Hi. Unfortunately I'm here!

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hi Nomorecakes.... welcome to the forum .... sorry you have to be here.... but it is an informative forum and also fun 🙂
 
Welocome to the forum 🙂
 
Hi and welcome to the forum 🙂
 
Hi I was diagnosed on 10 February. Wont forget it. I notice you have only been diagnosed recently. Does it get any easier? I see one of your interests is your dog, mine too, I have a german shepherd. What have you got?
 
Hi nomorecakes and welcome to the forum. 🙂

I notice that nobody else has actually explained basal/bolus yet? Apologies if you already know this (now!) but basal refers to your background insulin requirement, due to the glucose that your liver trickles into the blood; bolus is the additional insulin required to process food, as it enters the blood stream (MDI = Multiple Daily Injections). Basal is slow-acting and bolus is the fast acting insulin.
As others have suggested, using a mixed insulin means that you need to eat controlled amounts at set times, to match the insulin that is already in your body. It is not unusual for newbies to start on this regime, even today, as it lets you get accustomed to the new world of diabetes (blood tests, carb counting, good/bad foods etc), especially if you have a "honeymoon" period during which your pancrease may have odd spurts of producing insulin.
MDI gives you greater flexibility and lets you alter your insulin to match what you expect to eat - and, yes, cakes are possible! :D
There's a lot of stuff to learn, but none of it is particularly difficult.
Just keep testing, analyse the results and ask lots of questions.
Good luck.

PS. my auntie was diagnosed T1 at 65, after a lifetime of struggles with weight. Although she was perplexed by the barrage of info, she has now settled into it and lost some weight!
 
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Hi Chrismbee!

Thanks for your kind reply, I have had several explanations re the different types of regimes, and it's good to know I'm not the only one diagnosed at a later age.! I have been struggling a bit with this mixed insulin - having to eat at certain times, as I have a good lifestyle and am not staying in just to feed my insulin which is having to happen right now, so I'm seeing my DSN sometime this week I hope and discuss something better suited to my lifestyle. I hope she will help me.
Yesterday I had visitors for lunch and we walked before hand, I came back - cooking dinner mid-way I had a hypo!! and my lunch wasn't even due, I suppose it was all the exercise and the excitement, but there must be another way?? even if I'm new. It seems it makes new people even more confused.
 
Deborah Batton said:
Hi I was diagnosed on 10 February. Wont forget it. I notice you have only been diagnosed recently. Does it get any easier? I see one of your interests is your dog, mine too, I have a german shepherd. What have you got?
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Hi Deborah,

I've got a little jack russell terrier! she's our life, we love walking and playing with her. great aren't they?

I was diagnosed in Nov 10. and I am on mixed insulin and my life is very restricted, I have to eat at certain times and eat practically the same each day. I hate it, and am trying to get to see my DSN (diabetes specialist nurse) soon to get it changed. I dont mind the injections at all, that's not what bothers me, it balancing all the food to the insulin. hopefull I can change this and get something where the insulin works for the food I'm eating.

Keep in touch! we can help each other along with this.! 🙂
 
nomorecakes said:
we walked before hand, I came back - cooking dinner mid-way I had a hypo!! and my lunch wasn't even due, I suppose it was all the exercise and the excitement, but there must be another way??
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It probably was the walk & excitement that caused the hypo 🙂 if you're burning up extra glucose in your body, in a person with type 1 this needs to be replaced - in that instance I would have had a little something to eat or drink (full sugar drink!) at some point to stop me dipping low later on 🙂 you'll learn over time what sends your levels up and down - ie the excitement of having friends round etc!

You sound really motivated to get onto a better regime and that's the best way to be! Life is so much better on MDI/not on mixed insulin, in my opinion!
 
I must admit, I can't imagine how restricted my life would have been on mixed insulin. I don't know how I could have handled getting back into training for running, for example, if I could never be sure that I had enough carbs on board to counteract the exercise - being able to finely tune my insulin doses to the food I wanted to eat prior to a run made it realatively simple to adapt to.
 
Hi Susie, welcome to the forum. I can't help as I am Type 2 but I am learning more about Type 1 from this thread.

I have never seen a DSN but do see the practice nurse who believes every bulletin she is sent from the PCT. She sees diabetes as a condition and thinks everyone can be treated exactly the same way. Since joining this forum, I see things differently! Congratulations on finding this forum - they are brilliant and no question is too basic or stupid or timewasting - you have found a very good supportive bunch of people.
 
Basal and bolus will be much better if you can get that!

But you still might have unexpected hypos. Certainly cooking dinner for others after a walk... It's a good idea to test your blood sugar before, during and after exercise, if it was lowish I'd have something to keep me going to get the meal cooked!
 
Hi, and thanks for the message..

I am learning all the time! I thought as I was on mixed insulin it would last a bit until lunchtime, but I know now!! I have been speaking to my DSN this morning and she is going to arrange for me to go onto the basal bolus regime!! YEAHHH. I hope I can manage the maths involved working out carbs etc... But I'm sure it'll be better than what I am taking now.
 
nomorecakes said:
Hi, and thanks for the message..

I am learning all the time! I thought as I was on mixed insulin it would last a bit until lunchtime, but I know now!! I have been speaking to my DSN this morning and she is going to arrange for me to go onto the basal bolus regime!! YEAHHH. I hope I can manage the maths involved working out carbs etc... But I'm sure it'll be better than what I am taking now.
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Great news!! Carb counting is daunting to begin with but gets wayyyy easier over time. A calculator comes in very handy!!
 
nomorecakes said:
Hi, and thanks for the message..

I am learning all the time! I thought as I was on mixed insulin it would last a bit until lunchtime, but I know now!! I have been speaking to my DSN this morning and she is going to arrange for me to go onto the basal bolus regime!! YEAHHH. I hope I can manage the maths involved working out carbs etc... But I'm sure it'll be better than what I am taking now.
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That is such good news! I can't imagine that basal/bolus will prove any more complicated than trying to match your life to mixed insulins, so I don't think you need fear it 🙂

A lot of people find it easier in the beginning if they weigh food so they can be more accurate with their carb counting - this is a good set of scales:

Salter 1406 Nutri Weigh Slim Dietary Computer Scale

Also, a very popular book (also available as an App, I believe) is Carbs & Cals: A Visual Guide to Carbohydrate & Calorie Counting for People with Diabetes

or the new version which also includes proteins and fats: Carbs & Cals & Protein & Fat: A Visual Guide to Carbohydrate, Protein, Fat & Calorie Counting for Healthy Eating

🙂
 
Just catching up and that is excellent news ! :D

You'll be fine with the calculations I'm sure.

I know I found the mixed insulins very restrictive and was on them for 15-20 years. When I was offered MDI, it enabled a whole new freedom.

I'm really pleased the DSN is going to help you.🙂

Rob
 
Thanks

Thanks to all for your information!!
I was armed to the teeth when I called my DSN, I had downloaded and printed a sheet from the insulin type page, had a whole speech ready in my head, and she just said, "Yes I agree with you, but we start people on ito begin with to get them ued to injecting etc.." so I felt a little humble, and she then went on to say she'd phone the nurse that could give me al the information and training etc. it may take a couple of weeks, but at least I wasn't refused. great news.

The scales look excellent, I might just invest in those.

Boy! am I glad I found you guys!
 
Ah! Good news Susie! 🙂 I'm still not entirely sure that it's necessary to 'start you off' on mixed insulins as it sounds more difficult to deal with to me and basal bolus is only a couple of injections more 🙄 Still, it will give you a little time to get geared up for it 🙂
 
As with most medical types, they probably aren't very good at assessing the patient as a person and therefore treat everyone as a bit simple and incapable.

Rob
 
Robster65 said:
As with most medical types, they probably aren't very good at assessing the patient as a person and therefore treat everyone as a bit simple and incapable.

Rob
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Hah! well, they've met thier match here then. I ain't no simpleton or incapable!!
:D
 
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