clare-marie108
Active Member
- Messages
- 41
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hi Claire, I think I know exactly what you are going through. When I was diagnosed I ended up in hospital for the first 24 hours whilst an insulin drip brought my glucose levels right down. I left hospital with a novarapid/lantus regime and was told to 'eat what I normally eat' so that they could gauge how MY body was responding to carbs and the insulin.
I did some research and of course found that my 'normal' eating contained too many carbs (not so much the obvious sugary rubbish like sweets etc, although I did eat some) but my 'normal' foods of wholemeal toast/pasta and a few too many ready made processed foods.
I am slim, very active, run a lot, don't smoke or drink so they couldn't really bang on too much about 'lifestyle' although they tried to. Anyway, I immediately cut out ALL processed food, and ALL the rubbish, obviously sugary stuff which are high carbs naturally and not healthy for anyone.
I continued with my toast/porridge for breakfast and my other normal foods, and the rest of the time, measured out very small portions of pasta now and again. I did this for the first few months and then after around 3 months (when I was more knowlegable and confident) I did away with the foods I KNEW raised my levels, ie, the porridge etc. Now I know you don't have to and type 1s can balance it with insulin but that is a personal choice. I don't think you should go cold turkey as it were right now because you do not know how your actions will affect the regime you are currently on and you don't want to risk having a hypo/hyper. Take it slowly.
My point being, please do not rush to immediately go 'low carb', it takes time for your glucose levels to settle/for your insulin doses to become correct and for YOU to come to terms with what's going on. Your low fat cheese sandwich will higher your levels, not the cheese but the bread. Please research foods because I (who thought I was a know it all about healthy foods) was almost ignorant on foods that massively raise levels. Hope this helps.
Oh dear, this is becoming a more complicated food choice discussion than I think @Claire-marie108 needs at this point. We each choose what suits us.
Like I said earlier, we’re all different. We each make our own way. As I see it, the important thing is to find what suits us personally and as long as we stay happy and healthy then go with it.
Let us know what happens on Monday Claire-Marie.
I was diagnosed in October 2014. It took my GP surgery 9 months to decide it was Diabetes. In that time I’d lost 18lbs, half my head hair, my gums had receded, I endured mind numbing leg and foot cramps and my skin went paper thin. Having a diagnosis was a relief. Once I was under the care of the hospital team all was well. My finger prick blood glucose number was 28 before eating at diagnosis. Hospitalisation wasn’t necessary. Initially I too was put on fixed doses but as I was going on an Xmas cruise within 2 months they gave me the accu-chek aviva expert, a copy of carbs & cals, set up my initial ratios on my meter and sent me on my way. Never looked back. While I was on fixed doses I found myself eating to the injection. ie eating only enough carbs to suit the amount of insulin so I didn’t go wildly high or low. As soon as I started carb counting I began to experiment. The nurses were thrilled about the cruise because it would allow me to try loads of different foods to see how they affected my blood glucose levels. As regards the emotional side the psychologist took us through a whole range of feeling we might experience. Grief was one. Anger another. I was never angry - frustrated yes - definitely! My main emotions were extreme surprise and vast gratitude that I’d made to 56 before I became T1! Best advice my specialist nurse gave me was to not expect perfection - just do your best. The Bournemouth team are amazing and I’m very lucky.
Hi Sybil, you are very lucky. I was also 56!!!! (nearly 57 now). Never got any access to a psychologist, did you have to request that?, just given the insulin and testing contraption and that was it! Luckily (in a way) I knew something of how it worked because my Mum had it.
I think you are right, and this is something the nurse will discuss with you on Monday, and why it is important to keep a detailed food diary and your levels alongside the food.
Are you testing your bloods 2 hours after eating? Anytime before then is pointless.
I’ve spoken to a diabetic nurse and she’s seeing me in the morning, I read her my levels over the last two days and she’s changing or adding to my insulin tomorrow, I’ve still got to go on Monday but she feels I shouldn’t wait. I feel so much less anxious knowing I haven’t got to go all weekend like this
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