Hi Angela, welcome to the forum
🙂 Hope things have gone well at the hospital today. There is an awful lot to take in, and particularly so if you are Type 1 and having to start immediately on injections which is a dramatic lifestyle adjustment right from the start. Don't worry about this, the injections are virtually painless and you will very quickly get used to them. Please let us know what insulin regime you have been put on - the most common these days is 'MDI (Multiple Daily Injections), also known as 'basal/bolus' (the basal insulin is a slow-acting insulin, like lantus or levemir, and the bolus insulin is a rapid acting insulin like novorapid). Some people are started on two injections of mixed insulin, which is less flexible. If you have any questions, please let us know - some of us have been doing this for over 40 years, and some are fairly new to it (I have been diagnosed about 20 months).
When I was diagnosed I read up everything I could to help me understand what it meant to be a Type 1 diabetic. Probably the best book I have read on the subject is
Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Ragnar Hanas (amazon link). This is also a tremendous reference, so you can dip in to it as circumstances arise. Great that you have the support of your BF - I think he would also gain a lot from the book (as would many doctors - but that's a different story!)
Try not to panic. Just get on with the basic essentials, and you will gradually pick up the rest as time goes on. This is the best place to come and ask your questions, have a good old rant and moan if you wish, or tell us of your little successes and triumphs. Don't hole off too long telling your Mum, but reassure her (and yourself) that this is a serious but manageable disease and you WILL be able to live a full and normal life as long as you pay it the attention it needs for a few minutes each day.
🙂
