New to this, diagnosed last week as type 1 due to autoimmune history although waiting on blood tests confirming. Also testing for Addisons. Breakfast results in single figures but lunch, teatime always in double figures. Doing what nurse says and monitoring until I see nurse at clinic. Will it always be this hard?
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Diagnosed last week
- Thread starter Dawn3010
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Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Hello @Dawn3010 , welcome to our friendly forum. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to.
I have T2 so apart from trying to reassure you that once over the shock of dx (Diagnosis) it will start to get easier as you learn more, we can definitely help with that 🙂.
You should find the diabetes clinic much more helpful and informative, you see Gp practice nurses usually only have a little extra training and T1 is actually quite rare, many practice nurses may not have experience with T1, though your nurse seems to be on the ball 🙂. In time you will be offered DAPHNE course which I’ve read on here are very good.
Don’t worry it won’t be too long before your BG (blood glucose) levels are mostly good. Initially it’s best not to bring them down to fast.
I have T2 so apart from trying to reassure you that once over the shock of dx (Diagnosis) it will start to get easier as you learn more, we can definitely help with that 🙂.
You should find the diabetes clinic much more helpful and informative, you see Gp practice nurses usually only have a little extra training and T1 is actually quite rare, many practice nurses may not have experience with T1, though your nurse seems to be on the ball 🙂. In time you will be offered DAPHNE course which I’ve read on here are very good.
Don’t worry it won’t be too long before your BG (blood glucose) levels are mostly good. Initially it’s best not to bring them down to fast.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Dawn - Lin's right - it is worse to 'suddenly' bring our blood glucose back down to lower levels, it's taken the body a little while to get used to the higher ones you still have at the moment so we have to give it a little while to get em back down again.
It isn't always 'this hard' no - even though you think it's totally unlikely to ever happen - you will honestly soon get used to it all, then it becomes a habit - in other words you'll find yourself doing everything without any noticeable effort at all. most of the time.
And you'll learn to be an expert, adjusting your own insulin doses as and when required, because in time, you'll be taught how to do this - and it's all based on logic, a bit of mental arithmetic (but there's always help for that in various ways if mental arithmetic isn't your forte so don't stress about that either) and will make perfect sense to you. You will not be ignored and left on your own to struggle - your hand will metaphorically be held from now on, for the rest of your life, whenever you need it, and the rushing is over - your GP has got you to the station and your bum on a train seat - so make yourself comfy cos it's a long journey in front of you - so don't forget to enjoy it and participate in anything you see on offer along the way!
It isn't always 'this hard' no - even though you think it's totally unlikely to ever happen - you will honestly soon get used to it all, then it becomes a habit - in other words you'll find yourself doing everything without any noticeable effort at all. most of the time.
And you'll learn to be an expert, adjusting your own insulin doses as and when required, because in time, you'll be taught how to do this - and it's all based on logic, a bit of mental arithmetic (but there's always help for that in various ways if mental arithmetic isn't your forte so don't stress about that either) and will make perfect sense to you. You will not be ignored and left on your own to struggle - your hand will metaphorically be held from now on, for the rest of your life, whenever you need it, and the rushing is over - your GP has got you to the station and your bum on a train seat - so make yourself comfy cos it's a long journey in front of you - so don't forget to enjoy it and participate in anything you see on offer along the way!
And Jenny and co will be along from time to time to make sure you stay on the right track🙂
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
My hospital diabetes clinic are still my main help network Dave - forums are jolly useful, BUT ....
If only every diabetic in the UK had fairly easy access to such clinics - then self-help forums wouldn't have had to be created in the first place. Bearing in mind I still believe my original Forum 'home' (which is still there and was created before this one!) were VERY instrumental in saving my life and the change over to my current clinic was enabled by listening to advice from the people there (I may have been damn ace at my job - but useless face to face with the medical profession back then) - I'm just trying to repay my debt.
If only every diabetic in the UK had fairly easy access to such clinics - then self-help forums wouldn't have had to be created in the first place. Bearing in mind I still believe my original Forum 'home' (which is still there and was created before this one!) were VERY instrumental in saving my life and the change over to my current clinic was enabled by listening to advice from the people there (I may have been damn ace at my job - but useless face to face with the medical profession back then) - I'm just trying to repay my debt.
And I for one am extremely grateful that you and many others give us the newbies such good advice and the benefit of your experience. I have learnt so much from this site, in fact more so than all the medics I seen in the last five years. I've worked hard all my life and through that was able to 'retire' early but it hasn't gone as I had planned thanks to these dam chronic conditions.It is so, so easy to lose focus when you feel alone in dealing with the task of getting control back, and so easy to fall back into bad habits. So thank you Jenny and co. for making it much more bearable.
JMyrtle
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Could I please echo the earlier comments.
I felt so alone at diagnosis, my GP's advice was no biscuits, cakes, chocolate or sugar ( no mention of carbs) come back in a year and if you want to know anything else go on Google.
I was so grateful you guys were here to untangle my head for me.
Against G.P.'s advice I followed yours and got a b/g meter and slowly I am getting to grips with it all.
Once again thank you all so much.
I felt so alone at diagnosis, my GP's advice was no biscuits, cakes, chocolate or sugar ( no mention of carbs) come back in a year and if you want to know anything else go on Google.
I was so grateful you guys were here to untangle my head for me.
Against G.P.'s advice I followed yours and got a b/g meter and slowly I am getting to grips with it all.
Once again thank you all so much.
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome Dawn.
No it will not be as hard as it seems at present. There is a lot to learn but as Jenny said, the specialist team will work with you step by step and help you get your levels settled. You need to be patient as they will want to bring them down gradually. They will introduce new things to learn bit by bit and it will get easier. Someone likened it to learning to drive. Steering, changing gear, checking the mirror, checking the blind spot, ... all seemed a lot to do at once. After a while you don’t even have to think about the individual activities. It just becomes automatic, with some obstacles to negotiate but some simple rules to help you do this as well as a lot of help.
The best book I have come across is Type1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas. Ignore the age reference as it is relevant at any age. It is well written and explains things in clear terms. I wish I had had a copy earlier on.
There is plenty of other help on here as well so if there is anything you are unsure about just ask.
No it will not be as hard as it seems at present. There is a lot to learn but as Jenny said, the specialist team will work with you step by step and help you get your levels settled. You need to be patient as they will want to bring them down gradually. They will introduce new things to learn bit by bit and it will get easier. Someone likened it to learning to drive. Steering, changing gear, checking the mirror, checking the blind spot, ... all seemed a lot to do at once. After a while you don’t even have to think about the individual activities. It just becomes automatic, with some obstacles to negotiate but some simple rules to help you do this as well as a lot of help.
The best book I have come across is Type1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas. Ignore the age reference as it is relevant at any age. It is well written and explains things in clear terms. I wish I had had a copy earlier on.
There is plenty of other help on here as well so if there is anything you are unsure about just ask.
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