Hi my name's Ash and I'm 21, I've had type 1 diabetes since I was 22 months so I've never really known anything different. In my earlier years my control (my mother's really) was pretty good. However, since starting to manage it myself even with my mum's help I just can't seem to make heads or tails of the constant blood checks, the doing insulin for this drink and that bit of food (I carb count btw) now I know I could do the simple thing of going carb free or incredibly low carb but I don't want to live my life not being able to eat and drink what my friends and family do. And it's not so much a fear of being different as I've accepted that I am and that, that small difference doesn't mean I can't be like my peers. But for some reason whenever I go to clinic or speak to my GP I'm always confident and willing to make the necessary changes to my lifestyle to sort myself out. However, after a couple weeks I'll call back into my old ways of not checking my blood sugars and not doing insulin when I need too. I don't know why to this day, I really wish I could just do it. If only life was that simple. If anyone has been through a similar struggle and come out the other side or anyone has some advice in general I would love to hear it. Thank you so much in advance!
Advice for managing diabetes and lowering hba1c
- Thread starter ashter23
- Start Date
JAT1
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 579
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
I can sympathize. I used to be young myself and ruled by everything except common sense. But you must find a way. There are far too many diabetics who ignored the care diabetes requires who ended up with horrible side-effects and the way to avoid these and have the same chance at long-term survival as non-diabetics is to control your blood sugar. It's the company of your friends and family that brings the fun, not what you eat and drink with them. My family doesn't understand anything about diabetes no matter how much I explain so now I don't bother. I eat what I want and no one can persuade me otherwise (I say now in my sensible old age). Your health and well-being is the most important thing, without that, what else can result? Do what you must to look after yourself and sooner or later your family will respect you for it. As for the pressure of so-called friends, who aren't truly friends, ask yourself, would you take drugs if they were? It's better to be alone than in bad company. Best wishes !
Hey Ash,
Get a freestyle libre if possible. Its way better than blood checks. It helped me a lot in avoiding hypo’s and managing my diabetes.
Diet-wise.
This is just how I do it, but for me it works to at least avoid carbs in the morning. I dont eat breakfast, as my bg goes up in the morning even without eating. Then at 12 i eat something without carbs, so a salad or possibly eggs and bacon for example, but without bread. So I cant really have breakfast with someone but still able to have lunch with friends or family
Then between 14:00 and 16:00 i eat my first carbs, some bread mostly. In the evening normal dinner (or a bag of crisps, but dont follow that example) Of course everyone is different and this example just works for me personally. But I think it’s useful for any diabetic to try to eat at regular times.
When friends are snacking over the day and they ask if I want something I only get it if my bg is on the lower side, which you can check on your phone within a second if you hhave freestyle libre.
It also helps if I do some workout, like a walk, a run or cycling before or after eating. For me it improves insulin effectiveness and flattens my bg values. It doesn’t even have to be a dedicated work out, a longer walk back from the snackbar already helps.
I was diagnosed when I was 18 and I also really did not want to be different or change anything. So for many years I even sticked to only injecting 2 times insulin a day with novomix. I have to say I really could and should have managed my diabetes at that time when I look back.
I reckognize that during my visits to the diabetes clinic I also thought ‘now im gonna take this serious’ and then after some weeks it was forgotten. Even stopped visiting the clinic for sometime as everytime I would come, there would be a new (not even doctor but) diabetes nurse, which could not help a lot. And I was not gonna count carbs or something.
Now its 15 years later, still fine healthwise, but also already experienced some inconveniences which one wants to avoid. The freestyle libre with its glucose alarms has really helped me to get a bit more control.
Its a good thing that you are making effort to improve management. Good luck with it!!
Get a freestyle libre if possible. Its way better than blood checks. It helped me a lot in avoiding hypo’s and managing my diabetes.
Diet-wise.
This is just how I do it, but for me it works to at least avoid carbs in the morning. I dont eat breakfast, as my bg goes up in the morning even without eating. Then at 12 i eat something without carbs, so a salad or possibly eggs and bacon for example, but without bread. So I cant really have breakfast with someone but still able to have lunch with friends or family
Then between 14:00 and 16:00 i eat my first carbs, some bread mostly. In the evening normal dinner (or a bag of crisps, but dont follow that example
) Of course everyone is different and this example just works for me personally. But I think it’s useful for any diabetic to try to eat at regular times.When friends are snacking over the day and they ask if I want something I only get it if my bg is on the lower side, which you can check on your phone within a second if you hhave freestyle libre.
It also helps if I do some workout, like a walk, a run or cycling before or after eating. For me it improves insulin effectiveness and flattens my bg values. It doesn’t even have to be a dedicated work out, a longer walk back from the snackbar already helps.
I was diagnosed when I was 18 and I also really did not want to be different or change anything. So for many years I even sticked to only injecting 2 times insulin a day with novomix. I have to say I really could and should have managed my diabetes at that time when I look back.
I reckognize that during my visits to the diabetes clinic I also thought ‘now im gonna take this serious’ and then after some weeks it was forgotten. Even stopped visiting the clinic for sometime as everytime I would come, there would be a new (not even doctor but) diabetes nurse, which could not help a lot. And I was not gonna count carbs or something.
Now its 15 years later, still fine healthwise, but also already experienced some inconveniences which one wants to avoid. The freestyle libre with its glucose alarms has really helped me to get a bit more control.
Its a good thing that you are making effort to improve management. Good luck with it!!
- Messages
- 922
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
I don’t necessarily have any advice because 1.5 years ago I was in the same boat as you and only because of my hospital putting me on a hybrid closed loop system did I regain good control. But I do sympathise completely, I was diagnosed a week after my first birthday and I’m 26 now so I have also not known anything different. I think it’s a really good start that you actually want to change and get better control, that’s always the first and hardest step in my opinion, a lot of people can’t admit they actually need to change. If you can do I would get regular check ins with your diabetes team, I would also enquire about seeing what Therapy options they can offer. I was never a fan but they had a therapist here that specialised in diabetes which I think could be a big help. I would also enquire about a CGM, that takes away the need for as many finger pricks. Diabetes is hard and I don’t think it’ll ever get easier, there’s a lot to take into account for each day and sometimes it can feel very overwhelming but don’t let it stop you from doing the things you want to do. I am always here for a chat also
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