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Been given insulin to inject - really scared and depressed

K

kristeen

Member
Messages
8
Location
Bournemouth
A few weeks ago I was prescribed Victoza in addition to the Metformin I already take, but because I was too scared to take it, I left it a few weeks, and now my sugar levels are in the mid-twenties and I have been now been given insulin to inject. To say that I am feeling depressed is an under-statement. The nurse told me my sugar levels at the level they are are damaging my heart etc. and causing serious other damage, and now I feel as if I have a death sentence.

I have done everything wrong, and feel a complete failure. I know I have to have the insulin, and I will have to go back in a couple of weeks to have either Victoza or something similar as well - I started out so well when I was first diagnosed, but have been reminded that this is a progressive disease, and have just been really stupid. I thought I could cope with it all, but I can't. When I read other people's posts, they all seem so capable and in control.
 
Re: Been given insulin to inject - really scared and depress

Hi kristeen, firstly you are not a failure so get that out of your head, hundreds if not thousands of diabetics move onto insulin and genuinely it is nothing to worry about, in fact once you have taken that first injection you will wonder why you were so worried. I do think your care team might have spent more time with you, I was put on insulin at diagnosis and a specialist diabetic nurse spent several hours with me explaining everything, it took me about 20 to 30 minutes to give myself that first injection with the needle hovering over my tummy and as a big hairy macho man I felt a complete wimp, I had been pretty needle phobic all my life to the point of once refusing a tetanus jab after a bad cut, but after the first few injections were done and dusted I was fine and I'm sure you will be too :D

There are several insulin regimes available to T2's from a long acting insulin taken at night through mixed long/short acting insulin taken bi daily on to a basal/bolus system where a long acting insulin is taken at night to stop your bg levels rising through the night and a sshort acting insulin taken with meals. If you are to start using a mixed insulin then you will need to eat the same a mount of carbs a day to match your food to the insulin where as if you are given a basal/bolus regime to follow you will need to match the insulin you take to the food in every different meal, there is quite a lot to get used to but before you know it it should become second nature.

If you are nervous and would like more help please ask your doctor to refer you to a hospital diabetes clinic where the knowledge of insulin is far greater than any GP will know as all the specialist nurses work under the direction of a consultant endocrinologist.

Good luck to you with your future treatment and any questions just ask.
 
Re: Been given insulin to inject - really scared and depress

Hi Kristeen!

As Sid said, you are not a failure, so get rid of that idea!

It's true that many type 2's inject insulin, my own formal diagnosis is still type 2, even though I don't fit the criteria very well!

If you are using insulin for a couple of weeks, great, use it to bring your bg down! Diabetic complications from high bg occur over years, not overnight! I've had weeks when I was unable to reach single figures, let alone targets!

A hospital based diabetic clinic will be able to give you much more guidance than a practice nurse too!

Chin up! Smile!

:)

Bob
 
Re: Been given insulin to inject - really scared and depress

Kristeen,
Did you try the low carb diet, before moving on to Victoza and insulin? And if you are truly scared, could your care team not suggest another oral medication? there are loads of them. They seem to have jumped to injectables very quickly, without considering your fears.
I am proof that low carbing can put off or even eliminate the need for escalating medication. I've been diagnosed almost 10 years and still use only 2 x 500mg Metformin. But I am VERY careful with carbs and keep to about 30 - 50 per day in total. Nearer 30 uwsually
Last Hb A1c in february was 40~5.8%
Hana
There is an alternative to escalating medication!
 
Re: Been given insulin to inject - really scared and depress

Thanks for your very kind and helpful comments - I injected the first dose last night, after a lot of stressing, and I suppose it will take a while to take effect, as my sugar levels are still in the 20s today. I was not given much support at all from my GP and have been going every few months for the past two and half years to tell them my sugars are high despite different kinds of medications - I am now seeing the diabetic specialist nurse, and she told me I had no alternative but to have insulin, and made me feel like I was about to die of a heart attack or something very soon. I am absolutely scared to death, and have no-one to talk to. How long does the insulin take to bring sugar levels down? I need to start feeling better very soon. I want to follow a healthy diet, and have always tried, but obviously not doing the right thing, or I would not be in this mess.
 
Re: Been given insulin to inject - really scared and depress

hi,i have type 2 and my surgery also had a nurse that told me i was going to die after blood tests from all sorts of nasty things,gave me a printed list of foods to eat and avoid and left it at that. my brother in law is a gp trainer and told me to change doctors. i now go to the doctors next door who are really proactive, have regular bloods taken and physical checks,and have been on a weeks diabetic course which was very beneficial in dispelling a lot of the myths. i have read a few posts saying how poor the care has been for some of you and how difficult to get tests etc. perhaps you should look into other surgerys diabetic practices and maybe make a change. in my case it was the best move ever.
 
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