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Hello!

V

Veilofignorance

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Type 1
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Hi there, I’m completely new to diabetes, having been diagnosed as T1 four days ago and admitted to hospital for three nights including a night on an insulin drip. I’m a middle aged man with no family history of diabetes so it’s all been a bit of a surprise! But I’m determined to manage my diabetes as well as possible, and live a good life. I’m really grateful for support like this forum.
 
Welcome to the forum @Veilofignorance, pleased you found us; there's endless support here.
What a shock it must be to have been to be diagnosed with type 1 only four days ago. How are you finding things? What insulin have you been given? Feel free to ask any questions you might have - diabetes is a massive learning curve but you're not alone. The community is here to help! <3
 
Welcome @Veilofignorance 🙂 Sorry you’ve had to join the Type 1 club. If it makes you feel any better, 9 out of 10 people diagnosed with Type 1 have no family history of it. It’s just bad luck.

What insulins are you on?
 
Thanks so much for the welcome. I don’t know if it is a shock quite yet - there’s so much to learn that I’m just trying to take it all in and do the right things. Maybe the shock will come later!
My insulin is humulin and novorapid but I’ve been told I might be moved off novorapid to something more fast acting once I’ve been assigned a consultant. My a1c was 117 at diagnosis, which I’ve been told is quite high so I’m just glad that I was diagnosed and could move onto treatment.
 
Hi and welcome from me too.

I am coming up to 6 years down the line from diagnosis and it does get easier but it is a bit of a whirlwind at first because there is so much to learn, even just to get the basics. Then there is more advanced diabetesing to get your head around where you start to develop a bit of finesse to your diabetes management. It certainly keeps you on your toes and mentally agile, as there are so many things to take into consideration, but it is also mostly reasonably forgiving when you make mistakes, as we all do from time to time and the technology we have now to help us is amazing, so plenty to be positive about.
Do you inject your Humulin twice a day?
Interesting that they are looking at moving you off Novo(not so 🙄)Rapid so soon. Was it Fiasp or Lyumjev that was mentioned as the faster insulin or do you not know yet? I use Fiasp and it really suits me now but after a couple of years of using NR it was challenging to change, so an early swap for you now before you get into a routine with NR is a good call I think.

Did you develop DKA (Diabetic KetoAcidosis)? If so, I hope that you are not suffering any ill effects from that now. It is interesting how differently the NHS treats people differently at diagnosis, but great that you have had such prompt treatment. I imagine it will feel a bit scary going home after having the support in hospital but the forum is here to support you and answer any question you have and share our experiences, which will hopefully give you some reassurance. Please feel free to ask anything, no matter how trivial or basic you think it might be. I found a lot of what the nurse told me went in one ear and out the other and it wasn't until I came to the forum that I started filling in the blanks and connecting the dots and it has been the single most useful resource of knowledge and practical experience since then, so I am really pleased you have found it at this very early stage.

Look forward to hearing more from you and perhaps helping you with your diabetes journey.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome from me too.

I am coming up to 6 years down the line from diagnosis and it does get easier but it is a bit of a whirlwind at first because there is so much to learn, even just to get the basics. Then there is more advanced diabetesing to get your head around where you start to develop a bit of finesse to your diabetes management. It certainly keeps you on your toes and mentally agile, as there are so many things to take into consideration, but it is also mostly reasonably forgiving when you make mistakes, as we all do from time to time and the technology we have now to help us is amazing, so plenty to be positive about.
Do you inject your Humulin twice a day?
Interesting that they are looking at moving you off Novo(not so 🙄)Rapid so soon. Was it Fiasp or Lyumjev that was mentioned as the faster insulin or do you not know yet? I use Fiasp and it really suits me now but after a couple of years of using NR it was challenging to change, so an early swap for you now before you get into a routine with NR is a good call I think.

Did you develop DKA (Diabetic KetoAcidosis)? If so, I hope that you are not suffering any ill effects from that now. It is interesting how differently the NHS treats people differently at diagnosis, but great that you have had such prompt treatment. I imagine it will feel a bit scary going home after having the support in hospital but the forum is here to support you and answer any question you have and share our experiences, which will hopefully give you some reassurance. Please feel free to ask anything, no matter how trivial or basic you think it might be. I found a lot of what the nurse told me went in one ear and out the other and it wasn't until I came to the forum that I started filling in the blanks and connecting the dots and it has been the single most useful resource of knowledge and practical experience since then, so I am really pleased you have found it at this very early stage.

Look forward to hearing more from you and perhaps helping you with your diabetes journey.
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The tech has been brilliant already - I like lots of information so being able to track my sugars on Libre is great, especially as they seem to be all over the place just now. My first outpatient appointment with a diabetic nurse is tomorrow, but the nurse I saw in hospital was amazing, so long may that continue.
Not sure of names of different insulin I might go to, I was just told that novarapid isn’t always very responsive. I’m glad to say I didn’t have DKA, my ketones were at 1.2 but never higher. For a month or so I was very thirsty and visibly losing a lot of weight, but I had put those down to fluoxetine (thirst) and giving up alcohol (weight). Had no idea these were diabetes signs, until I got chest pains at work last week. Went to hospital to rule out cardiac issues and got told my blood sugars were sky high. A bit of a blur since then!
 
I’ve just swapped to Novorapid and also find it fine. IMO it’s a better choice for someone newly diagnosed than a ‘faster’ one because something like Fiasp has its own vagaries. Newer isn’t always better.

Type 1 is a big learning experience @Veilofignorance It’s a hard job being a pancreas and it takes time to learn. Even then, perfection is impossible. We just try to do our best. Your confidence will grow gradually as the months go by. It might seem overwhelming now but things will get easier. It’s a condition where you have to ‘be your own expert’ and also advocate for yourself.

There are a couple of books often recommended for Type 1s on this forum:

Think Like a Pancreas’ by Gary Scheiner.

And Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas.

Think Like A Pancreas is American but I liked the chatty style and it contains some great information, as does the Ragnar Hanas book.
 
Welcome to the forum @Veilofignorance - Am glad you have found us so soon after diagnosis (I wish I had!) - there is an awful lot to learn, and it will have it's bumps in the road, but it definitely does get easier (I'm only 2 1/2 years since diagnosis myself) - I similarly lost a lot of weight in a short period of time, and it was also picked up via a routine blood test for something else - I wouldn't worry about the Novorapid at this stage - agreed, it is not as rapid as the name suggests, but it may work for you just fine (4 days would be a bit early to change!) - and don't worry too much about your BG being all over the place to start with - it will take time for you to get your insulin dosages and timings right - feel free to ask any questions you may have, however "silly" or trivial you may think they are - you will not be judged here - wishing you all the very best
 
Welcome to the forum, 9 months diagnosed for me, don't bring your bloods down too quickly, it will make your eyes blurry. This will pass in a couple of months but unpleasant and worrying during that time. If you drive it is important to let DVLA and your insurer know. After that try to relax, I was told it takes a year to get your head around things and I thoroughly agree with that. This forum is the BEST place for information be cautious about other sites.
Be kind to yourself and try not to stress the numbers.
Take care
 
Welcome to the forum @Veilofignorance , but sorry that you have needed to join us.
I am sixteen years into this now having been diagnosed at 53 with no family history of diabetes.

I have used Novorapid throughout apart from a brief spell on FIASP which did not suit me at all. I agree with @Inka that Novorapid might be easier to manage at the start, and certainly works well for me.

There is so much to take on board at the start, but it definitely gets easier. A bit like learning to drive. So much of it becomes automatic after a while. I would recommend both books that have been suggested. Good reference books and both have clear explanations of what is going on.

In the early days the nurses will want to bring down your levels gradually especially as they were so high at diagnosis. Let us know how your first outpatient appointment goes and do come back with any questions that arise. Nothing is thought to be silly on here. Just ask.
 
Welcome to the forum @Veilofignorance

And to the ‘Hotel California’ club of pancreas impersonators 😛
 
I see what you tried to do there - not sure where either hedonism or materialism fit in to this equation though, even though not being able to leave certainly fits!
 
trophywench said:
I see what you tried to do there - not sure where either hedonism or materialism fit in to this equation though, even though not being able to leave certainly fits!
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Life in the fast lane: does coke cure diabetes?

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Veilofignorance said:
Thanks so much for the welcome. I don’t know if it is a shock quite yet - there’s so much to learn that I’m just trying to take it all in and do the right things. Maybe the shock will come later!
My insulin is humulin and novorapid but I’ve been told I might be moved off novorapid to something more fast acting once I’ve been assigned a consultant. My a1c was 117 at diagnosis, which I’ve been told is quite high so I’m just glad that I was diagnosed and could move onto treatment.
Click to expand...
Welcome I was diagnosed in April, no family history either. Great help and advice on here
 
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