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New Type 1

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
kayliemckinsley1

kayliemckinsley1

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello ☺️

I just wanted to introduce myself as a new member and newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic! I am 27 with 2 kids a 4 year old and a 5 month old, it was when I was pregnant with my newest baby that the team realised o was in fact type 1 diabetic and not gestational.

There is so much to get your head around in the beginning, does anyone have any tips/ advice that made a difference when they were newly diagnosed?

(I use the libre 2 sensor and have started levimere and Novorapid insulin)

Thanks in advance for and
 
kayliemckinsley1 said:
There is so much to get your head around in the beginning, does anyone have any tips/ advice that made a difference when they were newly diagnosed?
Click to expand...
The first thread contains links to things that I'm sure are helpful. (I was diagnosed over 40 years ago, so even if I could remember, I doubt anything would be useful now. Except generic advice like not to beat yourself up too much when you get things wrong since we all do.)
 
Welcome @kayliemckinsley1 🙂 You’re not alone in being misdiagnosed as Gestational first. I know of a number of other women who followed the same path.


My tips are:

to test lots
to carb count and keep a food diary so you can see what doses work for what meals
to always have hypo treatments with you
to understand that you can do everything right and still have off target results so don’t feel despondent or blame yourself
to learn to be your own expert (learn how your body responds and what works for you and your diabetes).
to not let Type 1 rule your life - it needs to fit in
to be kind to yourself. Type 1 is a big shock and it takes a while to get used to.

.
 
Inka said:
Welcome @kayliemckinsley1 🙂 You’re not alone in being misdiagnosed as Gestational first. I know of a number of other women who followed the same path.


My tips are:

to test lots
to carb count and keep a food diary so you can see what doses work for what meals
to always have hypo treatments with you
to understand that you can do everything right and still have off target results so don’t feel despondent or blame yourself
to learn to be your own expert (learn how your body responds and what works for you and your diabetes).
to not let Type 1 rule your life - it needs to fit in
to be kind to yourself. Type 1 is a big shock and it takes a while to get used to.

.
Click to expand...
Hello Inka,

Thank you so so much, I was so disheartened when I revived the news! I am just getting back into the swing of the injections 5 times a day and blood monitoring again, my honeymoon period is well and truly over!!

Its also good to know that I can be doing everything right and still be off target, I’m so bad at being hard on myself when I am high, but I suppose these things will take time and once I know what works for my body I might even be in target for 1 day! ☺️

Thank you so much again, I’ll be sure to look at the books you recommend too!
 
Bruce Stephens said:
The first thread contains links to things that I'm sure are helpful. (I was diagnosed over 40 years ago, so even if I could remember, I doubt anything would be useful now. Except generic advice like not to beat yourself up too much when you get things wrong since we all do.)
Click to expand...
Thank you for your comment. I will definitely take a look around the different threads, I’m sure I’ll pick up some fab tips. I was secretly hoping the beating myself up would leave though! Thanks again
 
Hi kayliemckinsley1, welcome to the forum.

One of the phrases I repeat often is "doing good, most of the time". Diabetes is part of your life and life gets busy and messy at any given point. It will take some trial and error but many are able to find what works from them in time.

You'll get lots of support on the site so do feel free to post as many questions or concerns as you like and we'll do our best to help.
 
Cherrelle DUK said:
Hi kayliemckinsley1, welcome to the forum.

One of the phrases I repeat often is "doing good, most of the time". Diabetes is part of your life and life gets busy and messy at any given point. It will take some trial and error but many are able to find what works from them in time.

You'll get lots of support on the site so do feel free to post as many questions or concerns as you like and we'll do our best to help.
Click to expand...
Hi Cherrelle,

Thank you for your message, I really appreciate it! There is so much going on at the beginning and having a 4 year old and a baby definitely adds to the stress and busy life!

I will definitely have a read through everything on the site.

Thanks again ☺️
 
Welcome to the forum @kayliemckinsley1 , but sorry that you have needed to join us.

There is so much to get your head round at the start, but it will all become part of your new normal life as you get more used to it. The best analogy I was given is that it is like learning to drive. It seems complicated to start with but then most of it becomes automatic and you are just dealing with lumps and bumps on the way.

As others have said, 100% on target is impossible to get most of the time. Like @Bruce Stephens I have a very rare day when I see 100%, but I am very happy if I am above 70. There are so many factors to take account of and we are not magicians!!!

Keep the questions coming and remember nothing is considered silly on here. Just ask.
 
SB2015 said:
Welcome to the forum @kayliemckinsley1 , but sorry that you have needed to join us.

There is so much to get your head round at the start, but it will all become part of your new normal life as you get more used to it. The best analogy I was given is that it is like learning to drive. It seems complicated to start with but then most of it becomes automatic and you are just dealing with lumps and bumps on the way.

As others have said, 100% on target is impossible to get most of the time. Like @Bruce Stephens I have a very rare day when I see 100%, but I am very happy if I am above 70. There are so many factors to take account of and we are not magicians!!!

Keep the questions coming and remember nothing is considered silly on here. Just ask.
Click to expand...
Hello,

Thank you so much, that makes me feel a lot better knowing 100% doesn’t happen often as I am miles away from that!

I’m sure I will have some more questions along the way, I have only had one consultant appointment so far and I have just had my second set of bloods done today, I am hoping to see a slight improvement in my Habc1 (if that is the correct name lol)

Thanks again! ☺️
 
It's Hb (which is the medical abbreviation for Haemoglobin aka red blood cells) A1c so HbA1c. I have often wondered if there are HBA1 a and b tests too .....
 
Hi Kaylie and welcome to the forum 🙂

I've never seen 100% in target so definitely don't beat yourself up if you don't! I've seen around 90% a few times but I'm more often around 80%, which is just fine. The Libre's 90-day average also gives you a good idea of roughly what your next HbA1c will be - mine is 6.8 mmol/L, which according to this chart means my HbA1c will be around 41, though I suspect it will actually be a little higher as it's usually in the high 40s.

image-png.22968


If yours was very high when you were diagnosed then a slight improvement is exactly what you want at first, you don't want it to drop too suddenly as that could be harmful.

My tip is to get a phone number or better still email address for your hospital diabetes specialist nurse (DSN), then if you need more specific medical advice than you can get on this site you can always contact them without having the frustration of having to go through the hospital switchboard! Being able to email my DSN whenever I needed (non-urgent) advice was the thing which made the most difference when I was newly diagnosed.
 
When I was originally diagnosed I worked very hard to get my HbA1c down lower and lower, but I did this at the cost of restricting my activities, and it had a negative impact on my mental health. It took me time to learn to WITH my diabetes (thanks to a lot of help from people on here) And accept that anything I get in the 40s or low 50s deserved a celebration (any excuse).

It sounds like you are in good hands. This is manageable and will become your ‘new normal’.
 
Hi and welcome from me too.

The others have pretty much covered it so just confirming that it will get easier with time and bringing your levels down slowly is better than suddenly dropping your HbA1c, so do be patient and kind to yourself. We all make genuine errors of judgement from time to time but it helps to know that there are about 42 factors which affect Blood Glucose levels. Many of them, you have absolutely no control over, so you do have to learn to accept that perfection isn't possible and if you have done your best and it still goes astray, then just shrug and move on. Diabetes really gives you an appreciation for the amazing job a fully functioning pancreas does!

Do ask if you have any particular problems or difficulties as the forum is a gold mine of experience and knowledge. It is also here to support you when you are struggling mentally and emotionally as the relentlessness of the condition can put a strain on you, so feel free to have a rant when it gets too much for you. We all understand how that feels.
 
Hi and welcome from me too. Yes, be kind on yourself. None of us are perfect and glitches will hit and you’ll think “0MG what have I done wrong now.” More often than not it’s nothing you’ve done, just one of the 42 random things that affect diabetes. If it is something you’ve done, then learn from it for next time and put it behind you.

One thing I’d mention is to be aware that basal needs change from time to time, so be prepared to deal with that and not think that just because your basal dose is OK for now it will always be OK forever. The books @Inka has recommended are a must, I learned so much from “Think like a pancreas”.
 
Yes, totally agree with @Pattidevans that basal doses need tweaking from time to time and if your basal doses aren't right, then nothing else makes sense. If I find that I am getting frustrated with my diabetes management over a few days because it isn't "playing nicely", it is usually because my Levemir doses need adjusting. I can sometimes go weeks or months with the same doses and other times I need to tweak them, usually the night time dose, every few days. Levemir is the best basal insulin for allowing you to fine tune it to what your body needs.
Also, ask about an education course like DAFNE or there is an online version called BERTIE which may be easier for you with having a young family.
 
Welcome to the forum @kayliemckinsley1

You’ve had some great suggestions already, so I just wanted to offer another warm welcome.

We had a thread a while back where people suggested the top5 things they wish they had known from the start, which you might find interesting

forum.diabetes.org.uk

5 Top Tips for Better Diabetesing

Just found myself absently wondering what I would say to myself if I could go back in time ‘Bill and Ted’ style and offer newly-diagnosed-me some hints and tips for better diabetes management, and a better relationship with my diabetes from future-me. What 5 hints and tips I might offer myself...
forum.diabetes.org.uk forum.diabetes.org.uk
 
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