Welcome @Eireannn
That sounds like a stressful and difficult time for,you.
There are lots of friendly, helpful people here who understand how wearing diabetes can be. Feel free to ask any questions you want or just to chat
I've had Type 1 for mor than 20 years and have had an insulin pump for 12+ years
Welcome to the club @Eireannn .
It's certainly anecdotally the case that a period of high stress, like a bereavement, can be the trigger that makes a person genetically predisposed to autoimmune type 1 diabetes starting to actually have the condition.
Sounds like you had a bit of a wait for diagnosis and it's a shame your GP didn't do a finger prick test when you presented with those symptoms. If you are considering what to do about that you might want to request a copy of your GP records to check that they haven't deleted the records to avoid getting in trouble as retrospectively altering medical records without signing and dating the alteration is something that probably should be raised in a complaint to the practice and possibly raised to the GMC.
Luckily you were diagnosed quite soon after your GP appointment and were still well at the point of diagnosis so you haven't lost anything from the lack of a finger prick test by your GP.
There's no reason you can't "live your life properly" as a type 1 diabetic. That would include drinking with friends and family and eating whatever you want. It takes a little more planning to do those things when you have type 1, but it will soon become second nature.
Get youself a copy of "think like a pancreas" a great book that covers the basics of managing type 1 that should show you that you will be able to manage it so you can live your life as you want. It takes a little practice and planning, but it's early days for you and you'll get there.
Well, that sound excellent! I love my pump and as soon as I got it I felt more normal and more like me again.
The Libre must be helping too
Hi @Erieannn
Wow, you've had a time of it recently!
I'm pretty new to this forum, in the past two days the support, advice and knowledge I've gained from the other users has been amazing.
I've been diabetic 10 years, diagnosed at 17...I totally understand what you're feeling, I've gone through phases of denial about being diabetic but I have to say that accepting the illness and taking my medication made my life 100x better.
It's scary and overwhelming but you can still have an amazing quality of life while managing your diabetes. Subtle little changes make all the difference to your control of your blood sugar levels. That horrendous thirst and constant exhaustion you experience before diagnosis disappear when you have control.
You can do this, we're all here to help and offer a friendly ear
It certainly does, can't wait for the pump
That's awfulThank you
Since October, I had cried everyday, wondering why I developed it and no one else did. Sadly in my family every generation has the diabetic. I was unfortunate enough to be the unlucky one
That's awful
I'm the opposite, not a single person in my family is diabetic...Maybe having other people within your family with diabetes will give you a bit of support and someone who understands what you're going through?
I know it's easier said than done as you're still processing all of these changes that have happened in your life recently but please remember that although you have diabetes, diabetes doesn't define you or what you can do/achieve in life
@Eireannn welcome to the forum.. you had a rough ride so far but you sound like you are coping well and have lots of support from family. You're in a good place here to find more should you need it.
Hi @Eireannn , welcome to the forum, it's great that you find some comfort from knowing that there are other diabetics out there, and everybody here is really supportive.
That's really interesting about stress potentially being a cause - my Grandad died when I was 15, about 6 months before my diagnosis, and I too took it quite badly - I think it was over a year before I cried about it.
Keep fighting, and good luck with the pump!
Hi @Eireannn, whilst those numbers seem really high and it seems unlikely you weren't in DKA, that reflects my diagnosis (some 28 years ago) very similarly. I had very similar symptoms to you, but at the age of 12-13. When I was checked, it was with a urine test and it went black, which meant very, very high. The GP was massively surprised that I wasn't in a coma. Just goes to show that DKA doesn't necessarily occur and that the human body is a remarkably resilient thing. Fast forward 28 years and I'm still here and still going, without any real issues.My blood sugars read around 33 and [...] my ketones which were 5.5. I wasn't feeling sick at all which confused all the doctors. I wasn't referred to the hospital where they kept me over night and by then, my ketones had reached 6.5.
Hi @Eireannn, whilst those numbers seem really high and it seems unlikely you weren't in DKA, that reflects my diagnosis (some 28 years ago) very similarly. I had very similar symptoms to you, but at the age of 12-13. When I was checked, it was with a urine test and it went black, which meant very, very high. The GP was massively surprised that I wasn't in a coma. Just goes to show that DKA doesn't necessarily occur and that the human body is a remarkably resilient thing. Fast forward 28 years and I'm still here and still going, without any real issues.
Welcome to the forum and the club! You might not have wanted to join, but it's not as bad as it may at first seem...
I was 24 years and 10 months old when I got type 1..... healthy people are blessed yet they take it for granted....my heart goes out to you Erieann
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