Diagnosed with type 3C diabetes on Oct 8th.

[conanthewarrior]

Hi everyone, I went to a detox unit on the 7th of November and part of this was a health check where they pricked my finger. My blood sugar was 26 Mmol and my ketones 4.1.
Due to this they did another check the next day with a similar result so I was taken to a nearby hospital with suspected DKA.

I didn't have DKA luckily but I spent a week in hospital on an IV insulin pump/sliding scale until my sugar was down to under 10 and my ketones under 0.6.

I was then put on Lantus 14 units and Novorapid 3 times a day 6 units before eating.

I caused my diabetes through having pancreatitis 7 times drinking excess amounts of alcohol, around 38 units a day. My pancreas can no longer produce insulin where it is damaged.

Does anyone else here have type 3C diabetes? I had a diabetes health check at my GP and I was the first person with type 3C either of the nurses in the room had met.

I am getting used to doing my insulin now, and also have a freestyle Libre 2 plus prescribed for me so I can monitor my blood glucose on my phone instead of pricking my finger. It is an amazing device I must say.

It would be nice to get talking to others on the forum, so I hope to hear from some of you soon on here.

All the best, Conan.

 

[Inka]

Welcome @conanthewarrior 🙂 You’re not alone. There are a number of Type 3c people here, inc @Proud to be erratic @Wendal @soupdragon and more.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Sorry to hear that you have such a dramatic introduction to diabetes but good to hear that you have a formal diagnosis of Type 3c from the start as many have to battle a Type 2 diagnosis because Type 3c is not yet well recognised. Thankfully it sounds like you have been started on the correct treatment and have been supplied with tech to support you so that is great news. Will you be getting a referral to a specialist diabetes clinic at the hospital for your continued support. The nurses at GP practice are often trained to manage the Type 2 patients within the practice but as a Type 3 you will likely have more complex needs and therefore should come under a consultant's care. The fact that the nurses were not familiar with Type 3c is enough to make it clear that they don't have the expertise to support you, I would say.

How are you doing with regard to detox? Managing diabetes with insulin is challenging and alcohol adds another level of complexity and danger, so doing your best to stay off the drink will keep you safer and obviously healthier. I speak as someone who was pretty much a sugar addict pre-diagnosis and certainly a chocoholic and whilst that might seem trivial in comparison to your situation, sugar and sweet stuff is much more readily available than alcohol, plus I still need sugar occasionally to deal with hypos, so whilst I am an all or nothing sort of person, I have had to be very disciplined about it. What I am saying is that I can sympathise with the challenges you face and wish you lots of luck with it. The forum here is an amazing resource for everyday support and learning and the depth of knowledge and practical experience is second to none, so I am really pleased you have found your way here and hope we will get to know you better and help you with the challenges as well as celebrate your successes. Just to end on a positive note, my diabetes has actually lead to me being healthier and fitter than I have been for years because I now have to think about every item of food or drink I put in my mouth and as a result I make healthier choices and I exercise more regularly. I hope this can be a turning point for your life too.

 

[soupdragon]

Hi and welcome @conanthewarrior from another 3c due to pancreatitis.
In my case it was caused by one very severe attack of acute pancreatitis so I was diagnosed early on in my stay in hospital.
Sorry that the diabetes diagnosis gives you another thing to deal with at a difficult time. I didn't really notice this, as I was too ill at the time, but many people find that once they have insulin to help reduce their blood sugar they realise how much better they start to feel. Hopefully that will be the case for you.
There aren't that many Type 3cs (or at least not many correctly diagnosed) and systems often don't have an option to record 3c. I'm recorded as Type 1 in a number of places.
I hope you're being well supported with the diabetes as there is a lot to get your head round at the start. Do let us know if you have any questions we can help with.
Just be aware that the pancreatic damage which causes diabetes can also cause problems with producing enough digestive enzymes to digest food (especially fats) properly. Most of us with 3c take digestive enzymes with meals to help with this so this may end up being the case for you.

 

[soupdragon]

I've just realised that you are being treated at your GP surgery. Totally agree with @rebrascora that you need to be under consultant care for the diabetes.