Do you ever feel like giving up?

[JenJen9]

I am a T1 who is insulin resistant on day and no the next does anyone else have experience of this as it is getting to the point (again) that i want to give up and think sod it

 

[PatsyB]

Must be hard for you, but don't give up keep fighting you can do this like millions of others xx

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

I am a T1 who is insulin resistant on day and no the next does anyone else have experience of this as it is getting to the point (again) that i want to give up and think sod it

Hello Yes, I have type 1 and it often seems to change from day to day. It’s very very fustrating sometimes but I try really hard to just deal with whatever is happening at the moment. I do keep records and this has helped identify some triggers ( I am not just talking about food) and I do lots to help myself with exercise and low carb diet. Switching to longer silicone coated needles also helped. they think for me sometimes the insulin doesn’t absorb properly, I get terrible bruising. Try and keep a diary and you or your nurse might spot something that could help.

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @JenJen9

As you know sadly it's not a condition that you can give up on, it is relentless and the more you ignore it the harder it will hit you, we all know where you are coming from.

There are things you can do to help keep it in it's box though and starting with the fundamental basics:

- Talk to you DSN, get some support from your team
- Talk to other t1d's, they can help support you mentally and give you tips to cope better
- Get more education, do DAFNE/BERTIE, get 'think like a pancreas' the book

Personally I didn't want my t1 to take over my life, and the less noise from it the better as far as I was concerned, so as suggested by @Hertfordshiremum keep a diary, track your carbs/insulin and readings, keeping a handwritten diary when things are hard help to identify patterns and can show your DSN what you are doing so they can help support you. I also exercise (for mental health more than anything) but to help manage my BG levels better, I also eat low carb, not always but I can't tolerate carbs early in the day so stick to protein until later in the day and when I am more active. I am also perimenopausal and am aware of the impact of hormones on control, even prior to this I struggled with control around my periods, being female can cause more issues with control.

Tell us more about your day to day regime, what support you currently get etc etc ?

 

[NicoleC1971]

I am a T1 who is insulin resistant on day and no the next does anyone else have experience of this as it is getting to the point (again) that i want to give up and think sod it

Sorry that you can't just 'sod it' !! Well you could but you'd feel pretty ill.

I assume you mean that your blood sugars vary in an apparently random fashion even though you are doing the same things day to day? I think its pretty common amongst all type 1s and there may be genuine insulin resistance (other indicators could be high blood pressure, thickening waist and a trig/hdl ratio where the hdl is lower than the trigs, polysystic ovaries etc.) and/or variances caused by different habits and hormonal cycles.
If any of the latter rings a bell then you could request metformin which will stop your liver chugging out some glucose (wont' cause hypos). It is a safe and cheap drug but always ask for the side effects.
Otherwise I'd try and get really consistent with the underlying factors for example:

Carb counting (the larger the carbs then the greater the dose needed and the more dosing errors and the greater the potential for Double Diabetes - type 1 with insulin resistance). Stick to similar amounts at similar times which is boring but I find it effective. I will usually stick to similar low carbs (30g per meal max.) and eat as much other stuff as I want, avoid snacks and often skip a meal to get an even line on the cgm (Dexcom in my case).
Exercise - any patterns that you notice day to day? Weights versus cardo perhaps? Having a sofa day really makes a difference to me.
Sleep/stress - again this can cause acute spikes or just lead me to self medicate with extra carbs....

Its worth the fight. Without even thinking about long term complications, its such a physical and emotional ride if you're either chasing down a high bg or wondering why you're low and need to eat when you didn't yesterday etc. etc. I think how well fuelled your brain is does impact your mood and ability to deal with it all so there can be a bit of a doom loop at times.

 

[Ushthetaff]

I really do feel you’re pain , and you’re definitely not alone ,i Would say many diabetics on this site have gone through the “ give up feeling “
i know when I first had diabetes( in the times of no personal blood sugar meters no Basel / bonus regime no pumps etc etc ) I hated itand said “ why me ?” But like life with time and experiences both good and bad a feeling of acceptance took over for me , one of the biggest factors about diabetes I have found is finding out what works for you , i Use the theory that I will try and cope no matter what life throws up and it has served me well , sure I’ve still have some days when my resolve weakens but It’s not the end of the world , diabetes is a challenge but a PMA certainly helps , coming on here and being willing to talk about it/ anythIng is definitely a step in the right direction good luck with the journey

 

[RobertJ]

I am a T1 who is insulin resistant on day and no the next does anyone else have experience of this as it is getting to the point (again) that i want to give up and think sod it

I have started reading the book Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner. I've only read Chapter 1 but I can see how this will help me by explaining more what's going on. If you find yourself in annoying situations where you don't know why things are happening, I believe this will help. Ultimately, understanding the condition more makes it easier to control.