New diagnosis Type 1 and eyesight concerns

[RayMathers]

Hi My name is Ray, male, 56, was in good health an suddenly over 2-3 weeks in Feb/March I went from 77kg down to 64kg and was having a DKA at the end, After a few days in hospital I was diagnosed as Type 1 Diabetes.
While in hospital my eyesight was very short sighted and I understand that was due to glucose in the retina. Now at home , it seemed to recover. However in the last 3 days my short sight is getting blurry again. My glucose readings are ok at this early stage ranging 6-12 most days, some days I get single digits all day.
I bought some +2.5 glasses to help and they worked for a few days but I think my condition may be getting a bit worse. I

Is this normal for the eyesight to get blurry like this?
Any suggestions or comments welcome

I have an appointment with the Optician tomorrow

 

[HOBIE]

Good luck Ray & welcome. I am still driving & a little different to you. Am now 55 & diagnosed when 3. Keeping active is best. 🙂

 

[Flower]

Hello and welcome @RayMathers 🙂

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and DKA. I hope things are starting to stabilise for you and you're starting to feel a lot better.

High plasma glucose affects the shape of the lens by affecting the osmotic pressure. The lens swells altering focus which causes blurriness. It does take a while to settle but there is every reason once your levels have stabilised that your normal focus will return. If it was good sight before diagnosis you should get good sight back . It can take a good few weeks and is distressing whilst it lasts, the best thing as you have already done is to buy some inexpensive readers to tide you over. don't spend money on new glasses until your control is established as things need to settle.

Bringing your levels down relatively slowly is the best way to go to allow your body to get back into equilibrium. It has been through turmoil desperately trying to get energy and now you have an insulin supply things do start to get much better .

 

[RayMathers]

Hi, thanks for this. I was wondering is it because my levels have come down from 20+ to single digit figures in 8 days? Should I have had a more gradual reduction?

 

[SB2015]

Hello @RayMathers , and welcome from anther who was diagnosed with T1 in my 50s. My sight went very weird, and it took some time to settle. It is difficult to be patient, but you have done the right thing in getting the reading glasses to see you through this time.

There is a lot to learn very quickly at the start, but it will become part of your new ‘normal’ life. What insulin’s are you using?

If you have any questions just keep asking. There is plenty of help and support available. I have learnt most of what I know from others on here.

 

[KARNAK]

Hi Ray, Its not a good idea to reduce your figures very quickly but seeing you have done and to be commended, don`t let them drop too low. Anywhere between 5 & 9 would be great until you get used to the adjustments. My eyes were quite a problem at first but are quite stable now, @Flower & @SB2015 have giving you good advice, nice to know what medication you are on and type of insulin you take.

 

[RayMathers]

Hi, my diabetic nurse has started me on 20 units Lantus and 6 units NovaRapid 3 times a day. I'm testing 4 times a day just now. I bought the carbs and cals book which is very useful and my wife and I are trying to carb counting as best we can. I'm keeping a diary as well.
@KARNAK how long were your eyes blurry?

 

[KARNAK]

About 2 months Ray, I purchased cheap glasses but only from the knowledge of this forum, it saved me a fortune.🙂 Its good you have a diary and carb counting, it may help if you increase your testing too, before meals and 2 hours after, this will show you the before and after effects relating to your food intake and adjust accordingly. Cheers mate.🙂

 

[toffee]

Hello Ray
I was diagnosed type 1 about a month ago, was very ill when I ended up in the trauma unit...get yourself to Home Bargains mate, I bought six different pairs of glasses for 99p each, from +1.00 to +3.5.
My vision is getting better slowly, and the lovely DSN's have assured me my eyesight should revert to normal...only time will tell.
By the way, I spent a few hundred pound on glasses before I was diagnosed, that was my first sympton, my eyesight started to go, then it was fine again, when I went back to the optician they could n't explain it and I just assumed I'd had some sort of weird eye virus 🙂
Good luck

 

[trophywench]

Mine took about 5 weeks to sort itself out. Blurry? No - just couldn't focus on anything! Didn't need new glasses, I never even needed any for years after that!

 

[SB2015]

Hello Ray
I was diagnosed type 1 about a month ago, was very ill when I ended up in the trauma unit...get yourself to Home Bargains mate, I bought six different pairs of glasses for 99p each, from +1.00 to +3.5.
My vision is getting better slowly, and the lovely DSN's have assured me my eyesight should revert to normal...only time will tell.
By the way, I spent a few hundred pound on glasses before I was diagnosed, that was my first sympton, my eyesight started to go, then it was fine again, when I went back to the optician they could n't explain it and I just assumed I'd had some sort of weird eye virus 🙂
Good luck

I had new glasses just before I ended up in DKA at diagnosis. I went back to the optician as they did not work after I was on insulin. They were brilliant. Apologised as they felt that they should have picked up the Diabetes, told me to wait two months and then return and they would do another trust, and provide new glasses for free. Obviously they have kept my custom!!!

 

[SB2015]

Hi, my diabetic nurse has started me on 20 units Lantus and 6 units NovaRapid 3 times a day. I'm testing 4 times a day just now. I bought the carbs and cals book which is very useful and my wife and I are trying to carb counting as best we can. I'm keeping a diary as well.
@KARNAK how long were your eyes blurry?

Good morning Ray

Thanks for letting us know what insulin you are on. They are fixed doses at the moment whilst things settle and the DSN will then help you to adjust these as they bring down you levels.

The amount of Novorapid will start to depend on the amount of carbs you eat, so it is good that you are already starting to carb count your meals. The records you are keeping will help you and your team to come to an appropriate ratio of insuiln to carbs as a starting point.

I was told to just test a few times a day at the start, I then increased this to before every meal to check out the impact of the previous dose, and then before and after to see what certain foods were doing.

 

[RayMathers]

Hello Ray
I was diagnosed type 1 about a month ago, was very ill when I ended up in the trauma unit...get yourself to Home Bargains mate, I bought six different pairs of glasses for 99p each, from +1.00 to +3.5.
My vision is getting better slowly, and the lovely DSN's have assured me my eyesight should revert to normal...only time will tell.
By the way, I spent a few hundred pound on glasses before I was diagnosed, that was my first sympton, my eyesight started to go, then it was fine again, when I went back to the optician they could n't explain it and I just assumed I'd had some sort of weird eye virus 🙂
Good luck

Hi, I went back to the opticians today and they retested me again, and as expected it was totally different to before. I have a question about cost. The opticians was talking about prescription glasses once my eyesight settles down, does this mean they are free? I'd already paid for new glasses just before my DKA and they have taken my money, but put everything on hold for now. Should I ask for a refund, or do I still have to pay for any glasses I get in future.

 

[Robin]

Hi, I went back to the opticians today and they retested me again, and as expected it was totally different to before. I have a question about cost. The opticians was talking about prescription glasses once my eyesight settles down, does this mean they are free? I'd already paid for new glasses just before my DKA and they have taken my money, but put everything on hold for now. Should I ask for a refund, or do I still have to pay for any glasses I get in future.

You’ll have free eye tests in future, but you still have to pay for the glasses.

 

[trophywench]

My optician is very thorough BUT he works for Boots, whose spectacle frames are expensive and so are their lenses. I didn't like a single pair of frames on offer there the last few times so I had the choice of a reasonably priced frame I disliked and didn't suit my face and expensive varifocal lenses or paying £324 for frames that were OK but I wasn't ecstatic about - when you wear em full time you need to feel they suit you and if I've ever loved a frame well quite honestly I've always coughed up and looked happy cos I felt better about my face. Can't do Deirdre Barlow glasses these days since I don't have 'big' hair - and no-one sells the kind in my avatar pic any more either.

So anyway - I liked two frames in Asda and the one I preferred cost me £45 all in!

 

[RayMathers]

You’ll have free eye tests in future, but you still have to pay for the glasses.

OK, thanks for this

 

[SB2015]

Hi, I went back to the opticians today and they retested me again, and as expected it was totally different to before. I have a question about cost. The opticians was talking about prescription glasses once my eyesight settles down, does this mean they are free? I'd already paid for new glasses just before my DKA and they have taken my money, but put everything on hold for now. Should I ask for a refund, or do I still have to pay for any glasses I get in future.

Hi Ray

I am glad that they have put your glass production on hold. If once things have settled you no longer need the glasses, you could ask for a refund, or at least a credit until you need the next ones.

As others have said, we get free eye tests, and you can ask for these annually, although they often suggest that you only need them every two years. However the glasses are no cheaper!!