Feeling down and anxious after recent diagnosis

[francescakate]

Hi everyone. I posted here last week about my new T1 diagnosis and had lots of helpful advice - so far this feels like the only place I can say something and feel like it's understood.

I've got my blood sugar levels stable(ish) after a week on background insulin, with the last 3 days being mostly in range. I was feeling optimistic about things but a bad experience with my hospital, again, has just left me feeling awful. There was a whole drama just before Christmas where the hospital consultant forgot to send my prescription to my GP and the nurses had some issues getting the hospital pharmacy to do my prescription so I had no testing equipment or insulin for well over a week and I was having to call every day. I went into hospital to pick them up and was told that I'd be able to get them from my GP from then onwards.

I realised this morning that the box of 100 lancets the hospital gave me (thrown in a brown envelope and left on a desk at the clinic with my name written on, not actually packaged by the pharmacy) had been opened prior to being given to me and they must have taken some out because I've come to my last few lancets well before the end of my 60 test strips, they must have given me less than 50 out of the pack of 100. I rang the GP and the consultant still hasn't sent my prescription to them weeks later and the hospital have yet to call me back. I've ended up buying lancets on Amazon which doesn't feel safe but the only alternative was reusing needles when I run out.

I guess I'm just struggling with the complete lack of care I seem to be getting. Not one person has even told me what T1 is, other than Google and you guys, I had to figure insulin out by myself, I've been given no diet advice or education. Thankfully I'm in the honeymoon phase so if I mess up, I'm still at least producing some insulin but it's hard. I finally got my levels below 15 and was almost put in a position where I wouldn't be able to test anyway - it makes me wonder why I'm even bothering trying to get good control before I completely lose my ability to produce insulin. I feel a bit like the hospital won't take me seriously unless I go into DKA (not saying I would intentionally let that happen). I've requested to move to a different hospital now so I hope I can get some support there for some of this depression/anxiety.

 

[Leadinglights]

I think you will find many people re-use lancets without any problems as long as it is only you using then. You can make the ones you have last until you get more. Not that that excuses the problem you had.

 

[janw]

Yes, as @Leadinglights says a lot of us re-use our lancets providing they are for our sole use only. I did change mine each and every time in the early days (I just followed "the rules" as such), but now I just change it about once a month, though I am not using it before and after every meal anymore, I've not yet felt that one has gone blunt on me. How often you change it is a personal choice, but you don't need to change it every time if you don't want to. Don't fret over it otherwise that could increase your BG. Do read up on T1 in the Learning Zone (link is at top of page), that should help and guide you - as well as getting same from the T1s in here too. No one understands it better than someone who also lives it 24/7, that's for sure.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Ah @francescakate I am so sorry to hear how poorly you have been supported. I know the healthcare system is under a lot of pressure, but leaving a newly diagnosed T1 with no insulin really isn’t good enough. You might even consider registering a formal complaint once you have transferred to another hospital.

How often you change it is a personal choice, but you don't need to change it every time if you don't want to.

Forum lore has it that people with diabetes change their lancets once every year on St Swithin’s Day (whether they need to or not!)

 

[rebrascora]

Ah @francescakate I am so sorry to hear how poorly you have been supported. I know the healthcare system is under a lot of pressure, but leaving a newly diagnosed T1 with no insulin really isn’t good enough. You might even consider registering a formal complaint once you have transferred to another hospital.



Forum lore has it that people with diabetes change their lancets once every year on St Swithin’s Day (whether they need to or not!)

I'm rather extravagant and usually change mine twice a year, St Swithin's Day and New Years Day...... but I forgot this New Year, so it will have to wait until St Swithin's now! The great thing about that is that someone on here will post a thread to remind us all!

Joking aside, it really sounds like you haven't been well supported by your clinic team and hopefully a change of hospital will help, but I have a feeling that will take time to arrange. Obviously we can't help with prescriptions but we will support you here on the forum with whatever we can. Chin up, it will get better. The first few months are the most difficult, so hang in there!

 

[Lucyr]

I honestly can't remember when i last changed my lancet, i do make sure to change it at least once or twice a year though. So wouldn't worry about reusing lancets.

 

[francescakate]

I think you will find many people re-use lancets without any problems as long as it is only you using then. You can make the ones you have last until you get more. Not that that excuses the problem you had.

That helps a lot, thank you! I remember back when I had gestational diabetes, they really hammered home never to reuse the lancets but I had super intensive care from them and it was only temporary so never needed to reuse them anyway. Now I'm T1, it'll be less stressful knowing I can do that.

 

[francescakate]

Yes, as @Leadinglights says a lot of us re-use our lancets providing they are for our sole use only. I did change mine each and every time in the early days (I just followed "the rules" as such), but now I just change it about once a month, though I am not using it before and after every meal anymore, I've not yet felt that one has gone blunt on me. How often you change it is a personal choice, but you don't need to change it every time if you don't want to. Don't fret over it otherwise that could increase your BG. Do read up on T1 in the Learning Zone (link is at top of page), that should help and guide you - as well as getting same from the T1s in here too. No one understands it better than someone who also lives it 24/7, that's for sure.

I've found the information on the Learning Zone and this forum really helpful, so thank you. I remember being told the first time I used them to always get fresh ones for hygiene reasons and that they go blunt really fast so it's good to know that that isn't necessarily the case. I've only got a few left and no sign of a new prescription yet so it's a good job!

 

[francescakate]

Ah @francescakate I am so sorry to hear how poorly you have been supported. I know the healthcare system is under a lot of pressure, but leaving a newly diagnosed T1 with no insulin really isn’t good enough. You might even consider registering a formal complaint once you have transferred to another hospital.



Forum lore has it that people with diabetes change their lancets once every year on St Swithin’s Day (whether they need to or not!)

Thank you 🙂 It's been a bit of a nightmare to be honest but I've found this forum reassuring. It's hard because I understand how overwhelmed the system is at the minute but it's also difficult to remember that when you're there panicking and in need of medicine. They've said they'll move me to the other hospital no problem and everyone I spoke to was lovely so I don't want to complain really. Fingers crossed my experience from now on is a bit better.

 

[francescakate]

I'm rather extravagant and usually change mine twice a year, St Swithin's Day and New Years Day...... but I forgot this New Year, so it will have to wait until St Swithin's now! The great thing about that is that someone on here will post a thread to remind us all!

Joking aside, it really sounds like you haven't been well supported by your clinic team and hopefully a change of hospital will help, but I have a feeling that will take time to arrange. Obviously we can't help with prescriptions but we will support you here on the forum with whatever we can. Chin up, it will get better. The first few months are the most difficult, so hang in there!

I can't believe I've been here panicking I might have to use one lancet per day and then find out it's just common practice to reuse the same for a while! I feel daft now.

They've confirmed they can move me to the other hospital without much of a fuss because it's really just another campus. The consultants will be different there though and I've had experience with their clinic when I was pregnant and they were brilliant so fingers crossed.

 

[francescakate]

I honestly can't remember when i last changed my lancet, i do make sure to change it at least once or twice a year though. So wouldn't worry about reusing lancets.

It's definitely put my mind at rest seeing everyone's comments saying they rarely change them!

 

[rebrascora]

It's definitely put my mind at rest seeing everyone's comments saying they rarely change them!

Just to be clear, the medical advice is to use a new one each time, but providing it is for your use only, then multiple times doesn't seem to create any problems at all.... just don't tell nursie or he/she will have a fit!

I am sure we all panicked about lots of stuff in the beginning when we were newly diagnosed. Everything is so new and scary and we are trying to do everything right but struggling to remember even half of what we were told or shown in that very limited appointment we had with the nurse when our mind went blank after 5 mins and the rest of the info went in one ear and out the other. This is where the forum comes into it's own because you can come on here and fill in the blanks and find practical solutions to the sort of everyday difficulties that crop up from time to time. Stick with us, you will learn lots..... and we will remind you to change your lancet on St Swithin's Day. 😉