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Hello

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Chrisss14

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi Everyone,

Just got diagnosed at the weekend with Type 1 at 24 after having blood sugar levels of 30.7. Any information or advice for someone like me just starting out will be greatly appreciated 🙂
 
Hi Chrisss14 and welcome to the forum. I am not a T1 but there are lots members on here who are and so you have a wealth of experience to tap into. I am sure some will be along soon to start the ball rolling.
 
Welcome to the Chris.
What insulin would you be on? Do you have a meter and a repeat pescription for test strips?
 
Welcome to the forum @Chrisss14
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but pleased that you have found us.
I have learnt most of the practical tips about managing my Diabetes from others on here.

It is a shock at whatever age you are diagnosed and there is lot to learn very quickly.
However it is a manageable condition and does not need to stop you doing anything.

At the start they will often put you on fixed doses of a background insulin (which will deal with the glucose dropped out by your liver to keep you ticking over) and also the quick acting insulin which will deal with the glucose from the carbohydrates you eat. In the early stages you may have some Beta cells surviving for a while which will continue to make some insulin, so things are not always predictable.

Once things settle you will need to start to be aware of the amount of carbohydrates you are eating and the amount of insulin you need. All carbs you eat will get converted to glucose once inside you, and you then need insulin to match this.

A book I found very useful at the start was Type1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas. Ignore the age reference (I was 53 at diagnosis) T1 is T1. It is full of practical advice for different situations and is regularly updated with the latest tech.

Keep in touch and fire away with any questions that you have. No one minds and nothing is considered silly on here.
 
Welcome to the forum @Chrisss14

And welcome to the club no one wants to join!

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but glad you have found us. we have literally centuries of lived diabetes experience on the forum, so no matter what your question, someone here will have some experiences or suggestions to share.

These would be my top 5 tips...

  1. Education. Get access to proper structured education regarding diabetes management. In the UK we have DAFNE which is highly thought of, but other options are available. Things that should be included (in my opinion) are:
    1. carbohydrate counting, working out how to check and change insulin:carb ratios for different times of the day
    2. BG monitoring technique - when to test and what to do with the results *including* basal testing to PROPERLY adjust basal on an ongoing basis
    3. correction factors - when and how to correct (with insulin or fast-acting carbs) to aim bring you back into range without jumping aboard the gluco-coaster
    4. exercise and alcohol
    5. dealing with illness
  2. If structured education courses are not available in your country/area you can do a lot worse than buying 'Think like a pancreas' (Scheiner), 'Type 1 Diabetes' (Hanas) or 'Pumping Insulin' (Walsh/Roberts) which cover much the same ground. Though the benefit of peer support in group sessions should not be underestimated. Alternatively look at the free BERTIE online course.
  3. Check BG more often AND RECORD THE RESULTS. Find some way of keeping notes daily as you go along. What you are eating, units and timing of doses (how long before... split doses...), exercise, mood, everything! Without a fairly detailed set of records I find it impossible to see what is going on. Personally I still love mySugr for this.
  4. Gadgets - seek out new tech that can help you manage your diabetes more easily. It might be a 0.5u pen; a smartphone tracking app, or copy of 'Carbs and Cals'; or it might be a BG meter with a bolus wizard so that you can have properly fine-tuned ratios without having to worry about keeping the maths easy. Additionally, ask your clinic about access to Insulin Pump therapy and CGM.
  5. Seek peer support - joining a forum like this one can help hugely. You might also find benefit reading some blog posts, joining Twitter, or Instagram or even *crazy!* join a local group and meet face to face when we are allowed to again. Living with diabetes is tough, but it's even harder if you are battling on your own. For everyone there's a little corner of the internet that can provide support, encouragement and shared experiences. www.t1resources.uk is a great way to find helpful and reliable stuff.
 
And of course Mike - the forum is having monthly Zoom get togethers, isn't it?
 
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