Honeymoon period

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Pemberton

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Hello everyone

Have just registered on the site although have been visiting for a while since my 24 year old son was diagnosed Type 1 in June last year. He is still living at home and have to say that even though he is a grown man the shock of the diagnosis was considerable and I have read a couple of posts where its mentioned that it was like a bereavement of sorts and I can totally identify with that.

This site has given me a lot of information as a relative and Im hoping that in time my son will join - but currently I feel he may be slightly in denial.

Anyway, son seems to be coping very well - although I have been told that there is a honeymoon period where control is comparitively easy whilst the body still has some reserves of insulin? Can anyone tell me if there is an "average" honeymoon period - although I get the feeling that as everyone is different the period in question could also differ massively.

Also, my son has been told after getting his levels stable that he only needs to test his levels about once a day - which he does although sometimes only when I remind him! The care he has received has been excellent and support from DSNs fabulous; being on hand whenever he has a query. However Im wondering if by telling him he doesnt need to test as often they have somehow lessened the importance of testing to him.

Also, are bad moods common and does anyone think they may be the result of fluctuating levels?
 
Pemberton said:
Hello everyone

....... are bad moods common and does anyone think they may be the result of fluctuating levels?
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome.

I believe this a quite common side effect of diabetes. There are occasions when I feel irrationally ill tempered and intolerant.
 
Mood swings are not unusual!

Welcome to the board Pemberton - I am so glad that you have joined the board as it is for everyone affected by diabetes and hope your son will too - he will realise he is not alone!
I have had Type 1 for over 35 years and can become quite petulant when I have low blood sugar (my brother and husband were discussing it over Christmas and my brother liked me to dealing with a stroppy 6 year old with no reasoning when I am very low!), really high blood sugar tends to make me a bit lethargic.
As you may have gathered - there are no hard a fast rules with diabetes - everyone has different symptoms and methods of dealing with it.
Personally as a Type 1 I believe your son should be testing more than once a day - most Type 1's test between 4 and 10 in my experience and from what others on this board have written - but again each to his own. I know I couldn't rely on one test per day!
 
sympathise

hi im 24 and in the army i got diagnosed july last yr with type one diabeties and have recently went through the honeymoon period.
Bad moods, generally feeling sorry for your self and denial we're all things i went through so i can sympathise with your son's current position.

the honeymoon period does vary mine lasted for about 4-5months then all hell broke loose and i was nearly drinkin my insulin i needed that much but since i have re-gained control and things are much better.

Your son will come round and the only thing you can do is be their when he needs to talk, he will come to you eventually its just a matter of time.

But if you or he needs to speak my e-mail address is travelling_soldier7247@hotmail.co.uk feel free to get in touch about anything, im not an expert but i can say how it was for me.

best of luck
 
Pemberton said:
Hello everyone

Have just registered on the site although have been visiting for a while since my 24 year old son was diagnosed Type 1 in June last year. He is still living at home and have to say that even though he is a grown man the shock of the diagnosis was considerable and I have read a couple of posts where its mentioned that it was like a bereavement of sorts and I can totally identify with that.

This site has given me a lot of information as a relative and Im hoping that in time my son will join - but currently I feel he may be slightly in denial.

Anyway, son seems to be coping very well - although I have been told that there is a honeymoon period where control is comparitively easy whilst the body still has some reserves of insulin? Can anyone tell me if there is an "average" honeymoon period - although I get the feeling that as everyone is different the period in question could also differ massively.

Also, my son has been told after getting his levels stable that he only needs to test his levels about once a day - which he does although sometimes only when I remind him! The care he has received has been excellent and support from DSNs fabulous; being on hand whenever he has a query. However Im wondering if by telling him he doesnt need to test as often they have somehow lessened the importance of testing to him.

Also, are bad moods common and does anyone think they may be the result of fluctuating levels?
Click to expand...

Hi. everyone is different I am a year in and dont appear to have had the honeymoon effect. Are your sons sugars stable? If so he may not have experienced it either. My dsn said it kicks in if it is going to happen usually within 6 months sometimes up to a year, but not everyone gets it. she told me you will know if it happens as no matter what you do, reducing dose etc your bs will drop drop drop (as your own insulin is kicking in), makes sense.

Yes bad moods are normal, is difficult to explain to non diabetics but you only feel normal when bs are normal, when low you feel unwell and high so crappy and irritable its unbearable. Please bear with your son, it is soo difficult. And I imagine so much more to take on at his age than for me being 42. Sound like he is doing really well.

I agree 1 test a day is not aceptable for good control for type 1. I test between 6 - 10 per day, I drive and am fairly active, so totally necessary.
 
Hi Pemberton
Hope your son joins soon - or at least reads the boards. It's tough getting diabetes treated with insulin as a young adult - the diagnosis is tough, but while it keeps you alive, it's actually the insulin that causes many of the restrictions. I speak as someone who was diagnoses aged 30 years, meaning an end to driving minibuses & vans, returning to TA nursing service (having resigned to travel, aiming to emigrate), ban on professional SCUBA diving (amateur still allowed), making BSc Marine Biology less useful. But there are ways around many restrictions, if you use your imagination, while keeping within the law. If he wants to discuss work, leisure activities, etc, this is a good place to start. I must admit I was desperate to move away from parents after diagnosis (only there because of returning from a year overseas), but had nowhere obvious to go until I got a place on an MSc.

One blood test per day will be enough to monitor during honeymoon period - more tests later will help him to adjust dose according to activity, food intake, temperature etc. No point testing if you're not going to act on the result - presumably he's reporting results to DSNs, who then tell him how to adjust his insulin doses?
 
I was diagnosed age 21, I had about 6 months or so of the honeymoon period.

Bad moods, definately normal! High and low blood sugars can really effect your mood and on top of that there is just coming to terms with it all and what has changed. What found most difficult was a feeling if losing control over my life and that made me very resistant to others when they tried to help me, feel dreadful about how I reacted to people looking back but that was where my mind was at the time.
 
Could be a useful thread for me this. Not been told anything about honeymoon period. Do all Type 1s experience this or is this just those who are diagnosed with Type 1 very soon after first displaying the typical symptoms of diabetes?

As I read threads on this forum I start to wonder how much of what I need to know to manage my Type 1 Diabetes my nurses have told me. It seems they've told me less than I need to know and what I need to know increases a lot.

Being 25 I want to be independent and manage this on my own, inject insulin on my own and look after my blood sugar levels. Could be a bit tricky if soon I could experience a massive change in blood sugar levels. Have there been any threads detailing this honeymoon period here? If not, any ideas where I can look for info? Other than call my obviously increasingly useless nurses.
 
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