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Newly diagnosed

A

Ally_m05

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Carer/Partner
Pronouns
She/Her
Hey everyone!

My partner has recently been diagnosed type 1 and we’re trying to adjust to the new lifestyle. I thought it would be best to get some advice and support for my partner from people who are also living with type 1!

The big thing at the moment is he’s noticing how bright everything is when he goes low. Is anyone else in the same boat and what tips do you all have?

Thank you so much and I hope I’m not overstepping by asking for advice even thought I’m not the one living with type 1 x
 
Hi @Ally_m05 and welcome to the forum! You're absolutely not overstepping at all. It’s lovely to see how supportive and proactive you’re being - that can make such a huge difference for someone newly diagnosed with type 1.
What your partner is experiencing with everything looking unusually bright during a low is actually a symptom some people do report - changes in vision, brightness, or a sort of “glare” effect can happen when blood sugar drops quickly. It’s often linked to how the brain and eyes are reacting to the lack of glucose, and while it can feel quite strange or even alarming at first, it’s a sign the body is trying to get attention.
The key will be helping your partner get really familiar with his own hypo symptoms, as they can be a bit different for everyone. Keeping fast-acting glucose close by (like glucose tabs, juice, jelly babies) is really important - and treating a hypo early, before it drops too far, can help prevent more intense symptoms like this.
It’s a huge learning curve in the early days, but you're absolutely doing the right thing by reaching out. Please feel free to keep asking anything - this forum is just as much for supportive partners and loved ones as it is for people living with diabetes.
Sending you both lots of encouragement as you adjust together - you're not alone in this!
 
Welcome @Ally_m05 🙂 My first tip would be to get your partner to join the forum too. Not only can he ask questions, the support and not feeling alone is invaluable.

When was he diagnosed? What insulins does he take and does he have a Libre sensor? If so, make sure he sets his Low alarm at 5.6 to reduce the risk of hypos. Hypos can never be totally eliminated but it’s best to avoid them as much as possible.

Is he on fixed doses of meal time insulin or is he counting carbs? The sooner he learns to count carbs, the better. That’s crucial for good control.

When he and you are ready to read up on things, these are the books often recommended for Type 1s on this forum:

Think Like a Pancreas’ by Gary Scheiner.

And Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas (ignore the title - great for adults too)

Think Like A Pancreas is American but I liked the chatty style and it contains some great information, as does the Ragnar Hanas book. They’re books to read over time and to refer to. Type 1 is a huge learning experience. Take things slowly.
 
Ieva DUK said:
Hi @Ally_m05 and welcome to the forum! You're absolutely not overstepping at all. It’s lovely to see how supportive and proactive you’re being - that can make such a huge difference for someone newly diagnosed with type 1.
What your partner is experiencing with everything looking unusually bright during a low is actually a symptom some people do report - changes in vision, brightness, or a sort of “glare” effect can happen when blood sugar drops quickly. It’s often linked to how the brain and eyes are reacting to the lack of glucose, and while it can feel quite strange or even alarming at first, it’s a sign the body is trying to get attention.
The key will be helping your partner get really familiar with his own hypo symptoms, as they can be a bit different for everyone. Keeping fast-acting glucose close by (like glucose tabs, juice, jelly babies) is really important - and treating a hypo early, before it drops too far, can help prevent more intense symptoms like this.
It’s a huge learning curve in the early days, but you're absolutely doing the right thing by reaching out. Please feel free to keep asking anything - this forum is just as much for supportive partners and loved ones as it is for people living with diabetes.
Sending you both lots of encouragement as you adjust together - you're not alone in this!
Click to expand...
Hi! It’s so refreshing to hear that he isn’t alone in this! Thank you so much for your kind words!

He has his backpack which he always keeps his insulin in a proper bag I bought at the beginning of his diagnosis along with some glycogen and other snacks and drinks for a hypo.

It makes so much sense now you’ve said it about his body trying to draw attention to the lack of glucose, thank you for that!

It’s lovely how supportive and kind people have been
 
Inka said:
Welcome @Ally_m05 🙂 My first tip would be to get your partner to join the forum too. Not only can he ask questions, the support and not feeling alone is invaluable.

When was he diagnosed? What insulins does he take and does he have a Libre sensor? If so, make sure he sets his Low alarm at 5.6 to reduce the risk of hypos. Hypos can never be totally eliminated but it’s best to avoid them as much as possible.

Is he on fixed doses of meal time insulin or is he counting carbs? The sooner he learns to count carbs, the better. That’s crucial for good control.

When he and you are ready to read up on things, these are the books often recommended for Type 1s on this forum:

Think Like a Pancreas’ by Gary Scheiner.

And Type 1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas (ignore the title - great for adults too)

Think Like A Pancreas is American but I liked the chatty style and it contains some great information, as does the Ragnar Hanas book. They’re books to read over time and to refer to. Type 1 is a huge learning experience. Take things slowly.
Click to expand...
Hi! I’m trying to persuade him to join but he’s a bit overwhelmed with it all (completely understandable) so I thought I’d try and bridge the gap a little bit and join so it’s not as daunting. I will 100% show him the lovely messages and advice people have written, so thank you for that!

He has a free style libre 2+ and we have set his low alarm higher than it needs to be to prevent potential hypos and have set a high glucose alarm too

He was on a fix dosage but actually got to grip with the carb counting very quickly and adjusts his insulin accordingly. He’s a sporty person so he’s always had an interest in nutrition etc which is helpful for him.

I shall send him the links so he has them readily available should he feel he is ready to read them. Thank you so much for your support and advice!
 
Ally, it's purely because having blood glucose too low for comfort, affects the brain which of course affects the eyesight. There are some folk who still think low blood sugar doesn't affect their brain, which is rubbish, so sometimes it's a jolly useful safeguard when our own body demonstrates that fact. Ignore it at your peril especially if you have a driving licence and want to keep it!
 
Hi! He is so strict with his driving which I find pretty commendable of him! If he drops to 5 he has a sweet just incase he has a hypo which (touch wood) he hasn’t experienced or been near experiencing before!

I think it’s crazy that people don’t get how diabetes can affect the brain! I fully hold my hands up and say that I didn’t understand how intricate it was before my partner got diagnosed!
 
Hi @Ally_m05 and welcome to the forum from me - partners/carers/parents are more than welcome here - it is a massive learning curve to start with and it still throws a few curveballs in every now and again unexpectedly (had to stave off a hypo myself tonight in the middle of a committee meeting!) - he is definitely not alone though and nor are you - really glad you have found us, and as @Inka has said, please encourage him to join too 🙂
 
Hi!

Thank you for this! He’s fairly quiet and would sometimes rather try and figure things out himself rather than ask for help so I thought it might be best if I join and show how supportive all you lovely people can be!

I will 100% show him what people have commented and how quickly he can access some peer support. Thank you so much!
 
So many different thoughts go round your head - it becomes a trial trying to assess which ones are valid and which might easily lead you on a path to nowhere, and you argue with yourself, good grief, I thought I was really intelligent so why the hell don't I already know this? - surely to God if I needed to know this (or that or the other) the medics would have told me?

However, two things. One - I haven't had any (formal) medical training since ) O Level Biology in 1966 and Two - the most important one!!! - 99.9% of medics don't have Type 1 diabetes hence have never ever had real life experience of trying to deal with it, still earn a living and have a normal life whilst doing that too - which is the equivalent of another full time job except for this one, the Terms of Engagement are bloody lousy. Who the hell would take a job working 24 hours a day for the rest of their life with not even a lunch break, no time off ever and no pay? Nobody would!

But - once we're lumbered with the bugger - we all try and make the best of it - which I've been doing for over 50 years - and here I still am apparently. But - I absolutely could not have got here without shedloads of help from my peers - and simply asking for help whenever I've needed it or there's anything at all that I don't immediately understand properly.

I STILL need to ask stuff. Hence my main message is - Ask, Ask, Ask!! and keep on asking whenever he/you need or want to! No such thing as a silly question here - though no guarantee you won't sometimes get silly answers - though we do all try to negate the incorrect ones if we think they're misleading.
 
Ally_m05 said:
I think it’s crazy that people don’t get how diabetes can affect the brain! I fully hold my hands up and say that I didn’t understand how intricate it was before my partner got diagnosed
Click to expand...
I knew absolutely nothing about it all until I was diagnosed.

Great that you have found the forum and being so supportive of your partner.
Ask any questions that arise. There is a wealth of experience to tap into and no questions are considered silly on here. Just ask.
 
Welcome to the forum @Ally_m05

Glad you have joined us! I can sort of understand your husband’s quiet determination. Diabetes can be very individual (annoyingly so) and what works for one person may just not quite click with another. I spent 15+ years pottering along in my own way - and was always told I was doing “very well”, but one unfortunate incident prompted me to start looking around for others facing the same challenges day to day, and I discovered the wit, wisdom, shared struggle, and generous support of the diabetes online community.

The “Ah! I get that too!!” moments were a real lightbulb, and I think I learned more in my first 2 years comparing notes with others online than I think I had in the previous decade.

A while back we had this thread where people offered the tips and suggestions they wish they could have given themselves at diagnosis, which you and he might find interesting?

everydayupsanddowns

Thread '5 Top Tips for Better Diabetesing'

Just found myself absently wondering what I would say to myself if I could go back in time ‘Bill and Ted’ style and offer newly-diagnosed-me some hints and tips for better diabetes management, and a better relationship with my diabetes from future-me.

What 5 hints and tips I might offer myself.

I suspect they might change depending on which day you asked me... but here are mine for today

  1. You can do this. It will be incredibly annoying some times, often inconvenient and frequently infuriatingly fickle... but you absolutely can do this. Keep going, even when it seems...
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