Recently diagnosed

[jlgardner1]

Haha, cardiac hill is a nightmare. Will make sure I test after exercise, particularly as I tend to work out quite a lot so will obviously be useful to know how my body responds to insulin in that sense.

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum Jemma 🙂

Hopefully the campus surgery has improved since I was there (which was, umm, more then a few years back) - I never actually transferred to the on-campus GP but did use the emergency clinic once. But then home was only 2 hours away.

Depending on where your shared accommodation is, don't forget you may need to test after a strenuous walk because exercise makes insulin more effective (thinking Cardiac Hill here).

Good luck!

 

[jlgardner1]

Ok great, I will speak to my GP tomorrow so I can have appointments ready for me as soon as I go back!

Hi Jemma and welcome to the forum.
As you are in Exeter you should be refered to the Exeter hospital, they have a very good reputation.

 

[jlgardner1]

Hi Laura,

Yes I'm testing myself at the moment, and fairly regularly because I seem to be all over the place at the moment whilst my doses are still being adjusted. I am on Lantus in the evening and Humalog as my fast acting I think! I think I am getting the hang of things, obviously still got a way to go yet though!

Thanks for the support

Jemma

Hi Jemma, welcome to the forum.

Are you testing your blood sugars yourself? Which insulins have you been given?

I hope you manage to get to grips with it quickly, i know its a lot to take in but we are all here to help as ask questions or if you want to moan about your diabetes

 

[jlgardner1]

Thank you for all the support over the last week everyone, it is really helping me understand and cope with this lifestyle adjustment.

Could anyone possibly tell me whether there is a good diabetes centre in Gloucester/Cheltenham as I am doing a Masters there next year and doesn't hurt to start preparing!

Thank you,

Jemma xx

 

[Lauras87]

Hi Laura,

Yes I'm testing myself at the moment, and fairly regularly because I seem to be all over the place at the moment whilst my doses are still being adjusted. I am on Lantus in the evening and Humalog as my fast acting I think! I think I am getting the hang of things, obviously still got a way to go yet though!

Thanks for the support

Jemma

That's good, I didn't know with you being out of the country if you had been given everything.
Don't worry after 10 years there is the odd thing even I don't know but as my consultant said the morning after I'd been diagnosed, you'll know more about diabetes in a few months than specialists do in years.

One thing I know your moods can be dictated by your sugar levels, eg being irritable can mean you are low. Doesn't mean you'll be the same but listen to your body & it will help you know signs for being high/low.

If you want a chat, pm me 🙂

 

[jlgardner1]

So I've noticed haha! At least now I can blame my bad moods on my glucose levels 🙂 😛.

Yeah out here you tend to see a specialist straight away which is really good, but also rather overwhelming! Nevertheless I have been started on this treatment which from what I've heard is probably what I would've been put on in the UK anyway. Will just have to see what they say when I get back.

Jemma

That's good, I didn't know with you being out of the country if you had been given everything.
Don't worry after 10 years there is the odd thing even I don't know but as my consultant said the morning after I'd been diagnosed, you'll know more about diabetes in a few months than specialists do in years.

One thing I know your moods can be dictated by your sugar levels, eg being irritable can mean you are low. Doesn't mean you'll be the same but listen to your body & it will help you know signs for being high/low.

If you want a chat, pm me 🙂

 

[Lauras87]

So I've noticed haha! At least now I can blame my bad moods on my glucose levels 🙂 😛.

Mum can tell my levels by my mood & work can kind of tell or worry I've not had coffee in the past hour

 

[jlgardner1]

You say you drink coffee, I went to see a nutritionist and he said stay clear of all caffeine. I don't drink tea or coffee so that's not a problem for me but I do like to drink coke, and diet coke is just not the same. How does caffeine affect your blood sugar and how do you manage it if you don't mind me asking? Similarily, how does alcohol affect blood sugar and what should I be doing before or after drinking alcohol? Obviously still being at Uni that is an important consideration! xx

Mum can tell my levels by my mood & work can kind of tell or worry I've not had coffee in the past hour

 

[Lauras87]

You say you drink coffee, I went to see a nutritionist and he said stay clear of all caffeine. I don't drink tea or coffee so that's not a problem for me but I do like to drink coke, and diet coke is just not the same. How does caffeine affect your blood sugar and how do you manage it if you don't mind me asking? Similarily, how does alcohol affect blood sugar and what should I be doing before or after drinking alcohol? Obviously still being at Uni that is an important consideration! xx

I don't drink most drinks but if it's beer, cider or cocktails my blood sugars spike so I just drink spirits with diet drinks

You need to make sure you have something to eat but don't inject, your bloods can crash after they rise (it's all fun)

Coffee wise, it only seems to rise mine by 1mmol ish but I have to inject for the sugar. I've been told I can drink coffee but some others may not drink it due to the affect it has on their bloods

 

[Northerner]

Coffee/caffeine is a stimulant so this can cause the release of hormones (like adrenaline/cortisol) that prompt the liver to release extra glucose. I think it varies from person to person though. I'm a big tea drinker but it has no effect on my levels 🙂

The carbs in alcoholic drinks will raise blood sugar levels, but then when the liver is busy processing the alcohol (which it regards as a toxin), it stops releasing its own stores of glucose, which can cause levels to fall, so it's good advice to have something to eat when drinking. You'll need to experiment with different drinks to see what works best for you, but be cautious to begin with and test regularly so you can spot the patterns 🙂

 

[rachelha]

Caffeine has no affect in my blood sugar levels, unless it is a milky coffee e.g. cappuccino I have no insulin for coffee. If it is a cappuccino I have a bit to cover the carbs in the milk.

Alcohol can affect your blood sugars for quite a long time after you have finished drinking, so check your blood sugars a lot the next day in case of hypos. You need to think about the exercise you are doing too if you a clubbing. The best advice a doctor gave me was to get a chippy on the way home after a big night out. Cocktails are particularly difficult to work out as it is hard to know the amount of carbs or alcohol you are getting. Personally I stick to spirits with a diet mixer, red wine or beer. Try and remember to test lots when drinking as hypo signs are easy to mistake for drunkenness.
You can still go out and enjoy yourself though, especially once your exams are over and done with.

 

[Tina63]

Hi and welcome from me to, a parent of a T1 18 year old diagnosed 2.5 years ago.

The information my son's dietician gave him over drinking alcohol was that he must eat something carby before bed, and she said the absolute ideal was a bowl of mashed potato!!! So, if you fancy that after a night on the booze then go for it, but personally I think the chippie sounds far more appealing! My son has recently discovered kebabs though!

The dietician did say at the outset it's probably best to have a drink or two, then a bag of crisps, then more drink if you are out for the night, but another carb based snack before bed, the slower releasing the better. As everyone says though, trial and error, and lots of testing and hypo treatments by your bed, ALWAYS.

Good luck.
Tina

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum, jlgardner1 - sorry to have to be here. There's never a good time to get type 1 diabetes, but you'll cope. I was diagnosed out of UK, too, aged 30 years, at a SCUBA diving medical while working as a guide on seal & dolphin swimming tours in New Zealand. When I returned to UK, I had to live with parents for a while, and with a year led an expedition to Costa Rica, and started an MSc at a London college, with research project in Belfast. So, registering with GPs etc was a bit interesting for a while. I always made sure I had pleny of insulin, blood glucose testing strips etc, so that I never ran out. Sometimes prescriptions were issued by GP in London, but dispensed in pharmacies in Belfast.

I also let college staff know about condition, and they said I could either sit exams in room on my own, which I decided against, or that I could walk out of hall to test, which I didn't need to, but was good to have options to be as normal as possible, with minimum risk of disturbing my fellow students.

What subject are you studying? What sort of work are you aiming for? What sort of sports / activities / hobbies do you do? Do you drive? If so, you need to inform DVLA and will get back a 3 year (probably) licence, renewed for free each time - take care with answering questions about serious hypos etc.

Unfortunately, in the first few months / years of type 1 diabetes, your pancreas will probably produce some insulin at irregular intervals, so maintaining blood glucose levels is more of a challenge initially.

Lots of advice here - sadly, no such internet resources when I was dignosed in 1996.

 

[jlgardner1]

Thanks for that, will bear it in mind 🙂

Coffee/caffeine is a stimulant so this can cause the release of hormones (like adrenaline/cortisol) that prompt the liver to release extra glucose. I think it varies from person to person though. I'm a big tea drinker but it has no effect on my levels 🙂

The carbs in alcoholic drinks will raise blood sugar levels, but then when the liver is busy processing the alcohol (which it regards as a toxin), it stops releasing its own stores of glucose, which can cause levels to fall, so it's good advice to have something to eat when drinking. You'll need to experiment with different drinks to see what works best for you, but be cautious to begin with and test regularly so you can spot the patterns 🙂

 

[jlgardner1]

Hi there,

Thanks for your reply. I am coming to the end of a sports science dissertation and am planning on doing a masters in sports therapy next year. I tend to stick to running, swimming and water polo. Actually managed to complete an Olympic distance aquathlon 12 days after being diagnosed which really gave me a psychological boost! I have a license but don't currently drive, but will make sure I inform the DVLA once I finish exams, thanks for letting me know I need to do that! My appointment with the diabetes nurse over here (back in the UK now) didn't really help me, or tell me anything else I needed to know about diabetes. She also said she only sees me once a year? Is that correct? I would have thought in the initial stages of diagnosis that I would see the nurse more frequently?

Cheers,
Jemma

Welcome to the forum, jlgardner1 - sorry to have to be here. There's never a good time to get type 1 diabetes, but you'll cope. I was diagnosed out of UK, too, aged 30 years, at a SCUBA diving medical while working as a guide on seal & dolphin swimming tours in New Zealand. When I returned to UK, I had to live with parents for a while, and with a year led an expedition to Costa Rica, and started an MSc at a London college, with research project in Belfast. So, registering with GPs etc was a bit interesting for a while. I always made sure I had pleny of insulin, blood glucose testing strips etc, so that I never ran out. Sometimes prescriptions were issued by GP in London, but dispensed in pharmacies in Belfast.

I also let college staff know about condition, and they said I could either sit exams in room on my own, which I decided against, or that I could walk out of hall to test, which I didn't need to, but was good to have options to be as normal as possible, with minimum risk of disturbing my fellow students.

What subject are you studying? What sort of work are you aiming for? What sort of sports / activities / hobbies do you do? Do you drive? If so, you need to inform DVLA and will get back a 3 year (probably) licence, renewed for free each time - take care with answering questions about serious hypos etc.

Unfortunately, in the first few months / years of type 1 diabetes, your pancreas will probably produce some insulin at irregular intervals, so maintaining blood glucose levels is more of a challenge initially.

Lots of advice here - sadly, no such internet resources when I was dignosed in 1996.

 

[Redkite]

Hi Jemma,

Well done on your aquathlon! Diabetes won't hold you back from achieving well in sport, but it can take a bit of work - has anyone yet recommended the RunSweet website if you ever feel in need of info. on this?

Re the nurse appointment, once a year isn't right. Was this a nurse attached to a GP practice or a diabetes nurse specialist (DNS) in a hospital setting? Type 1 patients should be offered clinic consultations every 3-4 months (assuming adults are seen this frequently), to check Hba1c and discuss how you're doing and any concerns you have. In between clinics, you should have phone/email access to a DNS. I would have thought frequent contact by phone/email would be offered to the newly diagnosed at first too. Maybe she was talking about the "annual review" - once a year you should have blood tests for liver function, kidney function, cholesterol, thyroid function, coeliac screen, etc, as well as an annual eye screen for retinopathy and a foot check.

 

[jlgardner1]

Update!

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to say another thank you to everyone who offered me support on this forum. I am now 5 months in and have managed to lower my HbA1C and am continuing to try and keep on top of my blood sugars and insulin.

The support available here and on the general DIABETES UK website I found incredibly useful, and to show my appreciation as well as raise awareness of diabetes and the support offered by DIABETES UK I have decided to run the Bath Half Marathon in March for DIABETES UK, in the hope that I can also raise some money for them along with my own reasons for raising awareness of the condition.

Any donations would be much appreciated, if not, get involved yourself! Thanks again for all the support, here is the link to my fundraising page >> http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JemmaGardner1

 

[Northerner]

Hi Jemma, great to hear that things are going well for you! I ran the Bath Half a couple of years ago - was supposed to be runnung it this year but had to pull out - might be doing it next year though! Hope you raise lots of money, how's the training going?

 

[jlgardner1]

Hi Jemma, great to hear that things are going well for you! I ran the Bath Half a couple of years ago - was supposed to be runnung it this year but had to pull out - might be doing it next year though! Hope you raise lots of money, how's the training going?

Hiya,

That's great, i've heard good things about the particular course. Haven't been able to do any running in a while as I've been suffering with a bad cold, but I trained over the summer building up to a 10km in 3 weeks which I didn't find too difficult. Have a feeling the next 10km will be a bit harder to train for though!

Jemma

 

[HOBIE]

Hi Jemma really good luck with the run. I worked in Bath & like the place 😎