• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

A minor rant.

kev-w

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,901
Location
York
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I was collecting my old mum from the hospital yesterday after a few nights stay, I'd arranged a time with the ward so not to have me eating a late tea, but when I got there, there was a hold up waiting for her prescription, I asked the desk guy how we could hurry the job up being I'm diabetic and was needing my tea in an hour, and he said he was diabetic too and he didn't have to be bound by mealtimes for his injections....

I'm used to non diabetics looking puzzled fairly often but not being called to task by another T1, his job involved sitting down, I'd run up and down ladders for 4 hours cleaning windows, after a morning gym session, and work my injections/meals to suit my life (as we all do).

It really peed me off.
 
Hi kev-w, just take it cool, i heard stress raise our bg sky high. That prove even between type 1 we still have a lot to learn about each other. I learn a lot about those other that suffer from diabetes ( type 1, 1.5, 2,mody and even type 3.5C) and each of us is different.
 
Im type 1 as well, you don't need to eat at certain times.
 
To tell you the truth, id have been puzzled if someone had told me they were diabetic and needed to eat in an hour.

I understand being made to wait is annoying and everyone's treatment is different for type 1 but we can deal with hiccups in our day to day life. The diabetes didnt seem like an issue here, could have just grabbed a snack from the shop.
 
By
DobbieTheElf said:
Im type 1 as well, you don't need to eat at certain times.
Click to expand...
By that point in the day I'm just on my basal, lunch carbs are about used up so for me it's a good time of day to eat my evening meal, I can of course have a snack to keep my bloods right but would then need to acount for the snack in my bolus.

So whether you don't need to eat at set times or not, for me after 33 years of having T1 I find I can maintain my hba1c of 52 better by doing just that.
 
Last edited:
A snack from the shop? No, I just made a nuisance of myself so sticking to the arranged collection time so I could eat my tea at the time I'm accustomed to.
 
If your basal is right, it doesn't matter if you have no carbs acting. You should just stay consistent.
 
There are some insulin regimes that do require fairly formal eating times. But also not every T1 has a complete handle on things for one reason or another, having set meal times helps them manage. The OP doesn't need to eat at a set time but having a routine perhaps helps him. As people with diabetes, we all know although we suffer the same condition we are all different.

Annoying that the hospital couldn't keep to the pre-arranged time but when does a hospital ever run on time?!
 
I need to eat at regular times too or go hypo. Depends on insulin. I have tried explaining this to hospital dietitians before and they do not get it. Yes, you could have snack, which sometimes you have no choice in having too, but likely will mess up your blood results that day. Word of warning, I used to work on wards and prescriptions to take home never come back when they say the will. The ward clerk or nurse would not have much influence on when it comes back, it is the hospital pharmacy. I usually collect parents and say I will come back later for meds.
 
DobbieTheElf said:
If your basal is right, it doesn't matter if you have no carbs acting. You should just stay consistent.
Click to expand...
But it doesn't work like that for me hence me doing as I do, , to clarify, my original post was insinuating the guy was in my opinion an idiot assuming everyone does the same.

Edit, to repeat, my hba1c is 52, over the last 10 years I've been no lower than 50, no higher than 55 so both myself & the consultant are happy enough with the way I use my basal, and to be honest I'd sort my own out before commenting on what's right or not for others.

Just saying...
 
Last edited:
I wonder if the guy was D at all? Unfortunately some D's don't do us any favours. I got D as an adult. Before then I worked with this guy that was was diabetic (I now know he was T2 as he was not on insulin for the 3 years I worked with him) and he had the office running around in circles after him.

All I knew was he was D, (pumps although around were unheard of and that could be still the case to some degree today in the non D world). He had to have sugar at strange times, that exactly matched when there was a morning tea in the office. We were always under a threat that he could go unconscious always when he wasn't getting his own way. If only I knew then what I know now.

I now know a lot of D's. Some in the office and the only way I know is their pen occasionally escapes their pocket. My pen fell out of my pocket the other day. when I was sitting at my desk. One of my team picked it up and gave it me, not knowing what it really was (Bad Pen)!!! Due to so many experiences with Diabetics making a song and dance, is one of the few reasons I keep my D very quiet.

Someone I work with at my part time job found out I was on insulin and she told me how lucky I was I didn't get hypo's (you apparently don't get hypos on insulin) as her ex was on a tablet ad day he was always having Hypos. When I asked her how she know he was having a hyppo she said when he got really cranky and difficult and he could have up to 6 or 7 a day.

If we collectively 'cry wolf' too often this unfortunately is the unintended consequence, situations that do require a little special consideration get written off.
 
Personally I like to eat by 7pm each night so that I know when I test before bed that my quick acting has been depleted and if I need to take a correction that it will hit the mark and bring me back in range when I wake, we have to respect each other’s needs.
 
Lucky him! Unfortunately, does not work that way for everyone. We are all different. I
 
The advice I've read is to try to eat at the same times, so I'm with you. Sometimes it takes four hours for my bs to normalize, and by that time, it's almost time for another meal and more insulin. This guy sounds like a grumpy type 2.
 
Totally agree with you! But just because he doesn't eat regularly doesn't mean that his diabetes is well controlled...he may have terrible blood sugars/HbA1c. Lots of T1's follow the same mealtime routine every day, and lots of them don't. It is possible to achieve good control both ways so don't listen to him! Also, since you are in a hospital, you would expect staff to be understanding of people's medical problems!!! Very unprofessional behaviour.

I also hate waiting for things, or when things happen unexpectedly. I prepare everything and put in my best effort to have good blood sugars, and things go wrong because of something outside of my control. Once I had to eat lollies in the dentist waiting room because my blood sugar was dropping...luckily they were very understanding, but it felt silly!
 
Chowie said:
When I asked her how she know he was having a hyppo she said when he got really cranky and difficult and he could have up to 6 or 7 a day.
Click to expand...

I can relate to the inverse of that. Sometimes (and more often than I'd like) family members will go "Are you sure you're not hypo?" if I'm having difficulty with something (eg map reading!). It's incredibly irritating when you're not hypo (as is usually the case) but very very occasionally they're right....
 
T1 for 20 years. Last hba1c was 41 (this month). Honestly, I would have reacted the same as that guy did to such a comment sorry!


My actual thoughts would have been along the lines of (oh man, diabetes is really ruling this guys life if he has to eat same time every day).

I think the lesson to he learned is, we are all pretty ignorant to what other people do, never mind other T1s, and maybe all need to take a step back.

Still, having said that there is a part of me that is uncomfortable with using my diabetes as a reason for anything.
 

I should congratulate you for your 'pre diabetes' hba1c of 41, especially as your diabetes can't be ruling your life in any shape or form.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…