Hi
@lipilintu,
From my experience - not as health prof. advice:
I can recall being diagnosed at age 13, 'just' 52 years ago.
Back then there were no glucose meters, fancy insulins, DSNs or insulin pens or insulin pumps.
And I recall the ups and downs in BSLs and insulin doses (up 2 x normal for weeks at a time, then hypos
and scrambling to get does back down).
The 'choppy ocean swell' of growing in spurts.
And along the way I lost friends, TIDs who developed complications.
I spent time bricking it that that would happen to me too. And I have had moments of despair, too.
I shall talk about that further down!!
Nor was the information available until 1994 or so about
how vital the bestest BSL control is during
the first 6 1/2 to 10 years on insulin - if you type 'DCCT' into the question box of the Forum page
(upper top right) and look for the trial (not the BSL reading conversion dcct) you will see what
I am talking about.
Perhaps
talk this DCCT thing over with your health team - see what their take or understanding of it is.
And enquire what they see as your best options to get best BSLs.
You say that you are 1 1/2 years on insulin - there are great insulins, pens, pumps, BSL monitoring
that can make a difference to BSLs like never before - opportunities and knowledge which may not
have been available to your Dad.
With this info available now what do you think your Dad would have said to do now ?
Knowledge is power - as long as you can find ways to use it. So please also look at the Home page,
under Type 1 diabetes (and also Type 2 diabetes) about the various diets people use to try to control BSLs.
And please post about anything you read and wish to ask questions about or wish to find out more about.
Now what saw me through the 13 to 23 years of age - that first 10 years on insulin?
(of course these may work better or not as good or at all for you and bouncing ideas off your health
team is best before trying them).
Exercise - walking, swimming - anything to keep BSLs down, but adjusting insulin or using food to
counteract low BSLs. Exercise --> insulin working better and feeling better in myself.
Eating lots of protein: I found when I was hungry in those growing years I ate lots of cheese and
it did not spike my BSLs the way other foods did
Having interests: I joined the Scouts and learned sailing, canoeing. Canoeing on the river near where
I lived gave me exercise, fresh air and time to think. And I learnt a lot about tying various knots and
doing macrame. Canoeing was great when the weather allowed it but having something to do when it
was raining, too cold or too hot was important too.
The library was where I discovered the books on knots and also books on science fiction.
Self-humour: it was easy to feel down about myself, blame myself for my not good BSLs, take things
really seriously - and that only caused stress and higher BSLs.
So with help from a counsellor I learnedto joke about myself: injection time was called 'javelin practice',
the weather was to blame for this or that hypo (and sometimes I think it was in part)!
I read funny books and watch comedy on TV.
Nowadays my wife buys me black jelly beans - if I have a hypo and have to have those jelly beans
she knows that I have had a hypo - elementary - black tongue !!
Family, pets etc: For me having supportive parents and family helped. No pressure , no criticism but I know that
that is not always the case in families. Having pets helped with providing a sense of responsibility, having the
benefit of someone who could sense how I was feeling and respond helpfully.
I can only imagine how your Mum and any brothers/sisters could be feeling about your Dad and you with t
he same condition.
Can you show her that life can be better? Give her hope and be a team, as best you can? ( and you do not have
to tell her about the 'black tongue' trick - but it could be a way of joking about things)!!
Friends: I did not have many friends who understood diabetes back then. And support groups etc were
unheard of - back then.
But I have seen these days how they can really help, sharing feelings, ideas - and so much easier with the communication technology these days !!
Please 'hang in there' (a quaint expression we use here in Oz).
Please think about what you learn from and find on this forum and what others have to say.
Be kind to yourself !!
Bestest Wishes.
.....Hang on !!!..........Needles and.....not everyday...Be not afraid to....... nothing, nothing
..................................finger pricks....is perfect.........ask for help...............is impossible
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