Help/Advice required

[Oblivious]

Hi, Me again.

It's been a little over a week since i got told i was diabetic and it really just hit me yesterday. I had called my doctor to get a refill on test strips, lancet drums and needles for the insulin pen as the supply the diabetic clinic had given me were running low. I went pick it up yesterday morning before work and found out they had given me a full prescription not just what i asked for, this included two boxes marked Humulin 3M. Fair enough i thought, a couple of insulin pens is ok but there were 5 in each box. by my calculations i now have a 4 or 5 month supply of insulin.

I kind of realised while walking from the pharmacy to go to work that this is now my life, it's not like taking antibiotics for an infection, i have to do this everyday for the rest of my life and to be honest i feel pretty gutted about it. It's hard to put into words how i feel and i know it's still early days but I'd like to know if you felt the same, what did you do to help those feelings go away?

sorry for the depressing post, i've attached a picture of my dogs to cheers everyone up after reading that

 

[Deleted member 25429]

Yes I felt the same . It takes some getting used to I was diagnosed type 1 in my 50s . But as your confidence grows , and you learn to read the messages your body is giving you it does become easier . The specialist diabetic nurse has been a tremendous support to me as has this forum . You aren’t alone , many people on this forum can probably relate to how you are feeling. Yes it’s a life changer but as my consultant said you learn to control it , it doesn’t control you . Thinking of you x ps your dogs are lovely

 

[Mrsw2811]

Hope you are feeling better today. Hugs xx

 

[eggyg]

I think my situation is quite different to most diabetics. I was expecting it! My diabetes is a “ side effect”, for want of a better word, of a life saving operation. So I can’t really grumble as I might not have been here to post this comment otherwise.

 

[Alister]

depressing @ first but now simply a way of life & i don't give it much thought.

 

[Tee G]

Hi @Oblivious - I think a lot of people can relate to that statement.

Ive heard it said that you have to give yourself time to 'grieve'. (i guess it goes for a lot of chronic diagnoses). Many of us have been lucky to have lived out our lives, for decades sometimes, relatively well and unencumbered. Then all of a sudden Diabetes hits us. We have to change a lot of things that have been familiar to us, eliminate things we have always been comfortable with. Suddenly having to put extra thought into everything we eat. A fundamental part of our existence. All to accommodate a disease which doesn't really show itself. By that I mean, like chicken pox or measles, at least you can see the rash and know it will end!. Diabetes is inside us/a part of us now. We have no choice about that.

Give yourself time to reflect and eventually embrace this new way of life. Well managed, it will be come second nature to a degree. I saw a close relative cope admirably with it for decades. I hope i will be as forthright with this disease as they were.

 

[Tee G]

Heres my cat to cheer you up 😉

 

[Brando77]

Well, if pets are allowed, here's Dexter and welcome.

 

[Tee G]

Why do they lie like that LOL hilarious

 

[trophywench]

Cos they're cats and they CAN !

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Why do they lie like that LOL hilarious

I suspect it's because they feel they can. (Apparently cats in the wild don't sleep all the time. They do it when they're with humans because they know they're safe (and looked after). Presumably sleeping while showing your soft belly would definitely not be a safe thing to do.)

 

[Oblivious]

Thanks for your kind words and pet photos. I think i am just feeling a bit overwhelmed and sorry for myself (mainly because i miss having dairy milk chocolate). I also feel a bit annoyed that my blood sugar is still all over the place, not having much experience i did think that it'd be a case of taking insulin and it would just naturally start lowering the blood sugar then it'd be a case of 'maintenance' injections.........stupid i know.


i'd love a freddo right now

 

[Tee G]

Oblivious, i utterly understand. I havent had a proper diagnosis (sus T2) but just being monitored by Dr with a BT now and then (see my notes below). But i treat myself as a full blown diabetic and have taken every step I can think of (with the help of this forum) to reduce my BG level and try to 'normalise' it as best i can. Whatever I do i will never be normal ever again. My reading I get from my BG monitor confirm that, it consistently put me in the pre-diabetic zone.

The thought of never having pasta, rice, bread, potatoes & 'normal' deserts in any great quantity horrifies me. I love cooking, I make Indian, Chinese, a wicked pizza (Daughter in law even bought me a proper 'stone' to cook the pizza - now i cant use it anymore). I sigh. I have to have 'cauliflower rice' with my curry now. I loved hot buttered toast, now i eat that livelife stuff (the size of your palm, and only 1 slice or i spike!) - I just have to get on with it. Its hard sometimes, thinking this is the rest of my life. But I know i have no choice. If I dont do this, i will only save up trouble for myself later on in life. I will prob join the 'medicine' club in future and again, theres nothing i can do about that either. All we can do is try to accept our lot in life. I tell myself "it could be a lot worse". All the best. At least we are here together 🙂

 

[Deleted member 25429]

Thanks for your kind words and pet photos. I think i am just feeling a bit overwhelmed and sorry for myself (mainly because i miss having dairy milk chocolate). I also feel a bit annoyed that my blood sugar is still all over the place, not having much experience i did think that it'd be a case of taking insulin and it would just naturally start lowering the blood sugar then it'd be a case of 'maintenance' injections.........stupid i know.


i'd love a freddo right now

Are you type 1 ? If you are you can still eat what you like just inject to cover it . I personally haven’t had chocolate since I was diagnosed , and I eat a very low carb diet but that is out of choice . I was on a diet before diagnosis and just wanted to carry on loosing weight . With a low carb diet I don’t need to inject as much insulin , hopefully reduces the risk of highs and lows .

 

[Oblivious]

Are you type 1 ? If you are you can still eat what you like just inject to cover it . I personally haven’t had chocolate since I was diagnosed , and I eat a very low carb diet but that is out of choice . I was on a diet before diagnosis and just wanted to carry on loosing weight . With a low carb diet I don’t need to inject as much insulin , hopefully reduces the risk of highs and lows .

i am still waiting to find out what type i am/have. both types run in my family

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Are you type 1 ? If you are you can still eat what you like just inject to cover it . I personally haven’t had chocolate since I was diagnosed , and I eat a very low carb diet but that is out of choice . I was on a diet before diagnosis and just wanted to carry on loosing weight . With a low carb diet I don’t need to inject as much insulin , hopefully reduces the risk of highs and lows .

Much trickier for @Oblivious at this stage because of only having access to mixed insulin.

It will be easier if you get access to MDI (separate background and meal/snack insulins a little later on).

I completely recognise that sudden realisation that this was now a permanent thing, and wasn’t going to go away. And it’s certainly very common to feel overwhelmed and profoundly affected in the early days. A diagnosis with diabetes (of any type) is a big thing to go through. But of all the long term conditions one might get, at least diabetes does respond well to a bit of attention and can be successfully managed with a few adaptations and changes.

We are here with you @Oblivious. And wishing you all the best in getting to grips with your diabetes over the coming months.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

J.R.R. Tolkien – The Fellowship of The Ring

 

[Oblivious]

Much trickier for @Oblivious at this stage because of only having access to mixed insulin.

is there a difference in the type of insulin and the action they have?

 

[grovesy]

Yes there are differnt types and some are a mixture of types aswell.

 

[Drummer]

If you crave pizza you can make one that is low carb - look up 'fat head' pizza dough - it also, I am told makes sausage rolls - there are few foods which cannot be adjusted to suit needs.
I eat 95 percent cocoa chocolate - sparingly, one square at a time - but I decide that, I am not driven by a craving for carbs. I bought the bars before Christmas and there are still several left.