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Just diagnosed!

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AdamOwl

AdamOwl

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all,

I'm a 36 year old male, just diagnosed with suspected type 1 diabetes. I'm awaiting test results to fully confirm this.

I feel really frightened and quite daunted at what is to come so any helpful tips and advice would be very welcome right now!
 
Hi Adam and welcome to the forum. 🙂 It's not easy but once you get over the shock and with a few adjustments T1 can be managed and will become just a normal part of your new life. It shouldn't stop you doing anything you currently do or wish to do in future. A book by Ragnar Hanas 'Type 1 diabetes in children, adolescents and young adults' is recommended by lots of people. It's relevant to Type 1's of any age. What were the circumstances of your diagnosis?
 
Matt Cycle said:
Hi Adam and welcome to the forum. 🙂 It's not easy but once you get over the shock and with a few adjustments T1 can be managed and will become just a normal part of your new life. It shouldn't stop you doing anything you currently do or wish to do in future. A book by Ragnar Hanas 'Type 1 diabetes in children, adolescents and young adults' is recommended by lots of people. It's relevant to Type 1's of any age. What were the circumstances of your diagnosis?
Click to expand...

It started with a yeast infection a week or so ago and then I started feeling really thirsty and peeing a lot, dry mouth etc. My wife is a nurse and said straight away she thought it was diabetes - I also have family history with my dad and grandad both T2. Decided to get it checked out and was referred straight to local hospital.

I've started on insulin as a precaution but am still awaiting blood results for a conclusive diagnosis.
 
Sounds like it came on quite quickly. Lucky your wife is a nurse! If they're testing for T1 they'll probably do GAD antibody tests (looking for the insulin producing beta cell antibodies) and maybe C-peptide which shows how much insulin you're producing. Are you testing your blood? What insulin(s) have they put you on? Whatever type you are it can be managed with a few adjustments.
 
I've got NovoRapid which I'm taking before meals and Levemir to take morning and night. I'm also testing blood sugar levels which are a bit all over the place at the moment.

I'm just really confused and not got my head around it just yet!
 
It will take some time before things settle down. It's good they've put you straight onto a basal/bolus regime. Levemir is your basal (long acting) insulin and deals with the steadyish release of glucose from your liver. NovoRapid is the bolus and is used to deal with the carbohydrates in your meals. Adjustment of doses will continue for some time whilst things are sorted out. I'm guessing you're on fixed doses at the moment? Just ensure you always have fast acting glucose to hand (sweets/dextro tablets etc) in case of hypos.
 
Hi Adam, sorry to hear you you are frightened and daunted, but it’s completely understandable when you are given such news. Can’t really add much to Matts good advice...the book is really worth getting.

But what I really wanted to say is that should type 1 be confirmed, after a steep learning curve, and once you get your head round it all, there’s no reason not to carry on with a completely normal (whatever that is) and very healthy life. It will just need a few tweaks and extra few minutes planning here and there. If you read through the forum you’ll see that there are all sorts of people with type 1, all sorts of ages, doing all sorts of jobs and activities, (check out Matts cycling thread🙂) , travelling the world....some of us were diagnosed decades ago and are still toddling along just fine.

I’m sure, like most people who don’t know anyone with type 1, all you’ve heard are the headline grabbing stories😡, (don’t bother reading them) good news stories just don’t sell papers. You’ll probably have come across plenty of people who have type 1, but won’t have realised because they’re just carrying on same as everyone’s else. @trophywench has a great phrase, that I like to quote....”well controlled diabetes is the cause of....absolutely nothing!”

Take care and keep asking questions. (Apologies for ramble)🙂
 
Thank you both so much, it means a lot to me and I'm sure I'll be fine once it has sunk in - it has all happened so quickly and I feel like my world has changed in an instant. Also, having very little knowledge of Diabetes previously makes it all very daunting, and as you rightly say most places online or in the media are just full of horror stories!

In answer to you Matt, I'm on regular dosage of 4 units NovoRapid before meals and 6 units Levimer morning and night. I'm sure it will probably take some time to settle down in terms of blood sugar.
 
Hello Adam and welcome 🙂 Glad you found us so soon after diagnosis, sorry you had to find us!

Things do start to fit back together once you've got a reliable insulin supply re-established but it does take a while to find your equilibrium again and get used to the new routine. It is a complete shock to be handed the running of your insulin supply when you haven't had to give it a moments thought up to that point. There's some great tech around to help control your blood sugar nowadays and there's a wealth of experience and support on here too.

Good on your wife for being on the ball 🙂
 
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I'm pleased to say anytime I have the opportunity LOL that after 46+ years I have no diabetic complications other than I had rapidly growing cataracts (D doesn't cause them, just makes em get worse a lot quicker, which isn't that bad really cos it just means they get operated on a lot quicker - don't need to knock you out - only takes approx. 20 minutes once they get started - so pfft) - and none of us can ever know everything about D - I still reckon I learn something new to me every day - and they're still discovering all sorts of things anyway!

Whichever 'Type' it turns out to be - the forum can answer most questions - but only if you ask em, so never be afraid to ask.

This is a marathon, not a sprint - so nobody on earth expects you to be able the run it confidently 'soon'. Nobody ever can and we certainly didn't. It just takes time is all and that's that. Instant patience, please! LOL

Good luck.
 
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