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New diagnosis

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J

Jabes

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi,

My name is Jabes and I am 20 years old. I just found out that I have diabetic type 1. I had all the symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis for over a month but I did not know what that was until now. I found out about this because I was not able to move as much due to the lack of energy, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. I went to the emergency room thinking that all of this was because something was happening to my stomach. After many hours of waiting, I was finally treated by the emergency doctor. She decided to make some blood work and that's when we found out that I am diabetic.

This was really shocking to me and still is because I am a student-athlete at my college and there is no record of diabetics in my family. I also do not eat a lot of sugar, in fact, I don't even like food or snacks that are sweet. Anyways, I spent a whole week in the hospital learning about diabetes, insulin, and blood sugar levels.

Now that I am at home, I am struggling to find what I can eat and what I can't. My sugar levels are going up and down like crazy even when I was in the hospital. I have been trying to find a way to keep it at a normal range but it is frustrating because I haven't yet. I have been reading like crazy about this (that's how I found this page) and I think that's what has been helping me a little to manage it. I also found out that stress and feelings have a lot to do with my sugar levels going too high. I am trying to stay calm through all of this but, to be honest, I just find it too hard.

I was a very active person that used to train twice a day, going to classes, work, and helping in my church during the week. I am scared of going back to all of that because I do not know what to expect from my body now. Sometimes my sugar level goes too low or too high from the nowhere. I am even thinking on stop being an athlete because I am scared of how that is going to work. I legit lost a lot of weight during the past month and I am not sure how to get it back now that I have diabetes. Honestly, I do not know how to feel anymore. I apologize if I am being a little dramatic but this is the only place where I can express what I am feeling right now with everything that is happening LOL.

That being said, I hope you guys can provide me with some tips on it. I am trying to learn as much as I can so that I can adapt to my new lifestyle...so I am all ears. Thank you so much
 
Hi @Jabes and welcome to the forum.

I'm Type 2 but I know from reading many posts from others on the forum that those first weeks/months after a T1 diagnosis are a bit of a confusing rollercoaster. Generally people get things sorted out and many find ways of getting back to something like their old life - it now just has another complication. I am sure members who have been in your position will be along to swap ideas.

I see you are posting from the US. No problem, although a UK based forum we have many overseas members and their contributions add to the breadth of experience here. I only mention it because medical protocols vary from country to country and sometimes that has to be taken into account.
 
Hello and welcome @Jabes 🙂
 
Good evening/afternoon @Jabes (depending on where you are in USA), and welcome to the forum.

You have had a bit of a rollercoaster with your run up to your diagnosis, but now that you have your insulins things should start to get more manageable and you will eventually be able to get back to all that you did before, including sport. It is a bit like learning to drive, where everything seems complicated at the start, but then much of it becomes automatic, and you are just dealing with the unexpected.

As you were in DKA it is likely that your team will want to bring your glucose levels slowly. So try to be patient, and give yourself time to adjust to this new ‘normal’. Things just require a bit more planning.

It will help us if you are happy to tell us which insulins you are using. Are you using a sensor to monitor your glucose levels through out the day. This can very much help you to see how specific foods impact your levels. Have you been started on carb counting? This is the key to our management, as we adjust our insulin doses to match what we choose to eat. We need to take account of all carbs that we eat, and these are not just in sugars and sweet things. I knew nothing about this until I was diagnosed but keeping records alongside my levels helped me and my team to work out starting pints for my insulin to carb ratios, which I use each day to find how much insulin I need for each meal.

As a Type 1 we can eat whatever we want, and should aim for a healthy diet, which with your sports training I am sure you already focus on.

Do come back with any questions that arise, and let us know how you get In.
 
Hello @Jabes ,
I found Gary Scheiner's book "Think Like A Pancreas" very useful. He is a US citizen was diagnosed T1 at a similar age to yourself, was heavily into his sports and is now a Diabetes sports consultant. You might find his book both helpful and reassuring; his view is clearly that Diabetes and Sport can be managed together.

Good luck.
 
Good mornfternoon @Jabes

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It’s not at all uncommon to feel the way you are feeling. Diabetes can come as a real shock, and very few people know much about it (perhaps especially T1) until it happens to them. There’s a lot of half-right information floating around in the media, and inexplicably T1 represented in films is almost always completely wrong!

It is perfectly possible to continue with sports and training once you have begun to find your feet with your diabetes a bit more. There are multiple professional athletes who live with T1, and/or compete in gruelling endurance challenges just to demonstrate that it is possible.

Henry Slade and Chris Pennel both play rugby (a contact sport similar to American Football) alongside their T1, and ex pro cyclist Roddy Riddle has completed the Marathon des Sables.

Diabetes is serious, but it shouldn't stop you from being you, and doing the things you love. You may need to adjust or adapt some things a little, but most things are possible.

You can even be an airline pilot or train to be an astronaut if you want to :D
 
First of all, it does get a lot easier! You will, over time, find out what works for you.
Its good you are taking control...at first i relied on the medics telling me what to do, and whilst they are obviously experts in diabetes, its you who are the expert on YOUR diabetes, so the sooner you take control (within reason) the better.
A continuous glucose monitor is a game changer if you can get one it will really help you understand your condition.
Think like a pancreas is a good book, though i skipped the calculations bits
As for putting on weight, nuts, avocados, cheese and eggs will have little impact on your blood sugar levels, and i find keto cakes and biccys are very useful when you need a snack. Gotta think about morale as well as health!
 
Welcome to the forum 🙂

It can seem very daunting at first, you’ll get there.

What insulins are you on? Have you got a CGM like Libre or Dexcom?
 
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