Hey☺️

[Juss]

I’ve had Diabetes for years and Ihave struggled in the process. I always felt out of ordinary and not normal so I didn’t take the best care of myself that had caused some complications.

Would love to connect and hear from others about your journeys!

 

[Inka]

Welcome @Juss 🙂

 

[Tdm]

I’ve had Diabetes for years and Ihave struggled in the process. I always felt out of ordinary and not normal so I didn’t take the best care of myself that had caused some complications.

Would love to connect and hear from others about your journeys!

You are in the right place. It is good to be able to speak to people who just get it

 

[Juss]

You are in the right place. It is good to be able to speak to people who just get it

I know right, thanx so much

 

[Nile DUK]

I’ve had Diabetes for years and Ihave struggled in the process. I always felt out of ordinary and not normal so I didn’t take the best care of myself that had caused some complications.

Would love to connect and hear from others about your journeys!

Hi @Juss Sorry to hear that , Diabetes can be difficult to get to grips with I think you should have a look here https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/local_support_groups to find your local group to join a community of people who have diabetes and could provide advice to you locally on it. Hope this helps!

 

[Juss]

Hi @Juss Sorry to hear that , Diabetes can be difficult to get to grips with I think you should have a look here https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/local_support_groups to find your local group to join a community of people who have diabetes and could provide advice to you locally on it. Hope this helps!

Thanks so much!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Juss

Roughly what age were you diagnosed? Do you think that may have had an impact on the way you processed your diagnosis?

Have you been offered a course like DAFNE that allows you to get together with a room full of T1s and compare notes?

Or perhaps look into attending something like TAD (Talking About Diabetes) which was one of Partha Kar’s projects to have a day of inspiring presentations with T1 at the centre 🙂

Talking About Diabetes - TAD - Talking about Diabetes

For the latest TAD events information, please click on TAD talk events. Latest TAD Videos TAD Talks Photo Gallery TAD Talk 2023 TAD Talk 2016 (Click images to enlarge) [...]Read More... from Talking About Diabetes

www.talkingaboutdiabetes.co.uk

 

[SB2015]

So pleased that you have found the forum @Juss
It is a great place for support, info, a rant, ….

 

[Juss]

Thank you, this is like therapy for me . I’m really interested in hearing more about others too.

 

[Juss]

Welcome to the forum @Juss

Roughly what age were you diagnosed? Do you think that may have had an impact on the way you processed your diagnosis?

Have you been offered a course like DAFNE that allows you to get together with a room full of T1s and compare notes?

Or perhaps look into attending something like TAD (Talking About Diabetes) which was one of Partha Kar’s projects to have a day of inspiring presentations with T1 at the centre 🙂

Talking About Diabetes - TAD - Talking about Diabetes

For the latest TAD events information, please click on TAD talk events. Latest TAD Videos TAD Talks Photo Gallery TAD Talk 2023 TAD Talk 2016 (Click images to enlarge) [...]Read More... from Talking About Diabetes

www.talkingaboutdiabetes.co.uk

Welcome to the forum @Juss

Roughly what age were you diagnosed? Do you think that may have had an impact on the way you processed your diagnosis?

Have you been offered a course like DAFNE that allows you to get together with a room full of T1s and compare notes?

Or perhaps look into attending something like TAD (Talking About Diabetes) which was one of Partha Kar’s projects to have a day of inspiring presentations with T1 at the centre 🙂

Talking About Diabetes - TAD - Talking about Diabetes

For the latest TAD events information, please click on TAD talk events. Latest TAD Videos TAD Talks Photo Gallery TAD Talk 2023 TAD Talk 2016 (Click images to enlarge) [...]Read More... from Talking About Diabetes

www.talkingaboutdiabetes.co.uk

Hey,

I was diagnosed at birth and then it was confirmed again at 7. Yeah that talking about diabetes sounds very interesting actually!

 

[SB2015]

I was a lot later than you @Juss with my diagnosis. I was 53 When diagnosed with T1.
in the 15 years I have been dealing with this, I have seen so many changes in how we are able to manage our condition, and access to the alternatives has increased. I have learnt so much from others on here.

Start a new thread with a question and you will be amazed at the variety of responses. As I said before nothing is considered silly, just ask.

I look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[Bloden]

Hiya @Juss and welcome. 🙂

 

[Juss]

Hiya @Juss and welcome. 🙂

Hey @Bloden and thanks again!

 

[Juss]

I was a lot later than you @Juss with my diagnosis. I was 53 When diagnosed with T1.
in the 15 years I have been dealing with this, I have seen so many changes in how we are able to manage our condition, and access to the alternatives has increased. I have learnt so much from others on here.

Start a new thread with a question and you will be amazed at the variety of responses. As I said before nothing is considered silly, just ask.

I look forward to hearing more from you.

Hey @SB2015 ,

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I definitely will start a new thread and ask questions.

As you weee diagnosed at a later stage in life, what were your symptoms for T1?

 

[SB2015]

Hey @SB2015 ,

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I definitely will start a new thread and ask questions.

As you weee diagnosed at a later stage in life, what were your symptoms for T1?

The four Ts : I was very tired, going to the toilet all the time and drinking lots of water as I was thirsty, I got very thin losing 1 1/2 stone in one week. By the time I was diagnosed I was in DKA so no doubts by that time. Looking back I could see that the symptoms were building up but as I knew nothing about Diabetes at the time I had no idea. It was interesting times, and took some getting used to As it does at any age.

 

[Juss]

The four Ts : I was very tired, going to the toilet all the time and drinking lots of water as I was thirsty, I got very thin losing 1 1/2 stone in one week. By the time I was diagnosed I was in DKA so no doubts by that time. Looking back I could see that the symptoms were building up but as I knew nothing about Diabetes at the time I had no idea. It was interesting times, and took some getting used to As it does at any age.

Thanx god, you’re on the right steps now because this must have been strange getting used too. I’ve heard of DKA but I think I disregarded it and didn’t really take it seriously. So do you have to inject and take insulin or?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

I was a late starter with Type 1 at 55yrs old, initially assumed to be Type 2 but didn't respond to oral meds and dietary changes so started on insulin after 6 weeks and subsequently tested and confirmed Type 1 a couple of months after that. I am now 4 years down the line and thanks to the wonderful support and adviuce from this forum I manage my diabetes well on MDI using Levemir and Fiasp.
Which insulin(s) do you use? Do you have Freestyle Libre or some other CGM sensor for tacking your levels?

 

[SB2015]

Thanx god, you’re on the right steps now because this must have been strange getting used too. I’ve heard of DKA but I think I disregarded it and didn’t really take it seriously. So do you have to inject and take insulin or?

Whenever we are diagnosed with T1, since it is our beta cells that have been destroyed, we have to inject. In late starters like me the onset tends to be slower, so the process of destruction had probably started quite a while before I was diagnosed. The slow onset is also a common cause of the misdiagnosis as T2, which @rebrascora mentioned.

I started on injections, like most people do at first. I moved to a pump after four years, and then got a Libre, self funding when they first became available, and later on the NHS.

I am now using a pump (the same as yours 780) that ‘talks to‘ a linked sensor. Together they do a lot of the work that I used to do, adjusting my basal insulin as necessary Throughout the day. I still need to put the carbs in each time I eat, and then it checks with me that I am happy with the dose it works out. For me this has taken away a lot of the mental stress that I put myself under in order to keep my levels in range. I was aiming for the impossible!

There are lots of people on here and we each deal with our diabetes in slightly different ways, and people are happy to help in any way that we can.

 

[Juss]

Hi and welcome from me too.

I was a late starter with Type 1 at 55yrs old, initially assumed to be Type 2 but didn't respond to oral meds and dietary changes so started on insulin after 6 weeks and subsequently tested and confirmed Type 1 a couple of months after that. I am now 4 years down the line and thanks to the wonderful support and adviuce from this forum I manage my diabetes well on MDI using Levemir and Fiasp.
Which insulin(s) do you use? Do you have Freestyle Libre or some other CGM sensor for tacking your levels?

Hey @rebrascora, what were your symptoms and how did you find it adjusting at first because I’ve had to work around my Diabetes for quite some time haha. I used to use Levemir, when I used Novomix. Then I was changed to Novorapid and Lantus then last 3 years, novorapid when Tresiba. Recently though I’ve just started using the pump so that’s getting used to also. I do also use Freestyle Libre 2 which is much more efficient.

 

[rebrascora]

Love my Levemir and would fight tooth and nail if anyone tried to take it off me. I have learned to live with Fiasp but it took a long time to learn how to make it work for me.

My symptoms started after a meal out at a pub and I suddenly started to feel really thirsty. I had had steak and ale pie and chips and assumed the pie must have been a bit saltier than usual but by the time I got home I was gasping for water. First pint didn't touch the sides and I spent all night drinking water and weeing. Next day the same and the thirst was unquenchable and I realized this wasn't caused by a pie with a bit too much seasoning (which it hadn't tasted like anyway). Google lead me to a possible diabetes cause so I stopped all sweets and sugar for 2 weeks but I was still drinking and weeing for England and up 5 times a night to go to the loo and was a walking zombie as a result. That is when I contacted the doctor and had a blood test and was diagnosed diabetic.... the day after my birthday and the day before Valentine's day so very easy to remember each year although obviously I had been diabetic for 2 weeks prior to that. In the next 3-4 weeks I was losing weight at a very significant rate and what struck me was that my arms and legs no longer looked like mine.... I had always been muscular/stocky and strong but my thighs were getting really thin (loved that initially as I had always hated my thunder thighs) and even my wrists which you would think were mostly bone and sinews went like sparrows ankles. It really was quite surprising just how quickly the weight dropped off. 6 weeks from getting the diagnosis I was started on insulin as HbA1c had gone up to 114 instead of down, despite whittling my carb intake down to almost nothing and I was referred to the hospital clinic.
It was a shock to the system as I was a self confessed sugar addict and also loved bread and potatoes but having started on a low carb diet I decided to stick to it despite being to told t eat normally when I started on insulin. Just over 4 years now and I am still happily mostly low carb although I allow myself the odd shared fish and chips with my partner or a piece of cake if it looks really really nice but mostly I am not tempted and I now have my sugar addiction under control, mostly by abstention other than the occasional jelly baby for hypos.

I think I was so mortified and guilty that "I had done this to myself" though my sugar addiction (not the case as it turns out) that I used those negative feelings to motivate me to avoid the carbs until I had got into a habit of eating low carb and found new foods and treats that would not spike my BG. I feel fitter and healthier now than I did before thanks to the dietary changes I have made, so in some respects I see my diagnosis as making me healthier rather than being an illness, as it was the kick up the backside I needed to cut the sugar and be healthier. Interestingly I no longer suffer regular and very debilitating migraines and significanty reduced joint pain, so there have been other major positives to come with it too. Not saying it hasn't been difficult and it isn't frustrating sometimes but we have some great technology these days which makes life with diabetes so much easier. On the whole I see no reason to complain of feel sorry for myself and there are certainly far worse ailments that I could have got. In fact, how jammy am I, that I get a condition that made me slimmer and fitter and healthier. Yes it has taken some effort and I have had a few scary moments but mostly it is just understanding how my body and insulin and food works and experimenting until I have found the best way to manage it with the tools that I have. I also think being retired helps enormously because I have time to spend learning how to manage it. I really feel for young people who are diagnosed younger and have all of life's other trials to deal with as well as juggling their diabetes management.

Anyway, that is my story.

How did your diagnosis come about? Hopefully you didn't DKA. I was lucky to avoid that and intend to continue to avoid it. Don't mind the odd hypo but defo don't want to experience a DKA.