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Type 1 new to forum

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Hiya - and welcome to the club nobody asked to join! When did you get the bombshell news and which insulins have they started you on?
 
Thanks for reaching out.
so I’ve been type 1 since I was 36, 40 now. Found out when I was 8 weeks pregnant with my daughter.
I am now on novorapid through a pump.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. 🙂 There's quite a few pumpers on the forum so plenty of ideas and suggestions if you need help with anything.
Have a browse in all sections and just join in where and when you want 🙂
 
Welcome @SwampyWilson 🙂 I’m a pumper too. I’ve been pumping for many years and have had Type 1 for almost 30 years. It’s a pain but at least we’ve got more tech to help us now.

You can post on this thread about anything you want, start a new thread with a specific question, or just comment on other people’s threads. Have a read around 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum @SwampyWilson from another pumper.

What pump are you using?
Which insulin are you using?
Are you using a sensor such as Libre?

I am glad that you have found the forum.
Ask any questions that you want.
 
Welcome to the forum @SwampyWilson from another pumper.

What pump are you using?
Which insulin are you using?
Are you using a sensor such as Libre?

I am glad that you have found the forum.
Ask any questions that you want.
Thanks,

so I use the Medtronic 640 pump with Novo rapid, have a prescription for libre, but not using it currently.

how do you deal with burnout? I can’t deal with how relentless this is. And feel guilty as we are lucky we have the tech we do.
 
Burnout is a horrible thing @SwampyWilson First of all,know you’re not alone. Many of us have suffered burnout. How I dealt with mine was to relax my targets slightly. That took some of the pressure off. I also tried to reduce the work of diabetes and generally on the days I couldn’t cope with the incessant detail of it all, I winged it a little eg I judged carbs by eye rather than sit there totting up every gram. Sometimes the tech can make diabetes a bigger focus of your life. I also took a pump break and that change helped me too.
 
Burnout is a horrible thing @SwampyWilson First of all,know you’re not alone. Many of us have suffered burnout. How I dealt with mine was to relax my targets slightly. That took some of the pressure off. I also tried to reduce the work of diabetes and generally on the days I couldn’t cope with the incessant detail of it all, I winged it a little eg I judged carbs by eye rather than sit there totting up every gram. Sometimes the tech can make diabetes a bigger focus of your life. I also took a pump break and that change helped me too.
Thanks for this.
I’m the problem I have is that I’ve gone from caring about it to ignoring it because of the burnout. I check my BG maybe twice a day, I don’t always put insulin in. If my pump gets blocked I don’t change it straight away. I’m just sick of it all.
I feel rubbish and I know it’s due to not looking after things properly. But I’ve no clue how to put the little things back into place again.
My eyes are blurry and my feet are on fire in the mornings. But I just don’t seem to be able to snap back into reality of the consequences. (If that makes sense) I’ve lost 8kgs in 2 1/2 months too. I’m so stressed out with life (situational) that I’ve just been putting it to the bottom of the pile and that’s become my normal.
 
It was external (ie non-diabetic) stress that started mine off too @SwampyWilson The diabetes was just too much to cope with with all the other stuff going on. It made me feel quite desperate.

If the way it’s showing itself in you is that you’re neglecting your diabetes, I think you have to gradually get back to a more usual diabetic routine. Add in another blood test, for example. Then go up to 4 tests a day. If the pump is stressing you, then consider using pens. They’re simpler and there’s not so much maintenance.

Also, talk to your DSN for support. If life is really stressful, then see if you can relieve that in some way, even if it’s only talking to someone about things.

I know it’s not easy. There’s no magic answer. It’s just a case of pushing yourself a little so you at least have a basic diabetes routine. Stick to the same meals for breakfast and lunch as that’s less thought.

Neuropathy is a horrible thing. Reading some people’s experiences helped me bother about my diabetes when it was all too much.
 
Sorry to hear you have been struggling @SwampyWilson and that the stresses of life have squeezed your ability to manage your diabetes.

I think you’ve made a really important step by joining here, and sharing your challenges.

It’s clear that you recognise that not looking after your diabetes is actually contributing to your feelings of ill health and that in turn makes things more difficult.

There are no easy answers, but starting with small and achievable goals is a really good technique. My first step would be to ensure I took my basal doses and insulin with each meal. even if that were a fixed dose abd the meal wasn’t carb counted.

Good luck, and keep us posted. You can do this, and you will get there.
 
I’ve managed to bolus today and have checked my sugars at meal times. I’ve only managed to eat twice and small things, but it’s a positive start without any unrealistic expectations.

Wow! That’s brilliant @SwampyWilson !

You should give yourself real credit for that. Something you can build on. Keep being kind to yourself, and don’t give yourself a hard time for any bumps in the road.

Well done!
 
Thank you so much for your compassion and understanding @everydayupsanddowns

It’s really nice to be in a place with people who know what it’s really like.

I’ve managed to bolus today and have checked my sugars at meal times. I’ve only managed to eat twice and small things, but it’s a positive start without any unrealistic expectations.

Brilliant @SwampyWilson ! Very well done! I know how hard it is and you’ve genuinely done well 😎
 
Reached out to my DSN today.
Explained everything and she was supportive and understanding.
advised to do some basal testing to understand what’s going on naturally with a view to hopefully have a rest from the pump. Wants me to put my sensor back on too so I’ve some accountability. 2 very beneficial and doable steps.

now need to figure out the link with weight loss/control and high sugars.

thank you all for your wise and kind words and for the encouragement to make a change. ‍ Slow and steady for me
 
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So pleased that you had a positive response from the DSN and she was able to encourage you to make small steps back towards taking control. Good to see you post on the "Group 7-day Waking average" thread. Look forward to getting to know you better and seeing those numbers start to reduce. Good luck!
 
I have recently been where you have too - and I'm so sorry, but the only place I've come across another 'Swampy' was an activist/objector who took up residence up a tree to try and stop em, when they were trying to build the A40 Newbury By-pass years ago. (well before they built any of the M40 - and it's still a pain driving along that stretch - but a lot quicker LOL) hence your moniker makes me smile. Which may be nice for me - but more than likely doesn't have the same effect for you. Just {{{Hugs}}} from someone who really does empathise.

The major really good thing about Libre that I appreciate fully - apart from accountability which doesn't tick any of MY personal boxes though I daresay it does tick some of my Diabetes Clinic's - is that providing the sensor is fairly accurate compared to your fingerprick testing - it makes Basal Testing - a necessary task all along whether MDI or pumping - so much less of a hassle. Even if you don't actually scan more than once every 6 hours regularly - the graphs displayed (either on the Libre Reader, your phone or on Libreview when you download the readings and which the D clinic have access to) still tell you and them whether the basal dose needs tweaking and they can then advise you what to do and when to do it, for best results.

My head has 'snapped out of it' this very morning having had several Libre sensors in the last months that recorded results bearing very little resemblance to my fingerpricks, when the new one I started the other day read exactly the same as my first fingerprick and now some hours later - still is roughly the same.

It really is just relentless at times, but so, so pleasing when things are going OK. I never liked being bored and still don't - so it's more than alright by me to take pleasure from the small stuff - and I sincerely hope you can do that too - and get on with enjoying living your life.
 
And the libre is on! Now I can be more proactive.
has anyone got any tips for basal testing?
 
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