Newbie

[Greyhound Gal]

Hi, I'm Pippa. I was diagnosed on 31st May this year. Still not been told if T1 or T2, although factors are indicating T1 even though I'm in my 40's (very sudden onset and already have another auto immune disorder). Been injecting twice a day since mid June, and taking blood readings 4x a day.
I have other health issues as well but have never really felt down about them - you just get on with it don't you, but having a really bad day today and feel like my life is revolving around medical appointments, taking pills, blood tests, insulin, watching diet etc. Heaven knows how I am supposed to find the time to do my job....

 

[Robin]

Hello, Pippa, and welcome to th forum. There are quite a few of us on here who were diagnosed type1 in our 40s or 50s. I'm glad your healthcare team is keeping an open mind, so many of us were initially told, 'you must be type 2 because of your age'
There's so much to get your head round to start with, it does get easier, as it becomes routine and second nature.

 

[Northerner]

Hi, I'm Pippa. I was diagnosed on 31st May this year. Still not been told if T1 or T2, although factors are indicating T1 even though I'm in my 40's (very sudden onset and already have another auto immune disorder). Been injecting twice a day since mid June, and taking blood readings 4x a day.
I have other health issues as well but have never really felt down about them - you just get on with it don't you, but having a really bad day today and feel like my life is revolving around medical appointments, taking pills, blood tests, insulin, watching diet etc. Heaven knows how I am supposed to find the time to do my job....

Hi Pippa, welcome to the forum 🙂 Sorry to hear about your (almost!) diagnosis It certainly sounds like Type 1 rather than Type 2, with the sudden onset, autoimmune problems and straight on insulin. I was 49 when I was diagnosed and they were unclear about my type at first, but you can be diagnosed with Type 1 at any age, I have known people diagnosed in their late 60s and early 70s 😱

It can all be very overwhelming to begin with, with ll the appointments and tests, but things will hopefully start to fall into place more before too long and you will feel less 'medicalised'. It's a very steep learning curve, but it is do-able - just keep asking questions and we'll do our best to help out 🙂 I'd highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas - ignore the title, it applies to ALL Type 1s, whatever your age! It will help you understand the scope of what you are dealing with, the various treatments and things you need to be aware of 🙂

How are you coping with the injections, and how how are your levels behaving now? I'm presuming you are on a mixed insulin if you are on two injections - some people find mixes a little restrictive and find the 'basal/bolus or 'MDI' (Multiple Daily Injections) regime more flexible as it separates out fast and slow acting insulins, allowing you to eat what you want, when you want and can also help cope better with unexpected high levels. More injections, but usually worth it. Have you been given or been booked on a diabetes education course? If not, do chase this up with your healthcare team, it can really help to fill in the blanks and can also be an opportunity to meet others going through the same thing 🙂

Ask away, there's always someone here to help! 🙂

 

[grovesy]

Welcome!

 

[Stitch147]

Hi Pippa, welcome to the forum.

 

[Flower]

Hello Pippa and welcome 🙂

It surely is one steep learning curve when you get presented with running your own insulin supply. It does soon start to make sense and the pieces of the diabetes puzzle do begin to fit together.
It is perfectly normal to have bad days when it all hacks you off, this forum is full of lovely people who 'get' diabetes and all it throws at you and offer great help and support to help you along. I wish you well 🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome Greyhound. I hope it gets sorts soon. T2 here, 20 months in.

 

[Iyline]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Hi Pippa, and welcome 🙂

I developed type 1 suddenly in my 40s too - it is more common than medical professionals seem to think! I know what you mean about feeling your life is revolving around it, but things will calm down after a bit and get a lot easier.

I agree with Northerner - if you've been given mixed insulin do ask if you can go onto MDI instead, as that is a lot more flexible - it will mean you can inject to fit in with what you want to eat rather than having to eat to fit in with your insulin.

 

[weecee]

Welcome to our world Pippa. I know the feeling of life revolving around drugs, hospital appointments and tests and trying to get your diet right, and also trying to hold down a job. Am dealing with cancer and diabetes T2 as well as hernia and ulcers myself. My thing is that some food is good for one thing but not the other so I try lots and see how it works out. Trial and error really. Have good days and not so good days too and like yourself, mostly try to put on a game face and think of others worse off. We are allowed to be selfish sometimes too. We are no use to number two, three and four if we don't look after number one. People on these forums are always good sounding boards and are very helpful

 

[Greyhound Gal]

Thanks everyone. Mood lifted as soon as you began to reply - thank you . I am also dealing with chronic liver disease, a leaky heart valve and psoriasis Just had them all stable, and along came diabetes.....To top that, on Wed the diabetes nurse at my GP told me Iwasn't taking it seriously and to act responsibly - she very nearly got a slap. Hence the down mood, but thanks to you all I feel much happier and know I can always come here for advice, guidance and good moan or a jolly good laugh - you're all fab

 

[Northerner]

Thanks everyone. Mood lifted as soon as you began to reply - thank you . I am also dealing with chronic liver disease, a leaky heart valve and psoriasis Just had them all stable, and along came diabetes.....To top that, on Wed the diabetes nurse at my GP told me Iwasn't taking it seriously and to act responsibly - she very nearly got a slap. Hence the down mood, but thanks to you all I feel much happier and know I can always come here for advice, guidance and good moan or a jolly good laugh - you're all fab

Really pleased we have been able to lift your mood 🙂 My Dad had psoriasis, which I think may be the autoimmune connection to my diabetes - hope you can manage to keep it under control 🙂

 

[Mark Parrott]

My wife has several auto immune disorders including PSA. But no diabetes though it does run in her family.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

the diabetes nurse at my GP told me Iwasn't taking it seriously and to act responsibly - she very nearly got a slap

😱 I don't blame you! I've heard similar silly things from medical professionals who haven't a clue how big an effort it can be just to get to the appointment sometimes when you're juggling various other illnesses, let alone how it feels trying to manage several at once. Managing my other conditions can clash with my diabetes in various ways, and some diabetes consultants seem to think I can just ignore what's best for them because diabetes somehow trumps them (I can't and it doesn't). Thankfully the consultant I've got now seems to be OK, and I have a lovely helpful nurse, but it did take a bit work before I got here. Hang in there!

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum, Greyhound Girl. It will be tougher for you with other conditions to deal with diabetes as well, compared to others of us who were diagnosed as adults. What sort of work do you do? I hope you don't have to change careers like I did, as diabetes treated with insulin meant end of Territorial Army service, professional SCUBA diving, driving minibuses and vans for profit, working in Antarctica etc. BSc Marine Biology became virtually useless.

 

[Greyhound Gal]

Hi. I'm an IT Project Manager. The company I work for have been great about all the time off I've had over past 3 years for all the appointments, inpatient etc so I can't fault them at all - redundancies in the pipeline though....My BG tend to be in the 7's in the morning, sometimes drop a bit before lunch or before dinner (never both) and then rise usually to 9-10 before bed. Apparently the bed time reading being higher could be because it is usually only about 2.5 hrs after I've eaten when my insulin is at its spike ? I'm trying to eat a little earlier to see if it comes down. Not done too badly I think as at the end of May when I was diagnosed my BG was 23. I walk the dogs each day for about 40 mins and do archery 2-3 x a week for a total of around 5-6 hours. I find on Sunday mornings before archery I need to reduce my dose to 12 and this stops me having a hypo. My usual dosage is 14 before breakfast and 12 before dinner.
I know exactly what yo mean Juliet re being told one thing re other conditions which is then the opposite of what I'm being told to do for diabetes. My GP told me to decide which condition was more important - they are ALL important to me . I have put on 12llbs since diagnosis, in part I know from bad eating but am now overweight so not a happy bunny😡. Do people feel the best diet to initially try if the LCHF, and if so any books about it?

 

[Hilvern]

Hi, I'm Pippa. I was diagnosed on 31st May this year. Still not been told if T1 or T2, although factors are indicating T1 even though I'm in my 40's (very sudden onset and already have another auto immune disorder). Been injecting twice a day since mid June, and taking blood readings 4x a day.
I have other health issues as well but have never really felt down about them - you just get on with it don't you, but having a really bad day today and feel like my life is revolving around medical appointments, taking pills, blood tests, insulin, watching diet etc. Heaven knows how I am supposed to find the time to do my job....

Hi Pippa
You are among friends here who will do their best to encourage and help. Am sure you will find useful contributions on here. All the very best.