Newbie 2

[Davein]

Hi everyone,
Been following forum for a month now.
Was given a diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis a couple of years ago following several bouts of pancreatitis over a few years. As a result of the damage to the pancreas, I developed Type 2 diabetes, diagnosed three years ago. Initially put on Metformin then Gliclazide. Following a virus last October when my bg's shot upto the 30's I was put on insulin and now inject twice daily. Also on Creon as pancreas hardly working.
"Fortunately" because one of my sons was diagnosed Type one when he was three, I have experience of the ups and downs of the disease.
My bg's are reasonable controlled (at the moment), usually in the 5's mornings, 7-8 nights.
I'm no Humilin i insulin, which if I remember, was the one my son was originally given.
Look forward to conversing with you

 

[Zillah]

Hi Davein, wow you've been through the mill, my nephew was diagnosed Type 1 at the age of 3- he is now 6- and it amazes me how he just 'gets on with it' most of the time 🙂

 

[Davein]

Hi Zillah.
Well, I had fifty odd years of good health before the pancreatitis, so I certainly can't complain. As the nearest A & E hospital is about an hour away I have been prescribed Pethidine to help with the pain whilst I'm on route to hospital.
All good fun (not)
The 'good' thing is the insulin needles are now far shorter and thinner than when my son was diagnosed.

 

[trophywench]

LOL at the needles - lot of us on here have been there done that and thank God folk don't have to use blunt hedge stakes any more to stay alive.

We also have a reasonable number of 'Creonistas' such as your self - it depends on locality but in some areas 'pancreatic diabetics' are termed 'Type 3'. No matter really what they 'call' any of us - we're all stuck with it and have to get on with it! We have the same general probs but of course you have more probs with absorption of foods than I do as a boring ordinary Type 1 - but at least here there's a lot more chance of your finding someone else the same 'type' who has come across whatever glitch you might want help with.

I was on Humulin too - late 80s?? - but entirely lost hypo symptoms and had a couple of dramas at the wheel, despite testing immediately before starting the ruddy engine half an hour before and being about 7.0 - so do please take mega mega care, although many people take it with no probs at all.

 

[Davein]

Hi Jenny
There was a story in the nationals a few weeks ago about a study that had been done and type three should be recognised and those diagnosed with such should be put on insulin straight away. My experience is that I had my bg levels well controlled until I had the recent virus, then it all went haywire. Fortunately, since being on insulin there are reasonably stabilised. I have always tested since type 2 diagnosis, even though the doctor at local surgery said it was unnecessary and HbA1c test was sufficient. It's been a year since my last attack of pancreatitis and I'm praying that the next one is a long time coming. especially as my last hospitalisation was a bad experience. That hospital is now on special measures.
I had a test last week to see how much, if any, insulin my pancreas is producing and if sufficient the consultant was going to put me on a tablet that may negate the need for insulin injections. Means more trips to the toilet as apparently the sugars get diverted straight into the urine. Not heard back yet.
My son was diagnosed in the 80's and I can remember the nurses giving us an orange to practise his injections and then inviting us to inject ourselves (obviously without the humilin) to demonstrate how 'painless' it was. AND then being told don't worry a cure is around the corner. He has only recently started MDI.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome Davein from a T2, on just metformin so far.

 

[Davein]

Hi Ralph
Metformin did control my levels for a while but unfortunately developed severe abdominal pain so came off it.
Hope your experience of metformin has been more positive than mine
Regards
Dave

 

[Ralph-YK]

I didn't notice any issues with it.

 

[trophywench]

Hee hee - when an orange was suggested to me in hospital I looked at the nurse and asked 'Tell me - if I am doing it wrong and would feel pain were the orange my leg, how would the orange tell me this - will it scream in pain, or what?'
She answered - sheepishly - that she saw what I meant - and we both burst out laughing.

There's no similarity whatever, but there again there might be for people like nurses who only have to jab other people or I quite understand, parents of young children - I'd find it ruddy hard injecting a little one myself let alone my own baby - whereas I fully expect I could inject eg you, without batting an eyelid, same as I do me!

 

[robert@fm]

I have always tested since type 2 diagnosis, even though the doctor at local surgery said it was unnecessary and HbA1c test was sufficient.

That view, although the usual one, is nonsense; the HbA1c test only measures the arithmetic mean of the last few months' readings (weighted towards the more recent ones), it says nothing about the standard deviation. You could have a BG graph like the Himalayas and still get a "perfect" HbA1c.

In any case, you are on insulin hence should be allowed to test on that basis, as injecting without testing is potentially dangerous. You should certainly be testing if, as some of us suspect, you have been misdiagnosed (which happens far more often than it should) and are actually type 3.

[...]AND then being told don't worry a cure is around the corner.

It's a standing black joke amongst the diabetic community that a cure will be here within ten years... and has been that way for at least the past 50 years. 🙄