i need help

Kappa999

Member
Messages
8
I am 18 years old and i have t1 diabetes for 2 years.
Recently i discovered my skin turned red-ish on the lateral zone of my left foot(not the entire foot) and my skin feels numb in that zone.
I am aware of the fact that i may get ulcers but i seem that i cant do anything.
I just cant respect tge diet,i am too lazy or i lack motivation to exercise i cant lose weight whatever i might do.
My latest HbA1c value was 6.7(lower than before) and my lowest was 5.5.
I always feel tired no matter how much sleep i take.
I dont have any friends and i also have depression.
I often ride the bike for long distances but sprinting seems hard to me,my body is too hard for my legs to bear so when i sprint i always feel pain on my leg muscles whenever i run.
I still eat sweets,even thought i try my best not to eat them.I tried diabetes sweets but theyre not that efficient.I also eat a lot of bread and carbs and i smoke.
I dont want to have my leg amputated and rest in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.
What should i do ?
 

kaylz91

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,090
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
First I'd go to the dr and see what might actually be wrong with your foot, you might be jumping to conclusions, I am very careful as even before I was diabetic I had nerve damage to a toe because of an accident

Do you not have a team that you could talk with about your concerns? A dietician that could discuss a plan with you?

As a Type 1 it's not that you CAN'T eat sweets and bread etc, you can do so if you wish you just have to do things in moderation and make sure you cover the carbs with your insulin and also try and get timing down to a fine art to avoid post meal spikes

As for smoking, have you tried to switch to vaping? That's the only thing that worked to get me off the fags, I've been off fags 2 years this year

What are your blood sugars like generally?

I also have no remaining friends (they didn't want to hang out with someone that had to inject) and I suffer terrible anxiety when I go out alone so I can sympathise with you there

xx
 

EllieM

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Messages
9,206
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Look I've been T1 for 49 years and I've only had hba1cs in the 6s when I was pregnant (OK, my last one was 48 but that's an exception). I find it very very unlikely that you're getting significant complications after just two years and not too bad levels. (OK,I may be lucky but I can't be that lucky).

You need to see your doctor: depression is an cruel illness suffered by many many people (not just diabetics). There's no shame in asking for help and at your age your whole life (and it can be a healthy one) is ahead of you. Lots to look forward to and though diabetes is an almighty pain there's no need for it to stop you from doing anything or to make you live in fear.

Edited to add: not saying all your symptoms are caused by depression, but just that they may not be caused by diabetes. It's easy to assume that all illnesses are diabetic complications, whereas non-diabetics get plenty of illnesses too.

Lots of hugs.
 
Last edited:

kaylz91

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,090
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I find it very very unlikely that you're getting significant complications after just two years and not too bad levels. (OK,I may be lucky but I can't be that lucky).
I disagree here I was unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with diabetic macular oedema only a month after my Type 1 diagnosis and apart from my diagnosis hba1c (11.4%) my highest was 7% xx
 

Juicyj

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
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Hello @Kappa999

I also think you need to see your doctor and get your symptoms looked at, it's easier to think something can be far worse than it really is, particularly in the age of Dr Google, put your mind at rest and book an appointment today.

I also agree depression is a cruel thing, it can beat us into submission and ruin our lives if we let it, it's a crippling condition to live with, so getting support is vital, please also speak to your doctor about this. You have your whole life ahead of you and you can choose to live it with positivity or be beaten down at every hurdle, i've had my dark times with diabetes but have changed my life in regards to doing more exercise and trying hard to not let diabetes get in the way, when it does diabetes wins and it's more dis-heartening to let this take control of my life. Your already cycling so that's a huge positive, it's also good to do things which stop you thinking about t1, the sweets/bread and smoking are not doing you any favours, so try and think about cutting down, giving up, but please do talk about how your feeling and try not to hide your emotions, we're here to talk to :)
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I am 18 years old and i have t1 diabetes for 2 years.
Recently i discovered my skin turned red-ish on the lateral zone of my left foot(not the entire foot) and my skin feels numb in that zone.
I am aware of the fact that i may get ulcers but i seem that i cant do anything.
I just cant respect tge diet,i am too lazy or i lack motivation to exercise i cant lose weight whatever i might do.
My latest HbA1c value was 6.7(lower than before) and my lowest was 5.5.
I always feel tired no matter how much sleep i take.
I dont have any friends and i also have depression.
I often ride the bike for long distances but sprinting seems hard to me,my body is too hard for my legs to bear so when i sprint i always feel pain on my leg muscles whenever i run.
I still eat sweets,even thought i try my best not to eat them.I tried diabetes sweets but theyre not that efficient.I also eat a lot of bread and carbs and i smoke.
I dont want to have my leg amputated and rest in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.
What should i do ?
T2 here, so in an entirely different boat than you far as that's concerned, but I am rather intimately familliar with depression. It makes it really hard to take care of yourself. When you see your doc for your foot (and you really should), please mention depression too and insist on tackling that. It is a condition much like T1, or rheumatism, or any other illness: It can and should be treated. And like with other illnesses, what works for one person doesn't work for another. I'd LOVE to take antidepressants, but I've tried all varieties and they all kick my *** in terms of side effects. So I found something else: I go out every weekend with my camera (I am afraid to go out the door without it. But the world reduced to a little rectangle I can handle), and do something I knew I would enjoy if only I felt a little better. After a while enjoyment krept in in spite of myself. It works; one day out, or sometimes even two, keep me afloat for a week. And recently I've taken to walking places by myself (doc, dentist, hospital, that sort of thing), on my own, which would've been inconceivable a few years ago. It's still difficult, but it feels empowering to take that walk. That's what works for me. Have you ever heard of a guy named Tim McKenna? Trigger warning here: A few months ago he was about to jump in front of a train at, I think it was St. Pancras, and he posted his farewell on twitter. And Twitter basically exploded. Never met the guy, but someone I knew responded to him because they'd seen someone respond to him etc, and I was one of the great many people who told him it'd get better. And I didn't lie: It does get better, because depression lies. It tells us it doesn't get better, it tells us the world is better off without us, it's all no use anyway, bladibla, and really, it's a load of bull. So when Tim got all those messages he ended up getting help rather than "catching" a train that day. He's still struggling on some days, but he's not alone anymore, and he asks for help when he needs it. He knows there's people out there who care, even perfect strangers, and he is making plans for the future. He's a long distance cyclist, like yourself, and he's going to bike coastlines and whatnot... Travel the world by freight ship and just do it. Because like walking, cycling can clear your head, make you feel better, more peaceful and balanced, and if that is what works for you (with or without antidepressants), who needs sprints and such? Do what makes you feel good. And ask yourself, why are you smoking? Purely out of habit/addiction, or are you self-sabotaging? Method of slow suicide? (That was why I was lighting one ciggy with the next, until I quit cold turkey in august 2004.) Maybe look into kicking the habit? Turn over a new leaf. Doc can help there too.

Because you know what? You *are* worth it. There are surprisingly MANY people out there who are hanging on by their fingernails. You don't have to do anything alone though. There's help if you ask for it. Don't do a stiff upper lip.

Hugs,
Jo