Newbie. Type 1 diabetic

[helli]

I don't know what to do about going back to work next week. Not sure if I am ready.

I think it would be useful to talk to your manager.
We are all different so whilst some of us want a bit of normality back in our lives, others want to get their head around their diagnosis first.
You may want a bit of both so, maybe you could return on reduced hours for a week or two, if that is possible.
It also depends what your job is. Driving heavy machinery or dealing with angry customers is very different to working in an office with a group of supportive colleagues.

Take care, work out what you need mentally to manage your new diagnosis and don’t be afraid to ask for it.

 

[Leadinglights]

I think it very much depends on your work situation. I had a colleague who regularly had hypos and as a first aider I was often called by the students he was with but it was usually dealt with fine. He shared an office but then his role changed and he was in a single office more isolated in the building which made me concerned but 'The Management' would not hear of moving him back into a shared office. Fortunately things changed and all the people in his position went into a big shared space which was a relief.
Hopefully your employer will be mindful of your situation, a phased return sounds like a good idea.

 

[spence]

Hi Spence, pleased to meet you. I am also a newbie on here, so it's good to know I'm not alone being a newbie!! I hope we enjoy our time on here. Katie

Hi, Katie. how are you coping with it.? I am all over the place to be fair. Moods,emotions. Still can't believe it

If you don’t feel ready, don’t go back yet @spence You’re so recently diagnosed. Also, you say they’re still trying to get your levels down so I don’t think you should be at work.

I know someone will come along and say that they went back to work two hours after they were diagnosed blah blah, but to me it’s important that you’re ready. Rushing back or feeling under pressure to go back won’t help you in the longterm.

How are your blood sugars at the moment?

As for you not quite believing you have Type 1 - yes, it’s a massive shock. What helped me was understanding the reason (that it’s an auto-immune condition) and that it was just bad luck. Also, take time to deal with your upset and anger. I felt very emotional for quite a while.

Thanks foryour reply. I have just managed to get my sugars below 10 which is good. Think the Insulin increase( suggested by my diabetic nurse) has paid off but early days I know. Just need to keep it level now. Like you I am having good days and bad. Anger and emotions are all over the place. The feeling of being weak being diagnosed with this to is playing with my mind to. Regards

 

[spence]

Hi spence. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. How did it come about? hope you didn’t get too poorly. It’s usually always a shock along with many other emotions and yes its lonely. That’s why folks come here. They are a good bunch. Ask whatever, whenever x

Hi Emma. I just started getting really thirsty and my partner said I was looking skinny. Also going to the toilet a lot. Went to docs and had bloods taken. Doc called me and made app. On the day he sent me to the hospital. Still waiting for final blood results but looking like type 1. No family history. Quite a healthy fit chap. Still can't believe it.

 

[Inka]

Hi, Katie. how are you coping with it.? I am all over the place to be fair. Moods,emotions. Still can't believe it

Thanks foryour reply. I have just managed to get my sugars below 10 which is good. Think the Insulin increase( suggested by my diabetic nurse) has paid off but early days I know. Just need to keep it level now. Like you I am having good days and bad. Anger and emotions are all over the place. The feeling of being weak being diagnosed with this to is playing with my mind to. Regards

You’re not weak @spence People can be in the absolute peak of health and still get Type 1. It’s nothing to do with being feeble or eating badly or anything like that. It’s simply that your immune system mistakenly attacked the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.

It’s great you’ve got your sugars below 10. You should gradually feel better as your blood sugar comes down. Remember that it will always be moving a bit so don’t get disheartened if it goes a little high. Make sure you’ve got hypo treatments near and keep them with you.

Have you asked about having an additional insulin for meals? That’s the normal Type 1 routine - a slow background insulin and a fast insulin to deal with food. It’s better to have small amounts of the two different insulins than a larger amount of just slow insulin. Most Type 1s are started on both insulins. That might be something you want to ask about if only so you can prepare yourself and think ahead.

 

[spence]

I haven't been told about the Insulin for meals yet. I have more app with the diabetic team coming up. So will see what's suggested. Thanks for the info though. So that's a needle for every meal then? Lol. Regards

 

[Inka]

Yep (although initially you might find you only need it for some meals) but although you’re probably thinking that sounds horrible, the pay-off is better control and more flexibility which means you’ll feel more normal.

The usual regime for Type 1 is one or two injections a day of background/slow insulin which keeps your blood sugar ok in the absence of food, then an injection of mealtime/fast insulin for each meal and also, later on, to correct a high blood sugar. Our own bodies only make the equivalent of fast insulin but they release it in tiny amounts many times a day in the background, then in larger amounts when we eat. The background/meal insulins regime is an attempt to mimic this. Obviously, no-one wants to inject every few minutes so we use a slow/background insulin that lasts for 12/24 or more hours which has been modified to release gradually over those hours as the background insulin, then inject fast insulin to cover meals just as our own bodies would do if they could.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Obviously, no-one wants to inject every few minutes so we use a slow/background insulin that lasts for 12/24 or more hours which has been modified to release gradually over those hours as the background insulin, then inject fast insulin to cover meals just as our own bodies would do if they could.

Some use a pump, of course, which is more similar to what the body does.

 

[helli]

Some use a pump, of course, which is more similar to what the body does.

But it is very rare to start on the pump.
I believe this is partially due to the fact that pumps fail so you need to be comfortably, when under stress, to inject.

 

[Inka]

Some use a pump, of course, which is more similar to what the body does.

Yes, including me, but I purposely omitted pumps just to simplify what already seemed a complicated explanation. That’s something for later IMO as Spence was only diagnosed a few days ago.

 

[clarita84]

Hi Spence, sorry to hear about your diagnosis and your low mood. I was diagnosed T1 in May, age 37. Huge shock to me. I struggled with my mental health for a few months, I'll be honest. I blamed myself, I felt physically awful, and I wasn't sleeping. It's only the past few weeks I've seen some light at the end of the tunnel. You'll get there. Have you been offered any psychological support?

 

[spence]

Hi. Thanks for your message. I am still finding it hard to get my head around. There's no family history of it and I am a fairly healthy fit person. I will get there. Just trying to get the balance right. I have been in touch with the diabetic team at my local hospital and everyone on this site has been brilliant. I am glad your getting there now to. Regards

 

[trophywench]

@spence - Google 'The 5 stages of grief'. Batty as it sounds, it is recognised that being diagnosed with a chronic medical condition (chronic = lifelong) has the equivalent effect on the person, as a bereavement when someone very close to you dies. Well, in both our cases - the insulin producing cells in our pancreases, have indeed dropped dead unexpectedly. So - we need time to grieve! I have always found that doing something else that kept me occupied, took my mind off 'me me me' though to begin with I'd just have a meltdown of complete despair and just collapsed crying. It frustrated my husband who knew he couldn't help sort it out - so I told him to simply hug me when I did that until I stopped crying, shook myself, told myself 'Buggrit' and moved on by returning to doing whatever was normal at the time. I always refer to these occasions as me having an attack of the "Poor Me's".

Don't waste energy fighting it - it's happened, end of. Use your energy doing summat you want to do instead!

 

[Bruce Stephens]

There's no family history of it and I am a fairly healthy fit person.

That's pretty normal. I was a healthy 15 year old and while there's some reason to think I have a relative with Type 1 she wasn't a close relative.

 

[Deleted member 33898]

Hi Spence, sorry to hear about the news. I was diagnosed back in July this year, I am 30 years old. Although I cant say I am there yet completely in terms of emotions and better controlling my diabetes, I will say that it has got easier. Definitely helps to talk about it with others and making sure you get the most from the diabetic team at the hospital

 

[Jonesy63]

The feeling of being weak being diagnosed with this to is playing with my mind to.

Me too Spence. I don’t feel like a ‘normal’ person right now. Keep thinking of how life used to be before

 

[trophywench]

er, but this is your new normal, like you've changed your job or just got married or had a baby. Not a thing to fight against, but to embrace.

 

[Jonesy63]

er, but this is your new normal, like you've changed your job or just got married or had a baby. Not a thing to fight against, but to embrace.

Sorry, but I cannot compare having type 1 diabetes to getting married or having a baby. As for the job.. as a hgv driver it’s the worst news possible