Newly diagnosed.

[MissMaggie]

Hi!
I'm new here, and new to diabetes - I was diagnosed with type 1 on Tues this week after falling ill quite suddenly over the weekend with high blood sugars and dka.
Glad to be here
Mag.

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @MissMaggie , from another T1. I was a late starter diagnosed at the age of 53 in similar circumstances to yours. It is a shock at any age, and takes a bit of getting used to, but it is manageable. The best analogy I heard was that it is like learning to drive. It seems so much to think about at the start, but then becomes automatic, and you are just watching for the hiccoughs on the way.

I found the book T1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas a great reference which explained what was happening so clearly. Ignore the age reference. T1 is T1, you might just want to ignore the chapter on going back to school!

It will help us to know what insulins you are using, to tailor our responses, if you fancy letting us know. Be patient in the early stages, as it takes a little time. To get your levels back in range, and they won’t want to do this too quickly. It also takes a while to sort out your appropriate doses of insulin.

For some homework (as if you haven’t got enough to do already!) it is worth starting to find out how many carbohydrates are in the meals you eat. The info is on packets, or google, and sometimes take a bit of working out, but you will be amazed how quickly you get to know this very useful info. I know the carbs for most of the biscuits we were offered with coffee at meetings quite quickly!

I have learnt so much from others on here. Keep in touch and fire away with any questions that you have. Nothing is considered silly on here, and I have found that there is plenty of support available from a supportive group of fellow people with Diabetes.

 

[trophywench]

... and I was 22, injector pens hadn't been invented and neither had blood testing machines, so the first 2 weeks - as a hospital in-patient! - every day the Vampires did their Ward rounds, carrying their sample bottles (all glass with a rubber bung on the open end) round in a wire crate - so 'an armful of blood' every ruddy morning. Also issued with a large metal measuring jug with a bit of tape stuck on it with my name, in which to deposit my first wee of each day - all of it. (A larger version of the Tala one pint one my mom still used cos she hadn't treated herself to one of the new fangled Pyrex ones, which both me and my sister had, cos we were both married by this time.) Then of course one of the student nurses got the daily job of boiling some wee and some water up in a test tube, which was the only way to test whether there was glucose in your urine at that time, cos the BG meter hadn't been invented yet!

Then I was discharged and issued with my kit. One glass syringe, 3 needles, one vial of pork insulin and a home-use pee boiling kit.

We have certainly moved on for the better in the last 49 years, haven't we !!

You will too @MissMaggie - the expert help is ALWAYS there, but far more easily accessible these days than way back then, even though we have the added frisson of this ruddy Virus just now. eg I will be picking up my replacement insulin pump on Jan 8th, from the same hospital diabetes clinic I've been attending for over 10 years by now, both before and post my first pump and who delivered the first local 'Carb counting and dose adjustment' training in the area. Though being very forward thinking in the department as a whole, unfortunately we are all hampered by the CCG for the area, which isn't. The hospitals fortunately realise this - and do their utmost to minimise the effect for their patients as far as humanly possible. I can only hope they are as helpful and friendly where you live!

Meanwhile I'll leave you with a piece of advice, if I may? That is, NEVER stop asking questions about your diabetes, either on here or at your medical appointments or in between them. Simply ask, ask, ask! until you understand whatever it happens to be properly.

Good luck !!

 

[eisoj14]

We're all in the same boat here, sadly - and especially with all the Christmas goodies having to be shunned. It is nice to find people with the same problem to help and support each other.

 

[Paulbreen]

Hi Maggie also welcome to the wonderful world of T1, I would completely concur with SB if your interested in T1 and how it works T1 Diabetes in Children Adolescents and Young Adults is a great book, it’s not a sit down and read book, more like something to jump in and out off when the mood takes you (at least I think so).
And as Jenny said ask ask ask, I have it since a child and 40+ years later I’m still learning about it I wish you the very best of luck on your new journey, it will get much easier pretty quickly don’t worry

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum MissMaggle

 

[Inka]

Welcome @MissMaggie 🙂 I hope you’re starting to feel better now. It’s scary being diagnosed with Type 1, but it does gradually get easier. My advice is to learn as much as you can and to always be your own advocate. Your team are there to help you not to issue orders.

Test lots and keep hypo treatments near and take them with you when you go out.

Someone above mentioned shunning Christmas treats Obviously things will be different for you now, but you can still have some treats. Type 1s are basically doing the job their pancreas used to do with regard to insulin. You can eat reasonably normally but you just have to think about things more (insulin dose, what time to eat the treat, what size portion, etc). I eat chocolate, desserts (moderate portions) and enjoy my food.

If you’ve not already been shown how to carb count, ask about it as a priority. Insulin and carbs are inextricably linked. What insulins are you taking?

 

[Midnightcatpatrol]

Welcome Maggie.

All a bit of a shock I'm sure. I was diagnosed at 35, 6 months ago, in much the same manner.

If I had one piece of advice to give it'd be that life may well become frustrating after the initial settlement. In particular I found every so often, life would give me a less than gentle reminder that things weren't as they were. Always talk with your support network about things. Always. Also I've found that people who knew type 1s at school and in young adulthood understand perfectly. As a doc, I work in multiple hospitals and only at one did the boss immediately tell me to take off some time to adjust. His bezzy from med school was T1. Your hospital team should also have access to a chronic disease psychologist. Again, always useful but waiting list is long.

If I had a second. If you start having loads of hypos after a few weeks. Don't be a fool like me and persist. Call your diabetes nurse and they'll adjust your insulin. I was in honeymoon for weeks having hypos all the damn time before I did anything about it. Never did like disturbing people...