Late onset type 1

[fleurtess]

Hi,
I am a late onset diabetic type I. It was missed by my dr and as a result I nearly died. I am on insulin and inject 5 times a day. I am strict with my diet and find this helps me.
I attended a course at the diabetic centre this helped me to understand diabetes and since then I have been fine.

I am 66 years of age and was diagnosed 3 years ago, so still all new to me in a way. I caravan and drive and do what I want to do, like gardening, walking dogs and grooming my Poodles. I have simply learnt to listen to my body and what it tells me.

 

[Jovigirl7]

Hi Fl eurtess and welcome to the Forum, I'm Type 2 and still a newbie and getting used to everything. You sound that your doing well and very active. The forum is great and full of advice with lots of friendly people xx

 

[fleurtess]

Hi Fl eurtess and welcome to the Forum, I'm Type 2 and still a newbie and getting used to everything. You sound that your doing well and very active. The forum is great and full of advice with lots of friendly people xx

Thank Jovigirl, I hope maybe I can help some one who is struggling

 

[smidge]

Hi fleurtess and welcome!

Another late onset/LADA here. I was also missed by the DSN at my surgery and 'treated' as a Type 2 for a year which nearly killed me - it's a common thing among LADA's on here. Now on 5 injections a day. Not sure if you're full Type 1 or LADA, but there are sections for both on here.

Smidge

 

[Mazzer]

Hi Fleurtess and welcome. I am a 61 year old T2 and very new to Diabetes (Feb this year). I joined this Forum because I didn't get very much information from my Docs, and really glad I did, there are a lot of very nice people here to help and support you if you need it, so have a good look round the website there is lots of information and tips which you might find useful.

Marilyn x

 

[fleurtess]

Hi fleurtess and welcome!

Another late onset/LADA here. I was also missed by the DSN at my surgery and 'treated' as a Type 2 for a year which nearly killed me - it's a common thing among LADA's on here. Now on 5 injections a day. Not sure if you're full Type 1 or LADA, but there are sections for both on here.

Smidge

Hi Smidge, I am a full type 1 much to surprise of the specialist whom I have only seen twice in 3 years. I am mostly in single figures and quite happy with that. I did the DAFNI course, it is only for type 1 diabetics as far as I am aware. If you are type 1 it is a fantastic course to do, it takes a week and you realise you can eat what you like and like what you eat! I think it should be everything is on the menu in moderation. I can have a glass or two of Red wine when I want without having to worry about carbs. Chocolates are not a problem anymore. Great to be in control

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. I'm sorry to hear you had, presumably, a bad DKA experience. As Smidge says there are quite a few of us LADAs on the forum. I was 60 when diagnosed with a urine stick by my diabetes expert GP and classed as T2. I struggled for years on tablets. When I challenged my new diabetes GP she said you're not T1 therefore you must be T2 and refused me insulin. A year later when she had forgotten who I was and saw my HBa1C she said I'm sorry but you need to go onto insulin; what would we do without the great NHS! BTW I normally inject only 3 times a day. As I don't split my Basal that saves one injection and as my low-carb breakfast coincides with my Basal peak I avoid a breakfast Bolus.

 

[fleurtess]

I was taken to the out of hours dr at the hospital in Dumfries, she could only test my sugar levels with a stick into urine, told me my sugar level was ONLY 17 and see my own dr in the morning. In the morning my husband found me unconscious and called 999. When I regained consciousness I was blind and could only see shadows. I was hooked up to 3 drips of which one was insulin the other glucose and a third was saline. I was told I was being sent to dialisis and I refused. My kidneys slowly came on line and when I was a bit better my sugar levels were down to 58 they decided to stop the insulin and me onto tablets as they thought I was type 2. My sugar levels rose to 103 and I was very kindly told by the specialist that I was type 1 and a specialist nurse would come and show me how to inject insulin. I was terrifed as I had a fear of needles. I learnt much later from my GP that my sugar levels were 140 before they put me onto the drips, no wonder I wasn't there but I had the wonderful experience of being on a bed of flowers and angels were all around me singing. I have suffered kidney damage as a result of the NHS bumbling and my pancreas has ceased to be. I then had a stroke on my left side which I very quickly worked on getting my arm and leg to obey me lol. I am quite well now except for my left leg. I have been put on tablets to prevent a heart attack as that too suffered damage to the muscles. I am lucky to be alive and treasure each day with my lovely husband, dogs and cats

 

[smidge]

That's shocking fleurtess. I thought my misdiagnosis was bad being left unmonitored to try to manage without insulin on diet and exercise for a year - luckily for me, I was LADA rather than full Type 1 so there was no sudden collapse, just a progressively worse situation until I weighed around 6 stone and could hardly get out of bed - the consultant certainly panicked when he finally saw me, took my BG and tested for ketones - straight on insulin there and then! What happened to you is just disgraceful. Trouble is, they think anyone over 40 at diagnosis must be Type 2.

I'm glad you.'re feeling better now, but to be left with such permanent damage through a doctor's lack of knowledge is just shocking.

Smidge

 

[Jovigirl7]

I was taken to the out of hours dr at the hospital in Dumfries, she could only test my sugar levels with a stick into urine, told me my sugar level was ONLY 17 and see my own dr in the morning. In the morning my husband found me unconscious and called 999. When I regained consciousness I was blind and could only see shadows. I was hooked up to 3 drips of which one was insulin the other glucose and a third was saline. I was told I was being sent to dialisis and I refused. My kidneys slowly came on line and when I was a bit better my sugar levels were down to 58 they decided to stop the insulin and me onto tablets as they thought I was type 2. My sugar levels rose to 103 and I was very kindly told by the specialist that I was type 1 and a specialist nurse would come and show me how to inject insulin. I was terrifed as I had a fear of needles. I learnt much later from my GP that my sugar levels were 140 before they put me onto the drips, no wonder I wasn't there but I had the wonderful experience of being on a bed of flowers and angels were all around me singing. I have suffered kidney damage as a result of the NHS bumbling and my pancreas has ceased to be. I then had a stroke on my left side which I very quickly worked on getting my arm and leg to obey me lol. I am quite well now except for my left leg. I have been put on tablets to prevent a heart attack as that too suffered damage to the muscles. I am lucky to be alive and treasure each day with my lovely husband, dogs and cats

OMG Fleurtess thats awful the way you were treated and shocking what happened to you, you have done so well to come out the other side the way you have and are an inspiration. xx