New and terrified

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bethanjordan

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Type 1
Hi,

I thought it'd be nice to try and get to know others on the forum so I know there are others out there. I was diagnosed yesterday at 28 and my brother has been diabetic since he was 10. I've lived with him being diabetic for the last 16 years but it terrifies me that I'm now diabetic - I have so many questions. For instance, I love to lie in sometimes or go to bed late - do I have to stop that now? Does anyone else find that the prick test hurts? I think I'm probably being wimpy there! Anyway, good to meet you all!
 
Hi Bethan. First of all welcome to the forum. You have found the right place to find support and answers. As I'm type 2 not 1 I will leave most of your query to the type 1s on here but as to whether pricking hurts, you might find it does just a little at first but it does depend on your lancing device. I use a Softclix on the lowest setting and I don't feel it. Please don't be scared. You soon get into the routine and you are always welcome here to ask questions or just whinge!:D
 
Hi Bethan. Have a look at post on Freestyle Libra, & please vote ! I find if I sit still I "Clog up" that means higher Bg & feel tired if not active. I love getting out & even just going for a walk in fresh air. My son is not playing football this morn or I would be there putting nets/posts up. Don't do lie ins 🙂 Welcome !
 
Welcome to the forum, bethanjordan.

Finger prick tests hurt less if you use the sides of finger tips, rather than ends or pads, but are never painless. Using the lowest depth setting can help a bit.

The best regime for varied timings is MDI [Multiple Daily Injestions] or basal bolus - 1 or 2 injections of long acting insulin, plus short acting with each meal [usually 3, but can be as few as 1 or as many as 5 or 6 when crossing time zones]. There's some flexibility with timing of long acting insulin doses, so changes in bed times / lie ins are definitely possible. Picking a base time when you are always awake is obviously wise. It's all about adapting diabetes and insulin to life, not changing life to suit diabetes.

Good luck - things do get easier.
 
Hi Bethan
Welcome to the forum, it is pretty terrifying stuff to begin with, but I absolutely promise you it gets easier quite quickly once the initial shock is gone. I was diagnosed in January at 40 and I'm more or less used to it now. I found the finger pricking painful, but the sides of the finger and the right stabbing device changed that (I got a accu check fastclix after advice here which is much better than the bayer one I was using).

I don't see any reason why you can't have a lie in but you need to time your background/basal insulin consistently if you're using two separate insulins? People here are very willing to help so ask questions whenever you need to 🙂
 
Hi bethanjordan, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis :( I wonder how much your fears might be generated by your knowledge of your brother's experiences over the years? Has his control been good, or have there been times when he has had problems? Whatever the case, what you need to bear in mind is that this is YOUR diabetes, not his, and how you get on will very much depend on your own knowledge and efforts, so it is something very much within your control. What insulin regime are you on, and do you know what he is on?

I would highly recommend (if you don't already have a copy in the house!) getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas. This is by far and away the best book about Type 1 diabetes available, and covers every aspect of living with it in an easy to read and very positive way. Reading through it will give you a good knowledge about the various treatments available, and also how you can minimise the impact of diabetes on your life - apart from some restriction on certain professions, you can still do everything you could do before, it will just take a little extra planning.

As has been mentioned, you can be given an insulin regime that most suits your lifestyle, so if you want late nights and lie-ins it's not a problem. You can miss meals, have treats, have nights out, do sports - you name it! 🙂 Don't let it get you down, learn about it and how to manage it well, and then get on with the rest of your life!

Do let us know your questions, we've got lots of friendly, experienced people here, as well as others in very much the same situation as you. We all support each other and it's very rare that, whatever your question or experience is, someone won't be able to offer you the help you need. I look forward to hearing more from you, so please let us know how you are getting on 🙂
 
Hi Bethan
Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you are felling scared but it honestly does get easier as time goes on. I know I have been T1 for 55 years but I do take it for granted now, and have done for a long while. Don't be put off by any of your brother's experiences because everyone is different and treatment is constantly improving and developing.
Please ask any questions you need to because there's a wealth of knowledge on here. 🙂
 
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