My partners newly diagnosed

[PoppyElizabeth]

Hello,

My partner has been feeling really unwell recently, tired, thirsty, dizzy a complete jumble of symptoms. After going to his doctors for blood tests he got a phone call saying he urgently needed to go to A&E as his tests had come back showing he was diabetic and his kidneys were deflated as well as other vital organs. After going to hospital and being admitted he’s been there since Friday so for three days now. He’s been diagnosed with Type one diabetes. We are both 22 years old and this has come as quite a shock. Whilst being a shock we also feel quite relieved that we have a diagnosis as him feeling unwell has been going on for months and months. I’m not very well informed on type one diabetes and although I’ve been researching it feel very confused and bombarded with all the information out there. I’m just looking for any recommendations on beginners guides to it, also I love cooking so any advice on do’s and dont’s to what food I can use. I understand it may not be simple but I need somewhere to start so I’m looking for help here. Any advice or input is massively appreciated.

Thank you
Poppy

 

[hh1]

Hi @PoppyElizabeth! Welcome and first off, your partner's very lucky to have a partner as interested and involved as you are. I've had T1 for over 35 years, so what to read at the beginning - too long in the past and I'm not sure what's out there now. However, if you go to the home page on this site, have a look under the Guides tab, where there's lots of helpful information and explanations. Then have a look down the page at the Type 1 Community. If you click on that it'll take you to a list of threads, the first of which is titled
5 things any newly diagnosed type 1 should know
it's a useful way to get your head straight at the start of a big and unexpected change. This site is a great place for help and advice, and as you and your partner start to come to terms with coping with T1, feel free to ask anything on here. Despite how long I've had T1, I've learned loads from other people here, and have been really grateful at times for their support and understanding. Be reassured - T1 is totally liveable with. It can be frustrating and sometimes a royal pain, though he should still be able to live the life he wants. I wish you both the very best.

 

[In Response]

Wow, you and your partner have been through the mill.
The good news is you are not alone.

I strongly recommend looking through the Diabetes UK site. It is a charity for all types of diabetes and all types of treatment. the other good news is that someone with type 1 diabetes does not need to restrict their diet. Your partner can continue to eat what he has done previously and you can continue to cook with no additional dos or don’ts due to diabetes. The only difference is you need to keep track of how many carbs are in the food.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. It will take a little while to get used to using the insulin but many of us have gone thru that and come out the other side successfully. Personally I do have to control the amount of carbs I eat despite taking insulin and carb counting the insulin for each meal. I do this to minimise swings of blood sugar and weight gain, but I'm older. Just be sensible and take account of the carbs for meal-time insulin. Fats and Protein are fine. Initially many are started with fixed amounts of insulin for meals (the Bolus insulin) but your partner should be taught how to adjust it shortly for each meal.

 

[PoppyElizabeth]

Thank you so much everyone, some really helpful tips. I’m sure we’ll get comfortable with it as time comes. It’s just the initial information over load. Thank you for being so welcoming also! The information on this forum is helping a lot.