Diagnosed as type 1 abroad last week!!

[TheClockworkDodo]

Hi JemmaLouise and welcome to the forum 🙂

I really hope you've been able to see your own GP and/or a diabetes consultant by now - if not, I agree with everyone else, make that your absolute priority, and don't take no for an answer. An out of hours GP followed by a hospital appointment in 3 weeks is not good enough. Kooky's advice to take a (preferably stroppy) friend with you is good too.

In the long term you'll be aiming for readings of 4-8ish in UK terms, so that's 72-144 with your meter. However, in the short term it's more dangerous to be under 72 than it is to be over 144, so don't worry too much if your readings are a bit high - 140-200 shouldn't be a problem if it's just for a couple of weeks while you're getting things sorted out. Obviously you don't want to go back up to 337, but everyone gets readings that high now and again, even people who have been diabetic for ages, so don't panic if you do. And, like Northerner said, if you go under 72 eat something sugary!

If your reading is low but over 72 you should still inject before you eat, if you're eating any carbohydrate, yes - but if it's under 72 you should eat something sugary (jelly babies, or half a glass of fruit juice - or just a couple of spoonsful of sugar will do for now), then wait 15 minutes, then check again to make sure it's over 72, then inject, then eat as normal. Don't inject while your blood sugar's under 72.

 

[KookyCat]

If we only want to understand the number - divide by 18 ! Europe uses the same as the US.

So if a BG is 100 it = 5.5, 200 is 11.00, 139 is 7.7 and anything below 72 (4.0) is Hypoland!

There you go, you and Clockwork have it sussed 🙂 It was a royal we though, having experienced the mathematical ability of some of my DSNs (who are otherwise brilliant) I'm not sure they'd cope with converting on the fly 😉

 

[New-journey]

Hi Jemma, I hope you got the help you needed yesterday. How scary to be diagnosed abroad and what a huge shock it must be.
I am sending you all my support and so great you have joined this forum as it is so supportive and people are unbelievably helpful.

 

[Márcio Santos]

Hello Jemmalouise,
I hope your doing fine controlling your diabetes. I send you my support from Portugal. If you have any question or doubt do not hesitate. I am Portuguese and soon I will be moving to central London for an internship. Best.

 

[trophywench]

It was a royal we though, having experienced the mathematical ability of some of my DSNs (who are otherwise brilliant) I'm not sure they'd cope with converting on the fly 😉

How about yer average (senior) diabetes consultant then? There I was, proud new insulin pump user at my first review. A Roche Combo, which came complete with the handset incorporating the Accu-Chek Expert meter - the one where when you input your carb ratio and correction rate etc, you test your BG, then tell it how many carbs the meal you are about to consume contains, and it calculates your insulin bolus for you - you then hit the button for it to tell the pump how many units to deliver. Yes?

So he notes my carb ratio is 1u to 11g of carb. 'Doesn't that make the maths a bit difficult?' he enquires. I hoot with laughter and eventually say 'Not really, Dr S! - I did actually learn my 11 times table in Junior School when I was about 7 or 8. I know I'm nearing retirement age but up to 12 times I can still 'sing' the whole lot! And in any case - I use the flippin meter anyway most times !'

I do think though, that mental arithmetic skills have fallen considerably since the introduction of such things as EPOS. I worked part time behind a bar for a few years as many of us did and still do. Greet, take the order, start pulling pints etc, add the prices up in your head, remember it, whilst simultaneously having a cheery conversation with the customer and adding the next drink. Same in retail. The seemingly 'thickest' kids in school you would often meet later behind a counter in a high street shop, efficiently keeping tabs on eg your greengrocery purchases - and they'd had to weigh em and bag em all too!

 

[Copepod]

Hello Jemmalouise,
I hope your doing fine controlling your diabetes. I send you my support from Portugal. If you have any question or doubt do not hesitate. I am Portuguese and soon I will be moving to central London for an internship. Best.

Welcome to the forum, Marcio Santos. Would you like to start your own introduction thread? There are plenty of mmbers who live and / or work in London, who will be able to help you with many aspects of life in the city. Personally, I prefer to keep out of place, although I was a voluhnteer at 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and am considering going to British Museum Lost Cities of Egypt exhibition in the autumn.

 

[Copepod]

Following Trophywench's post, I also find the time tables I learned in a village school in early 1970s still come in useful. In fact, we learned them in French as well as English!

 

[trophywench]

What's the French for 'times' /'multiplied by' then, Copepod? (yes I know I could Google it - or ask a friend in Toulouse - I mean 'in use' though! (colloquial)