Type 1 diabetes

[HellBunny]

Hi, i'm wondering if there are any other T1s out there? I've only been diagnosed last tuesday and i'm really struggling right now, physically and mentally. Its affecting me as a mum to my kids and i don't know what to do.
Numbers are rubbish the injecting doesn't bother me as i was on insulin in pregnancy (they originally thought it was gestational diabetes) but the blood tests confirmed type 1 last week. I'm in a panic about numbers constantly, using way too many test trips and most probably pissing everyone off around me with my anxiety. How do you carry on everyday life without worrying about collapsing? I'm scared of going too low in my sleep and not waking up. I'm currently on 5 lantus (dose changed due to frequent hypos) and 2 novorapid with each meal.

 

[wishiwas]

I see that I am a little late in replying to your post, but here is my experience for what it's worth.
I have been type 1 since I was 14, I am almost 24 now. Coming up quickly on ten years! I have never once not woken up to a low, not one time. My body automatically wakes me up. I may not be able to sit up, but I am awake. I always, always keep something next to the bed to eat or drink. Something to drink is easier, since it's less work that chewing, and when I'm feeling a little better I'll get up and eat.

I can understand the anxiety part, with my daughter it makes me worry more now than ever before. The good part is that it forces me to take care of myself. I'll "fall of the wagon" so to speak on occasion, where I just get sick of all the poking and monitoring everything. But it doesn't take very long of feeling like crap for me to jump back into things again. It really can get to be a pain in the ass, but it's just something you have to do. You don't really have a choice! It can get you down if you let it.

Your dose is pretty small, I take 25 units of lantus once a day, and around 8 of humalog with meals, give or take a few units depending on the number of carbs. Those numbers fluctuate considerably with pregnancy. As long as you stick to your diet the best you can, check for sores, and take any concerns to your doctor, you will do just fine. Find out as much as you can about it, it will ease your worry.

One thing that helped me out was when my doctor told me that its better to run a little high than low. It will do more damage in the long run if you keep consistently high numbers, but one bad low will have worse consequences short term. If you need to, eat a complex carb snack before bed, something like a peanut butter sandwich, to counteract a low. Candy or "simple" carbohydrates will raise your glucose level, and then drop you way down low, so avoid that. You can always take an extra unit or two of your short acting insulin in the morning if you are running a little high at your fasting blood sugar.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me!!

 

[Ceejay123]

My OH is type 1 diabetic, the best thing that ever worked for him was a low-carb diet. He was able to control the amount of insulin he had to take, compared to the amount of carbs he was taking as they often sugar.

I hope you're okay Honey, diabetes scares me. I've had to call an ambulance for my OH a couple of times, as well as force feed him sugary things. I pray to god that my LO won't inherit it... x

 

[pink23]

Hi I'm type 1 to feel free to pm me at any time xx

 

[HellBunny]

Thanks so much, sorry i haven't replied sooner, i've been unwell with post viral fatigue.

It all started in pregnancy (i think?!) with both babies i had what they presumed was gestational diabetes. I didn't have a follow up glucose test after my first baby but tested a few times in hospital and all was ok. With my second (born in may this year) they did antibody tests in pregnancy to test for type 1 diabetes because i didn't have the risk factors for gestational diabetes. The antibodies were borderline and they said it could go either way. I started insulin at 24 weeks.
When he was born i just carried on monitoring once a day (took off insulin) and i had a few rubbish numbers (10mmol etc) i went for a glucose test at 6 weeks PP, came back at 9.8mmol.
2 weeks later i developed chickenpox, was very unwell but recovered. 1 week after that i was at home and i realised i'd been to the loo 4 times in the hour, luckily i knew it was a sign of diabetes so i tested and i was 26.6mmol! So i went to hospital they sorted me out and the blood tests comfirmed i'm type 1.

I'm only on a low amount of insulin at the moment but they said i'm still producing insulin but they don't know how long it will be before i'm completely dependant on it.

xx