First year as a type 1

[Kevlaar]

Hi,

Just wondering how people found their first year following diagnosis.

I was diagnosed in Dec 2011 at the age of 24. I'd felt pretty rubbish for a while, and after loads of people at work telling me I looked like ****, and realising I'd lost about a stone, I went to the Doc's. An hour later I was in a hospital bed with a drip in each arm! Massive shock for someone who'd only ever been to hospital for football injuries! My blood sugars were as high as 35! Just a little bit over the 4-7 target......

Second night in hospital, a patient, who clearly hadn't taken care of his diabetes told me there was a good chnace I'd go blind! Cheers mate! This is now my only real fear!

I think I'm still in the honeymoon period. Just had first annual review and my HbA1c was 6.5, which I understand to be pretty good. Fully expecting things to get harder when my pancreas decides to fully pack in.

Only really had a few dodgy moments - one was injecting Novorapid instead of glargine after a few beers! Wont make that mistake again! Other than that I've only had a few mild hypos - Im a lot more conscious of when I eat now since I was diagnosed.

I don't want this to come accross as 'type 1 is easy to deal with etc', Im aware the worst is (probably) yet to come.

Interested to hear other peoples experiences of first year, and how long honeymoon period tends to last.

Cheers

Kev

 

[donnellysdogs]

Diagnosed 25+ yrs ago. Age approx the same. Thoughts and other much the same too...

It took prob a decade for me to get complacent... That a bit later than when teenagers can rebel... I didnt hugely rebel, but got complacent for about 3 years... Trouble is now.. I am now what I consider "too bothered".. About my levels.. Just made last wek - a new year resolution to stop being so watchful and relax more...

1st year was same as you pretty much.. My thoughts on this are..... Don't worry about your past... Learn though for the future..... So be aware that you MAY become complacent .... or OTT.. Depending on your own genes, personality etc... But do learn what the next stage may involve and be one step ahead....

My one and only regret is not having internet 25+ yrs ago.. It woul have helped me.. I made fantastic friends here..

 

[ALLISON462]

Hi Kev. How spooky I've just hit my first anniversary too and made my first post on here today!

I found out on 5 Jan 2013 after losing weight and drinking constantly, the same as you.

I have not had any tests. Just been given injections and a wave off goodbye. Think I need to contact them as this doesnt seem right. I dont even know my hba1c so think yourself lucky!!! I'm still in honeymoon period too. Still cant believe it.

 

[donnellysdogs]

You must get an hba1c done...

 

[donnellysdogs]

And if you are a type 1 especially.. I woukd recommend asking to go under the care of a hospital consultant rather than a GP...but that just my opinion .. Not fact.

When diagnosed diabetic you should get minimum health care and I would advise you make sure you get it.... For your long term health...

Look to living long term..

 

[ALLISON462]

Oh definately looking after myself, dont worry. BS consistant and carbs kept to a minimum. I know the rules and abide by them. Think I'll ask my GP to refer me to Kings as not too far for me to get to and hopefully where the specialists are.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Kings are good, they also take part in desearch and trials of the latest technology for a brighter future for diabetics.

Just try to keep a balance in the future.. Lots of people say they get complacent, rebel etc.... One year goes by really quickly.... It can certainly be a challenge for the first year.. Well done to both of you for being pretty upbeat about it!

 

[Goody]

I was also diagnosed in late 2011, at the age of 24. As you said, i also had lots of people telling me how **** i looked and id lost over a stone in weight. I always felt tired and was always thirsty, so i was loading up on sugary drinks to try n perk myself up but i know now it was having the opposite effect.

Being diagnosed dragged out over a couple of weeks, i eventually visited my GP and after explaining all my symptoms and suspected diabetes he took a bloodtest and said he would contact me when the results were back. A week passed and id heard nothing. I was due to fly to Turkey on holiday the next morning, so i rang the Docs to be told by the receptionist that my bloods were back and normal. So as you can imagine, i was happy and went on holiday... 3/4 days had passed and i had a call on my mobile from my GP explaining that i must come in urgently because i had diabetes.. i was in Turkey! so he booked an appointment for the morning i was back and said if i felt unwell i must seek urgent medical attention.. great just what i wanted to hear on holiday!
Looking at the holiday photos the other week and i couldnt believe how ill i looked!

I love my food so i still eat pretty much what i want when i want, pizzas, pastas, rice etc, its just took ALOT of trial n error to get the adjustments right.

As for the honeymoon peroid, ive been told it normally lasts about a year, but can last years in some people.
Ive been diagnosed about 15 months now and i think im still in the 'honeymoon period' so anytime for me i guess? in fact, my sugars have been running slightly high recently.. lets hope its because of this cold snap we're having..

 

[LaughingHyena]

2 years on for me and honestly it's been a rough ride, though I'm hoping things have settled down a bit for me know.

It was a complete shock on diagnosis, I;d gone ot the docs feeling rather tired and just not that well, but with 2 small children I felt the tiredness was expected. Took some blood for testing and was told to ring back in a week for the results. Got a call from the hospial that evening saying you need to come in NOW!

I had (still have) lots of support formt he hospital but ran into complications within a couple of day. Massive swelling on my feet, ankles and over a few days it spread everywhere so I wasn;t even able to wear a watch. One suggestion was an allergy to the insulin, anyway more and more tests but no one ever really decided and the swelling went away.

Few more months and I was having foot pain so I could barely walk and couldn't sleep, cue more appointments and drugs trying to get that under control.

I had a few months of high and low sugars which I think was probably my honeymoon. Never quite got control though till I changed insulin. Feeling much mroe stable after doing that and am now getting much more predictable results, if a little higher than I would like. Still I'm usually 6-8 so not too bad. Have been concentrating on trying to get 5-7 and HBA1C in a few weeks so hopefully it's a little lower.

Hoping that this year will be an easier ride than the last couple have been.

 

[noblehead]

I was 18 when diagnosed and was really run-down and could drink from a tap, I remember the first year being quite frightening with so much to learn and do, felt much better within a week of starting insulin but always remember breaking down in tears on my return from my stay in hospital.

Diabetes is a livable condition and shouldn't stop you from doing most things in life, the first year is definitely the worst but it does get easier in time.

 

[diggerhtfc]

Into my third year (aged 35) and I have had no real complications and have not found it difficult at all really - just something I have to remember to do (injections and picking up prescriptions etc.). Long may it continue. I find it very useful just reading things posted on here as I see people experiencing similar things to me and it makes me realise I'm (relatively!) normal.

 

[jgibson1962]

Am on year 2 now as a type 1, I'm very stable and am only testing every so often. I last tested 3 days ago, but when i do test its hovering around 6.5 to 7. Have stopped injecting at lunchtimes now, as i own a Horse and when i finish work i go straight to the stable yard and am riding mucking out etc. Which is hard work, but by not injecting at lunchtime i no longer get evening hypos. Whether I'm still in the honeymoon period or not, i really don't know, but my dosages haven't really changed at all in the past 2 years. But philosophy on life is to not let this thing i have change me, i look after myself but i really don't even contemplate going blind, losing a foot or something worse. :thumbup:

 

[Bindarry]

My son was diagnosed Dec 2012 it was awful missed all the signs and he ended up in icu for 5 days. It has changed our lives and I know you are meant to control your diabetes and not let it control you but for us that has been easier said than done. I know he is heading towards teens and so hormones etc are all over the place and yes we must be coming out of the honeymoon period. But his bloods literally daily bounce from 1.8 to 28!!! We are still weighing all his food dr's keep tweaking dosages but we all find it very stressful and he hates it! Remembering bedtime injection at correct time etc making sure he has eaten all he has injected for within the 2hrs and sometime still hungry and can't reinject until two hours has passed. He plays football three times a week another hurdle! Hoping that
This year we can level his bloods his last ha1bc was 9.9 they were not happy with that and he still only weighs 51/2. Stone any Tips to food weighing or where I'm going wrong it seems when I do pasta rice etc It raises the bloods even though we weigh it.

 

[ALLISON462]

Bindarry - we all need a certain amount of carbs to live on but our diets are massively carb heavy and refined carbs (white bread, pasta and rice) are what causes high blood sugar (as well as sugar of course!). Try and swap some of his carbs to unrefined or complex carbs (wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice) even if its half and half at first. Youll find that you dont get the fast highs and things should steady themselves. If he is hungry between meals he can eat nuts without any effect on blood sugars, or something like bacon and eggs! Just be aware that when he has a meal with no carbs, don't inject insulin or he'll go too low and before he does sport he may not need to have insulin as the excercise will burn the sugar off. Good luck x

 

[mrman]

Was diagnosed two years ago.after listing 3 stone in a few months and feeling ****. Went to docs had some blood tests done. 5 days later not heard back so phoned surgery. Managed to speak to a doctor after speaking with a secretary and doc asked why I was phoning. Explained and was told doc who done tests was on holiday do he'd look at my results, immediately he said get to a&e as sugars 35, and ketones off chart. In hospital on drip x rays done (scary). nurse told me if I hadn't come in I would of been in intensive care within 24 hours. Eventually told was type 1 diabetic. Did struggle on first year though did have a honeymoon period. All under good control now and docs couldn't be more helpful to me now and did get an official apology from surgery on my record.

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[ALLISON462]

Brett - cor i thought my initial care was bad! Well done for being so forgiving!!!

 

[mrman]

More relieved at the time that they found out what was wrong . Must admit looking back I think I should of been a bit more pushy as 6 months prior been to docs with various symptoms at least once a month before being tested. and been told was depression, a classic one for most I'm sure.

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