Charles Robin
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 570
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
It's clear from your posts that you are not happy with your control, and that you feel things need to change in order to give you good control. However, as mentioned by others, looking for a 'quick fix' is not going to solve the problem. An insulin pump may be either a help or hindrance to you. some people can't stand them, others see them as an essential part of their control (apparently 1 in 7 type 1 diabetics in Germany use an insulin pump). The truth is, either using a pump or injecting is going to require work on your part to get the good control that you so clearly want.
The first thing you need to do is get as educated as possible. I have been type 1 for 24 years, and I only feel like I have had a solid understanding of my condition for the past 12 months. The better you understand something, the more effectively you can manage it. There are very good books out there which can help with this. My personal saviour has been Dr Richard Bernstein's Complete Diabetes Solution. It does not hold your hand and use soothing words to cover the implications of poorly controlled diabetes, but the author sure as hell knows what he is talking about. He is a type 1 diabetic himself, and is now in his 80s and in excellent health. Others use the book Think Like A Pancreas, and swear by it.
The most useful tool you have is your blood testing meter. It tells you how well you are managing things, so use it as often as possible. At the very least you should test before every meal, and I would suggest testing a couple of hours after eating as well, to see whether your insulin is matching your food intake. Do not hide from your results. If you are getting lots of highs (and/or lows), you can either bury your head in the sand, or think 'ok, what can I do to change this?'
I will outline the problem I used to have, because it may well ring true with you as well; I was hungry. All the time. I have never been overweight, but I sure ate like I was. I could eat a medium dominos pizza, have half a pot of Ben and Jerry's, and still be starving afterwards. I would graze throughout the day, in addition to large meals. I decided everything was fine, as long as I injected a ton of insulin. Needless to say, my control was terrible. I wouldn't admit it even to myself, but I loved being hypo. It meant I could eat whatever I wanted. I would get 10 packs of fruit pastilles with my weekly shop, and they would be gone after 2 or 3 days to treat hypos. I didn't really care about improving because my test results all came back ok. But I was causing the worst type of damage possible; everything I was doing was hurting my wife. When I had a hypo, she had to deal with it. When she had to call the paramedics, and wait in tears while my jaw was locked too tightly to eat during a fit, I was causing her agony. It was after we got married that I realised I really had to change.
For me, the solution has been a low carbohydrate diet. At the beginning of the year I decided to go on it, and I could not have been more depressed about the idea. Giving up bread, sweets, pizza and everything else I loved felt like the cure was worse than the illness. But I decided to try it for my wife. And I am so, so glad that I did. I enjoy food so much more now than I ever did before, and it satisfies me. I can eat breakfast, and not need to have anything else until 5 hours later when I have lunch. And my control? it's never been better. My last HBA1C was 39 (5.7 in old money). Hypos are a rarity now. I eat eggs, cheese, meat and lots of vegetables. I still have a big sweet tooth, which I satisfy by baking with Stevia. It's a natural sweetener with no sugar whatsoever. I have also learned to bake in order to make the new foods I had always ignored. At the start, i could not even make an omelette. Now I make frittatas, omelettes, low carb cakes and muffins (I use ground almonds instead of flour) and so much more.
Take it from me, getting control of your diabetes is an amazing feeling. And don't be afraid to reach out to your friends and family. Explain what good and bad blood test results are. Don't be afraid to share the bad as well as the good. And never be afraid to take advice. If my wife wanted to see my test results I used to get angry, and tell her to mind her own business, because I was ashamed of them. Once I started trying to take control, I realised I was not letting anyone down any more. We started working together to bring things under control. Tell people when things are going well, or when you have slipped. Sharing your journey with others makes it easier to stay on the straight and narrow.
Always remember that you can take control. You can do it. You. Can. Do It. Be proactive. And be proud as hell when your results improve. Shout it from the roof tops. Definitely post about it here. On this forum the rules about smugness just don't apply. I like nothing better than to read about someone who has taken control, punched diabetes in the face and come out on top.
Best of luck, and keep posting about your progress.
The first thing you need to do is get as educated as possible. I have been type 1 for 24 years, and I only feel like I have had a solid understanding of my condition for the past 12 months. The better you understand something, the more effectively you can manage it. There are very good books out there which can help with this. My personal saviour has been Dr Richard Bernstein's Complete Diabetes Solution. It does not hold your hand and use soothing words to cover the implications of poorly controlled diabetes, but the author sure as hell knows what he is talking about. He is a type 1 diabetic himself, and is now in his 80s and in excellent health. Others use the book Think Like A Pancreas, and swear by it.
The most useful tool you have is your blood testing meter. It tells you how well you are managing things, so use it as often as possible. At the very least you should test before every meal, and I would suggest testing a couple of hours after eating as well, to see whether your insulin is matching your food intake. Do not hide from your results. If you are getting lots of highs (and/or lows), you can either bury your head in the sand, or think 'ok, what can I do to change this?'
I will outline the problem I used to have, because it may well ring true with you as well; I was hungry. All the time. I have never been overweight, but I sure ate like I was. I could eat a medium dominos pizza, have half a pot of Ben and Jerry's, and still be starving afterwards. I would graze throughout the day, in addition to large meals. I decided everything was fine, as long as I injected a ton of insulin. Needless to say, my control was terrible. I wouldn't admit it even to myself, but I loved being hypo. It meant I could eat whatever I wanted. I would get 10 packs of fruit pastilles with my weekly shop, and they would be gone after 2 or 3 days to treat hypos. I didn't really care about improving because my test results all came back ok. But I was causing the worst type of damage possible; everything I was doing was hurting my wife. When I had a hypo, she had to deal with it. When she had to call the paramedics, and wait in tears while my jaw was locked too tightly to eat during a fit, I was causing her agony. It was after we got married that I realised I really had to change.
For me, the solution has been a low carbohydrate diet. At the beginning of the year I decided to go on it, and I could not have been more depressed about the idea. Giving up bread, sweets, pizza and everything else I loved felt like the cure was worse than the illness. But I decided to try it for my wife. And I am so, so glad that I did. I enjoy food so much more now than I ever did before, and it satisfies me. I can eat breakfast, and not need to have anything else until 5 hours later when I have lunch. And my control? it's never been better. My last HBA1C was 39 (5.7 in old money). Hypos are a rarity now. I eat eggs, cheese, meat and lots of vegetables. I still have a big sweet tooth, which I satisfy by baking with Stevia. It's a natural sweetener with no sugar whatsoever. I have also learned to bake in order to make the new foods I had always ignored. At the start, i could not even make an omelette. Now I make frittatas, omelettes, low carb cakes and muffins (I use ground almonds instead of flour) and so much more.
Take it from me, getting control of your diabetes is an amazing feeling. And don't be afraid to reach out to your friends and family. Explain what good and bad blood test results are. Don't be afraid to share the bad as well as the good. And never be afraid to take advice. If my wife wanted to see my test results I used to get angry, and tell her to mind her own business, because I was ashamed of them. Once I started trying to take control, I realised I was not letting anyone down any more. We started working together to bring things under control. Tell people when things are going well, or when you have slipped. Sharing your journey with others makes it easier to stay on the straight and narrow.
Always remember that you can take control. You can do it. You. Can. Do It. Be proactive. And be proud as hell when your results improve. Shout it from the roof tops. Definitely post about it here. On this forum the rules about smugness just don't apply. I like nothing better than to read about someone who has taken control, punched diabetes in the face and come out on top.
Best of luck, and keep posting about your progress.
