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Am I the only person who doesn't test?

bertie93

Member
Messages
7
Location
North East Lincolnshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone, I'm a newbie here. I just wanted to find out if there is anyone else out there that doesn't test their BG? I've only been diagnosed 5 years now and to start with I was really good at testing and checking carb ratios but now it seems I've lost all interest in my health. I don't test and a guesstimate my insulin, I also don't have my glargine on a night which results in me waking up most mornings in a hyper being sick (ketones). I know its damaging my health and life but nothing is motivating me, I'm starting to feel slightly depressed. Hope there is someone like me out there, let me know. Thanks.
 

Please go and ask your DSN for help, doing so could save you from a very painful prolonged death.
Not taking insulin will result in no Children, blindness, amputations, kidney damage, nerve damage. So outlook isn't good.
Taking insulin and testing barest minimum of 4 times a day will solve all those problems.
Do you drive a car?
If so you are breaking the law by not testing. So you have no licence and no ins. If the DVLA do a check on you via your GP then it would be goodbye to your licence.
Many people in your age group go through tuff times though so not condemning you, just very concerned for you.
 
Do seek help asap, what you are doing is highly dangerous (Google DKA) and you need to start taking your diabetes seriously, your diabetes care team should be your first contact.
 
Please take notice of the above coments, it's a very slipperly slope that you are on, you must seek some help from DSN or GP who should refer you. LIve a safe and a long life, and please do take care.

Good luck RRB
 
If nothing is motivating you the chances are you may have been depressed for a while. Speak to your HCP's about this because it can become a vicious circle. If you're depressed it's hard to motivate yourself to do anything, if this means you are getting your drug/food regime wrong this can result in even more depression. I'm type 2 so I don't know anything about insulin, but I do know about being so depressed that you forget or can't be bothered with your meds.

Best wishes
x
 
Hello and welcome

How you are feeling is common, many people experience what you are right now, and unfortunately it doesn't get much coverage so when it strikes you feel like the only person in the world who is going through this, whilst everyone else is coping swimmingly Not true !

As others have said, the first step is getting in touch with your Diabetes Team , for preference a clinic at your hospital rather than your GP practice as they will have more experience in how to help you. I also recommend this book :
Dealing with Diabetes Burnout: How to Recharge and Get Back on Track When You Feel Frustrated and Overwhelmed Living with Diabetes https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1936303590/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_4zqSub153PC2X.

It's excellent for all diabetics really, because even without experiencing full blown burnout, we all have times when it seems that dealing with it all is One Big Drag

Finally, stick around Read, ask questions. You will find a lot of support ( important) and information as well as knowing you are not on your own with diabetes and everything that comes with it .

Signy
 
Something must be motivating you because you have found the forum and posted your concerns. See your hospital team, and stick around on here for support and advice. Good luck.
 
Thanks everyone, I woke up this morning feeling great! I tested me BG it was 11.6, over the norm but a great reading considering I don't usually test. Thanks for the support, I think I'm going to get better being on this site
 
Hi bertie93

Ask for as much advice, support and encouragement as you need from all us lot on here. I would think everyone coping with diabetes has to a lesser or greater extent felt like giving up at some point up with the relentless nature of trying to balance everything.

Please do ask your diabetes team for help, tell them what you have been doing/not doing, they will have seen it all before and know how to help. It's a lot easier to get help now rather than trying to pick up the pieces further down the line. Starting to not bother with testing, insulin etc is such a dangerous route and it 's vital to get help and support when you first realise you are struggling rather than fall down the slippery slope as I did and have to clamber back up with serious complications to accompany you.

It's good to hear you are feeling better today, being on here will really help you to see you aren't alone in feeling this way and things can improve. Good luck, keep testing and injecting.
 
I get where you're coming from. I'm only 3 months in and have missed some days because frankly I couldn't be a***d. I sometimes feel that BS stands for something other than blood sugar if you get my drift. It's worse when I've been a good boy and still my BS is up and down like a bloody yoyo. But it doesn't take too long until I start considering the possible long term effects and it gets me motivated again.
(I also get nagged if I don't do it, which is a great help. )
 

I understand exactly how you feel right now, I was just as bad and still it takes a lot for me to test, it brings you down, a utter pain in the **** ha, I was a disaster with injections and keeping track, getting a pump motivated me a lot, the energy you feel when you have the right doses, I was amazed at the feeling, happiness ha. It's a hard thing to deal with and most people seem to give you some speech on how lucky you are it isn't something else and forget that we don't get a choice. You have to have utter control of yourself for the rest of your life, iv been diabetic for about 13years, and now I'm starting to have some problems with my eyes, that could be because of the rut I was stuck in when I was younger. If your trust your doctors I'd talk to them about it, talk to anyone that will really listen, it can help a lot. It's a pain in the **** but it's only you that can keep yourself healthy.
 
Hello I've had type 1 for neat 30 years and I was the same as you in the beginning, I'm 43 now. From experience of things that have happened due to me not injecting and doing bloods, I really would urge you to look after yourself. I know it is a real pain but so worth it in the long run. There is a fantastic course which you should ask about going on called DAFNE, dose adjustment for normal insulin. You can eat what you want, this teaches you how to adjust your insulin so you can gave the freedom of choice of food. Never stop taking your insulin and even if you start to gradually do your bloods cos that is the only way you know how you are. I wish I could turn back the clock This is my best advice, it won't run your life, you control it. A pump may be good for you too, keeep up the good work. You can work, have kids when ur ready and live life to the full. And you can eat sweet stuff in moderation, just need the insulin to compensate for it, don't get down
 
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I do think you could have been less tactfull with your choice of words. These CAN happen but takes a while and she has time now to get herself on track. And by the way, I was in a similar way, I DO have a perfectly healthy child of four so don't believe all you read. Positive outlook hey
 

On the other hand, not everyone escapes scot free.

There is a type 1 where I work who neglected his diabetes in his 20s. Married with two small children. By the age of 30 he was on dialysis and at 35 he had a transplant. He is now registered blind.

His idea of a positive outlook is to take great care of his diabetes, to prevent his neuropathy progressing any further, so that he gets to see his kids grow up.

The reality is that none of us know how much damage we are doing, or have done, and burying our heads in the sand is never useful.
 


..... and my hubby's best friend was just the same, infertile so had to adopt a child, dialysis, transplant, struggled to walk, almost blind, unable to work, obviously unable to drive. He died aged 40.
 
I was shown amputees in a ward when I was diagnosed...

I day to NHS and others here that ***** foot around saying that complications may not happen and some get away with it.... Few do...

Wise up and think of the bad scenarios otherwise you encourage people to believe that they may be the lucky one to not get a complication young.....

This is reality... Few diabetics will die of old age naturally without a complication of some sort at some time.

No, I haven't got statistics or proof. Just decades of seeing and hearing of diabetics in trouble....

Best jump on the bandwagon of looking after yourself than ignoring it and having your good life crippled in a complication(s).
 
You're taking action by joining and asking questions

The key to getting through this is support. Seek assistance from your closest friends and ask them to check on you. See how your readings are, and have you tested etc

Sharing the problem and getting the help is a great way to start. Hope you manage to get back on track soon
 
I haven't tested for most of my diabetic life. Don't really have a good explanation as to why I just haven't, I start testing, then stop at some point and don't realise for months on end. I've always taken my insulin though...well I say always, I can count on one hand the amount of times I've forgotten...however I'd have been as well not taking it as who knows what doses I was supposed to be taking as I wasn't testing.

I've had a running 'joke/quote' that I've been heard to say in that I'll need new kidneys before I'm 40...I now know that I will *NEED* a new kidney before I'm 30...given I'll be 30 at the end of this year that's a very very scary thought.

Without giving a lecture, you NEED to test, and seek help about not testing now before you end up like me. I've recently started testing again, part of the reason for that was changing meters and the features of the app attached to the meter send me reminders to test which I've never taken advantage of before - it's not solely down to the the meter and I'm sure the functions it has are available through other meters but this one has turned my attitudes around so it has helped, it's just too late in my case for any changes I make to stop the complications from happening - but you sound like you have the chance to stop something, and signing up and asking for advice/discussing it on here is a great first step .

You say you feel 'slightly' depressed, I'm going to go out on a limb and say anyone with diabetes, t1 especially is at risk of being depressed, in fact anyone with any chronic medical condition is - the trick with depression is seeking the help and advice with it before it causes problems. NOT seeking help/advice in relation to my depression has cost me relationships, my health and potentially a long & bright future.

Don't end up where I am whilst you have the option to not to is all I would say - you've taken a great first step in coming here, so take the next steps by following some of the advice you've been given as well =) All the best =)
 
bertie93 said:
Thanks everyone, I woke up this morning feeling great! I tested me BG it was 11.6, over the norm but a great reading considering I don't usually test. Thanks for the support, I think I'm going to get better being on this site
Click to expand...
also, if you haven't been bolusing properly, you may notice some weight gain...an imposed ideal which changes over time..the renaissance woman to twiggy.
what everyone needs to know is that you can adjust your weight with the amount of carbs you eat and still have good BG.
it’s a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

how much carb
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/carblevel.htm
 
you are absolutely right in that any chronic condition wears you out and you need coping mechanisms

ask your dr..I don't know if this will help, but it doesn't cost anything, there was a mouse study with low carb and kidney's that helped the mice
https://www.google.com.au/#q=ketogenic+mice+kidney

At 8:30 into the video bernstein talks about his 30g/d LC, good control and kidney improvement
 
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