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Type 1 Avoiding complications?

O

olster

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
So im fairly new diagnosed at the age of 17 and am terrified of the complications that diabetes offers and ive heard my life expectancy has been reduce by 10 years to 66y/o.
Is it possible to avoid these complications by keeping my blood sugars within the correct levels (4-7) or is it guaranteed that i will have a problem caused by diabetes at some point in my life. All of this just scares me so a bit of clarification would be great :)
 
olster said:
So im fairly new diagnosed at the age of 17 and am terrified of the complications that diabetes offers and ive heard my life expectancy has been reduce by 10 years to 66y/o.
Is it possible to avoid these complications by keeping my blood sugars within the correct levels (4-7) or is it guaranteed that i will have a problem caused by diabetes at some point in my life. All of this just scares me so a bit of clarification would be great :)
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Hey @olster - I'm one of those type 1s that have managed to avoid complications and although I try to get my BGs to range between 4-7 more times than not I'm outside that range. The best my A1C has ever been is 6.8 - it usually runs in the mid to high 7s and occasionally in the 8s.

I think one of the big differences between me and others who have been hit hard by complications is level of physical activity. I've maintained a high level of physical activity all my life and continue to this day - It sure hasn't been my A1Cs or BG control that's for sure.

As to life expectancy - that's changing, a lot of the past life expectancy studies didn't separate type 1s from type 2s in particular type 2s that had gone un-treated for several years and as result tended to die young.

So my advice to you -
1. Be active as much as you can - activities that build your cardiovascular health - even walking 5 KMs 3 times a week will in my opinion be a good payoff for your heart health and circulation.
2. Stay away from over processed carbs
3. Try to keep within a 4 - 7 BG range but don;t stress out when or if you hit higher than that range
4. Do what you're doing now - build a good support system - consult with other Type 1s
5 Try to maintain positive mental health which in a way is related to the first 4 points.

You may have a wonderful, productive life free from complications - it does happen to some of us :)
 
Hey, 2 months ago I too got diagnosed and had the same bad thoughts about dying early and getting complications but through this site and research I’ve learned that there is no reason at all I can’t lead a long normal life, yes you are right, avoiding large spikes in your blood sugar will help greatly, and if you keep your blood sugars within a healthy range you are reducing your chances of getting complications in the future.

I’ve lost 17kg so far in the two months, excercised more and watched what I eat and I’m feeling good and positive about the future, I wish you well and I’m sure a lot more members will reply to your post and put your mind at ease a bit more
 
The statistics about what life expectancy have been built up over many years. Therefore, a lot of the data is based on people who had diabetes from before we understood as much about how to avoid complications and, even how to measure our BG without peeing into a beaker and sticking a probe into it to find out if the answer was “high”.
In other words, given your age and the level of knowledge we have today your chances of complications (if you maintain good BG) are much greater than the used to be.
 
as the above say. the more control you have the less risk. ignoring it and not treating it effectively is not a wise step. so im sure you wont do that. even if your family come in with take away. warm kebabs really micky taking.
 
I think the rules to avoid complications and have a long life are quite simple ...
  1. Keep your blood sugars well controlled
  2. Avoid blood sugar spikes and hypos
 
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