New type 1 with sight problems

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denissimo

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Type 1
I was rushed into hospital almost 3 weeks ago and was instantly diagnosed as being diabtic.

Yesterday, the clinic confirmed that I am type 1.

I am on twice daily insulin injections, plus metformin tablets, and its doing well in keeping my levels down to between 6 and 10, compared to the 22+ when I came out of hospital!

I can cope with the injections and strict diet, but its just my constant blurred vision thats getting to me.

Instead of my eysight improving with lower blood sugar levels, its actually getting worse 😡
 
Hi denissimo, welcome to the forum 🙂 I experienced very similar problems when diagnosed - my eyesight seemed to get gradually worse even though generally I was feeling much better once I started receiving insulin. The good news though is that things got much better after a couple of weeks and my eyesight was just as good (if not better) as before, so try not to worry.

As you have just been confirmed Type 1 I think it is likely that you will not need the metformin in the future, and hopefully they will put you on a different insulin regime to the two a day - one known as MDI (Multiple Daily Injections) also known as basal/bolus. This allows you to inject with each meal according to what you want to eat and gives you much more flexibility with your diet 🙂

I would recommend having a look at our Useful links thread for leads to good information, in particular Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas (whatever your age!). The book will really help you to understand all aspects of Type 1, it's treatments, and what to look out for.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have - there will always be someone here who can help you out 🙂 I look forward to hearing more from you.
 
Hi denissimo. Welcome 🙂

Can't add to northerner's advice.

That book is a sound investment. There's lots to learn but it's a mararthon rather than a sprint.

Rob
 
Thanks a lot Northerner and Robster.
The doctor I saw yesterday at the diabetic clinic, did mention something about taking me off metformin sooner, rather than later.

The day I came out of hospital, I had a bad fall down the steps at home, when I went all light headed and my legs turned to jelly. I ended up, breaking a toe, dislocating my thumb and cutting my hand open.

The doctor at the clinic asked if I had cut my foot at all, which I hadnt. She told me that open wounds on my feet could lead to problems.

The thing is, I also suffer from psorriasis, and often have open sores on the top of my feet and ankles.

Do you know if this is likely to cause me any sort of problems? I meant to ask the doctor, but we got disturbed by something and it totally went out of my head.
 
Sorry to hear about the fall :( I wonder if it was due to a low blood sugar level? Hope the injuries recover soon. We do have to keep an eye on wounds, particularly if levels are high as this can make things heal much more slowly and leave them prone to infection. So it you do get injuries, pay close attention and seek help if you're unhappy about anything. Don't worry about bothering doctors, this is your health and I have found that you need to be very proactive to make sure they take you seriously 🙂

Interesting that you have psoriasis, as this is an autoimmune disease like Type 1 diabetes. A lot of people with diabetes find that they suffer from more than one autoimmune problem, such as thyroid or coeliac problems - in the genes, it seems :( I don't (yet) suffer from psoriasis, but my father does quite badly. Have you had the ultraviolet treatment fr it? It worked very well for him.

The main thing to keep in mind if you have open sores is to keep them clean and keep a close eye out for any trace of infection. Hopefully, as your levels improve there will be less of a danger of this, but it pays to always remain vigilant and check regularly. 🙂
 
When I fell down the steps, my blood sugar level was way up at around 22.
It was more than likely caused by lack of sleep. I was in hispital for almost 4 days and got very little sleep with having blood tests every hour, day and night!

I started off with psorriasis when I was in my mid 20's and it started off when I was under a lot of stress.
Then when I was mid 30 ish, it totally vanished until around 6 years ago (I'm now 52)
I was on ultraviolet treatment at the hospital 3 a week, but as soon as the treatment finished, my psorriasis came back worse than ever before.

You mention that wounds etc tale longer to heal than normal! Now thats interesting, because in the last year, if I get a little nick when shaving, it can take weeks to heal up properly.

The hospital have told me that I have been suffering high blood sugar levels for months and not realising it.. Not until a really bad chest that wouldnt clear up, fully triggered it off.
 
Sorry to hear the UV didn't work for you - maybe things will improve as you get your blood sugars under control (hopefully!). I had quite obvious symptoms for a couple of years (with hindsight) prior to diagnosis, then got a stomach virus that triggered the hospital visit. From what I have gathered, Type 1 is often much slower to manifest itself when you are older - it is often called Type 1.5, or LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adulthood) and can often be misdiagnosed as Type 2 because of your age (hence the metformin in your case, normally a Type 2 medication). I was 49 when diagnosed, and there are many other members here diagnosed Type 1 at a similar age.

Best thing you can do is keep lots of records and build up experience about how different foods affect you, by testing before and then an hour or two hours after to see what your levels increase by, so you can decide what food you might need to ditch. This will be much easier when you are on MDI, so do ask about this option at your clinic. 🙂
 
You will probably find that once your blood glucose levels get under control, your generally healing rates, whether for shaving nicks or psoriasis, will improve.

The comment about cuts, broken skin etc on your legs / feet was probably because people with badly controlled diabetes are more prone to ulcers (slow healing wounds) due to poor blood circulation and nerve damage, resulting in small injuries that aren't noticed and treated as soon as they should be. However, with well controlled diabetes, healing rates are not significantly different to someone who doesn't have diabetes.

Is there any chance of another course of UV treatment, perhaps an intensive series of treatments, followed by maintenance? In any case, it would be worth asking for referral / re-referral to a dermatologist, with your new diagnosis.
 
Thanks Northerner and Copepod.
I am keeping a complete record of what I am eating and from what I can see so far, the results are totally erratic.
I'm eating just what the dietitician at the hospital told me to eat, and my blood sugar levels are going up and down completely at random!
First thing in the morning, I can be down to the low 5's, but by lunchtime and early evening, I can be up at between 16-20. And thats with healthy eating!

I have been on the waiting list for 3 months or so to see a dermatologist again, but I would NEVER again undergo UV treatment, unless I could go to a different hospital for it!
Myself, along with 4 other people, who were having UV treatment at the same time as me, lodged some very serious and genuine complaints against the hospital, but they were ignored!

There was no wating room, so we all had to wait dressed in just a dressing gown (with nothing underneath) on a very busy corridor that anybody could just walk up and down.
Some workmen who were working in the area, took great pleasure in leering at a young woman, who had to sit in her dressing gown in the corridor. On one occasion, she fled the building in tears without even waiting for her treatment.

All five of us, have had the door of the UV booth opened wide by a nurse while we were stood inside it, completely naked. It happened to me whilst there was a visitor in the room! Not nice at all and totally inhumane!

Just before Xmas, I went for my session at my alotted time slot (after 7 weeks of twice weekly treatments), only to be told, that the UV booth was out of order (the 3rd time this had happened), and was told it wouldnt be fixed until after Xmas!
I was given a new appointment for the 5th of January to which I attended. Only to be told, that because there had been a 2 week gap in my treatment, they were going to have to start me off from day 1 again with just 30 seconds UV treatment to begin with, instead of the 3 minutes that I had built up to, over the previous 7 weeks!
A complete nightmare!
 
Your reluctance to undego it again is completely understandable, given your previous experiences of UV treatment. But perhaps complaints, comments etc by yourself and others have improved / changed situation? That's the outcome most people seek when they complain - making it better for themselves or others in the future.

But some things, like going back to 30 secs after a long break are biologically essential, not just done to annoy patients.
 
First thing in the morning, I can be down to the low 5's, but by lunchtime and early evening, I can be up at between 16-20. And thats with healthy eating!
Click to expand...

What you'll need to get your head round fairly soon (but not right now, it's still early doors) is that what people and doctors think is healthy eating for diabetes is actually not. The supposed 'healthy' diet for people with diabetes is a lot of wholemeal grains, potatoes and rice. When you digest these foods, they are all essentially just bowls of sugar. A healthy diet is one that doesn't tax your blood sugar control too much, which logically means eating more foods that have less of an impact - ie. more fat, more protein. Anyone who tells you bread is a great because it slowly releases glucose has evidently had diabetes or tested their blood sugar after eating.
 
I would add to this that it is perfectly possible to eat potatoes, rice and wholegrain bread and maintain reasonable control.

It will involve a fair amount of experimentation, lots of tests and notes, and a certain amount of failure. But it's not necessary (except for some) to omit all of the staples of your previous diet. It just needs you to keep an eye on what you can and can't tolerate and what the consequences may be if you choose to eat them.

It's all about understanding how your own body responds to no longer producing insulin (or not enough) and trying to predict what you need to do to keep everything ticking over for a healthy and happy future. 🙂

Rob
 
Hiya... 🙂

I was just wondering...I know it's only a few weeks since you've been diagnosed, but when you say you're keeping a record of what you're eating, do you mean in terms of carbohydrate content?...Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but the whole diabetes-cum-riding-a-tiger thing is about first getting your background (aka long acting insulin) doses right & then balancing your carb intake with your quick acting insulin. Has your nurse given you any formal training yet, or are you being told to eat certain amounts at certain times? How many injections a day are you on?

I would have a chat to your nurse about something called DAFNE - Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating. I don't know if it's still available in all areas, and there might be some criteria about how long since you've been diagnosed (ie to allow for final splutters from the pancreas I guess!) but it will be like someone switching the lights on - it gives you some rules to work by for setting your own background doses, eating, exercise & illness etc. When I did it it was a 5 day intensive course, but so, so worth the time. It's not a magic wand, but it is flipping helpful! Meanwhile try not to stress...it's not easy getting levels right all the time & some days it feels like everything & the dog next door affect your levels, so it's not you, it's just diabetes! You'll get there...the books Northerner recommends are great too - it's all about knowledge; getting hold of some rules & learning how they apply to your body. Simples eh? 😉

Take care,

Twitchy.
 
DAFNE is not available to anyone within the first year from diagnosis with type 1 diabetes, as working out carbohydrate to insulin dose ratios is too unreliable during honeymoon phase when pancreas stilll occasionally produces random amounts of insulin at random times. Also, DAFNE covers more than food and insulin - things like exercise, sex, driving etc. Plus, there is often a long waiting list and long distances to travel to DAFNE courses even when they are available. Over 15 years since diagnosis, I still haven't been offered a place on a DAFNE course, despite living 1.5 miles away from a hospital where it runs, for the last 13 years.

However, there is an electronic carbohydrate counting course available here: http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/ (free registration is required)
 
Admittedly I did my Dafne course 23 yrs after diagnosis! 🙄

Oh well, at least the original poster can hopefully check out the carb counting aspects & in the meanwhile feel (hopefully) a bit more relaxed about the odd unusual results, at least in the sense that it's not necessarily down to a dosinf problem etc.
 
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