New to Type 1 diabetes

[Telemóveis]

Hi, I'm 21 years old and have recently been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Had been feeling pretty dehydrated for a few months but after finishing university and returning home, the energy levels just completely went. Started throwing up on Friday, before being rushed to hospital with DKA the next morning, I don't know exact figures but blood and ketone readings were very high. Was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and just feel like my life has been turned completely upside down, been home for 2 days now and it still hasn't sunk in yet. Am just about coping with the blood tests and insulin injections, but it's just a whole different life to get used to.

 

[Martin55]

Hey 🙂

I hope you're alright! I'm 25 and got diagnosed this year too (March).

What you're feeling is completely understandable and justified. I felt similar at first, I was frustrated that I had always looked after myself well, exercised, good diet, and then T1D hits me and suddenly I'm chronically ill out of nowhere!

There's definitely an acceptance process, and monitoring blood sugar constantly definitely takes getting used to, I find it emotionally draining at times. That said you're going to be absolutely fine - T1 isn't going to stop you from doing anything you want to do, and in time you'll also feel comfortable eating what you want to with dose adjusting, it all takes a bit more planning but nothing is out of reach.

The only advice I'd give is be open and talk about it with people you care about. You've been handed some big news and you didn't do anything to deserve it. I've been pretty useless at opening up in the past but I'm getting better at it and talking to friends and family has helped massively!

Take care - reach out if you need anything 🙂

 

[Ljc]

Hi @Telemóveis . Welcome to the forum .
The way you are feeling atm is perfectly normal and understandable. You probably feel as though you’ve been hit by a bombshell and you are probably still feeling rathe rough due to your recent very unpleasant brush with DKA.

It is going to take a while for you to recover, so please try to be kind to yourself ok.
Your life will get back on track again , honest !

Nothing you did caused this and their is nothing you could have done to prevent
T1 .
Developing t1 is nothing to do with lifestyle ,ok.
For some as yet not fully understood reason the immune system takes a dislike to the beta cells (insulin producing cells) in the pancreas and treat them like it would any hostile invader .

It is extremely early days for you so you have probably been given pretty basic info , that will Chang soon.

What insulin’s have they put you on ?

Ask all the questions you you need to about diabetes, we’ll do our best to help .

A word of advise dr Google can be the worst place to research diabetes, their is an awful lot if misinformation out there, info fir t1and T2 gets mixed up and their are lots of conmen out there only to happy to part you from your hard earned dosh.

So it is good you have found this forum , we live with the condition so we know it from the inside .
You will also soon spot that the various types all mix in together and try to help each other which is good as it means we learn about the other types .

 

[trophywench]

I was you, 49 years ago and I felt that ghastly by the time I sought medical help and was diagnosed, it was a huge relief that what was wrong with me, wasn't going to kill me anytime soon! An awful lot of bursting into tears for no apparent reason and asking myself 'Why me?' brought no relief, when I stopped sobbing, I still had diabetes. No legs have dropped off, no kidneys have failed, no eyesight has been lost, no heart attacks or strokes, no feeling lost in toes - so far. It's never stopped me doing anything - but there again I've never wanted to emulate Bear Grylls, join the SAS or do a parachute jump or even abseil or wing walk. However had I ever felt that I wanted to, I'd have girded up my loins and had a bloody good go at it !

You could do an awful lot worse than invest in some reading matter, in the form of this book

Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults Seventh Edition: Amazon.co.uk: Ragnar Hanas: 9781859597989: Books

Buy Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults Seventh Edition Seventh by Ragnar Hanas (ISBN: 9781859597989) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

It applies to any newly diagnosed Type 1 - whether you are 5 or 55, and it's written in English, not 'medicalese'.

Just out of interest - has any medic yet assured you that we'll probably have a cure for it within the next 10 years?

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Telemóveis . Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but glad that you have found the forum. It is a shock at the start and there is a lot to learn very quickly. The best analogy I was given is that it is like learning to drive. It seems complicated at the start , but then much of it becomes automatic.

As others have said there is nothing that you have done for this to happen. There are just some antibodies that for active destroying your beta cells which made the insulin you needed. As @trophywench said,this is a manageable condition and it does not need to stop you doing things. Life just needs to be a bit more organised.

Do fire away with any questions that arise. Nothing is considered silly on here.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Telemóveis

Snap! I was diagnosed in the final year of my degree too (put it down to stress initially!). It was only when someone commented on ‘Had I lost weight?’ and I realised how drawn my face looked, that I went to get checked.

Fortunately I didn’t get to the point of DKA, but I don’t seem to produce ketones very readily. My BG and ketones were both at the top of the charts.

That was 30 years ago, and I’m still pottering along with not too much to show for it.

 

[PhoebeC]

Hi, I'm 21 years old and have recently been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Had been feeling pretty dehydrated for a few months but after finishing university and returning home, the energy levels just completely went. Started throwing up on Friday, before being rushed to hospital with DKA the next morning, I don't know exact figures but blood and ketone readings were very high. Was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and just feel like my life has been turned completely upside down, been home for 2 days now and it still hasn't sunk in yet. Am just about coping with the blood tests and insulin injections, but it's just a whole different life to get used to.

Welcome, but also sorry you have joined the club nobody wants to be a member of. But you are not alone and that has helped me so many times, so hopefully we can help you

Your feelings are totally understandable, it’s a complete shock, there’s no good age to get it but it really does pick its moments with most of us.

I’m at year 16 now and as much as I would like to say it’s now a breeze that would be a lie but also I would say that anything you had planned for your life before this you can still do.

There’s a whole array of people who have achieved some amazing things and some of us do get to ripe old ages with little complications.

There’s knowledge and technical advances all the time now which is making life easier for us and offering some real hope.
Don’t panic. Be open. Ask questions.

 

[Telemóveis]

A huge thank you for all the replies 🙂 The past week has certainly been a rollercoaster and I'm aware that I'm still at the start of a very long learning curve, so I'm happy to see that there's a lot of support available here.

It's definitely been emotionally draining so far, insulin injections are going fine but become quite inconsistent with the blood tests (sometimes it takes more than one attempt despite best efforts). Trying to keep it together for family (no family history so this is new to all of us) but I'm honestly not the most resilient character. I do have a friend who was diagnosed in February however and he has been extremely helpful and reassuring. My diabetes centre have been good so far too.

To answer some of your questions - @Ljc i am currently on Novorapid (6 units for breakfast, lunch and dinner) and Levemir (10 units in the morning and at night)

@trophywench - not that I'm aware of, I would assume that such a medic is not to be trusted correct?

I will make sure to ask any questions that I may have, not reached the stage of carb counting/correcting yet and it sounds quite complicated if I'm honest.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

T1D hits me and suddenly I'm chronically ill out of nowhere!

You have a condition, most def not chronically ill unless you allow your diabetes to control you. 🙂

Most things you can do in life it just takes a bit more thought/planning beforehand with type1 diabetes.

 

[Robin]

I will make sure to ask any questions that I may have, not reached the stage of carb counting/correcting yet and it sounds quite complicated if I'm honest.

It’s a bit like learning to read. You spend the first couple of terms in primary school spelling out words, and then suddenly you find you can read whole sentences, and then whole pages fluently. You may need to stop and consult a dictionary occasionally, but a quick look up and you’re on your way again.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Just out of interest - has any medic yet assured you that we'll probably have a cure for it within the next 10 years?

I hope not I was told it was 5 years in 1965

 

[Ljc]

I Was told with great certainty that a cure would be found within the next 10 yrs,
.
.
.
.
.
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that was 1994 lol.

You will be in fixed doses of insulin for a while or a few reasons.
Firstly they for very good reasons they don’t want to bring your levels down too quickly .
They have a formula to go by but atm they don’t really know how much of both insulin’s you actually need, you see just like everything else to do with diabetes, we are all different in this respect , so much tweaking will be done , @nd at this stage it’s best for the professionals to do this.

When you are taught how , which will happen in time , carb counting and adjusting your rapid insulin is not hard . If maths us not your forte , you can alway use a calculator.

 

[SB2015]

I will make sure to ask any questions that I may have, not reached the stage of carb counting/correcting yet and it sounds quite complicated if I'm honest

It seems complicated at the start, but it is amazing just how much knowledge you develop. When I was still working I became an expert on the carb counts of a variety of biscuits commonly available at the many meetings I attended!! You will soon be an expert in your own condition.

Good to read that you are already started on the basal (Levemir -background)/Bolus (Novoraoid -Quick acting) regime. As your levels settle and you become more knowledgeable this is a flexible system that will enable you to eat what you want when you want.

 

[trophywench]

@Telemóveis - yes, it was asked very much tongue in cheek - and it had been extended since Pumper_Sue was diagnosed in 1965 cos I was definitely told it would be within 10 years by the time I got the diagnosis in 1972 .

If anyone should come out with it, I'd now reply as my (then, recently acquired) 7 yo step-granddaughter did to my innocent enquiry one day 'Aren't you going to eat your crusts?' she replied 'No - grandma - because it doesn't make your hair curl - it's just a lie that grown-ups tell you!' - and I had to agree with her.

So - just a lie that doctors told us !