Struggling

[Courts]

Hi,

I am 25 years old and was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 in April 2019. I have really struggled throughout to cope with the stresses of managing the diabetes and learning how to live with it. Plus dealing with the other related conditions such as necrobiosis lipoidica.

Just wondering if there is anyone to talk to. Don’t know how I am dealing with it all at the moment. I do have a psychiatrist due to the diabetes but it’s difficult talking to someone who does not live with the condition themselves.

 

[IrvineHimself]

Man, you really have my sympathies.

I am only recently diagnosed with type 2 myself, and, although I had suspected for quite some time I was diabetic, it was only when the symptoms became impossible to ignore that I sought out medical help. Since joining this forum, I have come to realise how incredible stupid I was being in this regard.

Although my symptoms have improved drastically since starting treatment, as you can see from my signature, I am at risk of developing some nasty complications. As a result, I really feel for you. Given your age, it must be particularly hard on you.

Feel free to rant, moan complain or whatever. We do understand and won't judge you.

Do you have family, friends or some other kind of support network?

 

[trophywench]

Diabetes UK have a Helpline, so you can ring them and just talk, because it's manned by people who will 'get' it.

And as Irvine says - when the DUK office is closed - you can come on here and say whatever you need to, ask whatever you want, and you'll usually get a completely non judgmental response.

 

[Leadinglights]

What is your blood glucose level like, and are you taking any medications as that will make a difference to the advice people may offer.
Good dietary management will help with keeping blood glucose levels down. Looking at reducing your intake of carbohydrates will help. This link may give you some ideas for modifying your meals. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[Courts]

Man, you really have my sympathies.

I am only recently diagnosed with type 2 myself, and, although I had suspected for quite some time I was diabetic, it was only when the symptoms became impossible to ignore that I sought out medical help. Since joining this forum, I have come to realise how incredible stupid I was being in this regard.

Although my symptoms have improved drastically since starting treatment, as you can see from my signature, I am at risk of developing some nasty complications. As a result, I really feel for you. Given your age, it must be particularly hard on you.

Feel free to rant, moan complain or whatever. We do understand and won't judge you.

Do you have family, friends or some other kind of support network?

Thank you for replying. That’s sounds really difficult after putting the symptoms to the side. I really hope you do not develop the complications.

I just feel lost. The diabetes doctors could not really help as i am not overweight, my diet is pretty good although I do enjoy treats and I do exercise. I wish I could pin point the problem but the tablets cause weight gain and then I often yo yo between taking the medication.

I have family and friends but they often brush it off. It’s not like they do not care but I do not want to burden them with it either. Thank you so much I think I just need to rant as it is getting a lot lately.

 

[Courts]

Diabetes UK have a Helpline, so you can ring them and just talk, because it's manned by people who will 'get' it.

And as Irvine says - when the DUK office is closed - you can come on here and say whatever you need to, ask whatever you want, and you'll usually get a completely non judgmental response.

Thank you. I was thinking of ringing them then realised the phone lines had closed. Really appreciate it definitely feeling the need to rant and ask a lot of questions.

 

[IrvineHimself]

Thank you so much I think I just need to rant as it is getting a lot lately.

Rant away, my friend. Rant away

I have family and friends but they often brush it off.

Yeah, that can be the pits. Discovering you have diabetes can be a real shock. It is one of those things everyone knows about, but it is only when it affects you directly that you suddenly realise that you don't know anywhere near as much as you thought you did. Hence you get lots of crazy advice like: "Oh just shrug it off, have a few beers, and in a couple of weeks you will be fine"

 

[Courts]

What is your blood glucose level like, and are you taking any medications as that will make a difference to the advice people may offer.
Good dietary management will help with keeping blood glucose levels down. Looking at reducing your intake of carbohydrates will help. This link may give you some ideas for modifying your meals. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

My blood glucose levels are all over the place and I often yo yo between taking my medications. At the highest they can go up to 30 but when taking my medication recently they have mainly been around 12-14.

I am currently on Yaltormin 500mg two a day, gliclazide prolonged release 60mg twice a day, sitagliptin 100mg once a day and pioglitazone 30mg once a day.

Thank you for the advice, i have been really working on portion control and ensuring I am checking my carbs and calories. I will look into the link.

 

[Courts]

Rant away, my friend. Rant away


Yeah, that can be the pits. Discovering you have diabetes can be a real shock. It is one of those things everyone knows about, but it is only when it affects you directly that you suddenly realise that you don't know anywhere near as much as you thought you did. Hence you get lots of crazy advice like: "Oh just shrug it off, have a few beers, and in a couple of weeks you will be fine"

I never realised how much diabetes affected someone. It is so much to process among getting the other conditions tying in with the diabetes and all the symptoms. Definitely had all those crazy suggestions! The “oh other people have worse” or “stop being boring and have fun”

 

[Leadinglights]

My blood glucose levels are all over the place and I often yo yo between taking my medications. At the highest they can go up to 30 but when taking my medication recently they have mainly been around 12-14.

I am currently on Yaltormin 500mg two a day, gliclazide prolonged release 60mg twice a day, sitagliptin 100mg once a day and pioglitazone 30mg once a day.

Thank you for the advice, i have been really working on portion control and ensuring I am checking my carbs and calories. I will look into the link.

You certainly are on a lot of oral medications and they don't seem to be particularly effective at keeping your levels low enough. Has your diabetic team considered that you may be Type 1 and therefore insulin might be a better option.

 

[IrvineHimself]

It is so much to process among getting the other conditions tying in with the diabetes and all the symptoms.

Tell me about it. Being a bit of a polymath, I am more used to learning new subjects than most. But, even I was surprised at the learning curve for living with diabetes.

Definitely had all those crazy suggestions! The “oh other people have worse” or “stop being boring and have fun”

Especially at your age, that has really got to suck. I can really sympathise. You have your whole life in front of you and suddenly, it's like hitting a brick wall while your friends are rushing on past laughing and shouting: "Come on, keep up. Just pick yourself up and brush it off."

You actually seem to have fairly good attitude, which leads me to believe that, as you adjust to your new reality, your situation will improve. You may not have the same life as you had before, things will be radically different, but new opportunities and friends will appear over the horizon and all you need to do is be prepared to grasp them as they drift past.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
As you are so young and on a lot of meds which don't seem to be helping with your blood sugars are you and your doctors sure you are not type 1?
Even if type 2 insulin sounds a better option for you as it will give you better control and once your numbers improve your mental health improves as well. Having high numbers tends to make people feel very black at times (Hardly surprising).

As others have said rant away and ask as many questions as you want and or need. There's always someone willing to listen and help.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

So sorry to hear of the complications you are having at this early stage. Since you are only 25yrs old according to your profile and not overweight, is there any particular reason why you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes? Ie. Have they done any tests to check if you might be Type 1 which would be more common at your age and a normal BMI?
The reason I ask is that having the right diagnosis and treatment will make managing your diabetes a whole lot easier and you are currently on a right cocktail of tablets which don't seem to be getting your levels into the normal range.

The HbA1c blood test gets you a diabetes diagnosis if your result is 48 or more. The type of diabetes is very much open to interpretation of the patient and how they present. Unfortunately many GPs and nurses are under the misapprehension that Type 1 diabetes only exhibits in childhood and so, if you are an adult, they make an assumption that you are Type 2 especially if you are overweight or perhaps admit to a bad diet. There is no specific test for Type 2 but there are blood tests which can be preformed to look at whether you might be Tyoe 1. These are GAD antibody tests and a C-peptide test. The first indicates if your immune system has been killing off your insulin producing beta cells in your pancreas and the C-peptide is a measure of how much insulin you are still able to produce. Most Type 2 diabetics produce excessive insulin, at least in the early days of diagnosis because their body has become resistant to it and so they need to produce more to do the same job. If you are Type 1 then you will likely not be able to produce enough. In more mature adults, Type 1 diabetes sometimes has a slower onset and will even appear to respond to Type 2 medication in the early days but gradually as beta cells are killed off, the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to cope and levels rise. This may go on for months or years and sometimes a virus can trigger the immune system to have "another go" at the beta cells and kill a few more off causing a tipping point.

If GAD and C-peptide tests have not been done then I would encourage you to ask your HCPs why they believe you are Type 2 and your levels are not responding to Type 2 treatment, given the amount of medication they are giving you..... and ask for those tests to be done. Continuing with these very high levels long term is potentially damaging and risking other complications as well as not helping the NL you are suffering from now. Perhaps you have had these tests done and if so, then I wonder if you know the results and who interpreted them because most GPs haven't got a clue about these things and they really should be overseen by a consultant with experience to make a judgement call on them as they are not always clear cut.

Anyway, I hope we are able to help and support you with your diabetes journey and provide a space where you can vent your frustrations and perhaps compare notes with other diabetics facing similar challenges. The forum really is a goldmine of knowledge and experience from people who have been there and got the t-shirt and understand the frustrations and difficulties and mental toll diabetes can take on you.

 

[Courts]

I never realised how much diabetes affected someone. It is so much to process among getting the other conditions tying in with the diabetes and all the symptoms. Definitely had all those crazy suggestions! The “oh other people have worse” or “stop being boring and have fun”

It is a lot to process! Think a lot of people believe it is something that can be ‘revered

You certainly are on a lot of oral medications and they don't seem to be particularly effective at keeping your levels low enough. Has your diabetic team considered that you may be Type 1 and therefore insulin might be a better option.

I feel like it is a lot of oral medications which are not really helping. They originally thought I was type 1 then type 2 and went between both. I have had all the tests done and they have come back as Type 2. I did try insulin but I hate needles so I was unable to do the injections often.

 

[Courts]

Tell me about it. Being a bit of a polymath, I am more used to learning new subjects than most. But, even I was surprised at the learning curve for living with diabetes.


Especially at your age, that has really got to suck. I can really sympathise. You have your whole life in front of you and suddenly, it's like hitting a brick wall while your friends are rushing on past laughing and shouting: "Come on, keep up. Just pick yourself up and brush it off."

You actually seem to have fairly good attitude, which leads me to believe that, as you adjust to your new reality, your situation will improve. You may not have the same life as you had before, things will be radically different, but new opportunities and friends will appear over the horizon and all you need to do is be prepared to grasp them as they drift past.

It is a lot to learn! And just when I think I have it figured out I don’t!
Honestly has been a lot to go through and try to understand. They put me in a group meeting day when I was first diagnosed and I was the only younger person there which was daunting. It had felt like that and i feel I have lost friends because of it.

I am trying to come to terms with the reality that this is it. I am really hoping I can grasp at that and meet friends who do understand.

 

[IrvineHimself]

Think a lot of people believe it is something that can be ‘revered

Just as a point of information: In some cases, type 2 can be reversed with medication diet and exercise. Though, the chances of this will depend on the severity and whether or not it is type 2 or some other type masquerading as type 2

I have had all the tests done and they have come back as Type 2.

I would listen to what the other members are saying with regard to this. They are much more experienced than I am, and will give better, more detailed advice. But, essentially, there is a wide variety of different types of diabetes, and diagnosis seems to be as much an art as it is a science.

I have to log off now, but will be back around 5am and will continue this conversation over the course of the day. In the meantime I am sure others will likely want to take over.

 

[Courts]

Hi and welcome from me too.

So sorry to hear of the complications you are having at this early stage. Since you are only 25yrs old according to your profile and not overweight, is there any particular reason why you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes? Ie. Have they done any tests to check if you might be Type 1 which would be more common at your age and a normal BMI?
The reason I ask is that having the right diagnosis and treatment will make managing your diabetes a whole lot easier and you are currently on a right cocktail of tablets which don't seem to be getting your levels into the normal range.

The HbA1c blood test gets you a diabetes diagnosis if your result is 48 or more. The type of diabetes is very much open to interpretation of the patient and how they present. Unfortunately many GPs and nurses are under the misapprehension that Type 1 diabetes only exhibits in childhood and so, if you are an adult, they make an assumption that you are Type 2 especially if you are overweight or perhaps admit to a bad diet. There is no specific test for Type 2 but there are blood tests which can be preformed to look at whether you might be Tyoe 1. These are GAD antibody tests and a C-peptide test. The first indicates if your immune system has been killing off your insulin producing beta cells in your pancreas and the C-peptide is a measure of how much insulin you are still able to produce. Most Type 2 diabetics produce excessive insulin, at least in the early days of diagnosis because their body has become resistant to it and so they need to produce more to do the same job. If you are Type 1 then you will likely not be able to produce enough. In more mature adults, Type 1 diabetes sometimes has a slower onset and will even appear to respond to Type 2 medication in the early days but gradually as beta cells are killed off, the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to cope and levels rise. This may go on for months or years and sometimes a virus can trigger the immune system to have "another go" at the beta cells and kill a few more off causing a tipping point.

If GAD and C-peptide tests have not been done then I would encourage you to ask your HCPs why they believe you are Type 2 and your levels are not responding to Type 2 treatment, given the amount of medication they are giving you..... and ask for those tests to be done. Continuing with these very high levels long term is potentially damaging and risking other complications as well as not helping the NL you are suffering from now. Perhaps you have had these tests done and if so, then I wonder if you know the results and who interpreted them because most GPs haven't got a clue about these things and they really should be overseen by a consultant with experience to make a judgement call on them as they are not always clear cut.

Anyway, I hope we are able to help and support you with your diabetes journey and provide a space where you can vent your frustrations and perhaps compare notes with other diabetics facing similar challenges. The forum really is a goldmine of knowledge and experience from people who have been there and got the t-shirt and understand the frustrations and difficulties and mental toll diabetes can take on you.

Hi and thank you,

They originally thought I was type 1 but considered me type 2 then switched between the two over the course of two years. I have had all the tests done including the c-peptide test which have all resulted in a type 2 diagnosis. My HBA1C has ranged but when first diagnosed it was 108 and it has recently been fluctuating.

I had the tests done by the hospital and my diabetes doctor at the time in charge of the young persons clinic said the test results indicated type 2. I did come to a point I gave up and just took whatever they give me to be honest.

Thank you so much, definitely needing to vent as it seems a lot at the moment. I am hoping to learn a lot so I can finally get some sort of control.

 

[IrvineHimself]

They put me in a group meeting day when I was first diagnosed and I was the only younger person there which was daunting. It had felt like that and i feel I have lost friends because of it.

Believe me I really understand, Full disclosure: You should read the About Me link in my signature

It is a lot to learn! And just when I think I have it figured out I don’t!

Realising that about any subject is the first step to true wisdom

I am trying to come to terms with the reality that this is it. I am really hoping I can grasp at that and meet friends who do understand.

There are a number of young people on this forum. In fact, I remember reading a thread the other day about a young person in their twenties wanting to reach out to similar. I can't find at the moment, it's a big forum, but maybe someone else will remember where it is?

 

[IrvineHimself]

Well, I am back on-line at the moment if you wish to chat.

Around 7:00, 7:30 (ish), I have to go and greet the new tourist arriving in Edinburgh and offer to give them a guided tour of "Un des plus anciens et vénérable chapeaux d'Édimbourg". I also need to remind those who are leaving that: "They no longer need their Scottish money and I have absolutely no objection to looking after it for them"

However, I will be back on-line around 2:00 (ish), and available for the rest of the day.

Thank you so much, definitely needing to vent as it seems a lot at the moment.

Think nothing of it, it's what the forum is for and the members are only too glad to lend a sympathetic ear.

I am hoping to learn a lot so I can finally get some sort of control.

This is definitely the place to start.

At the moment, you are actually in a kind of backwoods section of the forum, I suspect one of the administrators will probably move this thread into Newbies Say Hello Here! where you will get even more people stopping by to say hello and welcome you to the forum. But maybe not, I have no idea of the policy in this regard.

In general, there are a lot of sub forums, and, if you have specific question, then it is probably best to choose the one that is most appropriate. This would usually be the GeneralMessageboard, but choose whatever feels most comfortable to you.

I have added you to the list of people I am following. So, if you start a new thread I will get a notification. If I have nothing useful to contribute, I may not reply or reply only to give moral support. But, rest assured, I am following your progress. (If this is a problem, let me know and I will un-follow you 😉)

Irvine

 

[EmmaL76]

It was @sean_marsh I believe who was looking to connect with younger type 2s. X