9 months in, new to Diabetes UK forum

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Lula_Laur_Lolly

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Type 1
Hi,

I was diagnosed with Type 1 in September last year. 95% of the time I feel like I'm coping, I'm practical and just get on with it, but have the occasional mini-meltdown. People alternate between telling me this is natural and suggesting I see a counsellor to talk about it. I don't know what is right, but they also suggested I join the forum as an alternative means of support from people who understand.

I'm also going abroad on a plane soon and don't know if there's anything specific I need to do to pass through the airport without drama, as I have a Freestyle Libre sensor. I'm hoping there's someone here who can advise on this!

Thanks for reading,

Laura
 
Don't worry about your libre, it won't set anything off and you don't need to mention it, just go through as normal.

I think it's normal to have mini meltdowns too- that's what I tell myself anyway!

It's a 24/7 job so you need to let out the stress once in a while.

People without it don't understand just how much work goes into looking after yourself, as well as managing a full time job, and everything else that life throws at us! In the grand scheme of things people have it a lot worse, but that doesn't mean we can't have a 'woe is me' moment once in a while. It's normal human behaviour.

It sounds like you're doing great though 🙂
 
Hello and welcome Lula. 🙂
 
Welcome 🙂 You are on the right gadget from my point of view a libre. The security in the airport have seen thousands of T1 etc & I bet there is more than you on the plane. Enjoy your hol 😎
 
Hee hee - we went to Oz via Kuala Lumpur. On the second leg, lunch was being served. We were sat across the centre of the Jumbo, so 4 deats across. 2 ladies in the middle, husbands on the outside. Other couple were Chinese. 2 meals were placed on each of the husbands drop down trays. We both looked to see what it was, then both went for our handbags - and each pulled out a meter and tested, followed by two red Novopen 4s, and we did an airshot! They spoke no English and vice -versa - but much merriment across the row!

That's never ever happened before in all the places everywhere I've ever been.
 
Welcome to the forum, Lula. I can still remember similar feelings when I was diagnosed aged 30 years, some 20 years ago (so no internet available). I wanted solid advice about practical factors, but when I asked my diabetes specialist nurse at a Midlands hospital about fell walking, she talked about her very modest canalside and countryside rambling, which while I'm sure she enjoyed, wasn't what I meant and proved she didn't understand me. I stopped asking questions after that. However, a few months later, I led a month long expedition to Costa Rica for young people, a country where I had worked ona 5 month youth project about 5 years before diagnosis.

Where are you flying? If it's somewhere hot (above 28oC or 30oC) and / or for longer than 28 days, you will need a method of keeping insulin cool - I place reserve of cartridges in a stainess steel vacuum flask, which I owned before diagnosis, which is empty of water when passing through airport security, but I fill with cool tap water as soon as through. But I don't bother for eg 2 weeks in Czech and Slovak Republics, 1 week solo backpacking in Sardinia or Mallorca, 1 week in Poland / Portugal / Iceland / Belgium (working on adventure races), 4 day coach trip with parents in east Germany.
 
Thank you Katie, it does get exhausting! It's good to hear from another diabetic that it's ok to have these moments and it doesn't necessarily mean I need professional help!

katie roe said:
Don't worry about your libre, it won't set anything off and you don't need to mention it, just go through as normal.

I think it's normal to have mini meltdowns too- that's what I tell myself anyway!

It's a 24/7 job so you need to let out the stress once in a while.

People without it don't understand just how much work goes into looking after yourself, as well as managing a full time job, and everything else that life throws at us! In the grand scheme of things people have it a lot worse, but that doesn't mean we can't have a 'woe is me' moment once in a while. It's normal human behaviour.

It sounds like you're doing great though 🙂
Click to expand...
 
trophywench said:
Hee hee - we went to Oz via Kuala Lumpur. On the second leg, lunch was being served. We were sat across the centre of the Jumbo, so 4 deats across. 2 ladies in the middle, husbands on the outside. Other couple were Chinese. 2 meals were placed on each of the husbands drop down trays. We both looked to see what it was, then both went for our handbags - and each pulled out a meter and tested, followed by two red Novopen 4s, and we did an airshot! They spoke no English and vice -versa - but much merriment across the row!

That's never ever happened before in all the places everywhere I've ever been.
Click to expand...

Hi Trophywench, this is such a great story! They've just given me a red novopen - this condition comes with so many gadgets! :D
 
Copepod said:
Welcome to the forum, Lula. I can still remember similar feelings when I was diagnosed aged 30 years, some 20 years ago (so no internet available). I wanted solid advice about practical factors, but when I asked my diabetes specialist nurse at a Midlands hospital about fell walking, she talked about her very modest canalside and countryside rambling, which while I'm sure she enjoyed, wasn't what I meant and proved she didn't understand me. I stopped asking questions after that. However, a few months later, I led a month long expedition to Costa Rica for young people, a country where I had worked ona 5 month youth project about 5 years before diagnosis.

Where are you flying? If it's somewhere hot (above 28oC or 30oC) and / or for longer than 28 days, you will need a method of keeping insulin cool - I place reserve of cartridges in a stainess steel vacuum flask, which I owned before diagnosis, which is empty of water when passing through airport security, but I fill with cool tap water as soon as through. But I don't bother for eg 2 weeks in Czech and Slovak Republics, 1 week solo backpacking in Sardinia or Mallorca, 1 week in Poland / Portugal / Iceland / Belgium (working on adventure races), 4 day coach trip with parents in east Germany.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Copepod. It's reassuring to hear from someone who's been diabetic for a long time that my feelings are normal and that they'll settle. I was also diagnosed two weeks before I was 30. It seems the key to happiness is living life as I'd like to rather than letting the big D deter me.

We're going to Ireland for two nights in a fortnight (which is why I've suddenly started thinking about this) and Italy in September for five days. I wondered about getting a small flask for Italy but the room has a small fridge in that I can store my spare pens in, and by September the area we're going to has typical highs of 24 degrees so it doesn't seem necessary.
 
You're completely right - live life, as much as possible, as if you didn't have diabetes. You're right that 2 nights in Ireland and 5 days in Italy in Sept don't need special arrangements for temperature. Have great trips.


Some things still irritate me eg not being able to continue to give blood, continue in Territorial Army, drive minibuses and vans professionally (without a lot of hassle), work in Antarctica, professionally SCUBA dive etc.
 
@Lula_Laur_Lolly - Get yourself a Frio pouch for spare cartridges and/or whole loaded pens when you go anywhere red hot. Cheap enough and activated by water!
 
@Copepod

I was annoyed when they refused to have any more of my blood too.

Rotten spoilsports, stopping us both feeling virtuous!
 
trophywench said:
@Lula_Laur_Lolly - Get yourself a Frio pouch for spare cartridges and/or whole loaded pens when you go anywhere red hot. Cheap enough and activated by water!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll have a look into them.
Do either of you know if I'm supposed to take a prescription with all my bits on with me when I go abroad, as well as my letter?

Not being able to give blood is very frustrating, especially as I was just building up the courage to do it!
 
Yes - then if you need medical attention for anything whatever and medics want to know what you're already on - OR you run out of something - if you have the proper name clearly printed on an 'official' form - just wave that at them.

Do you not keep the right hand, tear-off section of your prescriptions - or does your pharmacy not put them in the bag with your medications? I always keep the last one, even if I only order the first item on page 1 - I still get the full 3 pages of repeats with the actual prescription and inside the bag! (even when it's only a scrip for a new sharps bin LOL) - you don't need a separate letter. The way drugs etc are identified now on NHS prescriptions, foreign medics and pharmacies will be able to identify the 'medical' part and thus the local trade name for it. (Novorapid insulin, for instance is actually called Novolog in the USA)

They (the blood transfusion service) have always reckoned there's evidence that SOME Type 1 diabetics don't replace the pinta they take as quickly as they should normally if not diabetic. So - they exclude every man jack of us, end of story - and nothing has changed since well before they told me that in 1972. Of course though - you should not have an HbA1c test for at least 3 months after you last gave blood since the results could well be 'out'. (due to the average life span of red blood cells - ie haemoglobin - Hb)
 
@trophywench So the 'repeat' part of my prescription would be enough? That's useful to know, thank you. Oh my god, I know, the reams of prescription pages for one item. I have so many of them stacked up in a cupboard already.
 
Errrr, as I collect a new prescription I take the old 3 pages out of the cupboard and file them in the wheelie filing cabinet - the one that the Council refuse collectors deal with fortnightly courteous of the Rates!
 
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