Newbie

[Stanford]

Hi guys I am new to this forum and newly diagnosed with T1 diabetes. Diagnosed in November. Had all the symptoms so knew what the outcome would be. Diagnosed on a Thursday and admitted to hospital on the following Monday with DKA. I had zero knowledge of diabetes so lots of googling to try to get some understanding of how to navigate my way forward. Still learning.
Great to know that I can now get support from all you guys.

 

[Inka]

Welcome @Stanford 🙂 Sorry you’ve had to join us.Do ask any questions you want - nothing is too basic or trivial to ask.

What insulins do you take and are you carb counting? Do you have a Libre?

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Stanford
Glad that you have found us, look forward to hearing more from you.
There is a wealth of experience to tap into on here, so fire away with any questions that you have.
nothing is considered silly on here. Just ask

 

[Stanford]

Thank you. I take LANTUS each morning and NovoRapid before each meal. I have downloaded the Carbs & Cals app which has been helpful, so just started carb counting. At present 15 carbs to 1 unit, was doing 10 but kept getting hypos. I do have a Libre which is a godsend. I am around 75/80% in range but experiencing hypos most days whilst walking my dog. Tried eating a banana before my walk but sometimes isn’t enough. Any ideas of a better snack to carry me through around an hour of walking. I am also a member of Slimming World so mindful of eating too many carbs. Thanks again for your warm welcome.

 

[Stanford]

Welcome to the forum @Stanford
Glad that you have found us, look forward to hearing more from you.
There is a wealth of experience to tap into on here, so fire away with any questions that you have.
nothing is considered silly on here. Just ask

Thank you so much. I will do

 

[Stanford]

I have a question already. I had 2 units of NovoRapid before eating my breakfast. 2 weetabix and a banana my levels spiked to around 14 (luckily didn’t do a correction) and now at 5 and quickly dropping so again have to resort to my jelly babies. Where am I going wrong?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear you ended up in hospital with DKA. Hope it wasn't a bad one. Did they initially assume you were Type 2 on the Thursday? It is quite surprising that you hit a crisis point so quickly after diagnosis, but if you were initially misdiagnosed, then at least it saved you months or years of fighting to get a correct diagnosis as happens for many adult onset Type 1s who get misdiagnosed.

I have a question already. I had 2 units of NovoRapid before eating my breakfast. 2 weetabix and a banana my levels spiked to around 14 (luckily didn’t do a correction) and now at 5 and quickly dropping so again have to resort to my jelly babies. Where am I going wrong?

Timing of the NovoRapid is the key with a big spike that returns into range afterwards, although it sounds like your own insulin production is still helping out ie. honeymoon period if you only needed 2 units for Weetabix and a banana.
How far in advance do you inject the NovoRapid?
Many of us find that we are more insulin resistant in the morning, so our mealtime (bolus) insulin needs a longer head start than during the rest of the day. I am quite extreme, but with NR I needed to inject 75 mins before my breakfast to prevent my levels spiking up to 15 and then plummeting back down to 5. Many people would hypo waiting so long, but that was what worked for my body. I now have a slightly faster insulin and just need 45 mins prebolus time. The key thing is to find the timing that works for your body, food choice and insulin. The way to do it is to start with the prebolus timing you have now and gradually inject a few mins earlier each time (ideally keeping the breakfast the same) until the spike starts to reduce to where you are happy with it, without risking going too low. Even with a low carb breakfast of a few berries, yoghurt and seeds my digestion is far too quick and my insulin far too slow, so I inject my breakfast bolus plus any correction before I get out of bed, then I get up washed and dressed, make my breakfast and a coffee and sit down to catch up with the news whilst watching my Libre for my insulin to show signs of kicking in and my levels start to drop and then I eat my breakfast. The important thing for me is to have it ready and just keep scanning until I am mid 5s and starting to drop. That is just me and I know that my yoghurt and berries will bring me up before I hit the red line ie drop below 4. Your digestion may well be slower, so you may need to eat when levels are mid 6s, but the best way to do it is to just increase the prebolus time by 5 mins each day until you smooth out that spike.

 

[Stanford]

Hi and welcome.

Sorry to hear you ended up in hospital with DKA. Hope it wasn't a bad one. Did they initially assume you were Type 2 on the Thursday? It is quite surprising that you hit a crisis point so quickly after diagnosis, but if you were initially misdiagnosed, then at least it saved you months or years of fighting to get a correct diagnosis as happens for many adult onset Type 1s who get misdiagnosed.


Timing of the NovoRapid is the key with a big spike that returns into range afterwards, although it sounds like your own insulin production is still helping out ie. honeymoon period if you only needed 2 units for Weetabix and a banana.
How far in advance do you inject the NovoRapid?
Many of us find that we are more insulin resistant in the morning, so our mealtime (bolus) insulin needs a longer head start than during the rest of the day. I am quite extreme, but with NR I needed to inject 75 mins before my breakfast to prevent my levels spiking up to 15 and then plummeting back down to 5. Many people would hypo waiting so long, but that was what worked for my body. I now have a slightly faster insulin and just need 45 mins prebolus time. The key thing is to find the timing that works for your body, food choice and insulin. The way to do it is to start with the prebolus timing you have now and gradually inject a few mins earlier each time (ideally keeping the breakfast the same) until the spike starts to reduce to where you are happy with it, without risking going too low. Even with a low carb breakfast of a few berries, yoghurt and seeds my digestion is far too quick and my insulin far too slow, so I inject my breakfast bolus plus any correction before I get out of bed, then I get up washed and dressed, make my breakfast and a coffee and sit down to catch up with the news whilst watching my Libre for my insulin to show signs of kicking in and my levels start to drop and then I eat my breakfast. The important thing for me is to have it ready and just keep scanning until I am mid 5s and starting to drop. That is just me and I know that my yoghurt and berries will bring me up before I hit the red line ie drop below 4. Your digestion may well be slower, so you may need to eat when levels are mid 6s, but the best way to do it is to just increase the prebolus time by 5 mins each day until you smooth out that spike.

Thank you so much for all your information I will certainly give that a go. When I was diagnosed it was over the telephone and I was told to pick up a prescription for tablets. I didn’t even have a monitor to check my glucose levels or have any idea at what level they should be. The only information that was key was if I started vomiting was to call 111. I went into hospital with a Hbac1 of 104. The diabetes team assumed it was T1 and I was eventually diagnosed with T1 a few weeks later. I was put on insulin in hospital and got all the tools I needed to cope with it. It was very scary and I felt extremely unwell. But onwards and upwards now.

 

[rebrascora]

I should make it clear that the timing of insulin for different times of the day varies so, once you get your breakfast timing worked out, don't apply the same timing to lunch or evening meal. I only need 15-20 mins prebolus later in the day.
Also, if you wake up on a low level.... perhaps in the 4s or low 5s, you will likely need less prebolus time than if your waking reading is 6 or above. I know that will all sound a bit complicated, but we use an analogy of diabetes being like learning to drive. When you get in the drivers seat for the first time, you have to think about every single action, but gradually much of it becomes automatic and you check the car is out of gear before starting it and select gears without conscious thought and you only have to look out for the less mundane aspects or which road you need to take to get to where you want to be and the other stuff just happens in the background.

It amazes me that I can wake up in the depths of the night, see that my levels are high, calculate a correction based on the time of night and my levels and what I had to eat before bed and when I will be waking up, dial up and inject the correction without even putting the light on and be back to sleep literally within minutes. I know technically I should put the light on and do a finger prick, but Libre is very reliable for me and if I put the light on, it takes longer to go back to sleep and disturbs my partner or I have to get up and go into a different room to prevent disturbing him.
I am just 4 years from diagnosis and I have developed this level of confidence and proficiency with my diabetes management in that time.....but then I "drive" my diabetes every day, all day and through the night, so you probably get proficient more quickly that driving a car for just an hour or so a day. At least that is what I have found. It has of course taken time to get to this stage and this forum has helped enormously in giving me the knowledge and confidence and to develop the practical ability through tried and tested tips.

 

[Stanford]

I should make it clear that the timing of insulin for different times of the day varies so, once you get your breakfast timing worked out, don't apply the same timing to lunch or evening meal. I only need 15-20 mins prebolus later in the day.
Also, if you wake up on a low level.... perhaps in the 4s or low 5s, you will likely need less prebolus time than if your waking reading is 6 or above. I know that will all sound a bit complicated, but we use an analogy of diabetes being like learning to drive. When you get in the drivers seat for the first time, you have to think about every single action, but gradually much of it becomes automatic and you check the car is out of gear before starting it and select gears without conscious thought and you only have to look out for the less mundane aspects or which road you need to take to get to where you want to be and the other stuff just happens in the background.

It amazes me that I can wake up in the depths of the night, see that my levels are high, calculate a correction based on the time of night and my levels and what I had to eat before bed and when I will be waking up, dial up and inject the correction without even putting the light on and be back to sleep literally within minutes. I know technically I should put the light on and do a finger prick, but Libre is very reliable for me and if I put the light on, it takes longer to go back to sleep and disturbs my partner or I have to get up and go into a different room to prevent disturbing him.
I am just 4 years from diagnosis and I have developed this level of confidence and proficiency with my diabetes management in that time.....but then I "drive" my diabetes every day, all day and through the night, so you probably get proficient more quickly that driving a car for just an hour or so a day. At least that is what I have found. It has of course taken time to get to this stage and this forum has helped enormously in giving me the knowledge and confidence and to develop the practical ability through tried and tested tips.

Thank you. My diabetes nurse keeps telling me it takes time and there is no hard or fast rule. I’m impatient and want to be in control and it seems no two people are alike. A real learning curve.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Stanford

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but glad you have found us! It can be so helpful to have others around who share the same struggles, uncertainties, and unexpected diabetes-genius moments of victory!

Hopefully you can adjust your bolus timing to get a reduced BG bump after breakfast - though I confess I largely gave up on breakfast cereals, because my body didn’t seem to have read the memo about high fibre and slow release Seedy toast seems easier for my metabolism to cope with - but everyone is different 🙂

If you’d like to add to the learning you’ve already picked up, you might find either of these books helpful (which have a good reputation among T1s here)

Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner - A practical guide to managing diabetes with insulin

Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas - considered to be the 'bible' for children and young people on insulin regimes. Don't be put off by the title - this book is relevant to people of all ages!

Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂

 

[Stanford]

Welcome to the forum @Stanford

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but glad you have found us! It can be so helpful to have others around who share the same struggles, uncertainties, and unexpected diabetes-genius moments of victory!

Hopefully you can adjust your bolus timing to get a reduced BG bump after breakfast - though I confess I largely gave up on breakfast cereals, because my body didn’t seem to have read the memo about high fibre and slow release Seedy toast seems easier for my metabolism to cope with - but everyone is different 🙂

If you’d like to add to the learning you’ve already picked up, you might find either of these books helpful (which have a good reputation among T1s here)

Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner - A practical guide to managing diabetes with insulin

Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas - considered to be the 'bible' for children and young people on insulin regimes. Don't be put off by the title - this book is relevant to people of all ages!

Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂

Thank you I will definitely get those books because I really wish I understood more. Thank you all for your support, so glad I joined

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you I will definitely get those books because I really wish I understood more. Thank you all for your support, so glad I joined

You may prefer one to another. If considering a purchase perhaps see if an online store will let you 'read inside', Or perhaps see if your local library service might have a copy you could borrow to see if it suits you before committing?

 

[Stanford]

You may prefer one to another. If considering a purchase perhaps see if an online store will let you 'read inside', Or perhaps see if your local library service might have a copy you could borrow to see if it suits you before committing?

Good idea will do. Thank you

 

[trophywench]

Hi @Stanford
We're nothing if not truthful about diabetes here so please don't mention controlling your diabetes to me!

There are at least 42 outside factors which can affect blood glucose - see https://brightspotsandlandmines.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/42FactorsExplainedOctober2019.pdf
hence we prefer to talk about how we MANAGE it !

 

[Maiden]

Hi guys I am new to this forum and newly diagnosed with T1 diabetes. Diagnosed in November. Had all the symptoms so knew what the outcome would be. Diagnosed on a Thursday and admitted to hospital on the following Monday with DKA. I had zero knowledge of diabetes so lots of googling to try to get some understanding of how to navigate my way forward. Still learning.
Great to know that I can now get support from all you guys.

Welcome to the Diabetes forum Stanford
You've come to the right place for all questions and help with managing your diabetes
Personally I have found kind folk on here so so helpful - as is evident reading replies to your post
No.input necessary from me !

 

[Nile DUK]

Hi guys I am new to this forum and newly diagnosed with T1 diabetes. Diagnosed in November. Had all the symptoms so knew what the outcome would be. Diagnosed on a Thursday and admitted to hospital on the following Monday with DKA. I had zero knowledge of diabetes so lots of googling to try to get some understanding of how to navigate my way forward. Still learning.
Great to know that I can now get support from all you guys.

Hi There,

We're in this with you and here to help you along the way as much as we can , I know the news is never easy at first but I hope we can help make things a lot easier for you!

The positive side is with type 1 all kinds of food are fine to eat, the main focus is monitoring your blood sugar levels .

You might want to have a look at this page to get a better understanding of DKA:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/complications/diabetic_ketoacidosis

Wish you the best and let us know how your doing along the way 🙂

 

[UnexpectedDiagnosis]

Welcome, I'm also very new to T1 and it was a complete shock.. our stories are pretty similar however I'm still waiting for a formal diagnosis although my urine analysis showed virtually no insulin production so I would be very surprised if I wasn't especially since I take insulin daily.

It's hard to be landed with it out of no where, I felt lots of anxiety until my blood sugars became more stable. I found out when I ended up in hospital in January. I am still adjusting and finding out what works etc. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, take your time and take small wins each day. I was having so many hypos initially but now barely any after only a couple of months.

Try to stay positive!

 

[Tdm]

I found it difficult working out how to exercise whilst my novorapid was most active (first 3 hours) as my sugars would plummet. I still avoid doing too much during that time...though i find 20 min excercise (walking) as my blood sugars start to rise after a meal knocks the spike right on the head.

Do bear in mind that libre can be a wee bit of a drama queen and can overestimate peaks and valleys.

 

[Tdm]

Re the banana before excercing, you may be better nibbling on something throughout your walk, like dextrose, or Jelly belly jelly beans which are one carb each may be convenient