Hi

[mark butcher]

hi newly diagnosed type 1 at the age of 54
slightly overwhelmed at first but trying hard to take everything in finding hard to eat at certain times with my insulin jabs still feel tired will this pass when can I start to exercise

 

[Northerner]

hi newly diagnosed type 1 at the age of 54
slightly overwhelmed at first but trying hard to take everything in finding hard to eat at certain times with my insulin jabs still feel tired will this pass when can I start to exercise

Hi Mark, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis How did it come about? I know just how you must be feeling - I was diagnosed aged 49, a week before I was due to run the Stockholm Marathon. Needless to say, I didn't make it that year

What insulin are you on? The way you are feeling now will improve, but it may take a few weeks whilst you learn how to manage your blood sugar levels, and also to allow your body to recover from what is a pretty serious trauma. I know I had significantly affected much of my body's systems due to sky-high levels (38 mmol/l at diagnosis) and very high ketones (I had DKA - Diabetic Ketoacidosis).

Take things steady to begin with. How long have you been diagnosed for now? For me it was probably about 6 weeks before I felt ready to do some light exercise, partly because my heart had been affected by the state I was in at diagnosis and the doctors were all expressing caution. I was also put on beta-blockers which are the pits because they limit your heart rate to about 100 bpm and that gets you nowhere, not even a slow jog! However, I persuaded them I didn't need them, my heart got the all-clear, and I began training again. It's very important when you first start exercising that you test, test, test in or der to find out how your blood sugars are behaving. In time you will build up an experience of what you need in terms of food beforehand and how much insulin you need to inject, how often you might need to snack etc. It's all a bit laborious, but you will get there eventually - always better to err on the side of caution! 🙂 Four months after my diagnosis I ran the Great South Run. I should add that I lost a considerable amount of weight in the lead-up to my diagnosis and it was a good 18 months to 2 years before I was back to my 'normal' weight, so if this is the case with you, try and be patient.

Hopefully, the insulin you are using will allow you to 'carb count' i.e match your insulin doses to the carbs in your meals - this can make things much more flexible, so if you haven't already been told about it, do ask your healthcare team 🙂

I'd highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas. Ignore the title, it's extremely useful for anyone living with Type 1, whatever your age, as it covers all aspects of living with Type 1 🙂 If it was within my power I would give every newly-diagnosed Type 1 a copy! 🙂

You may also be interested in getting hold of The Diabetic Athlete's Handbook, which really helped me when getting back into my running 🙂

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns and we will be happy to help - no question is considered 'silly'! 🙂 Things will get better! 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Hiya Mark

Welcome to the club no-one wanted to join! LOL

Why do you need 'to eat at certain' times? Have they put you on mixed insulin or something? It is not usual nowadays to need to eat or jab at roughly similar times every day, that's something that went out - not with the Ark exactly, but approx. 35 years ago now once they'd introduced the newer insulins they are supposed to start everyone diagnosed Type 1 onto, straight away.

What are the names of your insulins, what have you been told to do - and by whom - someone at your GP surgery or someone at the diabetes clinic at the hospital?

 

[mark butcher]

Thank you for replies,i was diagnosed just over a week ago after going to the docs with what I thought was a virus I had been feeling ill for 2 weeks losing a stone in weight and oh so tired and then drinking over 8 litres of anything and then peeing it all out anyway was sent to ane and was diagnosed there was apparently within an hour of coma as organs had started to shut down that was a massive shock for me and partner. I am getting used of the jabs and checking of glucose levels(although fingers a bit sore lol) but am still feeling tired but probably hasent sunk in what my body has gone through and I as exercising still when I was feeling ill which I do miss but I must be prepared to be patient?

 

[Northerner]

Thank you for replies,i was diagnosed just over a week ago after going to the docs with what I thought was a virus I had been feeling ill for 2 weeks losing a stone in weight and oh so tired and then drinking over 8 litres of anything and then peeing it all out anyway was sent to ane and was diagnosed there was apparently within an hour of coma as organs had started to shut down that was a massive shock for me and partner. I am getting used of the jabs and checking of glucose levels(although fingers a bit sore lol) but am still feeling tired but probably hasent sunk in what my body has gone through and I as exercising still when I was feeling ill which I do miss but I must be prepared to be patient?

I could almost have written that myself Mark 😱 With hindsight I'd probably had symptoms for quite a while, but fairly mild and I had put them down to training for a half marathon about 3 months prior to diagnosis, and then further training for the marathon three months later. During that period I was drinking what I now see as quite an astonishing amount of milk - up to 40 pints in a week 😱 One evening I was very suddenly violently sick and for the next few days felt increasingly rough. I had indeed caught a virus, but rather than my body coping with it and getting over it, it must have overwhelmed my pancreas and I was then suffering from the effects of extremely high blood sugars which are very similar to a very bad stomach virus.

If you've only been diagnosed a week then you will need a bit of patience, I'm afraid. Until things have settled down properly and your body started to mend itself it's very difficult to determine what your insulin requirements might be. I was actually in hospital for 8 days, and then I would say it took another month or so after coming out to start to get a handle on my insulin doses, helped by the DSN both on the phone and at appointments. Frustrating, but you do have to remember what a huge shock your body has endured and give it a little time. Are you on two separate insulins, injecting one with your meals and the other once or twice a day? If not then you really ought to insist on it otherwise gaining good control will be much more difficult.

Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint, and you are starting with the very first steps, it will take time 🙂

 

[mark butcher]

I was in hospital 6 days on the drips which felt like forever but darlington memorial staff were quality and cant praise the diabetic ward highly enough.Im on 3 rapid injections with me meals and a larger dosed separate insulin last thing at night,have worked quickly what extra I need if glucose high(partner panicked when hit 20 but mainly ive got it down too 10).Did you have blurred vision for a while till it settled down? its nothing major but sometimes 1 eye blurry then couple of hours later its the other eye and the one that was blurry is fine.On a lighter note being a northerner always thought I was invincible well that's gone out of the window hasnt it lol

 

[Northerner]

I was in hospital 6 days on the drips which felt like forever but darlington memorial staff were quality and cant praise the diabetic ward highly enough.Im on 3 rapid injections with me meals and a larger dosed separate insulin last thing at night,have worked quickly what extra I need if glucose high(partner panicked when hit 20 but mainly ive got it down too 10).Did you have blurred vision for a while till it settled down? its nothing major but sometimes 1 eye blurry then couple of hours later its the other eye and the one that was blurry is fine.On a lighter note being a northerner always thought I was invincible well that's gone out of the window hasnt it lol

Ah, that's good that you are on 3 rapid and one at night 🙂 This is called a 'basal/bolus' regime - the basal is your once-nightly, and the bolus is your mealtime fast-acting. It's the most flexible regime, short of getting an insulin pump 🙂

Yes, I had the blurry eyes thing for about 3 weeks, I think. I got round it by getting some cheap reading glasses - don't spend any money on getting posh ones because it should improve a lot over the next few weeks. It's very common, and caused by the high glucose affecting the eyeballs. 🙂

I'm also a Northerner (as you might have guessed) and thought I was fit as a fiddle - I felt decrepit when I got diagnosed! The good news is that I managed to get things under good control and have had excellent results at all my subsequent blood tests and reviews 🙂 My diet has changed a little - far less snacking on crisps and biscuits etc. I suppose the biggest thing I have had to deal with was the whole 'planning ahead 'thing - making sure I have my supplies with me when I go out, working out the best times to eat and inject before exercise - there has been less spontaneity, but it's a minor thing. My tip would be always be prepared and keep some fast-acting sugar around in case of unexpected lows. I have a jar of jelly babies in every room - you don't want to have to go hunting around the house if you wake up with a hypo in the wee small hours of the night! 😱 🙂

 

[stephknits]

Welcome Mark - what a shock! Hope you are feeling better soon as your blood sugars come down and your body recovers from the battering it's taken. Glad you found us 🙂

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Hello Mark, and welcome 🙂
I was diagnosed aged 44 and I had blurry eyesight for a while too, but it went back to normal within a couple of weeks. I was told not to get new glasses for a few months after diagnosis, to be sure my eyes had settled down completely.
You shouldn't need to eat at certain times with the insulin you're on - they may have just told you to do that while you're getting used to things. Once you know what you're doing you'll be able to eat what you like when you like, pretty much, and to skip meals if you want to (though I wouldn't advise doing that until you know what you're doing with the insulin).
As others have said, the tiredness should pass. It really hits you when your blood sugar levels are high, but once you've got them down to normal levels you will feel a lot better. It's safer to bring them down slowly though, so try to be patient in the meanwhile.

 

[khskel]

Hi there, diagnosed at 54 myself.
Your story sounds very familiar to mine but it sounds like you're on the up now.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Heath o]

Welcome mark

 

[SB2015]

Hi Mark, I was just one year younger than you when diagnosed. As you say there is a lot to learn very quickly.

The Ragnar Hanas book that Northerner mentioned is well worth the expense. I wish I had had a copy at the start. It is so well written, regularly updated with the latest technology and well referenced, so makes it a good for a knowledgable port of call when things crop up.

Good to hear that they have started you on the basal/bolus regime with a night time insulin and then bolus for each meal. Initially they may have started your u on fixed doses, as it takes time to get your levels back down to normal levels when first diagnosed. After a while they will no doubt teach you how to adjust these doses to match what you are eating.

Like you I had blurred vision before diagnosis and this settled once I was on insulin. It is hard to be patient whilst this is happening. My optician was very good and sensible about how long I should wait as well.

If you have any questions at all this is a good place to come as there is a wealth of knowledge available from people on here. Just ask and no question is silly.