How easy is type 1 to control

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stuartgrinnall

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
My sister was diagnosed with type 1 about 4 years ago in her early thirties. She had a baby just under two years ago.

From the outside it she is still struggling to control her diabetes, and had another DKA last Friday. Is type 1 difficult to control, or do you just have to be disciplined. I appreciate everyone is different, but is it a case of putting yourself first and making time, is it a struggle for some (or for everyone) for ever.

Forgive me if these sound like daft questions, but I've very little exposure, apart from my sister who I don't see as regularly as I should. She works hard in the city and has a young family, plus she is the type of person who seemingly thrives on stress.

I'm just a concerned older brother, looking to understand a bit more of what she is going through and if there is more I can/should do to help.

Thanks for any advice.
 
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phdiabetic

phdiabetic

Well-Known Member
Messages
880
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Type 1 is difficult to control, but with enough effort (testing your blood sugar, taking injections, sticking to your diet) it can be managed reasonably well. The way you said it, it sounds like having DKA is fairly common for her, which indicates that her management is not as good as it could be. Although blood sugar can fluctuate wildly for no good reason, avoiding DKA is not too hard. Unless she's been very sick/had surgery then she shouldn't be getting frequent DKA.

It's great that you want to be supportive. As everyone is different, things that I find helpful may not be helpful for her, and vice versa, so the first thing you should do is ask her if she wants you to do anything for her and if she needs more support from you. Some things that may be helpful for her:

  • Emotional support: visit/phone/whatever more often so that you can spend more time together and be there for her.
  • Don't judge her for bad control: let her know that you're concerned about her but don't blame her or tell her she's not managing her diabetes well.
  • Stress management: stress can affect your blood sugar so you could offer to do something relaxing together e.g. yoga classes
  • And finally, learn more about type 1! You could offer to go to an appointment with her to better understand day-to-day management, you could learn how to give Glucagon if she needs it, you could just do some reading online (this website is a great place to start!)
Good luck, you sound like a great brother!
 
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D

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,652
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. Having a DKA does indicate that her blood sugar control is not good. That may mean that her use of insulin needs more guidance. Does she use two insulins called the 'Basal/Bolus' regime which involves taking one of the two insulins before each meal? This is important for blood sugar control. Does she adjust that insulin at each meal to match the carbs being eaten. How often does she test using her meter? Each of these things can have an effect as well as the need to keep the carbs in the diet under control. Does she have good support from her surgery and/or clinic?
 
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