Hello all, I have not looked here in a long while - life is very busy, but I have only just come across the Type 3C thread by chance. I was also diagnosed type 3C following 4 months of complications. I have SCC of the tonsil - this is an HPV driven cancer ( a cancer caused by a virus) which began back in 2010 and I have suffered 5 metastases in the last 7 years. when the cancer became incurable I began immunotherapy which helped to stop cancer progression but 13 months into the treatment began to get terrible pancreatic pain, followed by some weight loss, due to malabsorption - I have always been very slim, so fortunately I was able to use high energy supplements to keep weight loss minimal. I was diagnosed with Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and eventually put on Creon. I was relieved and thought I would just get back to normal. However, nobody bothered to check glucose levels and within some 10 days was feeling exhausted - literally lying on the floor, couldn't barely walk ( I am normally very active).
was told there was nothing wrong by a careless GP, but at my insistence he sent for an ambulance (husband had just had foot surgery !) the paramedics told me to pack quickly with my DNR and rushed me into the emergency - I was having a DKA.
after a week in hospital I was discharged and told I would be insulin dependent for the rest of my life. I was given a CGM ( yes they vary from actual meter readings , when BG is changing rapidly) and then 5 months later I was offered an insulin pump. I continued with the immunotherapy ( the damage was done so coming off it would not alter anything) but eventually due to NICE regs I had to come off it. Since then the tumour has grown and moved again into the base of skull and is now terminal.
btw: there is also a type 3 diabetes which can develop alongside Alzheimers. Some DM practitioners still don't differentiate between type 3C and use T1 terminology instead. I am keen for any advice from others on here, but unfortunately the cancer and associated QoL deterioration is a huge burden for me now. I remain active and this certainly helps regulate the BG.