I was diagnosed asT2 16 years ago but after going through all the tablets possible they have now discovered I have the antibodies which mean I am now diagnosed as Type 1 and moved to insulin. This has completely overwhelmed me and I feel I am teetering on the edge of depression as it seems Diabetes is now controlling my life. I have been put on Tresiba at night and NovoRapid during the day and given a basic introduction to carb counting. I have a Freestyle Libre sensor but I am not really sure what I am trying to achieve. Nearly everything I eat causes my sugar level to rise to 16 and occasionally 21. I feel adrift.
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Hello and help please as I feel overwhelmed
- Thread starter annell
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Tdm
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- Type 1
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Sorry to hear you feel that way, but at least now you have a correct diagnosis which means you can now start on the path to get your sugars under control. You are trying to keep your blood sugars in target range - normally 4 to 10. Very few people acheive this all the time so don't worry too much if its, like 1%, but rather aim for 5 %, then 10%.. you get my drift. Now you are on insulin you will have more control. Talk to your support team about if you need to up your insulin. You will soon be making those decisions yourself, but its early days.
In what way are you feelin diabetes is controlling your life?
How do you feel about being on insulin?
Its overwhelming at first, but it does get easier! Do bear in mind high blood sugars can make you feel grim in themself.
In what way are you feelin diabetes is controlling your life?
How do you feel about being on insulin?
Its overwhelming at first, but it does get easier! Do bear in mind high blood sugars can make you feel grim in themself.
Taking tablets did not really involve much thought by me but managing insulin seems a very different thing. Food has become a chore rather than something to be enjoyed. If I am out with a friend and want a coffee and a bite to eat it seems to have become too big a deal. Do I carry my pen with me at all times and do little top-ups? How do I carry a pen round with me now the weather is getting warmer? My support team at the Hospital did not talk about things like that. I know it all sounds a bit pathetic but worrying about getting this right seems to be my only waking thought and so I resent it. I think I need to talk to people to see how they manage and hopefully learn from them.
Inka
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- Type 1
Type 1 is a pain @annell but it will get easier. If you’ve recently started insulin, it’s very likely you’ve been put on less than you need for safety reasons. This will gradually be adjusted. However, if you’re staying in the high teens for any length of time, it might be best to give your team a call.
For meals and snacks out, just take your Novorapid insulin pen. The insulin you have in use doesn’t have to stay at fridge temperature. It will be fine in a bag.
For meals and snacks out, just take your Novorapid insulin pen. The insulin you have in use doesn’t have to stay at fridge temperature. It will be fine in a bag.
Bloden
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- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It’s only natural to feel like your life has been taken over by diabetes to begin with, but things do get better, honest. 🙂 There’s so much to learn at first, and tons of questions you’ll want answered - that’s how it was for me. But gradually diabetes becomes the new normal and life goes on as before - except with a much bigger handbag to accommodate your diabetes kit. 😉 Take one day at a time and be kind to yourself. It’s a steep learning curve at first, but it will get easier.
Misdiagnosed for 16 years! That must be a record @annell. 🙂
Misdiagnosed for 16 years! That must be a record @annell. 🙂
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trophywench
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- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Yes, I agree - it's ruddy scary to begin with, isn't it? Took all of us a few years to learn to walk, and tread and write and so forth. Dunno if you drive? - but a lot of us think it's a bit like learning to drive (even though you probably think I'm bats saying this.) However I was over 30 when I learned to drive & passed my test and I know very well to begin with I thought I'd never ever be able to remember to steer, accelerate, change gear, indicate, keep both eyes peeled and keep glancing in 3 mirrors to avoid accidents and get wherever safely - and do some of all the things simultaneously without consciously thinking about each individual thing. And yet - there I was a few years later driving about 60,000 miles a year for both business and pleasure in a variety of cars, some with manual gearboxes and some automatic ones. As well as anticipating hazards once you see a child or dog on the pavement or people parking cos they open car doors you know and studying the Highway Code and remembering where the dipstick is and which key on the bunch works what. But - you just DO. It simply always takes time and enough practice.
So take a breath (and do please make breathing an ingrained habit!
) and plod on at your own speed.
Don't try 'driving the length of the motorway' until you have more experience and feel ready, cos nobody at all expects you to! Good luck with the lessons.
So take a breath (and do please make breathing an ingrained habit!
) and plod on at your own speed.Don't try 'driving the length of the motorway' until you have more experience and feel ready, cos nobody at all expects you to! Good luck with the lessons.
TheClockworkDodo
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- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the forum @annell and sorry to hear you are feeling so overwhelmed by your change of diagnosis.
It does take a bit of getting used to, but really type 1 is so much easier to have than type 2 - there is no worrying about what you can or can't eat, you can eat whatever you like! Over time you will learn what insulin you need for what foods and injecting will just be second nature instead of feeling like a chore. It sounds as though the doses they've put you on to start with (which will have been a best guess, and as @Inka says they'll have erred on the side of caution) are a bit lower than they should be, so do contact your Diabetes Specialist Nurse and tell them that your readings after food are so high. Insulin doses need to be adjusted quite frequently and at first your DSN should be helping you with this, so make them do their job!
In normal weather you can just carry your Novorapid pen around with you in your bag, and you'll soon learn to guesstimate the carbs in any snack you want to eat when you're out so you can do a top-up dose for it if necessary. Some people have an app which helps with this (sorry I don't know which, don't have smartphone!).
If it's very hot you can get a Frio wallet from here - https://friouk.com/ or from Diabetes UK shop, you soak them in water and put your pens in them and they keep the insulin cool without it getting too cold.
It does take a bit of getting used to, but really type 1 is so much easier to have than type 2 - there is no worrying about what you can or can't eat, you can eat whatever you like! Over time you will learn what insulin you need for what foods and injecting will just be second nature instead of feeling like a chore. It sounds as though the doses they've put you on to start with (which will have been a best guess, and as @Inka says they'll have erred on the side of caution) are a bit lower than they should be, so do contact your Diabetes Specialist Nurse and tell them that your readings after food are so high. Insulin doses need to be adjusted quite frequently and at first your DSN should be helping you with this, so make them do their job!
In normal weather you can just carry your Novorapid pen around with you in your bag, and you'll soon learn to guesstimate the carbs in any snack you want to eat when you're out so you can do a top-up dose for it if necessary. Some people have an app which helps with this (sorry I don't know which, don't have smartphone!).
If it's very hot you can get a Frio wallet from here - https://friouk.com/ or from Diabetes UK shop, you soak them in water and put your pens in them and they keep the insulin cool without it getting too cold.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
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Welcome to the forum @annell
It is not at all uncommon or unusual to feel overwhelmed with a diabetes diagnosis - and while you’ve been living with diabetes for years, this reclassification is bound to be unsettling. Especially as you will have got used to a way of dealing with things, and now the rules and goalposts have all dramatically changed.
But don’t worry. It is a steep learning curve, and loads of stuff will need to be thought about in a very ‘front of mind’ way for a little while - but lots of that will fade into the background very quickly.
And just like the ‘learning to drive’ metaphor, soon enough you’ll be estimating carbs by eye, and calculating your insulin dose for the meal without breaking the conversation you are having with everyone else round the table 🙂
Insulin pens ‘in use’ are fine out of the fridge for 28 days, as long as they aren’t left anywhere that gets silly-hot - so keep them away from a parked car and window sill, in the cool/shade, and not somewhere that might freeze, and you’ll be fine 🙂
It is not at all uncommon or unusual to feel overwhelmed with a diabetes diagnosis - and while you’ve been living with diabetes for years, this reclassification is bound to be unsettling. Especially as you will have got used to a way of dealing with things, and now the rules and goalposts have all dramatically changed.
But don’t worry. It is a steep learning curve, and loads of stuff will need to be thought about in a very ‘front of mind’ way for a little while - but lots of that will fade into the background very quickly.
And just like the ‘learning to drive’ metaphor, soon enough you’ll be estimating carbs by eye, and calculating your insulin dose for the meal without breaking the conversation you are having with everyone else round the table 🙂
Insulin pens ‘in use’ are fine out of the fridge for 28 days, as long as they aren’t left anywhere that gets silly-hot - so keep them away from a parked car and window sill, in the cool/shade, and not somewhere that might freeze, and you’ll be fine 🙂
Hi,
Sorry to hear you're struggling with your diabetes. I was misdiagnosed with T2 just over 3 years ago at 40 years old. The metformin made things worse and I lost a lot of weight and felt awful all the time. Last October I was confirmed as being T1 and now on insulin and have a Libre sensor. It has helped a lot, but still have days where I feel tired, and lately having dizziness spells. It's a constant struggle and no 2 days are the same. I'm sure you're already watching what you eat and drink, but even then it can cause spikes in sugar levels, you should regularly check your ketones levels if it's going that high
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