Recently diagnosed Type 1 from Trinidad and Tobago.

[GoRachel1989]

Hello everyone... I'm not sure where to start. I'm 26 years old and basically new to all of this, and it's hard for me not to feel overwhelmed right now.

In the last week of May, I was rushed to the hospital. My mother had called the ambulance because I wouldn't stop vomiting... but there were other symptoms as well (frequent thirst and urination, dehydration, weakness and fatigue.) Turns out it was diabetic ketoacidosis. My blood sugar was in the 400s. I had already lost a lot of weight and looked like a dried up twig. (I had always been underweight and very skinny - I've had trouble gaining weight practically all my life, but this time it was worse...) The doctors at the hospital told me that I was diabetic and I was placed on drips and insulin infusion (along with having a catheter inserted through my urethra), before transferring me to another hospital (the next one apparently had the facilities to treat me properly.) I was hospitalized for about 5 days and 4 nights, before finally being discharged. The doctors at the hospital suspected Type 1, because I apparently showed signs consistent with it... However, they did not have the facilities to conduct the blood test for anti-GAD antibodies, so I had to get it done at a private lab. Needless to say, it cost a pretty penny. Last week, I saw the doctor for my follow-up visit, and she confirmed that it was Type 1 upon reviewing my blood test results.

Strangely enough, when I first heard that I was diabetic, I was not all that distressed... I guess I was just trying to stay positive. But now it's hard not to worry about everything. I am especially worried that I would not be able to effectively manage this illness due to financial constraints, and that my health and quality of life would suffer terribly for it - if not now, then in the future. I am also worried about the quality of care that I would receive, or at least be able to afford. I have to find a new job, because what I was doing before would not be conducive to my self-management at all - especially when it comes to storing and taking my insulin, as well as having my meals on time. I also suffer from depressive episodes (I was told that it was Bipolar II Disorder by a psychiatrist, some time before all of this madness took place. I was prescribed medication for it, but recently had it changed by another doc after I stopped taking the old ones - I didn't like how they made me feel, particularly the Depakote... However, since I ended up in the hospital, I had stopped taking the new ones as well.) The last few days in the hospital were depressing, and I felt like I was cracking up. It took me some days before I started crying - I wanted to go home, and all sorts of negative thoughts were swimming around in my mind.

I've always felt isolated from others... but now I feel more alone than ever. I guess I joined this forum so that I could have an outlet to talk about my Diabetes-related issues - that way I don't offload too much onto my family and friends. I do not like feeling as if I am a burden unto others, but that is how I feel - moreso now than ever before. That said, I am very much interested in the discussions here, and I hope to join in on many of them myself. I have a lot to learn... I know this.

Sorry for the long post... I wasn't expecting to type so much, but it just kept flowing out.

 

[Patricia21]

Hello and welcome.
Sorry you have had a bad time.
I cant help you with diabetes as I am type 2,but you will get help from here from other type 1s.you wont be alone.
Depression and anxiety is awfull no one knows until they have suffered it,a lot of people on the forum have suffered it including me.I take Citralopram it took a few weeks but has helped a lot.

 

[teacher123]

Welcome @GoRachel1989 you have definitely come to the right place for learning and advice from people on this forum. It is all very overwhelming at the start and so much to learn but soon you will have the BG levels under better control and feeling much more confident about yourself. Keep going

 

[himtoo]

Hi @GoRachel1989
welcome to the forum
you have had a tough old time with your diagnosis -- but you have come to the right place for a shoulder to cry on if you need , for a place to SCREAM if you want , and great advice too. I cried my eyes out many times when i was diagnosed.
I am tagging @daisy1 . she provides a great starter pack of reading information -- have a read through and any questions -- just ask !
take care young lady

 

[daisy1]

@GoRachel1989

Hello Rachel and welcome to the forum You are among friends here and anything you want to know, someone will be able to help. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

 

[GoRachel1989]

@GoRachel1989

Hello Rachel and welcome to the forum You are among friends here and anything you want to know, someone will be able to help. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Thank you for this post...

I must say that I am much more mindful now of the types as well as the portions of carbs that I consume, however I have decided not to go "low carb", because in my case, I don't see the need for it. I don't even know if that would be good for me. I'm already on a low dose of insulin, but I can still wind up getting hypos if I don't consume a decent amount of carbs per meal. The doctor ended up lowering my dosage for breakfast and lunch because she noticed a pattern of me going too low during those times. Whether all of this changes or not, I will have to wait and see. I'm thinking it might be that "honeymoon phase" I've read about, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were other factors involved as well.

I did notice that a lot of information on the internet is geared towards those with type 2. I'll admit that it's frustrating sometimes, but not surprising, since type 2 is much more common.

I find it annoying that test strips are so expensive, though. Just... why? Smdh.

 

[becky.ford93]

You're not alone!! I felt pretty positive when I was first diagnosed, it's weird how it suddenly hits you in the weirdest places. A few days after being discharged from hospital I was walking along the Thames in London with my mum and sister, and just suddenly started crying. I've learnt it's OK to be scared, and especially to be angry. It's not fair!! But you seem to be staying positive, which is great! Good luck with it all, sounds like you're in a very different healthcare system over there so I'm sure you'll be facing some issues that most of us are lucky enough to not have to consider. Good luck

 

[GoRachel1989]

You're not alone!! I felt pretty positive when I was first diagnosed, it's weird how it suddenly hits you in the weirdest places. A few days after being discharged from hospital I was walking along the Thames in London with my mum and sister, and just suddenly started crying. I've learnt it's OK to be scared, and especially to be angry. It's not fair!! But you seem to be staying positive, which is great! Good luck with it all, sounds like you're in a very different healthcare system over there so I'm sure you'll be facing some issues that most of us are lucky enough to not have to consider. Good luck

Lol... I almost forgot about what happened on my last day at the hospital... One of the doctors arrived and told me that I was about to be discharged, and that I could call my family to pick me up. She told me the nurse would give me my papers and prescription and all that drama... and then she left. About 20-30 minutes later, and right after I got off the phone with my father, she hurried back into the room asking me if anyone took any blood on Friday (2 days before) because she couldn't find the results for that particular blood test. She told me that they could not discharge me without those results. :| Out of the numerous times that I had blood drawn for testing, I honestly couldn't remember anyone taking blood on that day. She said that she was going to have to take some blood now for that test. I asked her how much longer before I could leave, and she said that I might have to stay another night, because the test could take a while. Then she drew some more blood from my arm, apologized and disappeared out of the room. Long story short, I lost my cool. I went from quiet and agreeable to full-on angry grouch that day. There's something about getting my hopes up only to be let down soon afterwards... Grrrrrrr....

Fortunately, later that night, just before I was about to go to sleep, another doctor showed up and told me that the results were in, and I was free to go.

 

[SueB743]

Just wanted to say hi and welcome

 

[GoRachel1989]

Thank you, SueB743.

And much thanks to everyone else for the warm welcomes.