@Suagrrush39
Type1.5 just causes confusion in a lot of circles as to what it means. The USA has basically stopped using it as it was even confusing doctors as being something different. Here it's Type 1 or sometimes tagged Type 1/LADA. LADA is not recognize as an actual medical diagnosis so much as it's a description of the diagnosis. LADA means Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. It just means you got Type 1 later in life. 50% of us are diagnosed after the age of 30 and 35% of us are misdiagnosed as a T2 at first. Since you still make some insulin for awhile it can be misleading even for doctors. But significantly over time even with lifestyle changes you get worse as your insulin production goes down. Commonly before you get on insulin you lose weight, will be tired and drink more water. You aren't actually able to utilize that food you eat properly, and you drink more water trying to flush out the excess sugars in yur blood. I felt so much better when I started insulin!
It is an autoimmune disease that you inherit a gene/s that makes you susceptible to getting it. Most cases seem to be caused by exposure to certain viruses, covid does seem to be one of those viruses. Something in that gene we inherit gets mixed up and decides to attack the beta cells that produce insulin. In an adult the complete process usually happens over time, up to 8 years plus in some cases although the odds are you will need insulin by 3 years to cope. At some point while still making insulin you reach the tipping point of not making enough, and eventually stop altogether. Your insulin requirements will also go up over time because of that. That time period we commonly call the Honeymoon phase.
Taking insulin will not change a C-peptide test. The C-peptide measures the C-peptide in your blood that you produce when you make insulin, it has nothing to do with insulin from an outside source. Low or low normal means you are not producing insulin or enough insulin. That's the sign of being a T1. High or high normal means you are producing extra insulin because your body is trying to make up for insulin resistance and making more, it's a sign of being a T2. The GAD antibody is the common antibody found in people with type 1, but it is not the only antibody, just the most common, because of costs a lot only test for GAD. There are also a few T1's that don't have antibodies but don't make insulin and they don't know why.
You can eat what you want, you just have to learn to dose for it. You learn to count carbs and take the appropriate amount of insulin with the food you eat. I eat what I want, I just dose for it. But everyone benefits for a healthier diet, T1 or not. If I want a slice of banana bread, I have a slice, I just take the right dose of insulin to eat it. But it is a learning process that can be intense at first, but becomes old hat soon enough. So learning to carb count as soon as possible is important. Also carry a hypo treat with you everywhere and keep it by the bedside too. Too many things can influence our levels, especially during the honeymoon phase. It's best to always stayed prepared.
We have to have insulin to survive. Be happy we have it to use, We are very blessed we have it. We also have so much new tech now that can make our life a normal life with some adjustments made along the way.
@Melmay1976 It's hard to know sometimes if someof the symptoms could be something else going on. But losing weight is one of the signs of being a type 1. If you do lifestyle changes and you just get worse that can aslo be a sign of being a type 1. I would bug your doctor about testing. Make sure to tell him you have changed your diet and lost weight and you are getting worse. But bug him, too many of us find out the hardway by getting really sick and even ending up in the hospital with DKA. Are you regularly testing your BG levels? You will want a record of that. We usually do not stay at normal levels without insulin.
