For Valentine's I Got...Type 1 Diabetes!

Welcome to the club as it were, @katmcd! I'll tag @daisy1 as she has some useful information for new members.

It will be a lot to take in at first, it's a very data driven condition I've found. Keep in contact with your nurse and healthcare team if you have any questions about dosages or something isn't making sense etc and of course feel free to ask questions here there is lots of help to be found.

I have always checked my levels before eating since diagnosis and I check 1 and/or 2 hours after a meal if it is something new and I want to see how it has affected me (usually just a 2 hour check). You probably won't find many people in the NHS pushing low carb as the guidance is normally the Eatwell plate. It will be partially about finding out what your body can tolerate and what works for you. Some members do eat very low carb and some moderate carbs. As far as spikes go, you could look at when you take your fast acting insulin with food so that it is kicking in shortly after eating. There is no hard and fast rule, but you can experiment with similar food to work out what works best for you.

As you go on you will hopefully be able to spot patterns emerging that will help you to manage your diabetes effectively on established amounts of insulin that you will work out with your nurse though they can and will likely change over time.

Welcome to the asylum, you will finds lots of advice and help here, try not to stress out too much, it's not as bad as it first seems.

@katmcd

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. When you need more advice just ask and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 147,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

Welcome to the party @katmcd, I too was diagnosed on valentines day, only it was in 1983!

welcome here katmcd

Hi @katmcd

Type 1 takes a while to get your head around. Don't be surprised if you go through a variety of emotions in the next few months. That's quite normal. It's a lot to get used to. It does get easier

I recommend the book Think Like A Pancreas - because that's what you have to do. Don't try to take everything in at once, just browse and regan and reread.

It's fantastic you've been told to carb count. That makes control a million times easier (almost ). The idea is you inject the right amount of insulin for the carbs you're about to eat. In the early days, you may find it easier to stick to the same few meals that you know work for you. I highly recommend a set of good digital scales as that way you can keep your meal carbs spot on rather than guessing. You do not have to eat very low carb. Most Type 1s eat moderate carbs. Find a level that works for you.

If my blood sugar was high before a meal, I'd do a correction dose and wait to eat, but don't do that without checking with your DSN. But I wouldn't eat if my blood sugar was high. I'd wait until it was in range and then eat. However, as it's such early days for you, don't expect to get perfect sugars all the time. It will take a while to get good control, so just keep good records in case your insulin doses need adjusting. If you're having a lot of highs, phone your DSN for advice.

Always keep hypo treatments near and with you when you go out. Glucose tablets are convenient to carry. I also keep some by my bed.

I test as often as I need to. I don't have a daily test limit.

@katmcd . Welcome to the forum. As you are beginning to realise, there's a lot to being T1. Try not to worry to much now you've got a lot to learn and a bit longer than you probably realise to learn what you need to know.
Take tips from the forum ask whatever questions you want. Before you know it you'll be advising others, it just takes a while.

Hello and welcome, not much of a Valentine's celebration....................... a card would of been nicer ( and I am sure you were sweet enough already ) Take care.

You are not alone valentines for me to

katmcd said:

Good Morning All!

So I checked my blood sugar just on the off chance at work, saw it was 19 and decided a visit to the GP was needed. Variety of other symptoms which I hadn't connected together, but the upshot was I had Type 1 diabetes, mild DKA and was promptly admitted to hospital for 3 days. Happy Valentine's to me...because I wasn't sweet enough before it seems!

I'm happy with managing at the moment now I'm home. The only thing is there is so much advice out there. And not all of it is what I've been told by my diabetes team.

I know it's early days and my nurse and dietician have told me:
1. Eat as I do normally as long as I carb count and give insulin
2. Don't test my blood sugar all the time as it will just worry me
3. Carbs with every meal

So I know some are saying low carb is better as spikes in BS are lower. Is this something they'd start recommending once my diabetes is more established? As I know I've only been managing this for a week total. Or do you have to push for this information?

Similarly, I have checked a lot. But I was checked every hour in hospital for BS so I'm a bit anxious not checking my levels now. And I wanted an idea of what my body did with my meals and what the insulin did too. I would have thought some form of continuous monitoring (in the beginning anyway) would have been an advantage to look at trends etc. Is this something you need to ask for specifically and push for? I am naturally interested anyway and I work in a medically related profession although I'm not a doctor. I want to optimise my health, insulin timings and BS levels as much as possible as soon as possible. Not checking, except before meals and bed, is worrying me.

And one last (and probably daft question)...if I'm hungry but my BS are still a bit high, and I'm talking in the teens, can I still eat my meal? My brain says 'yes, you daftie. Eat as normal' but another bit of me is like 'but your sugars are high, you'll only make your BS higher'.

No doubt I'll be posting a lot more in the future!

Kat xx

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This valentine kitty won't affect your blood sugar

My son, then nine, was diagnosed with Type 1 on our (his parents') wedding anniversary back in November! So I spent our wedding anniversary on a camp bed in the children's ward, while my husband stayed at home with our younger son. Sometimes the timing can just make you think the universe has a sense of humour! It will always be a memorable day.

Be gentle with yourself and take each day as it comes at first. Three months on, we're beginning to understand this complicated condition, but it often throws up surprises! It does make more sense over time.

katmcd said:

Only thing that has irked me slightly, and I shouldn't care as much as this but I do...my story was put up by DCUK on Facebook. Fine. No problem at all. I'm sure many people newly diagnosed are as shocked and confused and bamboozled with the information and diagnosis as I was/am.

...

It bugged me that a way of coming to terms with what has happened has resulted in me feeling like I wrote what I did for humour or comment. Or that I was making it up. If people think I trivialised what happened to me I make no apology. It happened to me and this is how I coped with it. This is how I'm coping with it. And I'll continue to ask questions however and whenever I feel like it!

Ps. Thanks for the book recommendation-think like a pancreas. I've ordered it and it should come tomorrow.

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I've seen the post on Facebook and I just want to offer you a big ((hug)). It would have upset me when I'm at my calmest. In the first few weeks after my son's diagnosis when the world was spinning out of control in my head I think I would have been utterly gutted.

I can only guess she didn't click ok the link. I think sometimes that Diabetes.co.uk Facebook page can get a bit frustrating and I guess her frustration was with them, not you. But I totally get why it would have irked you.

Like you, I laughed at the timing of my son's diagnosis as a big part of how I came to terms with it.

Look after you!