Newly diagnosed type 1

[Caoimhe123]

Hi there
My name's Caoimhe and i'm 23 and was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It came as a bit of a shock as it is not in our family, which also means that me and the ones close to me have no experience with this so i'm feeling a bit lost. I'm looking for any advice on controlling my glucose levels and with this disease, my blood glucose levels are becoming more stable each day. I'm on a set amount of insulin and havn't started carb counting yet. But today my levels have risen higher after breakfast and dinner even though the meals and insulin hasnt changed. I know they say to mix up sites the of injection but i have only been taking insulin for three weeks, could resistant areas build that fast?
My appetite has increased hugely and i'd love if anyone could tell me what foods wont affect my glucose levels too much I could snack on.

Thanks

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @Caoimhe123 Welcome to the forum

There's a lot to take in on diagnosis so try and take things easy, taking a set amount of insulin offers no flexibility if you change the amount of carbs you eat, it is a good starting point simply to get used to testing and injecting and learning more about how your body uses insulin, however your blood glucose levels will rise if you eat more carbohydrates than usual. In time switching to multiple injections and matching insulin to carbs eaten will help you control your blood glucose levels better. Your injection sites are new so there shouldnt be any issues with absorption, try to follow the pinch an inch rule when injecting so you are injecting into a layer of fat.

When you are diagnosed you will become pretty hungry your body has been starved so is replenishing its stores, this will ease off though. I tend to snack on olives, cheese, pork scratchings, protein when hungry.

A good book to start on is 'think like a pancreas' knowledge is power with managing type 1, and ask away if you are unsure of anything

 

[Daibell]

Hi. It takes many months for areas of skin to become resistant to insulin so don't worry on that score as long as you are moving the injection site each time. In addition to keeping carbs sensibly down, for snacks try nuts, berries or cheese?

 

[Caoimhe123]

Hello @Caoimhe123 Welcome to the forum

There's a lot to take in on diagnosis so try and take things easy, taking a set amount of insulin offers no flexibility if you change the amount of carbs you eat, it is a good starting point simply to get used to testing and injecting and learning more about how your body uses insulin, however your blood glucose levels will rise if you eat more carbohydrates than usual. In time switching to multiple injections and matching insulin to carbs eaten will help you control your blood glucose levels better. Your injection sites are new so there should be any issues with absorption, try to follow the pinch an inch rule when injecting so you are injecting into a layer of fat.

When you are diagnosed you will become pretty hungry your body has been starved so is replenishing its stores, this will ease off though. I tend to snack on olives, cheese, pork scratchings, protein when hungry.

A good book to start on is 'think like a pancreas' knowledge is power with managing type 1, and ask away if you are unsure of anything

Thanks @Juicyj for the reply really appreciate it!
Im keen to start the carb counting and to learn to match my insulin, it's just not done that way to begin with in the hospital I was in I have to wait until my levels become more stable and I see what raises my levels.
This may be a stupid question but can you gain weight more easily with diabetes? My dietician told me to be aware of my snacking so I don't balloon out. I've never really watched my weight or have had to, im currently a healthy weight I just don't want to have to tackle weight loss combined with this in the future.
I'm actually currently on the search for that book, all the shops ive been to don't have it.

 

[himtoo]

Hi there @Caoimhe123
welcome to the forum !!!!!
it is a huge amount to take in at first so do try to be really kind to yourself and take things really slow and try not to worry.
I compare this disease to a marathon race ( and I have been running it for 44 years -- LOL )

I totally agree with @Juicyj on her advice and book recommendation.

do keep posting here -- we are a friendly bunch !!!!!!!!

all the best !!

 

[Juicyj]

Thanks @Juicyj for the reply really appreciate it!
Im keen to start the carb counting and to learn to match my insulin, it's just not done that way to begin with in the hospital I was in I have to wait until my levels become more stable and I see what raises my levels.
This may be a stupid question but can you gain weight more easily with diabetes? My dietician told me to be aware of my snacking so I don't balloon out. I've never really watched my weight or have had to, im currently a healthy weight I just don't want to have to tackle weight loss combined with this in the future.
I'm actually currently on the search for that book, all the shops ive been to don't have it.

Try Amazon for the book, that's where I got hold of mine.

It's normal to gain weight when you're diagnosed simply as you have probably been ill for a while and your body hasn't been utilising its glucose efficiently so has robbed your fat stores, unless you take to snacking uncontrollably then there shouldn't be an issue with gaining extra weight, so try not to worry about this, getting used to insulin and building a good basic understanding of carbohydrate content of food in readiness for carb counting is the best way to focus your thinking, also just getting well again as your body has been through a rough ride. There are also some good courses available on the NHS that you can join further on down the line such as 'Dose adjustment for normal eating'.

 

[lyndsayob]

Hello! I was the same age as you when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and it also did not run in my family so I understand that it can all be a bit daunting! I attended the Dose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE) course through my hospital's diabetes clinic and found this to be very useful as it covered carb counting and various other topics such as diabetes and exercise. It was also a great opportunity to meet others with diabetes. The my diabetes my way site is also a good tool to keep track of all your results (your hospital clinic should be able to tell you about this). Wishing you all the best

 

[Scott-C]

But today my levels have risen higher after breakfast and dinner even though the meals and insulin hasnt changed.

That's an important observation you've made, @Caoimhe123 , and it's key to understanding the nature of diabetes. In short, it's kinda random and unpredictable. The changes in levels are to do with that, nothing to do with building up resistant areas.

If it was just a case of balancing insulin, meals and exercise, which are the three main factors involved, then it would be relatively easy, just as if you were balancing each of those things in a set of scales.

But the problem is insulin/food/exercise are trying to get along with a lot of other bodily processes, and sometimes those other bits and pieces will throw the balance out, almost like some hidden forces are wobbling the table the scales are sitting on. That's obviously unfair but it's not as bad as it sounds: sure, it's difficult at times, you'll get a lot of unexpected results even though you've done the exact same thing twice, you'll have some messy hypos, you'll get frustrated, but, after a while, you'll figure out a lot of subtle tips and tricks to even the game a bit. You'll pick up a lot of fine tuning tips through your own experience, and from people on this site: it's sometimes like watching grand masters playing chess or snooker!

Even so, experienced T1s still make a mess of it now and then, so don't feel at all disheartened if the carb counting/insulin calculations don't always go to plan. You'll learn as much from mistakes as you do from getting it right. .As long as levels are OK most of the time, you'll be fine. The odd mistake doesn't matter that much.

Some newbies become resentful of the condition. It can be easy to end up thinking why bother, but, seriously, don't go down that route.

I've been around the block long enough to think of it more like a few bits of my body have stopped working properly, so I'm going to have to give them a bit of hand: like a parent steers a small child when they're learning to walk, I need to steer my blood glucose. That way, it's no longer an enemy: it's something I co-operate with. I can even go to the pub with it quite happily!

 

[Caoimhe123]

Hello! I was the same age as you when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and it also did not run in my family so I understand that it can all be a bit daunting! I attended the Dose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE) course through my hospital's diabetes clinic and found this to be very useful as it covered carb counting and various other topics such as diabetes and exercise. It was also a great opportunity to meet others with diabetes. The my diabetes my way site is also a good tool to keep track of all your results (your hospital clinic should be able to tell you about this). Wishing you all the best

Thanks @lyndsayob ! Going to look into education courses now and will check out that website!!

 

[Caoimhe123]

That's an important observation you've made, @Caoimhe123 , and it's key to understanding the nature of diabetes. In short, it's kinda random and unpredictable. The changes in levels are to do with that, nothing to do with building up resistant areas.

If it was just a case of balancing insulin, meals and exercise, which are the three main factors involved, then it would be relatively easy, just as if you were balancing each of those things in a set of scales.

But the problem is insulin/food/exercise are trying to get along with a lot of other bodily processes, and sometimes those other bits and pieces will throw the balance out, almost like some hidden forces are wobbling the table the scales are sitting on. That's obviously unfair but it's not as bad as it sounds: sure, it's difficult at times, you'll get a lot of unexpected results even though you've done the exact same thing twice, you'll have some messy hypos, you'll get frustrated, but, after a while, you'll figure out a lot of subtle tips and tricks to even the game a bit. You'll pick up a lot of fine tuning tips through your own experience, and from people on this site: it's sometimes like watching grand masters playing chess or snooker!

Even so, experienced T1s still make a mess of it now and then, so don't feel at all disheartened if the carb counting/insulin calculations don't always go to plan. You'll learn as much from mistakes as you do from getting it right. .As long as levels are OK most of the time, you'll be fine. The odd mistake doesn't matter that much.

Some newbies become resentful of the condition. It can be easy to end up thinking why bother, but, seriously, don't go down that route.

I've been around the block long enough to think of it more like a few bits of my body have stopped working properly, so I'm going to have to give them a bit of hand: like a parent steers a small child when they're learning to walk, I need to steer my blood glucose. That way, it's no longer an enemy: it's something I co-operate with. I can even go to the pub with it quite happily!

Thanks @Scott-C for the reply, appreciate it!
I forgot to think of all the other things going on in my body that could affect my levels, it makes sense now. My mother told me I need to relax a bit because i've tried to be great at it right away and it was stressing me out haha. Joining this website was definitely a good move, I dont feel as lost.
All the best

 

[lyndsayob]

Thanks @lyndsayob ! Going to look into education courses now and will check out that website!!

No problem at all. I'm really sorry but I've just realised that my diabetes my way is used in Scotland only. Hopefully there's a similar site that is used elsewhere in the uk

 

[Scott-C]

My mother told me I need to relax

Mothers are always right (even when they're wrong)!

You're newly dx'd so listen to your docs, not me, but here's a few bits and pieces you might want to think about to get an idea of the bigger picture.

When you said you were running higher on the same insulin/meal, one thing you should think about is the time aspect, or "shape" of insulin. It's a thing a lot of us don't pay attention to.

Don't know what insulin you're using, maybe you're on a mixtard, in which case this wouldn't apply at all, but, just as an example, here's a graph of how Novorapid works:

Now, you might think X carbs, so Y insulin and that's an end if it. But you need to understand that insulin operates over time, and often the time scale is unpredictable as there's lots of factors involved.

See on the graph how it takes 10 to 20 minutes to kick in (that's why most people inject 20 minutes or so before a meal), then peaks 1 to 3 hours later, and lasts for 3 to 5 hours.

Those are quite broad margins time-wise. Novorapid will work in different ways in different people, and, indeed, will work in different ways in the same person under different conditions.

So, when you ended higher than you expected, it might just be that the insulin wasn't peaking as soon as it did the day before. Sometimes just waiting for a bit is the best option and the peak will take it down.

Sometimes you'll realise there was more carbs than you measured, and you'll decide to take a correction shot.

Even though it's tailing off in the last couple of hours, you can still sometimes get a hefty drop then. It's easy to be impatient and take another unit or two to nudge it down, and if that then kicks in on top of the tail ends of the meal bolus, you'll be reaching for the sweeties!

You're on fixed doses just now, which is fine for learning, but one fine day, your DSN will let you loose in the wider world and you'll be making those decisions on your own. It's scary, like driving a car in your own for the first time after your test without an instructor sitting beside you, but you'll soon appreciate the freedom.

The art of T1 involves thinking about what is likely to happen in the next six hours, the after effects of the meal.

Speaking of which, time for breakfast. Look after yourself!

 

[tinyfilosofer]

When my body screams sugar! But my brain knows I've had enough, I drink Diet Coke to trick it. Not the best advice but if desperate, worth a try.

 

[Rosiegough_]

When my body screams sugar! But my brain knows I've had enough, I drink Diet Coke to trick it. Not the best advice but if desperate, worth a try.

Is Diet Coke not good?

 

[tinyfilosofer]

Don't know. Controversial I think. But it helps me.

 

[paigerobbo_x]

Hi @Caoimhe123️

I'm Paige and I was recently diagnosed with type 1. I'm only 11 (so that's quite a big age difference) but gradually, my bg levels are starting to become more normal.

I'm not going to go into detail of how I was diagnosed, but when I was, my GP didn't really want to do anything. It was only on my mums insistence that my bg was tested. It came out at 32. I was sent straight to hospital and have been on insulin injections since then.

My bloods stayed quite high at first (between 24 and 32) and on a few occasions, my bg testing machine just said 'hi' and gave me no results. After a few more weeks, my blood started to come down to between 11 and 17. And now, I'm finally becoming back to normal, having bloods in between 5 and 8 (occasionally higher). As long as you keep taking your insulin and the advice of the nurses from hospital, your blood will come down and will become more 'normal'.

And finally, I would just like to say, be careful whilst looking out for hypo symptoms. Every person is different. The hospital will have probably told you that a hypo is when your bg is below 4, but everyone is different. I have hypos when my blood is around 4.6 and lower. Just make sure you know the symptoms and know when to treat it.

I'm happy to help and give any advice even though I'm a lot younger haha

 

[goosey39]

Hi @Caoimhe123️

I'm Paige and I was recently diagnosed with type 1. I'm only 11 (so that's quite a big age difference) but gradually, my bg levels are starting to become more normal.

I'm not going to go into detail of how I was diagnosed, but when I was, my GP didn't really want to do anything. It was only on my mums insistence that my bg was tested. It came out at 32. I was sent straight to hospital and have been on insulin injections since then.

My bloods stayed quite high at first (between 24 and 32) and on a few occasions, my bg testing machine just said 'hi' and gave me no results. After a few more weeks, my blood started to come down to between 11 and 17. And now, I'm finally becoming back to normal, having bloods in between 5 and 8 (occasionally higher). As long as you keep taking your insulin and the advice of the nurses from hospital, your blood will come down and will become more 'normal'.

And finally, I would just like to say, be careful whilst looking out for hypo symptoms. Every person is different. The hospital will have probably told you that a hypo is when your bg is below 4, but everyone is different. I have hypos when my blood is around 4.6 and lower. Just make sure you know the symptoms and know when to treat it.

I'm happy to help and give any advice even though I'm a lot younger haha

Hi Paige
I am T2 but that is a lovely post from a younger poster , well done on getting your BG under control

 

[spook_kate_]

Hi @Caoimhe123, welcome to the very best site. Just the fact that you're so proactive is in your favour! Good luck! Also I live in Ireland too, originally from South Africa. We're all United

 

[CHIET1]

Hi, @Caoimbhe123, also new to this forum but dx 3+ yrs T1 like yourself also in 20s, dx at 28.

My experience so far, read as much as you can to help understand the condition, impacts of different foods on BS, impacts of exercise, impact of stress, impact of things on which you have no control like dawn phenomenon. It's daunting, like you I wanted to get it perfect from day 1, but of course this is a lot of pressure and practically impossible! Day by day it gets better and more consistent as you find what works best for you!

A lot of good reading recommendations above, I always recommend Dr. Bernsteins book diabetes solutions and also his free diabetes university videos on you tube. The book is excellent!

Sometimes it can be very overwhelming, but try not to let it consume you!

Best of luck with it!