Sometimes 'hate' this condition. Do you feel the same?

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Bianca

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Type 1
Hi There,

I sometimes 'hate' this condition and was wondering if some of you feel the same?

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes only a year ago and have started insuline treatment 6 months ago. I have not yet done the DAFNE course and am eager to get on the course to learn more about carbohydrate counting which should hopefully help me with my weight loss.

Yes, I am struggling with my weight due to high blood sugar levels. I have gone from weighing 67 kg to 63.2 kg and now have a small BMI of 22. I was never 'overweight' and always had a healthy appearance.

I work as a dance instructor teaching group exercise classes on a weekly basis and my struggle with my weight management is getting me down!

I am now down with a cold/flu and my blood sugar readings have been terrible! I'm finding it hard to keep it down. Again I have noticed 'unwanted' weight loss in only 3 days time!

It's when this happens, that I feel rather sad and burst into tears telling myself that I hate this condition!

Mmm, some of you may think, great at least you're losing weight, but the reality is... how much weight can you lose if you are already slim? It then becomes dangerously unhealthy.

Anyway, I needed to vent as I'm feeling rather down today. I am off to do some food shopping to start my fight for weight again for the next couple of days!

Thanks for listening...
 
Hi Bianca ..

Firstly welcome to the forum ... The large extended family ... 🙂

I am sorry to hear you are feeling down and hate the condition sometimes ... sending you big (((((HUGS)))))) ...

I can only speak from my experiences as mam to Nathan type 1 aged 14 diagnosed feb 07 .... But like you he too struggles with hating diabetes sometimes and does get down from time to time ... and it gets me down as his mam ... at times it can be a complete nightmare when you are trying to control BG levels and food/weight .. Nathan also carries a little extra weight and is growing and losing a bit .. but its damn hard work ... and in his word p***** him off ... But everyday is not the same, and slowly he is coming to grips with his condition.

I'm sure most diabetics feel as you at some point .. and may accept it and then hate it ... I some respects its a vicious cycle .... Do you have a good DSN ... I'm sure she/he would want to know how you are feeling ..

As regards to carb counting and the DAFNE courses I cannot offer any advice there as I nor Nathan carb count ..

Take care

Heidi
xx🙂
 
Hi Bianca

I do sympathise. At the moment my weight loss seems to be at an end. It was worrying when I was losing 0.5 - 1kg daily.
Perhaps it will stabilise and you may eventually feel better.

Has your GP had you tested for thyroid activity?
An underactive thyroid often is present with diabetics and is easily cured with medication.

Take care - there is plenty of support here. The worry you are experiencing could also have an effect on you bg stability.
 
Hi Bianca, welcome to the forum🙂 Sorry to hear that you are feeling down, sometimes it's hard to hide from this condition. I'm like you - I was diagnosed just over a year ago and suffered dramatic weight loss which I found really difficult to put back on. Eventually, I am now back to my 'normal' weight - still fairly slim, but no longer skinny. This has only really started recently, so it may be that you are not yet at this stage of your body readjusting. It may also be that, if your sugars are high at the moment becaus of the illness, then you will be becoming more dehydrated as your body tries to get rid of the excess sugar. Are you in close contact with your healthcare team? It's important not to let your levels get too high and you may also need to check for ketones.

I think the weight will come back, so try not to worry. If there is anything we can help you with, just let us know.🙂
 
hello and welcome to the forum,

i think diabetes gets us all down at times and is sometimes difficult to deal with, but we cant change it and so its best to try and be positive. Get the best care you can, when your control is better believe me you will feel better. Having high blood glucose can make you emotional and irritable, as im sure you know :(

I have done dafne, you have to fight to get on it, but it will be worth it. However, they will not let you do it until they are sure you are nt honeymooning. I think there are online carb counting courses you can do, hopefully someone will be able to advise you of these. As mentioned it is important to speak to your team, gp/dsn after a year they should be helping you get your levels sorted, good luck and take 🙂
 
I'm finding it a real roller coaster ride just now. Yesterday was awful and I was in floods at one point. Today we had fun and I feel better for it. Tomorrow, who knows. But this is only week two for me and I've no clue what I'm doing or what to expect. I do know I intend to make the most of this place and it's denizens, they're all really helpful and encouraging.

Is this carb counting thing useful for Type 2s?
 
AlisonM said:
Is this carb counting thing useful for Type 2s?
Click to expand...

Hi Alison. Carb counting is only really useful for type 1s and some type 2s on insulin as it is for matching the amount of fast acting insulin to the amount of carbs you eat with a meal. Looking at the effects of carbs on your blood suagr levels is useful though and possibly controlling carb intake if you are struggling with you levels 🙂
 
right now, i hate this condition, disease whatever you want to call it so damn much too. I hate it i hate it i hate it. And its wierd cuz nothing particularly bad has gone wrong with it today. I'm just fed up of blood testing, of being told what i can and cant eat, having to think 'oh im having a pint i need an injection' blah blah blah

*big hugs* we all know what its like to hate it hun
 
Hi Bianca
Just a quick reply, as I really need to have a shower and get to bed, ready for orienteering tomorrow morning.
BMI is a very crude measure of desirable weight, but anything between 20 and 25 is fine for an adult, so 22 is ideal. When you're losing weight, the important thing is whether you're losing fat (OK, especially if it's abdominal fat) or muscle (bad).
When I have an infection, I do check blood sugar levels more often, eat pretty much what I feel like, and correct with extra insulin when needed (ask your diabetes team if they haven't already explained "sick day rules" to you or at least google for that term to find something written by an NHS diabetes team), but I don't worry too much if levels are a bit higher than normal, as long they don't go above about 15mmol/l and I don't get any ketones in blood. It took me more than a year from diagnosis / starting on insulin as a young (30 years old) active normal weight adult to work that out and a bit longer to start doing new activities.
 
Hi Bianca, sorry you're feeling low at the mo, I've only been diagnosed for under a year too, yes you're not alone in having strong feelings about this darn thing, it's a pig for sure. At the very minimum this place is good for such rants so feel free to pop on as often as you want always people here to listen. Not the same but I think I have also been loosing weight recently, even though the quack told me being a diabetic it's easier to put weight on be careful???? I haven't been on a DAFNE course either but hear they're good, at least to meet others in the same boat. I hope you get over your cold/flu shortly.

Take care

Rossi.
 
Thank you for your replies.

Thank you all for your replies.

At least you guys know what I'm talking about. It has been difficult explaining to anyone who does not have this condition how this affects your daily life and how it can make you feel.

My other half always ends up comforting me when he finds me in tears (and I understand he feels rather helpless) and is always 'searching' for a solution for me. Unfortunately, he does not see the link of having 'high blood sugar levels' and 'weight loss'. People in my closest environment are often ignorant when it comes to diabetes. Then again so was I until I was diagnosed...

I guess sometimes we all need to 'talk' to people about our condition but often it falls on deaf ears.

Therefore, thank you for your replies as I know I'm not alone in this...

I know it will be a constant struggle and I am not giving up!

P.S. I know a BMI of 22 is healthy, however, even though our society glamourises 'skinniness', I don't particulary feel happy being 'skinny' as I have been most of my life.
 
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