Recently diagnosed Type 1

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scanz

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Type 1
Hi,

It's amazing how quickly your life can change, as I found out last Wednesday evening.

I finally went to the doctors after work due to feeling un-well/not myself for some time and after a few tests I was quickly advised to head straight to A&E. After further tests at the hospital I was told they wanted to keep me in because of severe dehydration and high blood/sugar levels. So instead of heading home after work to watch the footy, within just a few hours I'm attached to a drip and a specialist doctor soon arrives to tell me I am Type 1 Diabetic 😱

They kept me in until Friday evening, when they set me off to begin my new life under a basal bolus insulin regime. As you can imagine i'm a bit overwhelmed by it all as my 22 year old life has changed so quickly and suddenly. So as a newly diagnosed T1 i'm simply looking for as much support and advice as I can get my hands on :D

Being at home with parents and two younger brothers, as a family we're finding it difficult when it comes to planning and eating meals. I've ordered the Carbs & Cals book which will help balance the carbs and insulin, but is there anything out there that provides ideas for meals? I guess at this early stage i'm just looking for any books, websites, personal advice on how to deal with and manage T1 diabetes.

Apologies for the essay.. 😉
 
Hey! I'm also 22 and have type 1, I've had it for 20 years though! Sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but great you found us here.

What insulin regime have they put you on?

I don't know if you saw my other thread, but JDRF have just put together a pack (launched today!) for newly diagnosed adults with type 1 - might be worth ordering one, it's free 🙂
 
Hi scanz, welcome to the forum 🙂 Type 1 does hit pretty fast generally so you don't have a lot of time to get used to the idea before you're suddenly having to cope with all sorts of new things and changes to your life and routines. Have a look at the 'Useful Links' thread for some good pointers.

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=10406

There are also some links in there to some good GL Diet books - GL (Glycaemic Load) is a variation of GI (Glycaemic Index) which is very useful in learning what the best types of foods are for slow-release of glucose and thus more stable levels. The thing to bear in mind is that you can eat a healthy and varied diet that is the same as one which would also be good for non-diabetics. Nothing is banned - you can treat yourself to things you miss, but remember that it is a 'treat' to be enjoyed in moderation! 🙂

The book Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas is excellent. It will explain everything you need to know about living with Type 1. Well, maybe not everything, but for those things it doesn't, you have us! 🙂 Please ask us anything - nothing is considered 'silly'! 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum scanz 🙂 x
 
Hi Scanz

Sorry to hear you've had to join out little club.

I was about the same age when diagnosed (20ish years ago) and diabetes hasn't stopped me doing anything I wanted to since, some things just take a little more planning now 🙂

Great news that you are on basal-bolus and already getting an understanding of carb-counting. There is an online course BDEC e-learning which I gather is pretty good too. http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/

It might feel a bit overwhelming right now - there's a lot to take in. But ignore the doom-mongers, take your time, and ask lots of questions. There has never been a better time in history to be diabetic and there are therapies, insulins and treatment options which give you the best possible chance of a complication-free future.

M
 
Hi scanz. Welcome 🙂

You'll find it a great way of starting conversations :D

As for food, there's a whole list of things you should avoid but most of us still have plenty of treats. You just need to learn over time how to handle them without damaging yourself in the long term.

Definitely buy yourself one of the books on the list under Northerner's link.

If your family are trying to change the routines for you, that's brilliant. It'll probably help them all to learn how their bodies cope.🙂

Rob
 
Welcome Scanz. Sorry you had to find us.
Good news that you're on the more flexible basal bolus regime, which can be made to fit around life, rather than bimodal / mixed insulins which force you to adjust your life to them.
Just ask anything you need - we'll try to help.
 
Thanks for all the welcomes 🙂

As well as the Carbs & Cals book to help with carb counting, i've also ordered the book Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas, which i've found to be recommended on numerous websites and by Northerner above. I've also ordered two GL Diet books; GL Diet for Dummies and The GL Diet Recipe Book and Health Plan by Maggie Pannell, which should help me and the rest of the family. Oh and I thought i'd grab the new JDRF Type 1 - The Basics Pack for Adults seeing as it's free 😉

Something that i've been asked to do by my dietitian, which i've not done before, is keep a food diary. Now my immediate thoughts were to do this via a spreadsheet in MS Excel, however i'm struggling to come up with anything. Is there any software out there worth purchasing for this or should I just continue to try and do my own? and if so does any one have one/any ideas they could perhaps share?

Thanks.
 
scanz said:
Thanks for all the welcomes 🙂

As well as the Carbs & Cals book to help with carb counting, i've also ordered the book Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas, which i've found to be recommended on numerous websites and by Northerner above. I've also ordered two GL Diet books; GL Diet for Dummies and The GL Diet Recipe Book and Health Plan by Maggie Pannell, which should help me and the rest of the family. Oh and I thought i'd grab the new JDRF Type 1 - The Basics Pack for Adults seeing as it's free 😉

Something that i've been asked to do by my dietitian, which i've not done before, is keep a food diary. Now my immediate thoughts were to do this via a spreadsheet in MS Excel, however i'm struggling to come up with anything. Is there any software out there worth purchasing for this or should I just continue to try and do my own? and if so does any one have one/any ideas they could perhaps share?

Thanks.
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You'll have a very useful library there! 🙂 Did the DSN not give you a sheet for your food diary? Basically, you just need to record what you eat each day, usually for a week or possibly two. It's just so that the dietician can get a good idea of what you eat for the various meals and have something to work on in suggesting possible improvements or changes that would make your diet more suitable for maintaining good, stable blood sugar and energy levels. You might also want to record quantities so the dietician has an idea of portion size and possible calorie intake. A simple excel spreadsheet should suffice at this stage I would think - might be worth contacting the dietician asking what details she/he needs 🙂
 
Hi scanz and welcome to the forum. 🙂

This is a great place for advice and tips based on the real experience of others in a similar position to yourself.

As mentioned above, there's a lot of info to take in at first, which can seem quite daunting. Relax though, cos none of it is particularly difficult in isolation. You'll get the hang of it soon enough.

How'd your folks take the news? My mum was devastated when I was diagnosed, just before my mock A-levels. Took her many years to get used to the idea that I wasn't constantly on the verge of dropping suddenly into a coma!

A definite benefit of your new world is that you'll come to have a far greater appreciation of foods and their affect on our bodies than the majority of non-diabetics. These days it is a lot easier for the whole family to eat a diabetic-friendly (aka healthy) diet than when I first joined the club, when "diet" or non-sugar foods/drinks were scarce, in comparison to now.

Members are generally a friendly bunch
 
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Northerner said:
Did the DSN not give you a sheet for your food diary? Basically, you just need to record what you eat each day, usually for a week or possibly two. It's just so that the dietician can get a good idea of what you eat for the various meals and have something to work on in suggesting possible improvements or changes that would make your diet more suitable for maintaining good, stable blood sugar and energy levels. You might also want to record quantities so the dietician has an idea of portion size and possible calorie intake. A simple excel spreadsheet should suffice at this stage I would think - might be worth contacting the dietician asking what details she/he needs 🙂
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I didn't get given anything to keep a food diary, no. At the moment I am just writing down the times of meals, contents and quantity/portion, whilst doing my best to carb count and etc. I'd like to build a spreadsheet, but that's where i'm coming stuck, layout and etc.

chrismbee said:
Hi scanz and welcome to the forum. 🙂
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Thanks 🙂

chrismbee said:
How'd your folks take the news? My mum was devastated when I was diagnosed, just before my mock A-levels. Took her many years to get used to the idea that I wasn't constantly on the verge of dropping suddenly into a coma!
Click to expand...
My mum is pretty much the same. She said she didn't sleep at all whilst I was in the hospital and I can tell she's finding it difficult to deal with it generally. My dad is alright though and is really helping me as well by being up and positive about it. I have a younger brother who in the face won't say/show it, but my mum has told me he's very upset. But we've given him some easy reading leaflets and etc. to show that it's not all that bad.

chrismbee said:
A definite benefit of your new world is that you'll come to have a far greater appreciation of foods and their affect on our bodies than the majority of non-diabetics. These days it is a lot easier for the whole family to eat a diabetic-friendly (aka healthy) diet than when I first joined the club, when "diet" or non-sugar foods/drinks were scarce, in comparison to now.
Click to expand...
This is something my dad is very pleased about, he's been moaning about the dinners my mum has been cooking and is looking forward to eating more freshly made meals :D
 
Thanks, gives me some ideas, will see what I can come up with 🙂
 
scanz said:
Hi,

It's amazing how quickly your life can change, as I found out last Wednesday evening.

I finally went to the doctors after work due to feeling un-well/not myself for some time and after a few tests I was quickly advised to head straight to A&E. After further tests at the hospital I was told they wanted to keep me in because of severe dehydration and high blood/sugar levels. So instead of heading home after work to watch the footy, within just a few hours I'm attached to a drip and a specialist doctor soon arrives to tell me I am Type 1 Diabetic 😱

They kept me in until Friday evening, when they set me off to begin my new life under a basal bolus insulin regime. As you can imagine i'm a bit overwhelmed by it all as my 22 year old life has changed so quickly and suddenly. So as a newly diagnosed T1 i'm simply looking for as much support and advice as I can get my hands on :D

Being at home with parents and two younger brothers, as a family we're finding it difficult when it comes to planning and eating meals. I've ordered the Carbs & Cals book which will help balance the carbs and insulin, but is there anything out there that provides ideas for meals? I guess at this early stage i'm just looking for any books, websites, personal advice on how to deal with and manage T1 diabetes.

Apologies for the essay.. 😉
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum, I'm type 1 as well. I know you will get lots of support and help. It's difficult when first diagnoised but in time, things will get more clearer and hopefully a little bit easier. Take Care Sheena
 
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