Hello! Type 1 clueless newbie here. All advice welcome!!

[SamBz85]

Hi everyone. My name is Sam. I’m a 38 year old female who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in December 2023. I currently work full time, self employed and have 2 kids, my daughter is 15, my son is 11.

I didn’t have any symptoms at all really. I was feeling really tired and assumed my iron levels were low as they usually are. I was shocked to learn my blood sugar was 33! To be honest, I had no idea what these numbers meant as no one in my family has diabetes and I didn’t really know much about it. My diabetes nurse was pretty sure I was type2. She even went as far as saying - “You’re a type 2 Sam! I would go as far as to bet my house on it. All the symptoms point in that direction” Good job she didn’t bet her house!!

So fast forward 2 months and I’m just winging every day and have no idea what I’m doing really! Still doesn’t feel real if I’m honest.

I’m taking metformin as well as using novorapid and toujeo. I’m booked on a carb counting course in April.

My blood glucose levels are now fairly stable and I do feel so much better in myself than I did before Xmas.

Pre diabetic me was reckless with food and drink especially chocolate and wine!! My diagnosis has made me think twice about what I eat and when I eat it!!

Any advice, help, tips and tricks are very welcome! Looking forward to making diabetes buddies and sharing info!! Thank you all in advance xxx

 

[Antje77]

Hi @SamBz85 , welcome to diabetes and to the forum.

Most of us T1's who are diagnosed over 35 are misdiagnosed to start with, glad this was rectified quickly for you!

So fast forward 2 months and I’m just winging every day and have no idea what I’m doing really! Still doesn’t feel real if I’m honest.

I’m taking metformin as well as using novorapid and toujeo. I’m booked on a carb counting course in April.

My blood glucose levels are now fairly stable and I do feel so much better in myself than I did before Xmas.

Sounds like you're doing exactly the right thing for now.

You might want to make a bit of a headstart with the carb counting by logging your meals/carbs in combination with your blood glucose levels before and after eating and your insulin doses.

Do you use a CGM like Freestyle Libre already? If so, it's very easy to log exactly those things in the app, giving you more insight on how carbs and insulin work together for you.
If not, good old fashioned pen and paper work pretty good as well, that's the way I did it when I started insulin at 39, 7 years ago.

You also might like to have a read of this thread: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/5-things-any-newly-diagnosed-type-1-should-know.175425/

 

[In Response]

Welcome @SamBz85 to the club no one wants to be a member of.
The good news is that you have the right diagnosis (too many adults with Type 1 are initially misdiagnosed) at a time when treatment for Type 1 is better than any other time.
It is understandable to be overwhelmed when you get your diagnosis. There is a lot to take onboard and a steep learning curve. The forum is here to help you.

The first thing I would emphasise is that Type 1 and type 2 are completely different conditions and a healthy diet for someone with Type 1 is the same as a healthy diet for someone without diabetes. Type 1 treatment has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle.

 

[EllieM]

Type 1 treatment has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle.

While I agree that theoretically a healthy diet and lifestyle for a T1 is the same as that for a non diabetic, given that managing a T1 is all about balancing your insulin to your lifestyle (in my opinion anyway) I'd argue that diet and lifestyle is something you have to take into account when managing your insulin doses. Different people find different diets easier to manage for their own particular metabolism. (And maybe diet is the wrong word to use here, as you can theoretically dose for anything.)

Luckily for UK T1s, the NHS supplies excellent tech for T1s, which seems to be improving all the time. Hopefully you've got a libre or dexcom @SamBz85 ? (And welcome to the forums).

I look forward to reading more of your posts and hearing about your progress.

And my one recommendation for any new insulin user. Never go anywhere without something sweet to act as a hypo treatment. (And that includes having sugar equivalent on your bedside cabinet). It's no fun at all desperately looking for sugar while you are confused and hypo. (Speaking from personal experience).

(edited to correct typo)

 

[In Response]

While I agree that theoretically a healthy diet and lifestyle for a T1 is the same as that for a non diabetic, given that managing a T1 is all about balancing your insulin to your lifestyle (in my opinion anyway) I'd argue that diet and lifestyle is something you have to take into account when managing your insulin doses. Different people find different diets easier to manage for their own particular metabolism. (And maybe diet is the wrong word to use here, as you can theoretically dose for anything.)

I guess what I should have emphasised was that changing you diet to something you are unlikely to maintain when first diagnosed with Type 1 is likely to make it more challenge to work out the starting point for insulin dosage.
And yes, you can dose for anything. Some things are more complex to dose for but some people with Type 1 see that as a challenge worth taking on because they do not want diabetes to control their lives.
The same can be said for exercise. But given the low carb focus of diabetes.co.uk, this is rarely mentioned on this forum (but more commonly discussed on other fora).

 

[JAT1]

Hi everyone. My name is Sam. I’m a 38 year old female who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in December 2023. I currently work full time, self employed and have 2 kids, my daughter is 15, my son is 11.

I didn’t have any symptoms at all really. I was feeling really tired and assumed my iron levels were low as they usually are. I was shocked to learn my blood sugar was 33! To be honest, I had no idea what these numbers meant as no one in my family has diabetes and I didn’t really know much about it. My diabetes nurse was pretty sure I was type2. She even went as far as saying - “You’re a type 2 Sam! I would go as far as to bet my house on it. All the symptoms point in that direction” Good job she didn’t bet her house!!

So fast forward 2 months and I’m just winging every day and have no idea what I’m doing really! Still doesn’t feel real if I’m honest.

I’m taking metformin as well as using novorapid and toujeo. I’m booked on a carb counting course in April.

My blood glucose levels are now fairly stable and I do feel so much better in myself than I did before Xmas.

Pre diabetic me was reckless with food and drink especially chocolate and wine!! My diagnosis has made me think twice about what I eat and when I eat it!!

Any advice, help, tips and tricks are very welcome! Looking forward to making diabetes buddies and sharing info!! Thank you all in advance xxx

Welcome to the forum @SamBz85. I'm another Type 1 who was initially misdiagnosed T2. This forum has helped me immensely and I am sure it will for you too. Ask any questions, voice any frustration - we are all here to listen, help and share our experience.