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KookyCat

KookyCat

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Firstly I hope I'm doing this right, despite being quite technical I haven't used many forums before so please forgive me if I've made a pickle. Second, hello everyone!

I'm a newly diagnosed Type 1 at the ripe old age of 40. I was admitted to hospital in late January with DKA and have been told I was very lucky I survived because it was pretty advanced with a glucose level of 61 and a Ph of 6.9. This was all a bit of a shock since I had no idea you could "get" type 1 as an adult, my Dad was a type 2 so I already understood the condition but didn't realise how different type 1 is in terms of treatment and underlying causes. During my DKA experience I lost a lot of muscle (because I was already under weight) which has been very difficult and whilst off sick have found out I'm being made redundant, so in all a very stressful time. After 8 weeks I have finally managed to get the blood sugar in line after nagging my healthcare team to take me off mixed insulin and move me to fast acting and separate long range insulin so at least I can stay awake for longer than four hours at a time and I think I detect fewer aches and pains from my daily shuffle walks 🙂

Outside of all this pesky diabetes business I have an obsession with Kipling bags, Lulu Guinness accessories, nailpolish and Doc Marten boots, which probably sums up the basic contradiction in my personality. I believe in being positive, working hard and in finding fun wherever I am, and above all I respect people because of their quirks rather than in spite of them. The best thing about my job is (soon to be was sadly) finding people with raw talent and helping them harness it into something special. I read a lot, like to be busy, and struggle to ask for help (my childhood catch phrase was "I can do it" when anyone tried to help me so I think its nature rather than nurture). I hope I haven't rambled on too much, just wanted to introduce myself to everyone, so I can work on that asking for help issue :D
 
Hi KookyCat, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about your diagnosis, sounds a bit similar to mine. I was 49 and due to run a marathon that week, so it came completely out of the blue. Like you, I lost a lot of weight, but was able to build myself up enough to run the Great South Run 5 months later.

Great that you managed to get off the mixed insulin, I was fortunately never put on it, but went straight onto basal/bolus. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, they are a friendly and knowledgeable bunch here 🙂 Also, I would highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas. Don't be misled by the title, it applies whatever your age and is very well-written, covering all topics 🙂

I hope that you can find more work very soon 🙂
 
Hi KookyCat great to read your post and welcome to the forum. I am sorry about your diagnosis but it seems like you have got a pretty good grip on your diabetes. I think you might be me, Kipling bags, Lulu Guiness, nail polish and doc Martins, sounds like heaven to me :D Just add in Vivienne Westwood and you have got me !! So sorry about your job, will you be able to find anything else once you have built up your strength and stopped shuffling ? You take care and its no sin to ask for help sometimes its just plain old sensible TinTin

P.S What colour nails today then, me Turquoise 🙂
 
Hello KookyCat,

It is a steep learning curve at first, I hope the basal/bolus insulin is helping you to get into a pattern and the muscle wasting from DKA is improving so you get stronger and can walk better in your Doc Marten boots. On the plus side you sound as if you have some great bags to cart all your diabetes paraphernalia around in. Good luck with it all.
 
Welcome to the forum KookyCat 🙂
 
Hiya kcat. Sorry you've had to join our club, but thanks for the great intro. I was dx at 41...that's life eh? Good luck with getting your strength back.😱🙂
 
Hi Kookycat. I want some Doc Martins ! I used to love wearing them, very comfortable. Love the song down in the tube stn at midnight. Wasn't a skinhead but a punk in my youth. Welcome 🙂
 
Welcome Kookycat.

Sorry you have to be here. Good to hear you're getting onto basal bolus / MDI / long and short acting insulin in separate injections - it makes it possible to adjust diabetes to life, instead of adjusting life to diabetes.

You'll need to find ideal Kipling bag to carry a pencil case with insulin pen(s), spare cartridges & needles, meter, strips and lancets, pljus a pacet of sweets, spare muesli bar etc. No need to carry tons of supplies, just enough.

Also, good luck in your job search. For me, diagnosis aged 30 years meant the end of so many jobs, including Territorial Army, professional SCUBA diving, driving minibuses (so couldn't continue in ecotourism) etc. However, it doesn't sound like your line of work will be affected by diabetes.
 
Thank you for the warm welcome

Thank you all for the warm welcome, I'm finding the basal bolus much better and actually have glucose readings within the normal human range. I didn't realise how nasty I'd really been feeling until I had two days in the 5 range and the world looked brighter, happier and generally more hopeful! It's good to hear that you've all got through this and there's light at the end of the tunnel. I'll be happy if I can run a mile after five months, admiration for the 5k!

In answer to the questions, not sure yet what I'll do about work, I think maybe its time for a drastic change, I'm lucky in one respect that I feel like I still haven't found my true passion, so maybe it's waiting for me. Today's nail polish is a rather alluring duck egg blue, shortly to be changed for a bright red to match the favourite docs with red embroidered roses up the side. My first act as a free woman after hospital was the ordering of a kipling bag with handy pockets for monitors, biscuits, jelly babies and pens (well there has to be a perk 🙂), the nerd in me is also very tempted by a monitor linked to my iphone because of the graphs and charts which appeals to the data analyst in me. Quite excited by the carb counting class I'm due to have because of the maths involved, which is probably quite sad but I like a bit of analysis.

Having an interesting day today having tried a switch to lantus dosing in the morning to try and solve an insomnia mystery that coincided with the switch from the evil pre-mix. Started high, going lower so those jelly babies might be making an appearance soon. Has anyone else had insomnia issues? Far as I can tell in my silly collection of bones the Lantus has a peak (although I'm told it doesn't have a peak) at around the five hour mark because that's when the waking happens. I'm pretty determined to solve this mystery, those specialist nurses will be running when they hear my name soon 😱

Hope you're all having a good day, can't say I'm thrilled to join the club, but I'm very pleased to meet all of you. Another perk😉
 
Hi KookyKat glad you are feeling better with new non-mixed and thou rally evil insulin. I am on Lantus and for years took it in the morning but not due to insmnia. I now take it at night again as was advised this was a better option for me. I suffer from insomnia generally but I have severe complications with kidneys, I am in no way suggesting this is what is wrong with you as they would have checked your kidneys out when in hospital). But the only other time I suffer from it is if my bs are way too high, again I doubt that is your problem. I have just got a new Fossil bag, very nice and a new grey nail varnish which I am quite excited about (sad). Hope you enjoy your course and learn lots of helpful things 🙂
 
When I was on lantus I always used to test if I woke in the night, and sometimes I was hypo. I'm pretty sure lantus does have a peak, although with me it was at 1-2 hours. Have fun on the course, it's nice to meet others in the same boat 🙂
 
KookyCat said:
obsession with Kipling bags, Lulu Guinness accessories, nailpolish and Doc Marten boots
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You'll catch a chill. 😱

Me, I begrudge paying for carrier bags.

Fantastic outlook KC. Sorry to see you here (if that sounds right). 🙂
 
Hiya kcat.

I often get a peak with Lantus, between 5 and 7 hours after injecting (I inject at 10pm) which can cause a hypo. I tried injecting in the morning, but had hypos at work (not ideal surrounded by screaming five-year-olds - I'm a teacher). I'd rather have night-time hypos frankly, especially since my body wakes me up. Hope that helps!🙂
 
I am the same I peak between 5 and 6 hours usually and thats when a hypo hits if it is going to happen. Like you Bloden I prefer to do it at home at night if it is going to happen rather than when I may be out and about.
 
Hypo city

Thanks for the responses, I am currently having daytime hypos having switched to am Lantusing, but I sort of expected it because I was fairly sure I was having them at night, having woken with night sweats a fair few times. What confused me was I'd getting a reading of a mid to high four, but I have a nerve problem in my right hand which makes fiddling with a lancet and a meter a long drawn out affair. I'd read about a rebound effect and wondered if I was suffering from that because when waking at three I was absolutely buzzing similar to the one and only time I had to use an epi-pen. Three in the morning would have been the five hour mark so I guessed I was having a peak of some sort. Yesterday I got a 3.4 in the afternoon which was very odd and not what I was expecting, this morning I had a 1.9 mid morning at about the four and a half hour mark (I'd fallen asleep because the month of three hours of sleep a night is catching up with me). I'm getting quite good with the jelly babies and biscuits now so not over correcting as much as before. It's quite the fiddly business all this insulin stuff (how blissfully ignorant I have been all my life). I think I'm going to tinker with my mealtime rapid doses if this pattern persists, until I get my carb counting instruction at any rate. The down side seems to be that I don't wake up when having a hypo until I've gone really low so at the moment I prefer them in the daytime although I'd much prefer a nice steady 5.5 all the time if I'm putting a wish list together 🙂

I'm jealous of the fossil bag (I like bags a lot!), and feel a nailpolish treat coming on tomorrow, perhaps a nice springtime lilac since I believe we're in for a bit of sunshine (or at least for those us in the Northwest an absence of rain). Happy Friday everyone!
 
KookyCat said:
I'm jealous of the fossil bag (I like bags a lot!), and feel a nailpolish treat coming on tomorrow, perhaps a nice springtime lilac since I believe we're in for a bit of sunshine (or at least for those us in the Northwest an absence of rain). Happy Friday everyone!
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I just got one that very colour yesterday from Barry M. I have a good selection of his textures too and love mixing them up with the colours.
 
AlisonM said:
I just got one that very colour yesterday from Barry M. I have a good selection of his textures too and love mixing them up with the colours.
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Hi there are we at it ?, buying bags I mean :D I love all bags and have a dream of a tartan Vivienne Westwood flying to me one day but at £400 it will always be just a dream 😉 Sorry about all of the hypos you are having, maybe you need less Lantus, but until you are carb counting and know how much fast acting you need with each meal it will be difficult. When is your carb counting course set for ? Theres a good bookcalled "Carbs & Cals" by Chris Cheyette & Yello Balolia. It is quite useful at helping to judge how many carbs are in a meal. Lilac nailpolish sounds lovely !!🙂
 
Sorry, I meant Lilac nail polish. I don't do bags as such any more, not enough hands what with the two walking sticks. Do Fossil make backpacks? :D

I got the pocket edition Carbs & Cals last year and have found it very handy.
 
I'll have a look at the Barry M stand tomorrow I think, usually I set my heart on a colour I can't find it! Fossil did quite a nice backpack last year (not obsessed well only a bit!).

My course is the 7th may (my birthday as it happens 🙂) so not too long away. I bought the pocket carbs and cals book yesterday so hoping that will help, also have the app. Yes I'm chomping at the carb counting bit :D. I'll try a bit of dialling back of the lantus as well just in case it's too much, just need to work out which one to twiddle first. Decisions, decisions, I don't know what I did with my time before all this. Goodness knows what would happen if I tried a glass of wine, maybe I'll plan that in for the next quarter, I'm not sure I'd notice the difference between wine induced kiddy kiping and something more ominous.
 
I got mine from Boots, they have a huge selection and I saw at least three versions of lilac/lavender as well as several other purples, including a lovely deep plum colour that I succumbed to as well from Collection 2000. No7 have some great shades.
 
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