Newly diagnosed type 1, disillusioned already

[Awkwardboy]

Hi all,
My name is Paul I’m 33 and was diagnosed as type 1 a little over 4 weeks ago. I’m on novo rapid and levemir. My problem is that I felt fine before I started treatment and now after only four weeks I find that I feel considerably less than fine.
Is this just a phase you have to go through before getting any improvement?

 

[cugila]

Hi Paul.
Welcome to the forum. Have a good look around and ask questions if you wish.

As with anything new it can take a little time to adjust to things. Time to get the meds and diet right. I am sure once you get the advice and help from the T1's on here you will be surprised at how much better you will feel. I hope that some are along soon to help.

 

[Jen&Khaleb]

Hi Paul,

How high were your blood sugars on diagnosis? What made you seek help if you felt fine?

Adjusting to diabetes takes a while and I'm sure your body and mind will get used to the new schedule. If you continue to feel unwell you should get your GP to check you out. Most people I know started feeling a lot better after getting blood sugar levels under control. Have you made a lot of other changes to your life/diet at the same time as adjusting to diabetes?

I think the phase I went through when my son was diagnosed with diabetes was grief but I eventually got past that.

Jen.

 

[suziesue]

Hi Paul

4 weeks isn't long to get used to coping with this, mentally and physically. Once you get your blood results to a normal level, although I don't think you said what they were but if your newly diagnosed and getting used to injecting etc, it will take a while, you will start to feel better, I have been diabetic since I was 7 so I don't know much different, I guess to find out at your age is a a big blow, especially if you maybe like to have a drink and socialise but as long as you take control and not the other way around you'll be fine and they all seem very knowledgable and supportive on here so you have got somewhere to turn to and don't be reticent about using your GP or diabetic nurse etc that's what they're there for!

Enough of the serious talk, all the best and look after yourself. 8)

 

[silverstars]

Hi Paul,
I was diagnosed 4 months ago at 27. It came as a huge shock and i think after the initial shock and bewilderment i went through a really tough stage of getting to grips with the injections and the fact that i would be doing this forever! Probably 4 weeks in is when it was hardest as thats when i went back to work and had to explain to people what was wrong with me, feeling almost embarrassed about my condition. Also at the same time as trying to adjust the insulin dose and not knowing what to eat and when, fitting in the many hospital visits to see specialist nurses/doctors/dieticians.

The good news is you do get to grips with everything and things calm down. Thats not to say you don't still have low moments and i'm still prone to the occasional hypo. But things are pretty easy to fit into your life once you've got the hang of it.
Hope things impove, as i'm certain they will!

 

[howie]

hey,

i was diagnosed 3 months ago and like you i felt fine before and rough after. for weeks i found it hard to focus my eyes and i was tired all the time (i thought i had something else wrong with me as well). it did gradually wear off and now i feel good whenever my bg's are good. it's defo a phase, just as your body got use to running with high bg's it now has to get use to running with normal ones but with a sudden drop back to normal. luckily when i was first diagnosed i had just graduated so had some free time to lay on the sofa and go out and play tennis when i did actually have some energy.

back to the point everyone's different but when i started on insulin and a close friend T1 we both felt rough, but couple of months later you'll be normal.

hope you got some time off to adjust,
howie

 

[Awkwardboy]

Hi Paul,

How high were your blood sugars on diagnosis? What made you seek help if you felt fine?

Adjusting to diabetes takes a while and I'm sure your body and mind will get used to the new schedule. If you continue to feel unwell you should get your GP to check you out. Most people I know started feeling a lot better after getting blood sugar levels under control. Have you made a lot of other changes to your life/diet at the same time as adjusting to diabetes?

I think the phase I went through when my son was diagnosed with diabetes was grief but I eventually got past that.

Jen.

My wife harassed me in to going to see the Dr. In November 08 I lost 16kg in 4 weeks and was drinking about 10 litres a day but I felt ok so didn’t bother going till august this year.
My fasting Glucose was 24.7 and when I was sent then the local A&E and diagnosed as type 1 my BG was 31.6. Now I’m down a 7day average of 10.2 but it fluctuates form 5 to 18. I haven’t made any changes to my life or diet.

 

[howie]

lol, i was actually gonna write in my post that i was on 10 litres water a day. i was constantly craving refreshment mostly water but sometimes opted for coke! making things much worse (without realising i'd drink more).

maybe the reason for feeling ok before diagnosis was to do with the fluid intake having a significant impact on BG's. i went into hosp with reading of 18. it was 8 o'clock at night and i had only eaten weetabix at breakfast. my first symptom was in january when i went to docs with a whitish tongue he brushed it aside and thought i was a hypochondriac but it was first time i went to docs in years, i just had a feeling something wasn't right, i pushed for a blood test 6 months later lol.

howie

 

[howie]

p.s you dont really want your BG's going that high. never above 10 and ideally below 7. might be the fluctuations exacerbating feeling worse. i tried staying below 10 at first. it takes a while to get your insulin sensitivity back especially in more acidic blood. try and get your basal insulin sorted first, it's defo most important, when that's correct your good to get use to and customise the rest of your doses. (providing a professional agrees lol).

 

[Awkwardboy]

thanx, will just have to be a little more patient with it then.

 

[Becca]

Awkward Boy,

sorry about your diagnosis, but it sounds as if you have a great wife keeping an eye out for you! The longer your diabetes had gone without being spotted the worse you would have felt. Persistent hyperglacemia can cause feelings of sadness or depression as well as those physical symptoms of thirst, dry skin etc etc. The first few weeks are difficult, but hopefully you should start to feel better about now. Initially despite feeling better in some ways (no more leg cramps, insomnia, thirst) I also felt utterly knackered. In a panic I thought that the exhaustion would last forever. Luckily I have a great diabetic nurse and doctor (who has Type one himself) who basically said to give it 6-8 weeks to get back to optimum health. Take it easy, start making adjustments to your diet and lifestyle because you will need to get those Blood sugars down, and you WILL feel better soon.

Wishing you well!

 

[dutch1412]

Hi,this is my first time.I am 55 now and was diagnosed type 1 May 2008,it freaked me out,but am coming to terms with it now,you have to dont you.I find it difficult to find someone to talk about it,because of my age,I even bought Fibi Ward's{15year old}book on Type1 and my God what a saviour methinks,she had same problems finding info out and decided to write a book on it,I'm glad she did because she inadvertantly has given me the confidence to tackle my problems,Thank you Fibi,so please don't be disillusioned it does get better