I’m a newbie with Type 1

[T Howell]

Hi everyone, I was diagnosed with type 1 back in July. A bit of a shock but slowly getting my head around it all!

 

[Greatness]

Hi T, we are all here to help in the way we can ,you will be fine.

 

[T Howell]

Hi T, we are all here to help in the way we can ,you will be fine.

Thank you.. I’m sure I’ll ask many questions

 

[trophywench]

Thank you.. I’m sure I’ll ask many questions

You will do that - I was diagnosed a while ago and I'm still asking questions cos despite the intervening time, there's no way I'm an expert!

How did your diagnosis come about and what insulin(s) are you using?

 

[T Howell]

We moved house earlier this year, totally shattered trying to get it up and ready to move in, I collapsed but assumed I was just exhausted. Saw the Dr who sent me straight to hospital with DKA came out 5 days later in a speechless bubble! I’m on trurapi and semglee..
How long have you been type 1?

 

[trophywench]

50+ years, so I have learned a good few things about my own diabetes - as you will too - but that doesn't make anyone an expert - though there are very often useful tips that folk on here will happily pass on to the newly diagnosed in the hope it will help.

 

[dannybgoode]

I completely understand how you feel. I was diagnosed beginning of December and it was totally out of the blue. No symptoms but an Hba1c of 121.

An emergency appointment at the diabetes gateway and 2 hours of being bombarded with information and my head was spinning.

Folk on here have been brilliant though. Ask any questions at all, vent, rant or just read other threads to learn - whatever you need to do to start to get to grips with it all.

 

[T Howell]

I completely understand how you feel. I was diagnosed beginning of December and it was totally out of the blue. No symptoms but an Hba1c of 121.

An emergency appointment at the diabetes gateway and 2 hours of being bombarded with information and my head was spinning.

Folk on here have been brilliant though. Ask any questions at all, vent, rant or just read other threads to learn - whatever you need to do to start to get to grips with it all.

Thank you for this, and it’s such a relief to have a “somewhere to go” for questions you may otherwise forget at your next appointment! Very best of luck with yours!

 

[T Howell]

50+ years, so I have learned a good few things about my own diabetes - as you will too - but that doesn't make anyone an expert - though there are very often useful tips that folk on here will happily pass on to the newly diagnosed in the hope it will help.

50+ years and a lot of change in the monitoring and control of it! I have the Libre patch and currently injecting. Christmas was a challenge with keeping control of BG, but I think it was generally ok. And I know I have a way to go with getting it right. And now I’m trying to understand good and bad fats to avoid statins! I feel I need to change my vocation in life!
Do you still spike or hypo with certain foods?

 

[Tdm]

Spikes are inevitable! Hypos too!
Like 80% between 4 and 10 m/mol is doing really well. Ideally not more than 4% below 4

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @T Howell . Very pleased that you have found us.

Spikes and hypos are par for the course. You can do somethings to reduce the post meal spikes. Are you pre-bolusing? The insulin that we inject takes a bit of time to get active whilst the carbs we eat tend to get active fairly quickly. The suggestion is usually to start by injecting 15 mins before eating where possible. I don’t do this if I am eating out as I have no idea when the food will arrive, so just do it once the meal is in front of me, up at home I usually manage this. Some of us also find that we need a bigger gap between the injection and eating, and that this can vary during the day. It is a case of trial and improvement.

If you have a hypo try to think what has caused it and whether you need to make a change. Some just happen in spite of having done the same thing, eaten the same meal, … Diabetes keeps us on our toes all the time.

Are you using a sensor such as Libre or Dexcom. These show us a lot more info about what is happening between our meals and can help us to spot patterns.

Keep the questions coming.

 

[helli]

challenge with keeping control of BG

Welcome to the forum.
I have highlighted this phrase because I try to avoid using the word “control”. Many people think it is a little thing but the language used can make us feel like a failure.
Given the many many things (it is said there are at least 42 different things) can affect our BG, controlling it all the time is as likely as controlling a classroom full of 30 five year old kids all the time.
I prefer to describe it as managing my diabetes.

 

[T Howell]

Welcome to the forum.
I have highlighted this phrase because I try to avoid using the word “control”. Many people think it is a little thing but the language used can make us feel like a failure.
Given the many many things (it is said there are at least 42 different things) can affect our BG, controlling it all the time is as likely as controlling a classroom full of 30 five year old kids all the time.
I prefer to describe it as managing my diabetes.

So true! Thank you for this

 

[T Howell]

Spikes are inevitable! Hypos too!
Like 80% between 4 and 10 m/mol is doing really well. Ideally not more than 4% below 4

My hypos appear to happen mostly early hours, I’ve reduced long acting and rapid at evening meal is now 1-12 ratio. Perhaps another chat with the hospital next week.

 

[JJay]

Welcome to the forum.
I have highlighted this phrase because I try to avoid using the word “control”. Many people think it is a little thing but the language used can make us feel like a failure.
Given the many many things (it is said there are at least 42 different things) can affect our BG, controlling it all the time is as likely as controlling a classroom full of 30 five year old kids all the time.
I prefer to describe it as managing my diabetes.

I couldn’t agree more.

At an appointment with my GP 2 months ago (about something else) he remarked on my recent blood tests: “Your HbA1C was 59, so your diabetes is out of control”. Completely ignoring the fact that 2 of the 3 months had been spent in hospital recovering from a broken hip and collarbone + side order of bowel obstruction.

I didn’t bother to take it up with him as he was leaving the practice the next day, but it shows what we’re up against!

 

[T Howell]

Welcome to the forum @T Howell . Very pleased that you have found us.

Spikes and hypos are par for the course. You can do somethings to reduce the post meal spikes. Are you pre-bolusing? The insulin that we inject takes a bit of time to get active whilst the carbs we eat tend to get active fairly quickly. The suggestion is usually to start by injecting 15 mins before eating where possible. I don’t do this if I am eating out as I have no idea when the food will arrive, so just do it once the meal is in front of me, up at home I usually manage this. Some of us also find that we need a bigger gap between the injection and eating, and that this can vary during the day. It is a case of trial and improvement.

If you have a hypo try to think what has caused it and whether you need to make a change. Some just happen in spite of having done the same thing, eaten the same meal, … Diabetes keeps us on our toes all the time.

Are you using a sensor such as Libre or Dexcom. These show us a lot more info about what is happening between our meals and can help us to spot patterns.

Keep the questions coming.

Thank you for this.. I have a Libre, and yes pre bolusing 10-15 mins before food, but will heed your guidance and perhaps give it 15-20+ mins with quick acting carbs! I get quite anxious with eating out and not having enough time for the bolus to kick in.. but I guess the anxiety can impact glucose too!
Yes it certainly does keep us on our toes!

 

[T Howell]

I couldn’t agree more.

At an appointment with my GP 2 months ago (about something else) he remarked on my recent blood tests: “Your HbA1C was 59, so your diabetes is out of control”. Completely ignoring the fact that 2 of the 3 months had been spent in hospital recovering from a broken hip and collarbone + side order of bowel obstruction.

I didn’t bother to take it up with him as he was leaving the practice the next day, but it shows what we’re up against!

Gosh, hope you’re doing ok!
One Dr called me about a blood result and questioned getting a T1D diagnosis at my age! ‍♀️

 

[Woodywoodpecker]

Thank you for this.. I have a Libre, and yes pre bolusing 10-15 mins before food, but will heed your guidance and perhaps give it 15-20+ mins with quick acting carbs! I get quite anxious with eating out and not having enough time for the bolus to kick in.. but I guess the anxiety can impact glucose too!
Yes it certainly does keep us on our toes!

Hi I was diagnosed in April, also bit anxious when eating out. Then I think fluff it what will be will be, my 1st Christmas as well think I’ve managed not to bad, had a few hiccups but on the whole not bad

 

[rebrascora]

My hypos appear to happen mostly early hours, I’ve reduced long acting and rapid at evening meal is now 1-12 ratio. Perhaps another chat with the hospital next week.

Do you double check these hypos during the early hours with a finger prick? The reason I ask is that Libre are prone to what we call "Compression Lows" where if you lie on the sensor for any significant length of time, the chemistry of the interstitial; fluid changes due to the pressure applied and that causes the sensor to give a false low reading. You can sometimes tell a compression low because there will be a sudden dip whereas a genuine nocturnal hypo will usually be more of a slow steady descent on the graph. Always important to double check any lows or very high levels before making a decision about treating them unless you are very obviously hypo.

 

[T Howell]

Hi I was diagnosed in April, also bit anxious when eating out. Then I think fluff it what will be will be, my 1st Christmas as well think I’ve managed not to bad, had a few hiccups but on the whole not bad

I agree! We went for a coffee and toasted sandwich when out Christmas shopping. I asked how long for the food to know when to bolus. 20 minutes so I waited 5 and jabbed. After 40 mins I asked how much longer as I’m diabetic! They went into panic and gave a slice of cake.. and the sandwich was still another 30 minutes! Lesson learned to wait for the food before bolus!