Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner. I learned a lot from that book. Other members here recommend "Type 1 in Children, Adolescents and Adults" by Ragnar Hanas. Lots of knowledge about how insulin works will help you no end managing the day to day stuff.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.... another late starter at 56yrs.

The forum is an amazing resource full of knowledge, practical advice, tips and literally centuries of combined lived experience of diabetes but what you will come to find out is that your diabetes will be individual to you and what works for one person may not work for you but we can usually suggest things to try to find what will work. In the end, you need to become the expert in your diabetes and the doctors, nurses and consultants should recognize that, because you live with it day by day, meal by meal, walk by walk, sleep by sleep even. Listen to your body and learn from it. You will find a new respect and wonder for a little organ that did an amazing job for 48 years of your life and just how tricky it can be to take over the role manually. Nothing like challenging the old grey matter and keeping it sharp!!

Do you mind me asking which insulin(s) they have given you and how are you managing with them?
Have you started carb counting yet and adjusting your meal time (Bolus) insulin or are you on fixed doses of insulin?

Feel free to ask any questions you have. We all know it can be really overwhelming at first and I know I didn't take in half of the information I was given at those first few appointments because my head was in a spin, but the lovely people on the forum here helped to fill in the blanks for me plus so much more and the practical experience of people who are living with the condition can be quite different to the theoretical stuff doctors and nurses will tell us.

Anyway, make yourself at home and ask anything you need to know.... You might get more than one answer and they might all be right even if they are conflicting. You just have to figure out what the right one is for you. My advice would be.... test lots and don't be frightened to experiment, but always with one eye on safety and avoiding hypos where possible.

 

[Zest]

Hi there and welcome from me too.

I was also diagnosed at a late age 56. It's important that you learn as much as you can to manage the condition. There are a couple of good books, one is "Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner. I learned a lot from that book. Other members here recommend "Type 1 in Children, Adolescents and Adults" by Ragnar Hanas. Lots of knowledge about how insulin works will help you no end managing the day to day stuff.

Thanks I will have a look out for those books

 

[Zest]

Hi and welcome from me too.... another late starter at 56yrs.

The forum is an amazing resource full of knowledge, practical advice, tips and literally centuries of combined lived experience of diabetes but what you will come to find out is that your diabetes will be individual to you and what works for one person may not work for you but we can usually suggest things to try to find what will work. In the end, you need to become the expert in your diabetes and the doctors, nurses and consultants should recognize that, because you live with it day by day, meal by meal, walk by walk, sleep by sleep even. Listen to your body and learn from it. You will find a new respect and wonder for a little organ that did an amazing job for 48 years of your life and just how tricky it can be to take over the role manually. Nothing like challenging the old grey matter and keeping it sharp!!

Do you mind me asking which insulin(s) they have given you and how are you managing with them?
Have you started carb counting yet and adjusting your meal time (Bolus) insulin or are you on fixed doses of insulin?

Feel free to ask any questions you have. We all know it can be really overwhelming at first and I know I didn't take in half of the information I was given at those first few appointments because my head was in a spin, but the lovely people on the forum here helped to fill in the blanks for me plus so much more and the practical experience of people who are living with the condition can be quite different to the theoretical stuff doctors and nurses will tell us.

Anyway, make yourself at home and ask anything you need to know.... You might get more than one answer and they might all be right even if they are conflicting. You just have to figure out what the right one is for you. My advice would be.... test lots and don't be frightened to experiment, but always with one eye on safety and avoiding hypos where possible.

Hi there at the moment I'm on fixed insulin 4 times a day, so I am working my meals with that. Like you have suggested I am testing my blood a few times a day to get a feel for what is working. Generally it's been pretty good , ive have had a few moments when my reading when a bit too low but Generally I float around 5 - 8 with some fluctuations. I was told about carb counting so I need to work on that , thanks

 

[rebrascora]

That's pretty good control for so soon after diagnosis. Well done!
Do you have 2 different types of insulin? A long acting one that you perhaps take at night and then a quick acting one that you take just before meals? Do you know the names of them?
There are lots of different types of insulin and they work in slightly different ways so it helps if you can tell us which ones you are using? Then we can understand your situation a bit better.

 

[Zest]

That's pretty good control for so soon after diagnosis. Well done!
Do you have 2 different types of insulin? A long acting one that you perhaps take at night and then a quick acting one that you take just before meals? Do you know the names of them?
There are lots of different types of insulin and they work in slightly different ways so it helps if you can tell us which ones you are using? Then we can understand your situation a bit better.

Hi there, yes I take fast acting insulin 3 times daily before a main meal and a slow acting before bed , I'm not sure on the name I'll have to check. They gave me some sticks/pens when I was in hospital for a couple of days but I'm on regular prescription now so I'll check with pharmacy. This morning I'm 7.5 but last night I was 11 so it can happen every so often, but I did eat extra carbs so as mentioned by a previous poster counting carb is the key, I was 21.5 when they first tested me so I'll take my current readings over that ! , cheers

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Generally it's been pretty good , ive have had a few moments when my reading when a bit too low but Generally I float around 5 - 8 with some fluctuations. I was told about carb counting so I need to work on that , thanks

Sounds like you are off to a great start @Zest

There’s a basic overview of the concepts of carb counting here if it helps to get you started

The nuts and bolts of carb counting

When you live with type 1 diabetes, carb counting is a great way of managing your blood sugar or glucose levels. It can give you more freedom and flexibility in what you eat when you're preparing meals at home, grabbing food on the go or eating out. Carb counting does take some time and effort...

www.diabetes.org.uk

🙂

 

[Zest]

Sounds like you are off to a great start @Zest

There’s a basic overview of the concepts of carb counting here if it helps to get you started

The nuts and bolts of carb counting

When you live with type 1 diabetes, carb counting is a great way of managing your blood sugar or glucose levels. It can give you more freedom and flexibility in what you eat when you're preparing meals at home, grabbing food on the go or eating out. Carb counting does take some time and effort...

www.diabetes.org.uk

🙂

Thanks that's great , I generally try and watch what I'm eating more when I'm working , as I'm fairly active and my level can drop , I tend to go borderline low (4.6 today about 2 and half hours after breakfast) so tend to have maybe a couple of biscuits or chocolate as a mini boost so reading that link should help