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Diabetes type 1. 30/01/17

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
C

CraigLucywebb

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi im Craig and im 33.Ok this is all new to me. Today i was diagnosed with diabetes type 1. I dont really know how to go about this as its just sinking in. My levels have been as follows
23 28 32 17 15 21.1 15.2 (4.3after my meds injections). Im scared as i keep thinking the worst. I have a lovelysupporting wife and four children. Im looking for help reassurance - tips on food intake exercises. Also stiff legs i have this most times.

Thanks
 
Welcome to the forum CraigLucywebb. @Northerner will be along tomorrow to suggest some books to obtain.
For information about sport with type 1 diabetes, www.runsweet.com is very useful.
The key fact to remember is that well controlled diabetes is unlikely to lead to any health problems.
 
Welcome Craig, it is a huge shock and totally understandable to be worried. You have come to a great place for support. Once things have settled down you will see all the people on here leading wondrous lives without complications.
How did you come to be diagnosed?
 
Hiya Craig - welcome to the club nobody wanted to join! Unfortunately - once we've joined we're members forever like it or not - so let's all try and make the best of it, eh? However - it ain't nice and from being a reasonably confident individual doing OK in life to all intents and purposes to suddenly having both your legs whipped out from under you is pretty devastating, mate. I was where you are today too - so I hope your wife doesn't take this wrong - but here are some virtual {{{Hugs}}}. I'd only been wed 12 months when I was there, and I dunno whether my husband ever really understood why I'd had to ring my mother (since he was still on the way home from work at the time - and no mobile phones back then) and tell her - before he knew a thing. I needed someone to cry to!

So - don't be in the slightest bit concerned if/when you need to do it - or get in a foul temper and have a rant and kick something, to try and get rid of firstly the 'Why me?' self pity or then the 'Why me?' rage. Best let it out and start getting over it - instead of holding it in and risking it start to fester.

I'd seriously suggest that the very best thing you can do tonight, is go onto Amazon and buy a brilliant book by Ragnar Hanas entitled something vey like 'Type 1 Diabetes in babies, children and young adults' - ain't the cheapest thing, but it's absolutely excellent for any Type 1 even if they are 50!

The leg thing might be unrelated, but it might just be one of undiagnosed Diabetes symptoms to give you a shove to go and see a doctor. Brains aren't daft - they often give weird unrelated symptoms of illnesses and conditions, that just give people the hint 'I need to find out why this is happening' - so don't be too mega concerned about them right now - concentrate on getting your blood glucose readings stabilised at a lower level to begin with - and then - if the legs thing hasn't eased - seek help for that as a separate issue - cos most likely nobody can be positive whether it's simply a symptom that will disappear or something entirely different, at the moment.

What 'plan' have you come away with - are you already under a hospital team, or have you been referred to one, or what?

Good luck! - you will get there and in 6 months - you'll be amazed how well you've adapted.
 
CraigLucywebb said:
Hi im Craig and im 33.Ok this is all new to me. Today i was diagnosed with diabetes type 1. I dont really know how to go about this as its just sinking in. My levels have been as follows
23 28 32 17 15 21.1 15.2 (4.3after my meds injections). Im scared as i keep thinking the worst. I have a lovelysupporting wife and four children. Im looking for help reassurance - tips on food intake exercises. Also stiff legs i have this most times.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Hi Craig, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis - how did it come about? You've certainly made an excellent start by finding us straight away, there are lots of people here who understand exactly what you are going through, and many of them have decades of experience of dealing with Type 1. It's a serious condition, and there is a lot to learn, but the great news is that it is manageable and doesn't have to stop you from doing anything you want to do 🙂 Only the other day I posted a story about a lady who had spent over 70 years living with Type 1 - and remember that for much of that time the treatments and knowledge available were nowhere near what is available today, things are improving all the time, and I've seen some great improvements in just the 8 years that I have been diagnosed 🙂

Definitely get a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas! Don't be misled by the title, it covers all aspects of living with Type 1, and gives a comprehensive and positive approach to dealing with things - essential, and really should be given to all Type 1s at diagnosis. It's not cheap, but always best to go for the latest version because, as I said, things are improving all the time 🙂

What insulin regime are you on? I was a marathon runner for 25 years before my diagnosis, and was actually due to run a marathon the week I was diagnosed, so it came completely out of the blue 😱 I was determined to get back into my running and took it slowly at first so I could understand how my body reacted to the exercise now I was injecting insulin, involving lots of testing so I could measure my blood sugar levels. It takes a while to gain experience and confidence, but be patient and methodical and it will come 🙂 I ran the Great South Run 4 months after diagnosis and have run several half marathons since, and now am very comfortable about what and when I need to eat and inject before exercise. Exercise is terrific for helping you maintain good blood sugar levels, it makes you more insulin sensitive as well as being very beneficial to your overall health 🙂 There's a cycling team - Team Novo Nordisk - who ride professionally and who all have Type 1, and I'm sure you can appreciate that pro-cycling is probably one of the most demanding of sports. You may not aspire to that, but it shows that nothing is impossible! 🙂 I would recommend getting a copy of the Diabetic Athlete's Handbook for an excellent explanation of how to approach a variety of sports when Type 1 on insulin, it certainly helped me to understand the processes and understanding, for me, is essential to managing your diabetes well 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions, we are here to help, and happy to do so! 🙂
 
Hi Craig, Welcome.
 
Hello and welcome Craig 🙂 Sorry you've had to join us but very glad you found us so quickly 🙂

A diagnosis is a huge shock to the system and it does take some adapting to running your insulin supply when your body just used to do it unnoticed in the background. Prior to diagnosis all the systems in your body have been in turmoil desperately trying to get some energy to fuel your body but as soon as an insulin supply is restored things do improve very quickly.

It will become the new normal in time and you will gain experience of what to do and when. Recording your blood sugar results, when you test ,insulin doses and what you eat is a really good thing to do from the start so you can refer back and see what happened when and why.

I wish you good luck with it all and hope things start to settle down soon 🙂
 
Hi Craig, sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It is indeed a big shock (T1 at 53 for me) at first, but the good news is that this is a condition that you can come to manage. There is a loads to learn at the start and it takes time for levels to come down and settle after diagnosis, so be patient with yourself.

I have found loads of help on here and I am glad to be able to just post questions, knowing that someone on here will be along with some suggestions, advice, encouragement.
 
stephknits said:
Welcome Craig, it is a huge shock and totally understandable to be worried. You have come to a great place for support. Once things have settled down you will see all the people on here leading wondrous lives without complications.
How did you come to be diagnosed?
Click to expand...
Hi and thanks for the reply. For two weeks i was up in the night TOILET DRINK SLEEP. So i thought ill test my blood sugar levels to which revealed 28-32. I went to hospital and had blood test done my hbAc1 levels 97! I was put novorapid and abasaglar 100ml. My levels are now 12-4.4 but get really weak at times. Why do my legs go stiff too at times.
 
trophywench said:
Hiya Craig - welcome to the club nobody wanted to join! Unfortunately - once we've joined we're members forever like it or not - so let's all try and make the best of it, eh? However - it ain't nice and from being a reasonably confident individual doing OK in life to all intents and purposes to suddenly having both your legs whipped out from under you is pretty devastating, mate. I was where you are today too - so I hope your wife doesn't take this wrong - but here are some virtual {{{Hugs}}}. I'd only been wed 12 months when I was there, and I dunno whether my husband ever really understood why I'd had to ring my mother (since he was still on the way home from work at the time - and no mobile phones back then) and tell her - before he knew a thing. I needed someone to cry to!

So - don't be in the slightest bit concerned if/when you need to do it - or get in a foul temper and have a rant and kick something, to try and get rid of firstly the 'Why me?' self pity or then the 'Why me?' rage. Best let it out and start getting over it - instead of holding it in and risking it start to fester.

I'd seriously suggest that the very best thing you can do tonight, is go onto Amazon and buy a brilliant book by Ragnar Hanas entitled something vey like 'Type 1 Diabetes in babies, children and young adults' - ain't the cheapest thing, but it's absolutely excellent for any Type 1 even if they are 50!

The leg thing might be unrelated, but it might just be one of undiagnosed Diabetes symptoms to give you a shove to go and see a doctor. Brains aren't daft - they often give weird unrelated symptoms of illnesses and conditions, that just give people the hint 'I need to find out why this is happening' - so don't be too mega concerned about them right now - concentrate on getting your blood glucose readings stabilised at a lower level to begin with - and then - if the legs thing hasn't eased - seek help for that as a separate issue - cos most likely nobody can be positive whether it's simply a symptom that will disappear or something entirely different, at the moment.

What 'plan' have you come away with - are you already under a hospital team, or have you been referred to one, or what?

Good luck! - you will get there and in 6 months - you'll be amazed how well you've adapted.
Click to expand...

Hi Jenny, thanks for the advice. Im currently having novorapid and abasaglar. I do have problems with my legs stiff at times preventing my doing day to day things. My plan eat well stay well. I have to see dietitian and nurses soon. Im still nervous jabbing myself.
 
Hi and welcome.
It's a huge shock so give yourself some time. I'm sure many others will have great advice for you but I just wanted to say there's no stupid question to ask and this forum can help loads.
 
Welcome to the forum Craig. I can suggest a couple of reasons for your legs feeling stiff, but if it continues to bother you, do mention it to your diabetes team. When you are type 1, you have no insulin being produced by your pancreas. All the cells in your body (including muscle cells) need insulin to be able to utilise glucose for fuel/energy, and without it, all the glucose stays in your bloodstream, resulting in high BG level and fatigued muscles. Also, when your BG is high, your kidneys try to reduce it by passing it out in large quantities of urine, leaving you dehydrated. This also has a negative effect on muscle cells (among others). It's very early days for you, so your BG levels are still mostly much higher than the normal range of 4-7 mol/l. This means you don't have optimal conditions (ie sufficient insulin) for your muscles to work at their best. This might be why they are stiff/achy. Keep liaising with your diabetes nurse to adjust your insulin doses until you're mostly in normal BG range, and when high, do make sure to drink plenty of water or sugar free drinks.
 
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