If only I'd known then...

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Pigeon

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Beckah's post got me thinking about a list of one liners of things you've learnt since you got diagnosed. Perhaps it could help newly diagnosed people from finding out the hard way!

To start of the list, I would say (this is based on 3 years, and I'm still learning lots):


Don't assume diabetes is just about cutting out sugar - if you eat more savoury carbohydrates to compensate for not having a pudding then that will also affect your blood glucose

If you think it tastes like full sugar coke, it probably IS full sugar coke... don't drink it to be polite then get a reading of 23mmol/ml.

DO always test before driving, even if you're really sure it will be a high reading, because sometimes you geta surprise low reading

Don't panic when your meter reads 0.6mmol/ml - you'd be unconcious if you got that reading, so it must be an error! Check you hands aren't wet and try again


Anyone else got any thoughts?
 
You can control your diabetes, it doesn't need to control you. - Probably the one phrase that took me a long time to fully 'get' but an essential one.

You will be the biggest expert of your own condition as you live with it everyday, we're all different so you know yourself best.

Erm, sure there's more but only just got in from work (started 830am) so need to get my brain together first!
 
Yes good idea.

Can't agree with the bottom one though but this might just be relevant to my daughter and not 'normal' diabetes. She was 0.3 for a number of hours the day she was born. Hands and feet shook all day but midwife said she was fine and just cold. 20 hours after birth, finally at shift change, another midwife thought to test her (I was high on morphine 😛) and Jessica was 0.3 They tried three machines and all said 0.3 and they think she was that pretty much all day. eek !!


Most importantly wash your hands before testing, always.
 
Trust the pump. Once you do it will all fall into place. 🙂
 
Pigeon said:
If you think it tastes like full sugar coke, it probably IS full sugar coke... don't drink it to be polite then get a reading of 23mmol/ml.

Don't panic when your meter reads 0.6mmol/ml - you'd be unconcious if you got that reading, so it must be an error! Check you hands aren't wet and try again
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Ah full sugar coke - always reiterate at the resteraunt/club/bar that you want diet. Also, don;t be afraid to guilt trip them when you find out its full sugar coke, that usually works a treat

I've seen figures as low as 0.2 and still been conscious. It hasn't been pretty but you can still be conscious on it.

Never think it won't happen to you. I thought that and unfortunately sometimes it can happen to you despite your best efforts :(
 
Here's another one :

You are not a superhero or a machine, you will make mistakes, don't beat yourself up, just move on. We all make mistakes.
 
Wow, I stand corrected on my erroneous 0.6mmol/ml reading then! I got that a few times when I'd washed my hands and not dried them properly. The first time I was on my own and went into panic mode. Then I tried again and got a reading of 15! I wouldn't like to see a genuine reading that low - think my lowest so far was 2.2.
 
Hello,

I think a lot of diabetics beat themselves up when testing their BG as it can feel like a failure when you are out of range (personally I think this has a lot to do with depression in diabetes) and can lead to people not testing.

It's better to always test your blood sugar and if it's high then at least you are informed and can do something to correct it.

For those that are carb counting remember we are trying to guess the amount of grammes (or CP) on a plate of food, often without scales. And guessing 10 grammes (or 1CP) too much or too little can be the difference between being in range or having a hypo or a hyper.

We're also doing this at least 3 times a day. How well do you think anyone can guess 3 plates of food a day to the nearest 10g of carbs?

P.S My first ever hypo in hospital at diagnosis I was 0.6mmol/l
P.P.S Sorry it's longer than one line 😉

NiVZ
 
There's more to life than diabetes.... It's not the only thing that defines who you are / what you do.
 
the best advice I had from my DSN was that things change. you think you've got it right and something changes.

Ratio's change basal doses need adjusting, weather, exercise, the way we used to react to some food is now different.
 
From a T1 perspective:

"Controlling diabetes is like riding a Tiger...it can be done but lose focus & you'll end up getting bitten in the bum!" 😱

(Hope that doesn't sound too negative...just an indication on how tricky it can be sometimes!)

For those diabetics who take an active interest in their control / diabetes education:

"Docs are not always right 100% of the time! Sometimes you need to trust your experience & instincts"

(Yes, I am a bit cynical & cranky these days...darn hormones!)
 
Some more advice would be:

Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be afraid to question the advice that healthcare professionals give you. They are right most of the time, but most of them aren't diabetic. And sometimes the best advice comes from those with 'real life' diabetes experience.

(Jumps on Twitchy's cynical bandwagon 🙂)

NiVZ
 
Good thread.

1) Stick around this forum, seriously get on board.

2) Stand up and shout my name is.. and I'm a daibetic

3) There is no "stupid" question ask everyone anything and more than once

4) write stuff down to your hard drive might get full or corrupt

5) You might have a disease but it don't affect your knees

6) There is no normal and the pub will still serve you (drinkaware.co.uk)

I don't know where half of those came from sorry if too random but a bit of truth in them all I think🙂
 
katie said:
haha, this one is good. so true! (at least for most of us 😱)

and i'm loving the 'drinkaware.co.uk' reference too 😉
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Well my knees were shot before I caught this disease!!

One day I might visit that website, I wonder if it exists!😛
 
rossi_mac said:
Well my knees were shot before I caught this disease!!

One day I might visit that website, I wonder if it exists!😛
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haha. I think MJ needs it because she's only just realised there are 3 units in a large glass of wine. She obviously hasn't been paying attention to the adverts :D
 
rossi_mac said:
Good thread.

1) Stick around this forum, seriously get on board.

2) Stand up and shout my name is.. and I'm a daibetic

3) There is no "stupid" question ask everyone anything and more than once

4) write stuff down to your hard drive might get full or corrupt

5) You might have a disease but it don't affect your knees

6) There is no normal and the pub will still serve you (drinkaware.co.uk)

I don't know where half of those came from sorry if too random but a bit of truth in them all I think🙂
Click to expand...



This made me laugh! 🙂🙂🙂: Just goes to show the big D doesn't effect your sense of humour!
Dx
 
Diabetes management is a simple triangle - eat healthily, take your medication and exercise. Look after the diabetes and it will look after you. Mess about with it and it will mess about with you.
 
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