Husband just got diagnosed with type1

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Hello, my husband just got diagnosed with type1 few hours ago (he is not into internet). He is 38 years old. He's been losing weight for the past 3-4months with total 20kg lost. Today I insisted to take him for blood test and his sugar level 503. We were referred to internist immediately where he prescribed with insulin 4times in a day.
I definitely new to diabetic and had my emotion mixed. I want to know, specially whose have been in this situation for a long time, is this type1 manageable? I mean, we have a toddler who just got into school, so naturally I am hoping that his father will live long enough until he reach adulthood. I definitely need help help..thank you in advance.
 

Mike d

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I'll leave it to experienced T1s to respond, but it is manageable. Where are you from?
 

therower

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3,922
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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@Astrid Mayangsari . I was diagnosed at 27 yrs old , now 54 yrs old . Have seen children reach adulthood and also provide me with grandchildren.
Type 1 is manageable. It takes time to learn the basics and a bit longer the finer details.
Your husband will be fine. Take little steps, learn a bit everyday and never worry when things don't always go according to plan.
There are a huge amount of T1's on this forum who have spent their entire lives as T1 and are still here.
Welcome to the forum to both of you.
 
D

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Can your husband live a long and healthy life with type 1 diabetes?
Absolutely. Take a look at people in the public eye with type 1:
- Halle Berry
- Henry Slade of Exeter Chiefs rugby team
- Nick Jonas
- Sharon Stone
- Theresa May

And then there are lesser known people who have received the H G Wells medal like Cliff Whittaker who has lived with type 1 for 80 years.
 
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DCUKMod

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I reversed my Type 2
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Diet only
Hello, my husband just got diagnosed with type1 few hours ago (he is not into internet). He is 38 years old. He's been losing weight for the past 3-4months with total 20kg lost. Today I insisted to take him for blood test and his sugar level 503. We were referred to internist immediately where he prescribed with insulin 4times in a day.
I definitely new to diabetic and had my emotion mixed. I want to know, specially whose have been in this situation for a long time, is this type1 manageable? I mean, we have a toddler who just got into school, so naturally I am hoping that his father will live long enough until he reach adulthood. I definitely need help help..thank you in advance.

Astrid - I'm not T1 myself, but I have a friend with diabetes who has now been diagnosed 67 years. He is in his 84th year and still rides his bicycle every day, still plays badminton twice a week, and is never at home if one drops by to see him. He is also still sharp as a tack, mentally.

If I could live that long, with his quality of life, without T1, I'd be happy.

I would say that like all long term conditions, diabetes needs to be taken seriously and looked after.

Good luck to you all on your new and unexpected journey, but hopefully he'll start to feel better very soon, now that he is recieving the treatment he needs.
 
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Jaylee

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Retired Moderator
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18,214
Type of diabetes
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Hi @Astrid Mayangsari ,

Welcome to the forum.

I was diagnosed as a child. 42 years on? I'm married & live happy ever after.. Working & playing hard! :)
 
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luv2spin

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@Astrid Mayangsari

I am a native of the Princes' Islands, though I am not currently residing over there. I have a fairly good in depth knowledge and experience of the medical system and institutions not only in Istanbul but, of the country as well as educational training's, T1 support groups, activities and so on.

I am here to share my experiences once you learn the basics.

And, as for reply to your question, I totally agree in to what has been said so far.
 
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Diakat

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Hi @Astrid Mayangsari
Just a note, this is pored in T1 eating disorders. Would you like it moved to just the T1 area where you may get more replies or are you concerned about his eating?
The weight loss experienced before diagnosis should even out now he is on insulin.
 
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Hi @Astrid Mayangsari
Just a note, this is pored in T1 eating disorders. Would you like it moved to just the T1 area where you may get more replies or are you concerned about his eating?
The weight loss experienced before diagnosis should even out now he is on insulin.
Yes, but how i can move the thread to anotjea area? Should I make new thread? At the moment I'm a bit confuse about what to eat. So far (two meals: breakfast & lunch) I cut off carbohydrates & dairy products.
 

Rokaab

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Pump
At the moment I'm a bit confuse about what to eat. So far (two meals: breakfast & lunch) I cut off carbohydrates & dairy products.

There is no reason to cut out dairy for a diabetic (though obviously there may be other reasons why you need/want to), and if you are cutting the carbohydrates his dose of insulin will need to reflect that, so be wary of making big changes to his carbohydrates as this could cause hypos if he doesn't know how to adjust his insulin doses yet - does he know about carb counting?

Edit: in fact I will add: if he doesn't know about how to adjust his insulin yet dependent on what he's eating I would not reduce his carbs at all.

And yes T1 is manageable (I've had it for 41 years ish now), it can be a complete pain at times but it is manageable.
 
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Diakat

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Yes, but how i can move the thread to anotjea area? Should I make new thread? At the moment I'm a bit confuse about what to eat. So far (two meals: breakfast & lunch) I cut off carbohydrates & dairy products.
Hi Astrid, have moved it for you. Also tagging @daisy1 for some useful info regarding food.
 

SallyEzra

Active Member
Messages
36
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi @Astrid Mayangsari,

Thank goodness you sorted out the Dr appointment for your husband so he could start getting treatment.

I have had T1 Diabetes for just over 30yrs & most of the time it has been perfectly treatable. There are always new stages of life & learning curves to go through, like most things, but like others have said, with reasonable care, it is perfectly possible to have a full & rewarding life.
I am now 41yrs old, married with a 3yr old & am pregnant again.

I think @therower gave you some great advice already, there is a lot to learn at this stage, so just take it all a step at a time. As a family you will get there.
 
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AliceKeates

Newbie
Messages
3
Hi Astrid,

My husband has just been diagnosed as T1 too (it's been 5 days). I'm (of course) finding it terrifying and upsetting, and am struggling to come to terms with it all. Knowing how to be supportive without interfering is a huge challenge, and I wake up every day feeling desperately anxious and sad for him. Reading the encouraging messages on this thread has helped me enormously, so thank you for posting your question (and thanks to everyone who's answered). I know I could really do with having someone to vent to occasionally, so if you want to share you how you feel with someone who's going through something similar please know that I'm here.

AK
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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@Astrid Mayangsari

Hello Astrid and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful and interesting. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will help.


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 well over 235,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.