Newly diagnosed at my late age

[Sara W]

Hello everyone. I was diagnosed in hospital with Type 1 after an accident in London almost three weeks ago. I'd been pretty sure I had diabetes over the last year esp given my weight loss, but following a fobbing off at my GP surgery last spring, I just put up with the symptoms.... and assumed at 70 that it would be Type 2. No such luck! It was silly to leave it so long but I have a poor relationship with my current GP practice, where you never see the same doctor twice, after previously only having two GPs all my adult life.

I had my first consultation with the practice's diabetes nurse yesterday, and that went well - she's clued up and very sympathetic: a good listener, and reassuring.

But the whole thing is a big shock, and worrying as I live alone (I'm a bit of a recluse these days). Now I'm feeling overwhelmed, and a bit depressed especially by the change in my diet. I'm a real foodie and a keen cook, andI did love my porridge, pasta and potatoes, and CAKE. I feel hungry almost all the time now, and rarely enjoy my meals. It makes me very sad, as I have so few pleasures left in life!

I have some questions but I'll start a specific thread for each of those. I don't need the usual into spiel, as I've read it several time already on other newbie threads 🙂

 

[James 048]

Hello everyone. I was diagnosed in hospital with Type 1 after an accident in London almost three weeks ago. I'd been pretty sure I had diabetes over the last year esp given my weight loss, but following a fobbing off at my GP surgery last spring, I just put up with the symptoms.... and assumed at 70 that it would be Type 2. No such luck! It was silly to leave it so long but I have a poor relationship with my current GP practice, where you never see the same doctor twice, after previously only having two GPs all my adult life.

I had my first consultation with the practice's diabetes nurse yesterday, and that went well - she's clued up and very sympathetic: a good listener, and reassuring.

But the whole thing is a big shock, and worrying as I live alone (I'm a bit of a recluse these days). Now I'm feeling overwhelmed, and a bit depressed especially by the change in my diet. I'm a real foodie and a keen cook, andI did love my porridge, pasta and potatoes, and CAKE. I feel hungry almost all the time now, and rarely enjoy my meals. It makes me very sad, as I have so few pleasures left in life!

I have some questions but I'll start a specific thread for each of those. I don't need the usual into spiel, as I've read it several time already on other newbie threads 🙂

Hi Sara
Warm welcome to the forum.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Hi and welcome 🙂

 

[Martin Canty]

I've read it several time already on other newbie threads

Hi Sara, I was going to wish you welcome but I just read the last sentence.........

Ah, I have never been one to listen to people so I'll wish you a very warm welcome anyway....😉

 

[mikeyB]

Hi Sara, welcome to the forum.

You list several problems, but thankfully you mention that your diabetes nurse is clued up, and you have confidence in her. That is such a bonus, it makes your relationships with the GPs so much less important. And folk on here can answer any questions you may have. If you could say what medications you are taking it will guide those answers. Now there's no such thing as a silly question when you are new to the diabetes game, so don't be afraid to ask.

I'm sure we all look forward to hearing more from you.🙂

 

[Manda1]

Welcome x

 

[grovesy]

There are many on here who were diagnosed Type 1 at an older age, most Insulin regimes allow people to eat normal and adjust the Insulin to what they eat.

 

[Lorraine Jones]

Hello, new to T2 diabetes here, got to wait till next Thursday for my first appt with the Diabetic Nurse. You won't be short of help on here, I've been reading lots of posts that has helped me get over the shock!!

 

[SB2015]

Hi Sara, you beat me. I was only 53 when diagnosed.
I look forward to reading your other posts. Starting a new thread for new questions is good as it it more likely to get a response

 

[Kaylz]

Welcome Sara when you carb count you can still enjoy all the things you used to like potatoes and things you just have to test and see what effect they have on you also porridge, it works for some on here and not others, it is a depressing thing to come to terms with and I spent a good while in the house after diagnosis not wanting to go etc, I hope you find all the answers to your questions here 🙂 x

 

[Sara W]

Thank you very much everyone! It's very cheering to know that there are loads of people here who have gone through this already and can offer advice and support. I'm lucky in the sense that I've had most of my life already free of this bother and worry.... Though I've been convinced for about 14/15 years following a very severe and recurring viral infection, that I have (or had) ME... my former GP diagnosed that years ago after long discussions.

Now I realise that the symptoms are very similar to diabetes esp the constant tiredness, so it's quite possible I never had ME at all. They are going to do a blood test next week, to find out for sure. I might have kept the diabetes at bay for all those years, due to my good and very varied diet. It's only in the last year I developed a sweet tooth; before that I rarely ate anything sweet, never bought cake etc - though I've always loved my fruit crumbles. I've usually bought Vogel bread too (the soya and linseed one especially) an eaten eggs for breakfast, loved lots of green veg etc etc - so in a way I've been helping myself while this incubated, I think.

The weight loss started in Jan 2015 after my cooker went kaput. I only had a halogen oven, so couldn't boil any carbs - and steadily I lost weight. Then in Jan 2016 I was given a double burner hotplate, so got back to eating some potatoes and pasta etc... much smaller portions than before, but carbs with my evening meal again. And by then I'd developed a 'cake habit'...

Then the bladder problems started, and the weight loss accelerated. And here we are, just over a year later, feeling foolish for not dealing with it sooner - esp as my eyesight has deteriorated so much this last year (which I'd put down to my age, and the fact I'd been doing Facebook and the racing on a small iPhone rather than on my laptop, for about 6 months).

 

[Stitch147]

Hi Sara and welcome to the forum.

 

[Sara W]

I forgot to add, I'm injecting insulin as my glucose readings were very high on diagnosis (on e was 27 in the hospital, probably due to all the wine the night before!)

I'm injecting Humalin: 10 units before breakfast and 6 before the evening meal, upped on Monday after ten days on 8 units then 4 - so I began the new osage on Monday evening. .

My readings are still mostly in the teens, though I did have one of 6 after having no lunch! I've only ever had 2 or 3 readings under 10 - it will be three weeks tomorrow since diagnosis. I'm a bit disappointed that the glucose isn't going down faster given I've been pretty good and eaten very few carbs indeed, and almost no sugary things bar a few grapes. I do take a quarter tsp in my tea and coffee - I tried Xylitol but it upset my digestion; I'll get some Splenda when I get to a supermarket. The village shop is not very useful now, sadly!

 

[Bloden]

Hi there Sara and welcome.🙂 Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I was 41 when I was dx and it hit me really hard (I come from a long line of chocoholics). My DSN was all "no this, no that, no the other" which was very hard to take (she's wrong, btw🙄). As Kaylz says, in theory you can eat anything as long as you cover it with insulin (her DSN is more clued-in than mine). In practice, you'll find some foods spike your BG - e.g. I can't eat white bagels any more, so I have the wholemeal ones instead - and it's a matter of personal trial and error and lots of testing. 😉 It IS hard at first, but it DOES get easier. 🙂

 

[Sara W]

Thanks Bloden!

I went to Waitrose last night and stocked up on Truvia sweetener, flax seed, almond milk, walnut oil, and a couple of loaves of Vogel (one Ancient Grains, one Soya/Linseed), among other diabetes-related items. I also got some stir fry inc some fresh noodles - I only had a third of the noodles with my stir fry (very late last night)... and when I got in at 8pm, I'd had the two small end slices of the Vogel with some guacomole.... I did a late night reading given I'd eaten these carbs, which was up again to 20.1, sigh.

This morning after a 10.1 fasting reading, I had a mid-morning brekkie of one slice of toasted Vogel with some taramasalata, then a couple of hours later I had lunch of two normal size chorizo sausages, one smallish hash brown from the farm shop, a mushroom halved and two small tomatoes, all grilled on one pan in my halogen oven, with a fried egg on top. That was very satisfying for a change... result!

My reading almost 3hrs post lunch was 10.9, not too bad - but as ever a couple of hours after a meal, I have a bad headache in the front of my head and slight pain in my nasal passages etc.....

I'm supposed to up the insulin again tomorrow given I'm still consistently reading over 10 - but I'm starting to worry I'm allergic to it or resisting it! I suppose it's very early days still, and I just need to be even more firm with myself about carbs for the moment.

 

[Robin]

I'm guessing this is a mixed Insulin, which covers you for the background glucose that your liver pumps out night and day (to keep your brain, heart and other organs ticking over), as well as carbs that you eat during the day.
Some people find it easier to use two separate insulins, one for background, and then one that they inject before each meal just to cover what is to be eaten ( known as Basal/Bolus regime, if you've come across the term anywhere else) You might find it more flexible to move to this when you've got yourself sorted out a bit more.
However, for the moment, on your mixed insulin, your team will be very cautious about dosing, only increasing slowly, as it is better for your body to come down slowly, having got used to running at higher glucose levels. I think you said you were on 10 and 6 units at the moment. This is quite a small dose, (although everyone's needs are different, and at the end of the day, we all need what we need!) so it doesn't sound to me as if you're resistant or allergic to it. Just hang in there and gradually increase as your team directs you, and you'll get there!

 

[Sara W]

Thanks Robin, that's very helpful. I was started off on 8 early and then 4 before supper, in spite of the relatively high readings, and wasn't told this was a low dose! I switched to 10 and 6, on Monday evening

I'm quite up and down - some days I feel fine (better than I have in a long while, ev en if just for a few hours) and other days I feel really rough, esp with this sickly headache after eating - never in the morning, usually after later meals esp in the evening... But that might be the residues of the concussion I suffered on Feb 15th - my head is still swollen where it bled, and lumpy! I was told to expect random headaches etc.

I'm experimenting with taking the insulin a good half hour before the meal, rather than just before, as from what I've read that works better for a lot of people.

And eta: yes I'm sure my body has got used to functioning with a very high glucose level as I've had the unmissable symptoms well over a year, and the general fatigue etc for many years.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Welcome to the forum Sara. 🙂

They are going to do a blood test next week, to find out for sure. I might have kept the diabetes at bay for all those years, due to my good and very varied diet.

Whilst good for your overall health this wouldn't affect anything if you're Type 1 - it's an autoimmune condition.

 

[Sara W]

So is ME which I've been dealing with for years. And food choices are paramount in keeping that at bay, as I believe they are for diabetes.

I'm very firmly in the 'you are what you eat' camp, and I'm therefore sure that a good and varied diet of mostly organic an unprocessed foods will help anyone to fight any disease, whatever it is.

 

[Andy HB]

Hello Sara, welcome to the forum from me.

Before I was diagnosed with type 2, I was drinking pop, orange juice and other sweet juices by the bucketload! As it turned out, my body was craving sugar because I was extremely insulin resistant. I was also losing weight and had no energy.

Eventually, with not a little help from the medical types and the wonderful guys and gals on here, I was able to get myself on the straight and narrow again. I am also pleased to say that my diet remains quite varied and I don't have to deny myself everything that I like.

Anyway, I hope you are able to balance your diet with the medication. You should be able to continue having pretty much everything you like too. In moderation, of course.

Andy 🙂