Newly diagnosed and struggling ;(

[Jellynurse]

Hello ,

Forgive me if this is a bit waffly I'm all a bit new to this !

I was diagnosed in aug last year with ??? Type 1 diabetes, started on insulin (very small amounts) my GAD test came back negative and they decided I may be type 2 so swapped meds to metformin and gliclazide. That didn't work I lost weight again all my symptoms returned and so I'm now back on the insulin.... It's been a bit of a roller coaster to say the least. I'm 30 , 8 stone and have no family history of diabetes. So I don't fit into any of the tick boxes for either category....

So enough about the background.... 6 months on I'm really struggling, I know in myself I'm not doing the things I should be doing. Most days I don't do my four blood sugars, I guess my insulin or miss my insulin and am eating all the wrong stuff.. In my sensible brain I know this isn't the right things to do and I'm putting myself in a worse state by acting like this ,but on a day to day basis I can't get my head round the constant blood sugars and insulin injections etc etc etc etc etc.

If anyone has any advice I'd be really grateful, I'm willing to try anything to get my head straight and get on with looking after myself .
Thanks

 

[JTL]

Hi and welcome Jelly.
I'm a T2 so can't really help but someone will before long .... bit late now.
You're in the right place.

 

[kevinfitzgerald]

Firstly Jellynurse (interesting handle!) welcome

Your still new and this must still be fairly scary for you.

Try not to get too wound up over all the do's and don'ts. Maybe you could start with two tests a day rather than four (after breakfast and supper) just to get you back in the routine. It can be overwhelming the first few months after diagnosis and sometimes rebellion is a fairly common reaction. I honestly wouldn't worry to much but I would suggest you read around this forum. There are some great people on here with a wealth of experience than will be more than happy to share there wisdom with you.

Might be an idea to make an appointment with your diabetes nurse. All the ones I have ever had and I have had type 1 for 33 years have been fabulous. Do not get down hearted ok and the fact that you are being so honest is fantastic. That will only serve you well.

Let us know how things go

KevFitz

 

[CraigDT]

I was diagnosed an uncertain type in October at 36 so I understand where you are coming from a bit.

It is quite overwhelming and you shouldn't beat yourself up about taking time to adjust.

The thing I found scary initially was not understanding what altered my blood sugars and by how much. That made me really keen on testing, even if it is a faff. If you can find a way to test more you will start to understand the disease better and it will seem less scary.

Do you have a daily routine? When I was diagnosed I forced myself to have breakfast at home so I would always have that test first thing and it made me feel like I knew what was going on from the start of the day.

You could set reminders on your phone if you have one to encourage you or make a chart and reward yourself if you complete a full weeks testing. Or if you have someone you trust you could ask them to help you by arranging to call or txt them to let them know how many tests you have done that day.

You will get to grips with the disease and it does get easier. I would focus on testing first and once that is second nature worry a bit more about what you are eating.

 

[Trixy83]

I was diagnosed 7 weeks ago at 31. Like you I spent the first few weeks just eating whatever I wanted and injecting random amounts of insulin without understanding what I was doing. Needless to say my blood sugars were all over the place. Then at the start of March I decided enough was enough and it was time to sort this thing out. I downloaded a fab app to record everything, you can also set reminders which I found really helpful. I also signed up to this forum and spent ages reading lots of posts, the wealth of knowledge here is fantastic and has been a huge help to me. I started slow. First step for me was to get my readings from breakfast to lunch sorted, then gradually from lunch to dinner, then dinner to bed. Just small steps but progress none the less. 2 weeks on and I have made huge progress. I still have to work on my overnight, there's something not working right there as my first reading of the day is always high, but from that reading I can get to bed time with normal readings (although I have now become a bit test crazy as I like to see exactly what is happening with every food I eat). My advice would be start small and don't put any pressure on yourself. What helped me was knowing that this is just the way I am now, ignoring it and hoping it will go away won't work and will only make me ill so they best thing I can do is have me control it and not it control me. It will take time but we will get there.

 

[LucySW]

Apps do help. I recommend Diabetes Connect for logging and analysing your BG results , Carbs & Cals for gauging carb content and logging what you eat, and Cook & Count for working out recipes' carb content.

It all helps.

 

[LaineyK]

Hi jelly. I was diagnosed 5 weeks back type 1. Seemed out of the blue, and is still a shock so totally understand how you feel. I'm not fat, but about a stone overwieght(which you are definately not), so I'm trying to take bull by the horns to be good and also lose weight.
I liked (and still do) all the wrong foods, Chinese takeaway, big white bread sarnies, chocolate, jelly sweets the lot!!.
But, I'm am so worried about complications later down the line, so that's what's made me be good.howver, been sick last few days and my levels all over the place, so I'm adding a couple of units Novorapid bolus at meal times, cause of advice on this forum I'm doing much better.
Don't give up, in a couple days I bet you will be getting to grips again. Try to find some favourite things that you know don't spike you and have these to hand if hungry.
I love Cheerios, and I'm able to have them with a little milk about 28 carbs for brekkie, I bolus 4, and it covers me nicely.
I like tsasiki dip with celery or I spread it on tuc buscuits, Tucs are only 2.4 carb each.
I think unfortunately carb counting is the key.. Again, the forum gave good advice which I'm yet to follow up on, and that's to buy a little address book, you know the ones with the alphabet down the side, and record your favourite meals and snack in there with carb amount, then it's easy to look up name of meal from the index. I also test 4 times a day, before meals and b4 go to bed, and write my bg levels in my record book, as find this easier believe it or not then an app at the moment.
Keep talking to us on the forum, and let me know how you get, I really am interested!!
BTW - a small bag wotsits are only 9.3 carbs, hallelujah!!!!!!

 

[June_C]

Do like to idea of the address book. I'm going to get one too.

 

[Jellynurse]

Hello everyone , sorry taken me a while to get back on here ...currently on a night shift !! Thank you all so much for your replies it's really nice to know they way I've been feeling is normal ! (Whatever normal is !!)..
Just to update really ... Saw my diabetic nurse last week and my HbA1c has come down massively to 61 mmol /mol which I am really pleased with....and so was the nurse . This has given me a real boost and I'm now back on track most days.

So glad I came across this forum , thanks for your help x

 

[Emmotha]

Hello everyone , sorry taken me a while to get back on here ...currently on a night shift !! Thank you all so much for your replies it's really nice to know they way I've been feeling is normal ! (Whatever normal is !!)..
Just to update really ... Saw my diabetic nurse last week and my HbA1c has come down massively to 61 mmol /mol which I am really pleased with....and so was the nurse . This has given me a real boost and I'm now back on track most days.

So glad I came across this forum , thanks for your help x

Congrats! Great results
Must be difficult not knowing your "type", I was in limbo for 3 weeks before I got my results and I found that tough.
Have you been referred? I think there are other types of type 2 too - MODY?

Sounds like you are getting your head around it. I was diagnosed last June, aged 29, and still learning

 

[Erin85]

Hi Jellynurse, I'm 29, 8 1/2 stone and no family history of diabetes either. I am still adjusting and have up and down days, but wanted to let you know that you are not alone and its normal to feel the way you do. It is a lot to get your head around, thinking about what you need to do every day and that this is something that is forever. I am t1 and still in honeymoon phase so what spurs me on to test and inject is the want to be in control of my bg levels. I have been too high and too low and neither is pleasant. I want to know that I am doing what is right for my body. In saying that, you also need to enjoy the good things in life for me, that's a bit of chocolate at the weekend. I think the key is to take each day as it comes and everything in moderation all the best to you.