Hi all, not so excited to be here. Got my first DM diagnosis on Thursday after been rushed from work to A&E. Spent 4 days on admission as I was in DKA. My colleague signposted me to this support group, looking forward to navigate this journey with those with lived experiences.
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
-
Learn more about joining the Diabetes UK Support Forum team here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/volunteering-opportunities-why-dont-you-join-us.112862/
Newbie
- Thread starter Olu
- Start date
- Status
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the club nobody wants to join 🙂 I hope you’re recovering well from the DKA. I notice your avatar says you’re Type 2. Are they doing any tests to confirm that? I ask because you’re young and DKA is more of a Type 1 thing. Are you on any medication?
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi! Welcome to the club no-one wanted to join, although once you do join you get to meet all sorts of people who, just like their diabetes are absolutely different from each other, just as your diabetes is to you. I'm a bit surprised to see you've identified as having Type 2 diabetes, in view of the DKA (diabetic keto acidosis) - something very similar does happen with Type 2 but the abbreviation for that is HHS - (hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state) - and I now see that Inka types faster than me!
Yes I have recovered now from DKA, they will be carrying out further test to confirm the diabetes type . I am currently on long acting and short acting insulin no other medication.
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I hope you’re feeling a lot better now you’re on insulin. What insulins are you taking?
Unless you’re overweight and/or have a strong family history of Type 2, it’s likely you’re Type 1. Type 1 used to thought to be a childhood condition but actually it’s just as common in adults. Either way, you’ve got the insulin you need 🙂
Yes my dad has Type 2 and he’s been on insulin before I was even born. I am not sure about been overweight will have to check that. It just scares me that I am still too young for this; I have a 4 year old as well with a very supportive husband and trying to work out our routine . I am on lantus -15 units daily and Trurapi- 6 units before breakfast lunch and dinner.
Can I just ask, I have dinner around 7pm but still hungry about 9pm, what sort of healthy fruit or snack can I eat that won’t spike my sugar levels up ? Or do I just stick to drinking water
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It is a big shock to start with @Olu It takes time to get used to so be kind to yourself. It also takes time to learn how to manage things.
You’re on fixed doses of mealtime insulin but over time you’ll learn how to adjust those doses according to the carbs you’re about to eat. This will give you more flexibility.
It’s hard to answer about your after dinner snack but it’s possible some of the hunger is your body making up for when it couldn’t use food properly. That will settle. In the meantime, try a non-carby snack like a few nuts, celery, cheese, etc. If your blood sugar is at the lower end of normal at bedtime, it’s common to have a small carby snack eg a digestive (plain) biscuit or similar.
The important thing to remember is to give it all time. It will get easier, I promise.
You’re on fixed doses of mealtime insulin but over time you’ll learn how to adjust those doses according to the carbs you’re about to eat. This will give you more flexibility.
It’s hard to answer about your after dinner snack but it’s possible some of the hunger is your body making up for when it couldn’t use food properly. That will settle. In the meantime, try a non-carby snack like a few nuts, celery, cheese, etc. If your blood sugar is at the lower end of normal at bedtime, it’s common to have a small carby snack eg a digestive (plain) biscuit or similar.
The important thing to remember is to give it all time. It will get easier, I promise.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi and welcome from me too.
Sorry to hear you came into your diagnosis with a rather traumatic DKA, but good to hear you are now on a Multiple Daily Injection (MDI) regime.
Interesting to hear that your Dad was diagnosed as Type 2 before you were born and makes me wonder if perhaps he was misdiagnosed as he must have been quite young at the time. Sadly many GPs were under the misapprehension that Type 1 was a childhood condition so if you developed it as an adult, you must have Type 2 and back then, there probably wasn't any antibody testing to clarify things and of course no one would dream of challenging a doctor then, so if the doctor says Type 2 you are stuck with it. Hopefully, you will have the appropriate tests done (antibody tests and C-peptide) and get a definitive diagnosis. The antibody test tends to take about 6 weeks for the result to come back, so even if they have already taken the blood samples for that it will be a while before you get the result. It is worth asking if those tests have been done, because sadly people still get misdiagnosed as Type 2 when they are actually Type 1 and it can (unfortunately) make a significant difference to the support and technology you have access to.
Cheese is my evening snack often with olives or a boiled egg with some mayonnaise or a slice of ham rolled up with some coleslaw or some nuts or a decaf coffee with real double cream makes a nice comforting and satisfying bedtime drink. Ideally you want something low carb, that doesn't need insulin and that it is not pushing your Blood Glucose (BG) levels higher, particularly if they are currently high. Once your levels are nicely down into range then you may find that you need a small carby snack like a digestive biscuit (10g carbs) or a slice of toast and peanut butter (15-20g carbs) to push your levels up a bit higher at bedtime if they are low. Often you are given a level to aim for at bedtime, usually no lower than 8mmols initially, to reduce the risk of a nocturnal hypo, so if you are in the 5s before bed, a digestive biscuit should push you up to about 8mmols.
It all takes time to get your head around it and it is very complicated because there are lots of things which affect our levels, not just food and insulin, so it's a bit like trying to drive a car which has wonky steering. Take things slowly and gradually you will learn how to manage your wonky steering and whilst you will probably never drive it in a perfectly straight line, you will learn how to avoid crashing it most of the time. 🙄
Do keep coming back to the forum and asking questions because it really is a gold mine of experience and practical tips and I found it so helpful for filling in the blanks where some of the advice the nurse had told me went in one ear and out the other. Being able to come here and share experiences and pick the brains of the more experienced members was invaluable. In fact, it was the members here who spotted that I was a misdiagnosed Type 2 and was actually Type 1 and needed insulin, before my nurse did, so I have a lot of faith in the advice here. We understand because we live with it.
Sorry to hear you came into your diagnosis with a rather traumatic DKA, but good to hear you are now on a Multiple Daily Injection (MDI) regime.
Interesting to hear that your Dad was diagnosed as Type 2 before you were born and makes me wonder if perhaps he was misdiagnosed as he must have been quite young at the time. Sadly many GPs were under the misapprehension that Type 1 was a childhood condition so if you developed it as an adult, you must have Type 2 and back then, there probably wasn't any antibody testing to clarify things and of course no one would dream of challenging a doctor then, so if the doctor says Type 2 you are stuck with it. Hopefully, you will have the appropriate tests done (antibody tests and C-peptide) and get a definitive diagnosis. The antibody test tends to take about 6 weeks for the result to come back, so even if they have already taken the blood samples for that it will be a while before you get the result. It is worth asking if those tests have been done, because sadly people still get misdiagnosed as Type 2 when they are actually Type 1 and it can (unfortunately) make a significant difference to the support and technology you have access to.
Cheese is my evening snack often with olives or a boiled egg with some mayonnaise or a slice of ham rolled up with some coleslaw or some nuts or a decaf coffee with real double cream makes a nice comforting and satisfying bedtime drink. Ideally you want something low carb, that doesn't need insulin and that it is not pushing your Blood Glucose (BG) levels higher, particularly if they are currently high. Once your levels are nicely down into range then you may find that you need a small carby snack like a digestive biscuit (10g carbs) or a slice of toast and peanut butter (15-20g carbs) to push your levels up a bit higher at bedtime if they are low. Often you are given a level to aim for at bedtime, usually no lower than 8mmols initially, to reduce the risk of a nocturnal hypo, so if you are in the 5s before bed, a digestive biscuit should push you up to about 8mmols.
It all takes time to get your head around it and it is very complicated because there are lots of things which affect our levels, not just food and insulin, so it's a bit like trying to drive a car which has wonky steering. Take things slowly and gradually you will learn how to manage your wonky steering and whilst you will probably never drive it in a perfectly straight line, you will learn how to avoid crashing it most of the time. 🙄
Do keep coming back to the forum and asking questions because it really is a gold mine of experience and practical tips and I found it so helpful for filling in the blanks where some of the advice the nurse had told me went in one ear and out the other. Being able to come here and share experiences and pick the brains of the more experienced members was invaluable. In fact, it was the members here who spotted that I was a misdiagnosed Type 2 and was actually Type 1 and needed insulin, before my nurse did, so I have a lot of faith in the advice here. We understand because we live with it.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Olu
Sorry you have to be here, but glad you have found us!
We have literally centuries of lived diabetes experience on the forum, so keep the questions coming, and feel free to rant, moan and let off steam with the worry and frustration of it all. You are among folks who “get it”.
My go-to snack of choice for years has been a handful of nuts. Protein and fats make them satisfying even in relatively small quantities.
In time you’ll learn to adjust your doses to match different-sized meals, so you’ll be able to eat more if you are hungry (though like everyone non-D or not, you’ll have to watch the impact of bigger meals on your waistline, of course!)
Sorry you have to be here, but glad you have found us!
We have literally centuries of lived diabetes experience on the forum, so keep the questions coming, and feel free to rant, moan and let off steam with the worry and frustration of it all. You are among folks who “get it”.
My go-to snack of choice for years has been a handful of nuts. Protein and fats make them satisfying even in relatively small quantities.
In time you’ll learn to adjust your doses to match different-sized meals, so you’ll be able to eat more if you are hungry (though like everyone non-D or not, you’ll have to watch the impact of bigger meals on your waistline, of course!)
Hi all, I have a couple of questions to ask:
(1) What’s the best way to inject I am currently using insulin pen needle 4mm 31g. Where is the best place to inject as I was advised my tummy by specialist though it feels painful.
(2) I have had different figures after testing my blood sugar with lancet . I tested it was 16.9 and test within 1 sec later it was 14. Can I get clarification on why I am getting this please?
Thank youuuu
(1) What’s the best way to inject I am currently using insulin pen needle 4mm 31g. Where is the best place to inject as I was advised my tummy by specialist though it feels painful.
(2) I have had different figures after testing my blood sugar with lancet . I tested it was 16.9 and test within 1 sec later it was 14. Can I get clarification on why I am getting this please?
Thank youuuu
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Not sure if it is a typo on your part but I think standard needles are 4mm and 32g, mine certainly are, but 1 won't make any significant difference if yours are 31g. Some areas are more sensitive than others even within the tummy area. It also helps the needle to penetrate the skin more easily by stretching the skin a bit, either by pinching up slightly or using your finger and thumb to tension the skin by putting them on the skin and then pushing them apart slightly. I find probably about 50% of my injections are more or less painless and then maybe another 30-35% are a bit painful but not too bad and some are really painful. Also sometimes the needle goes in without pain and then the insulin stings. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to that and both my basal and bolus insulin can do that but not regularly. There are some spots which are really sensitive and hurt a lot and if I hit one one of those I often move half an inch and try again. Sometimes you can tell if it is going to be a painful spot when you just touch the needle to the skin, so if you are particularly sensitive then you could try that. I also find that twirling the pen as I push the needle through can help it go in more easily, but generally I just get on with it and accept that sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn't. It is only for a few seconds.
As regards sites, I tend to use my tummy for my bolus (fast acting) insulin because that has the fastest absorption, and my basal (long acting) insulin goes in my buttocks or my thighs. You can also use your outer upper arms, but I rarely do unless I am wearing something which makes other areas difficult to access when I am out socially.
Blood Glucose meters are no where near as accurate as the decimal place suggests and are usually only guaranteed to be within 15% of your actual reading 95% of the time, so potentially 5% could be totally rogue I believe and the remainder will have a bigger variation the higher your BG is so 15% of 4.2 is going to be much smaller variation than 15% of 14.6, if that makes sense, so getting 3mmols difference when your levels are in the mid teens is not unreasonable but you would not expect it to be that different if you were down at say 6. Blood is also not homogenous.
I know this is all quite difficult to get your head around in the beginning and you have to take a bit of a leap of faith to accept that they are not as accurate as you would like, but there are so many things which impact your BG levels that you have no control over, that having a meter which gives you an idea of your levels but is not accurate is perfectly OK. Keep in mind that people survived for decades by boiling their wee in a test tube with a reagent which changes colour and then gave them a result which indicated what their BG levels were about 3 hours before they did that wee! Our modern BG meters and now CGM are amazing advances in diabetes management, but still not perfect, but then we can't manage our diabetes perfectly even if they were absolutely accurate, so it doesn't matter. Close enough is close enough. If however you get a reading which seems really out of the ordinary and no where near where you expected it to be, then it is always important to do a second or possibly even third test, if you really aren't sure. So, if you felt unwell and thought you were hypo but the meter said 6.8 and then a second reading gave me a 12.1, neither of which corresponded with how I was feeling, then I would do a third test, but I can't think I have ever had that situation.
As regards sites, I tend to use my tummy for my bolus (fast acting) insulin because that has the fastest absorption, and my basal (long acting) insulin goes in my buttocks or my thighs. You can also use your outer upper arms, but I rarely do unless I am wearing something which makes other areas difficult to access when I am out socially.
Blood Glucose meters are no where near as accurate as the decimal place suggests and are usually only guaranteed to be within 15% of your actual reading 95% of the time, so potentially 5% could be totally rogue I believe and the remainder will have a bigger variation the higher your BG is so 15% of 4.2 is going to be much smaller variation than 15% of 14.6, if that makes sense, so getting 3mmols difference when your levels are in the mid teens is not unreasonable but you would not expect it to be that different if you were down at say 6. Blood is also not homogenous.
I know this is all quite difficult to get your head around in the beginning and you have to take a bit of a leap of faith to accept that they are not as accurate as you would like, but there are so many things which impact your BG levels that you have no control over, that having a meter which gives you an idea of your levels but is not accurate is perfectly OK. Keep in mind that people survived for decades by boiling their wee in a test tube with a reagent which changes colour and then gave them a result which indicated what their BG levels were about 3 hours before they did that wee! Our modern BG meters and now CGM are amazing advances in diabetes management, but still not perfect, but then we can't manage our diabetes perfectly even if they were absolutely accurate, so it doesn't matter. Close enough is close enough. If however you get a reading which seems really out of the ordinary and no where near where you expected it to be, then it is always important to do a second or possibly even third test, if you really aren't sure. So, if you felt unwell and thought you were hypo but the meter said 6.8 and then a second reading gave me a 12.1, neither of which corresponded with how I was feeling, then I would do a third test, but I can't think I have ever had that situation.
- Status