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Feeling a little lost.

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
AliceRachel10

AliceRachel10

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Ive not 100% been sure where to turn.

I'm 24 mum of two and diagnosed with type 1 on 11th March.

It's all been a bit of a whirlwind really.
I felt like I'd accepted it pretty quick.

But over the past few weeks I've felt so down.
I'm on humulin I twice a day and novo rapid.

It hurts when I inject and I've tried about 5 different needles.
Now the diabetic dietician thinks it's because I'm in denial.
I had a cry at one appointment because it's a lot to take in and I'm second guessing everything and just feeling really crappy about it all. Not had a proper hypo. (Not been lower then 3.5)
And now I'm paranoid and worried about it to the point I don't want to go back to work.

I get in not the only one but if one more non-diabetic says don't dwell on it or you can't do anything about it so get on with it il scream.

I don't mean to feel like this and I don't want to and I didn't expect to. But I feel stuck.
Like it's pointless to turn to anyone because it's only me that can deal with it.

This is my first post and it's taken what feels like forever for me to post this
 
Welcome aboard.... Certainly there is a lot to take in at first, but you will get the hang of it.

Unfortunately I can't advise as I'm not on insulin but others will be along shortly to help, advise & share their stories
 
Welcome AliceRachel, lots of people on here will relate to exactly the feelings and frustrations you have described. Four years in I still get irritated by people who presume I must have everything sorted now. I also started off really positively and then later on it really hit me.
It's a great move coming on here, there are lots of lovely people who get what you are on about.
I was also freaked out by the thought of hypos, perfectly understandable.
Take good care and keep posting ☺️
 
Welcome to the forum, AliceRachel10. You're right, getting type 1 diabetes as an adult is c**p. It does get easier, speaking from experience of getting T1D as a childless 30 year old. I hope it doesn't affect your career as much as it did mine, although I have had over 20 years of some good, some awful jobs, since diagnosis. What sort of work do you do? What's important and fun in your life? Knowing those things, we can help more.
 
Hi AliceRachel,
Welcome to the forum. You say it hurts when you inject, where do you inject and what size needles are you using? Are you carb counting or are you on fixed amounts of Novo Rapid with your meals?
You say you haven't had a 'proper hypo' but anything below 4 is classed as a hypo and you want to avoid going below 4 if possible. Have you been keeping a record of your blood glucose levels when you test, and also the amount of insulin you have been injecting with your meals? It hasn't been very long since your diagnosis and there is a lot to take in and to get your head around. Don't feel like there is some sort of time limit on getting to grips with things as even those of us that have been diabetic for many years still have times when we could do with some advice about something or just need a bit of support when we are going through a rough patch. We are here to help so don't be afraid to ask anything you might think of. There is always someone here who will be able to advise you, and may have felt the same as you when they were first diagnosed.
 
It takes courage to write and share your thoughts and my heart goes out to you. It is a massive shock and not surprising you are feeling a little lost. You deserve support, the right type of support where people listen, acknowledge all you are going through and give you helpful advice which empowers you.
Do ask any questions here, there are so many amazing people who will share their experience and no question is ever too silly. I am still quite new, 18 months since diagnose, and find this forum essential to me feeling confident again. ((((Hugs))))
 
Hi and welcome 🙂
It's a lot to get you're head around, I was diagnosed last August and am still coming to terms with it all. It's a life changing condition and I certainly have periods where I feel anxious and down with it all, I think it's fairly common amongst many of us, on here you are certainly not alone (((hugs)))
Has you're dietician arranged your local equivalent of a DAFNE course for you to attend? I went on one fairly soon after diagnosis and found it really helpful.
I know injecting frequently is a right pain in the rear, perhaps you may be considered for a pump.
 
Hello AliceRachel10 and a warm welcome to our friendly helpful & supportive forum. Unfortunately I alone can't help or advise you being Type2 and not on insulin - but there are many T1's here who will willingly help and advise you and who will be along shortly. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want. Good luck and take care x
WL

Dx Type 2 April 2016
Metformin withdrawn
Diet control and exercise only
 
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I know exactly how you feel it's an up and down roller coaster living with this condition as I have had 13 years now I started of like it was easy and manageable but recently I am finding it more difficult now and it drains you out especially if you have had numerous hypos am quite active to so being active makes it more harder to Balance out
 
It's not 'fairly common' whatsoever to feel like you're in a tumble drier and you've lost all sense of direction, in fact, it's all a screwed up elastic band and you just wish someone could hit the switch and turn the damn thing OFF.

NO. In fact - it is ABSOLUTELY NORMAL !!

You are now going to think I am completely bonkers.

It's actually a form of bereavement. Yep - bereavement - like someone's died. But we haven't, so what the hell am I wittering on about then?

Please, have a little read of this. I didn't find it until I'd been T1 for 25 years - I was gobsmacked at what I'd actually experienced and you are right now - and I can still plot my course through every single one of the five stages. http://www.businessballs.com/elisabeth_kubler_ross_five_stages_of_grief.htm

And grit your teeth and say to yourself that the folk who say Pfft, that's easy - yawn - you should try having a pain in your elbow - then you'll realise what an unnecessary fuss you're making! and picture the 'Thinks' bubble coming out of your head - 'Yes, you're right - cos I seem to have got this terrible pain in the arse right now - and it is truly horrible!'

And then GRIN. And carry on!

And honestly - it DOES get better. Just takes time, is all.

{{Hugs}}
 
As others have said it does get easier. It is a lot to take in. You are basically replacing a bodily function which for everyone else happens naturally.

And it's harder being diagnosed as an adult I feel.

Yes, there are lots of people out there that have no clue. They think diabetes is just take some insulin and all will be good. They don't understand the complexity of the disease.

You're in good company here. Lots of supportive people who do understand. 🙂
 
Lucy Honeychurch said:
Hi and welcome 🙂
It's a lot to get you're head around, I was diagnosed last August and am still coming to terms with it all. It's a life changing condition and I certainly have periods where I feel anxious and down with it all, I think it's fairly common amongst many of us, on here you are certainly not alone (((hugs)))
Has you're dietician arranged your local equivalent of a DAFNE course for you to attend? I went on one fairly soon after diagnosis and found it really helpful.
I know injecting frequently is a right pain in the rear, perhaps you may be considered for a pump.
Click to expand...




Thank you!
They won't let me do the DAFNE course until around the 1 year mark from diagnosis! Xx
 
PhilT said:
Hi AliceRachel,
Welcome to the forum. You say it hurts when you inject, where do you inject and what size needles are you using? Are you carb counting or are you on fixed amounts of Novo Rapid with your meals?
You say you haven't had a 'proper hypo' but anything below 4 is classed as a hypo and you want to avoid going below 4 if possible. Have you been keeping a record of your blood glucose levels when you test, and also the amount of insulin you have been injecting with your meals? It hasn't been very long since your diagnosis and there is a lot to take in and to get your head around. Don't feel like there is some sort of time limit on getting to grips with things as even those of us that have been diabetic for many years still have times when we could do with some advice about something or just need a bit of support when we are going through a rough patch. We are here to help so don't be afraid to ask anything you might think of. There is always someone here who will be able to advise you, and may have felt the same as you when they were first diagnosed.
Click to expand...


Hello and thank you for the reply!

I inject tummy, hips/thighs and my partner injects the backs of my arms.
The dietician thinks the pain is because of denial.
I've tried both 4mm and 5mm.

I'm carb counting.

Morning 7mmol humulin I

Food varies but usually around 6/9 units
1 - 10g

Then bedtime 5mmol humulin I

Yeah I check regularly because I drive anyway.

3.5 is the lowest I've been xx
 
Hello and welcome to the D gang AliceRachel 🙂

It is such a shock being diagnosed and suddenly having to take care of so much that just used to happen. Take it step by step, keep as many records as you can on glucose levels, insulin taken, food eaten and bit by bit you will start to get a picture of what happens when and a good bank of experience for managing things in different circumstances. It's really useful to be able to look up what insulin you had for for certain meals if you eat the same sort of meals regularly.

I still get annoyed sometimes nearly 40 years on by comments that totally belittle the enormity of managing my insulin supply and all that goes with it but unless you have to deal with it why would you know. It just goes with the territory unfortunately !

It will get better for certain, your body has been in turmoil desperately trying to get some energy to function and it takes a while to get back to equilibrium once an insulin supply is restored. Little by little you'll become more sure of injecting and working out carbs and just feeling safe in your body.

This forum is a fantastic place for support, advice and letting off steam about all that diabetes can throw at you. I'm glad you found us and hope it will help you as much as it's helped me. 🙂
 
Hello Alice Rachel I am into my 54th year of having to live with T1, I realised I didn't have a choice and just had to get on with it and back in those days it was hard because I never met another T1 to compare notes. I hope you have a good team at your clinic to help you along the way and will find lots of help and information from the great people on this forum.

jusme
 
Thank you all for your lovely replies!
I knew I could find some friendly people on here!

I have bad and good days! But my bad just seem so low lately :(

And don't worry I'm sure il turn to these forums for all manner of things T1
 
AliceRachel10 said:
I have bad and good days! But my bad just seem so low lately :(
Click to expand...

I'm sure @jusme will agree with me when I say we still do - but - the gaps in between em just seem to get longer as we go on. I look forward to hearing that's starting to happen to you - and yep - empathising when you need to come on here and just have a whinge about it - cos just getting it off our chest to a sympathetic audience who understand so we don't need to explain - is always a great relief!
 
AliceRachel10 said:
Hello and thank you for the reply!

I inject tummy, hips/thighs and my partner injects the backs of my arms.
The dietician thinks the pain is because of denial.
I've tried both 4mm and 5mm.

I'm carb counting.

Morning 7mmol humulin I

Food varies but usually around 6/9 units
1 - 10g

Then bedtime 5mmol humulin I

Yeah I check regularly because I drive anyway.

3.5 is the lowest I've been xx
Click to expand...
Pain with injecting is partly down to technique. I was lucky to have injected lots of humans, plus a few cats and starfish, before I had to start on myself, so knew that the technique that causes least pain is to hold pen (or syringe) like a dart, jab in fast and depress plunger slowly.
 
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