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Diagnosed Type 1 on Monday...34 yrs old!

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Natalie15

Natalie15

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello group, I literally found out this Monday I am type 1 diabetic after going to my doctors with just a water infection complaint !!! Had to go straight to hospital for proper blood tests but my blood sugars were 23 in the doctors room that morning !!

My family have been really shaken by this, especially my mum (has type 2) and I am still in a bit of shock to be honest. I was admitted overnight as needed to stabilise my sugars ...they told me I'm type 1 , although unusual because of my age to present with this.

I believe I developed the diabetes when I had the flu quite badly in February as that's when I remember getting the dry mouth and off my food ..! I'm confused with a lot of things and I don't know when I'll get the right balance for my insulin but I don't expect to be an expert 3 days into diagnosis .

Anyone else relate to this scenario or have some advice or tips for me and family ?!!!

Talk about a shock to the system!!!!!
 
Hi Natalie and welcome to the forum. 🙂 Yes, it's a big shock but try not to worry too much. Plenty of us have lived with it for decades and it hasn't stopped me doing what I wanted to do. It will probably take some time for things to settle down but keep asking questions and speaking to your diabetes nurse and medical team. You're not alone as lots of people on here were diagnosed T1 in their 30's and 40's. What insulin(s) have they put you on?
 
Hi welcome!
Just wanted to say you are not alone, I was diagnosed at 29 and there’s no history of any diabetes in my family at all.
It is a huge shock but over time I promise it does get easier and feel more manageable. Ask as many questions as you need/want to - there are loads of v knowledgeable people on here.
There are also lots of other people on here who were diagnosed later in life 🙂
 
Can I relate?? Oh yes!
I was 52 and it felt like an overnight change.. there must have been warning signs but I didn't notice them..then full-on train crash. The dry mouth.. oh yes.. that vanished within hours of the first insulin injection.
What is confusing you? It seems like there are huge variations in what people are told at diagnosis and shortly after. Also I don't think anyone gets to be an expert in 3 days, mores the pity.. looks like 3 years if you're lucky..

I am too new to say do this or do that.. I would suggest your family get to know what to do when you need some help, have the drinks or sweets to hand and tell them what the signs of a hypo are ( if you have had one yet?) . After my first one I realised I couldn't have got the packaging open on the little juice cartons I had standing by..

You will have to make friends with insulin, and be aware of how much carbohydrate you are taking in.. lots of reading labels and carb content lists..
You used the word balance. That is it really, balance what you need food wise and use the corresponding amount of insulin. There are short cuts here and elsewhere online.. get the question you need and put it out there, people want you to handle this and they will help I can promise you that.
 
I re-read what I had written and it all sounds a bit negative.. I have to say it isn't. We are all the same people we were, it's just we have a problem with carbs. It's a shock right now but you are already thinking and trying to get ahead .. ask the questions that are bothering you and it gets easier
 
Welcome Christophe 🙂. Life at times ? you never know what around the corner. Good luck with things & keep battling.
 
Hiya - and a warm welcome to the club no-one wanted to join!

However - once you are a member you'll find you get to meet all sorts of absolutely normal people of all ages and that 99.9% of them are friendly. Remove as much confusion as you can, by getting hold of a really excellent book as soon as possible - but don't discard it because of the title. It applies at any age - Type 1 Diabetes in Babies, Children and Adolescents by Ragnar Hanas. My hospital D clinic nurse kept it on her desk full of Post-It notes with patients names on them, to explain various aspects to her clients!

It's written in English not medicalese, and it's very 'sensible' - it was written initially for the panicking parents of newly diagnosed offspring and tries to lead you through all the process at a comfortable pace. Think you can probably safely ignore the bits about things like growth hormones and puberty though! LOL

Nurture your sense of humour and strive to develop the patience of a saint - you'll need the first to stay sane cos this is a marathon - not a sprint. Never stop asking questions either - collectively we've got over two thousand years experience on this forum - and someone will very likely know the answer.

Good luck !
 
You will get the hang of it all.

I was diagnosed at the age of 54 about 3 1/2 years ago and it does get easier.
 
Natalie15 said:
Hello group, I literally found out this Monday I am type 1 diabetic after going to my doctors with just a water infection complaint !!! Had to go straight to hospital for proper blood tests but my blood sugars were 23 in the doctors room that morning !!

My family have been really shaken by this, especially my mum (has type 2) and I am still in a bit of shock to be honest. I was admitted overnight as needed to stabilise my sugars ...they told me I'm type 1 , although unusual because of my age to present with this.

I believe I developed the diabetes when I had the flu quite badly in February as that's when I remember getting the dry mouth and off my food ..! I'm confused with a lot of things and I don't know when I'll get the right balance for my insulin but I don't expect to be an expert 3 days into diagnosis .

Anyone else relate to this scenario or have some advice or tips for me and family ?!!!

Talk about a shock to the system!!!!!
Click to expand...
Welcome Natalie, it is a huge shock! I was 57 when I was diagnosed and there is no history of type one in my family. It is good you have found this supportive forum and you can ask any question here. I would take it slowly, step by step you will feel confident. It is huge adjustment and natural to have emotions and concerns, do take time to get the support you need and take time to rest if you need to. Sending loads of support to you.
 
Welcome to the forum, no advice as I am type 2 but it must have been a shock.
 
Welcome 🙂
 
Hi and welcome 🙂 I was diagnosed at 46, big shock indeed! Take one day at a time.
 
Hi Natalie, and welcome 🙂

I was 44 when I was diagnosed, so I can relate! Like Grainger I have no family history of diabetes, so it was totally out of the blue. I have another auto-immune condition which is probably why I got it, like you developing it after flu.

Christophe's advice to make sure your family and friends can recognise a hypo is good - sometimes you may need them to help you treat one, and sometimes you'll just need someone to say "um, I think you should check your blood sugar now".

This is the book Jenny was talking about - it's Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults.

Hopefully you'll get an appointment to see a hospital Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN) shortly if you haven't already - if not, ask to see one, and don't be fobbed off with a nurse at your surgery who knows a bit about diabetes, as they will probably know very little about type 1. DSNs are likely to be the most helpful and knowledgeable people you'll see about diabetes, so get the phone number or email address of yours and don't be afraid to use them!

If you have any questions, please do ask - someone here is likely to be able to help.
 
Hi guys! Thanks for your responses and encouraging words...it's been a week today since I found out...it's been a blur actually!!
I was at the dietician on Friday last week which was helpful, although she didn't want to bombard me with too much info and will tell me more about 'corrections' in April when I see her next. I am going to Vegas in April and I am unsure what to do about my insulin and time zone etc but I am sure she will tell me all i need to know (although any advice and experiences of this will be welcomed from anyone here!)

What do you snack on , if at all, when feeling a bit peckish after a lunch or dinner or just in general ?? I will get the carbs and cals app as that has been advised ...does anyone use it??

Thanks and have a great week everyone x
 
I bet it has been a blur.. I found that speaking to the nutritionalist and diabetic nurse, everything seems just a little more like business as usual... the overriding message is that you as an individual will find their own way but there is no harm in cheating a little by finding out how it is done by those who have been there and done it!
Snacking though I can help you with, it's been a major part of this process so far! Started off with rice cakes, but sooo dull. Nairn oatcakes come in a variety of flavours, Nature Valley protein bars (salted caramel.. tastes very sweet though) and most recently chocolate digestive thins. The trick for me is ( boring bit..) to read the label and eat only about 6-8g carbs, it means some goes back into the wrapper and I have to hold off rescuing it until a hour or more later... you ok with testing? If you know where you are glucose wise then you can judge whether to have a little bit of something, fwiw cheese, olives, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, broccoli, chicken, red/green/yellow peppers, smoked salmon all have minimal effects and I can get calories in without injecting..
Hope it's going well
 
If you want carb-free or virtually carb-free snacks, nuts are good, especially walnuts and pecans. Cheese is good too, and if you want a couple of biscuits with it, TUC biscuits are 2.7g carbs each, so won't do much to your blood sugar. If you like chocolate and can buy it without being tempted to eat the lot, a couple of squares of very dark chocolate (eg Green & Black 85% cocoa) is fine. Berries are pretty low-carb compared with other fruit - you can't eat, eg, a banana without insulin, but you could eat a couple of strawberries.

Generally speaking, avoid dried fruit, but if your blood sugar is about 4.2 and you're feeling wobbly and want to prevent a hypo, a dried apricot or a few raisins will probably do the trick. Not too many though, or you'll end up going the other way!
 
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