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???Insulin dependent???

J

jongreg

Newbie
Messages
4
Am I really being stupid??
I was diagnosed in January as Diabetic type 1. At first I thought I could handle it..finger pricking x4..administering insulin x6..I was on 76 units of rapid and solostar per day.Then I started putting on weight (I had lost 4 stone )previously before I was diagnosed..thought it was gym/diet..now I know differently.
I then started taking metformin for weight management,simvastatin for bp and then propanol to counteract the sweats from the metformin!!
So in my eyes I was taking medication for type 1 and type 2 Diabetes..
My blood levels were stable(so I thought) and I had put 2.5stone back on because of the insulin..
SO I decided to stop my insulin in May..I have now gone 11/12 weeks without taking insulin apart from the odd time when I have taken double my reccomended dose of insulin,because my blood sugars had gone high.(off the scale on my meter.)
Now my blood levels are under 20,most days and I know they should be under 10 but Im hate the sensation of administrating insulin and the feeling I get when I do..I dont have any hypo's now I dont inject, I was having 3/5 a day when I did inject.
I have started back on the road I was on before on getting up 3/4 times a nite to wee,sweating,and have lost some sensation from my feet.
I know what Im doing is wrong,but I cannot cope with the weight gain and the side effects of the insulin, making me feel dizzy/low and having to take more sugar to counteract the effects..
Where do I turn now..My doctor thinks that I am coping well and would go ballistic if he knew I was only taking tablet form medication.
But the insulin makes me feel like s**t.
Any advice would be welcome..I always thought that after being diagnosed with Diabetes I would only have it for 6/12 months before it was sorted with tablets..I really cant see a life of constant finger pricking and injections is a life for me!!
 
Hi Jongreg.
Welcome to the forum. Are you really being stupid...? Short answer....YES. :shock:

Reading your tale here I am amazed at your actions. First of all your profile says Type 1, yet reading here you appear to be a Type 2, can you clarify this ?

What you need to do is stop self medicating and get to see your GP or an Endocrinologist and get this all sorted out. Your Bg levels are way out of line and this will only get worse the longer you leave things. If you are Type 1 you could be in very serious trouble by continuing to do what you are saying here ? The MAXIMUM Bg level for a T1 is 9 mmol/l, and a T2 is 8.5 mmol/l.

You state that you do not like injecting , well there are alternative treatments if you are a T2. Such as Byetta (inject twice daily) or Victoza (inject once daily) or even oral meds in addition to what you are taking at the moment.

Diabetes is for life...once you have it you can control it, but not by thinking you can deal with it all by yourself and leave your GP out of the loop.

SEE THE GP NOW PLEASE !!!
 
thers a lot of parents on here with children with diabetes me included.You wrote I really cant see a life of constant finger pricking and injections is a life for me!!.My daughter is 10 and other parents children even younger.All the children are coping brillantly on here,my daughter gets so sick at times doing needles not being able to eat things she used to.but she does it because she knows how serious it could be.We do her needles at times when she's really had enough.
If you are type 1 then it is a serious matter and you don't have a choice.Its needles 4 times a day ok its for life but then you could die,I know which path i would take.if i could take her place i would
 
I am a type 1..although I was hoping to be type 2..I have been told that..
Which I have found hard to adapt to..
I have my 2nd appt with my consultant on Tuesday..who really didnt seem interested in me when I last saw him in March 2009. My daibetes nurse who I thought had a real interset in me left in May,and who I lied to saying that my bl's were stable because she was returning to Spain and I didnt want her to go thinking my levels were all over..she was the only person that I really opened up2..since she left the clinic (I saw her every 2 weeks)havent been in touch once to ask me how i was doing..I feel really let down..after finding someone who was interested in my condition..I know it was her job..but I feel so alone with my diagnosis..
My family/friends are all aware of it yet Ifeel like i cant talk 2 anyone about it..maybe its embaressment on my part..although it is an ice-breaker..lol
I feel like if I had support from my PCT ie:another diabetic nurse..then maybe I would feel a bit more confident about it.
I still havent been introduced to my new one after5 months!!
I KNOW self medication isnt the answer but I I think that it my way of coping.
Iam supposed to attend a DAPHNE course in 2 weeks which is a privilidge to be on and I know I am going to exposed as a liar for tampering with my bl's/gl's but I really want to pretend that I am ok with everything even though I know I am fooling no-one...
I really cant be the only one coming to terms with a ****** diagnosis..
I'm not feeling sorry 4 myself I just want some guidence and some support.
 
Also..I have just had swine flu ,when i tried to administer my insulin I really did feel sick..I know I didnt really eat much when I had it but I really did feel poorly..just another setback..
 
you really need to see your doctor or contact the hospital, because i may be wrong but i thought all diabetics had a 3 monthly check up.I've found this website very helpful and there are a lot of people that will help you.
 
Hi jongreg.

There is no simple way to put this. You are a Type 1.......OK. If you want to either end up in hospital or a wooden box then carry on the way you are. No punches pulled here !!

This is no joke, it is life threatening and can happen very quickly to you. YOU have to do something NOW, not next week or next month.

You will get all the guidance and support you need from us here but you have to accept this advice to see your GP NOW. See another GP in the practice if need be. Make that appointment ASAP. Explain how you feel and what you have been doing. We want to see you back here and help you, not offer your family condolences. That's really all I have to say, the rest is up to you.
 
You've made a start as you've realised that you need to do something about your situation, and that is probably one of the hardest bits, addmitting things aren't right to yourself...

Don't be afriad to tell your diabetic team what you've told us...

Don't worry what they will say, as I suspect they will hardly bat an eye lid... This won't because they don't care far from it, there aren' t there to be judgemental of your past, and they will have seen many many diabetics in the same situation as yourself.. They are aware that they can't change what you have or haven't done up to now..

But they can help you with the rest of your life, they need to know the true facts, what you have or haven't done, what your bgs have been like. your fears and concerns about your diabetes with out this information that only you can tell them, they can't help you..

As to your weight and hypo issues...

I would ask the clinic to attend a carb counting course so that you can be taught how to adjust your insulin to the amount of carbs you are eating (and many other things about diabetes while you there)...

This will ensure that you don't put yourself into the position (as it seems) of injecting too much insulin giving yourself an hypo, then having to feed the excess insulin with fast acting carbs.. which can lead to weight gain... also ask to see a dietitian as they can be helpfull as well..
 
This level of high blood sugar, you really are killing yourself.

Yes, the injections are hard.
Yes, it really does suck to have to do them.
Yes, the glucose monitoring is bad.

But honestly, the alternative is loosing sensation in your feet, loosing your sight, an your life.
If you keep these levels up, and think thy're okay, you will die.

You can get a pump put in, one needle every three days. The side-effects weren't from the insulin, they were from your blood sugars.
You just have to realise that you have diabetes. You have it and there is nothing you can do about that.
You can now choose to live or die.
If you choose to live, you need insulin. Your body cannot function withouth it.
Do you know why you are loosing sensation? Your blood vessels are dying. Your nerves are dying.

Your body is killing itself in an attempt to keep your heart beating.

I have diabetes, i've had it since i was 9... i'm 24 now.
I have a daughter, a dog, a husband, scorpions, snakes.
I've worked as a ski instructor, ski chalet manager. I've been heli-skiing aand hope to go avalanche skiing soon.
I knit, make my own clothes, play WoW, 40K, and i cook my lasagne.
My life is full..... but my diabetes is a side-note.

Diabetes will not take over your life. It will not ruin it, but if you ignore it, it can take your life.
 
i was at the cinema a few weeks backs and a very disabled young lad came in in a wheelchair.And he couldn't speak and i sat there and thought sophie's got diabetes, but thank god its nothing serious.and her dad agreed and i thank god every day for that.
I know if she doesn't look after herself she may go blind or loose her feet, theres a lot more of them they are just some examples.i will do all i can to lead her in the right direction, and make her fully understand when she's older how serious things can be if she doesn't manage her diabetes well.

this is wrote by a child that i found on this site last night
hiya its flojo here.
i decided ( as i was feeling a bit down about being diabetic) i would write down a list of all the good things about being a diabetic. so here it goes!:
1. people who are diabetic have a very healthy lifestyle in all sorts of areas, ( eating, fitness,skin health e.t.c)
2.at christmas,halloween and easter all diabetics think 'do i really want these sweets and choclate enough to give myself an extra injection?'
3. if we ever feel down we just have too think, 'there are much worse things that could have happend or we could have got.'
4.we are not much different from anyone else realy even though sometimes it feels like it!
if anyone could think of anything please post me back!
 
HI Jon
You've had a tough year, it's really not the end of the world. It doesn't help knowing that "millions of people have got it", as my mother said when I was diagnosed; or that there are worse illnesses to have. Your illness and experience of it is a very personal blow, and one that needs time to adjust to. That's where you are going wrong, you're in denial and causing yourself harm.

Doesn't sound like you have much confidence in your doctor, which is a shame, but not uncommon Are you being cared for (or not!)by your GP or have you been referred to a specialist? . Also you should consider another insulin type if you found the Lantus Solstar a problem. Some people suffer pain on injection with that particular synthetic insulin, and other side-effects too. There are plenty of other options. You can do your own research online on what's available and you may find it worthwhile contacting the IDDT (insulin dependent diabetes trust), they can provide you with lot's of useful info if you feel it necessary.

You need to feel confident in your care and your medication. You should discuss your options with your doctor and be honest with him/her about your control. If you get the right insulin regime to suit you, you can have a 'normal' life-yes, you will have to inject every day and prick your finger, but when you get the hang of it you'll feel quite proud of yourelf.

Now for the kick up the axxe, Ken is right, the high BG levels must be making you feel completely awful, not to mention the damage you're doing to yourself. You cannot go on like this any longer,as I'm quite sure you realise. If you tell your doc how high your BG levels have been running, you can work with him to bring your levels down gradually which will give your body time to adjust.
Doctor tomorrow!!
Jus
 
Insulin does not have to lead to hypo after hypo nor to weight gain. What you need to do is try to replicate what you pancreas did before. If you eat the right amount for your activity level then you shouldn't gain weight. It isn't easy and none of us get it right all the time but learning to adjust your doses on a DAFNE course will make it so much easier and should reduce hypos caused by what sounds like too much insulin(which will also have increased weight gain). Injecting and testing really does become a part of your life, like cleaning your teeth. Having type 1 should not stop you from doing anything.
As Jopar says, you won't be the first person your doctor has met that has stopped taking their insulin for a while but it is better to be honest about it.

However
You are dependent upon insulin. You're a bit like me I suspect and won't develop diabetic ketoacidosis overnight as you still produce a bit of your own insulin. Nevertheless, if you stop taking it sooner or later the levels of ketones in your blood will become toxic and will lead to DKA, at its mildest an uncomfortable time in hospital, at its worst....
More insidious is the damage being caused to your eyes, kidneys, nerves and arteries.

Well done for 'coming out' and telling others of your difficulties.
Why not start tomorow by contacting your doctor and asking him/her what basal dose would be sensible to start taking?
 
Im still being a bit of a D**K and yes iknow..as I keep seeing how long I can go without taking Insulin..the longest I have gone is 9 weeks..In the whole of the 12months I have been diagnosed I have only gone 2 full weeks of insulin...although I do eventually end up with Thrush..The scarey thing is that I have no other symptoms..

Can i really still be honeymooning ..How long long can I carry on messing with my insulin..am I really type 1 or could I really and hopefully be type2.. :shock:

I only post on here when I have had a little drink or 2...another way that I dont have to admit that I have diabetes..I have told my workplace that I am type 1 and they are great about it..I just wonder if there is any possibility (wish/hope/pray)that I am type 2.. Type 1 is only for the next generation...I was an 80'2 kid!!!
 
De Nile isn't just a river in Egypt!

Wipe your slate clean and learn what you need to do and just do it. You might just find out that you can still do and have 90% of the stuff you were doing before you became T1 but you'll also feel good and life well and long.

I can't understand you wanting to be T2. I think that could be more restrictive and many T2's end up having to treat their condition in exactly the same way as a T1 and sometimes with more difficulty. Wishing you weren't diabetic at all is understandable but we don't always get what we wish for, do we?

Sorry to hear you have also been so sick. This would of made your blood sugars very erratic. Now you are feeling well you should be able to gain some control. I hope you aren't drinking much. A glass full of courage is not the way to face diabetes. Sorry, I'm quite anti-alcohol and I'm not the diabetic of the family.

All the best.
 
Hi Jon

I am not T1 but a T2 - believe me being T2 is no easy ride and as another poster said can be more restrictive than T1 - both suck and not taking care of yourself has the many of the same outcomes for both types

I am not an expert so will not offer any advice except ask you to read the links to some forum topics I have listed below - read them all from start to finish - I am sure this brave lady will not mind me doing this as in her most recent very sad post she says she has posted in the hope that others may listen and take it on board.

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11330

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11157&start=0&sd=a

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=12551
 
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