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Iv Been Diagnosed 10 Years Now And I Am Only Just Getting Control Now Is This Really Bad ?

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90SMAN

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I am insulin controlled type 1 and for years I have been on a blood sugar rollercoaster due to stress and poor eating habits I am slim and not overweight but I am worried about the damage that has been done if any has anyone had similar problems with controlling their sugars I mean all diabetics have bad days right ? for about a year or two my regular numbers were 12s and 16s :( it makes me sad but I am really trying to get control of it now as I have been basal testing and got my levels right now finally I think
 
If it's any consolation, I've been T1 for 48 years, still no complications other than on again off again mild retinopathy, and the first 13 of those years were pre glucometer, including my first 4 years at university where I didn't even do urine tests. When I was offered my first glucometer the recommendation was to get my morning bs below 13....

So, while I'm sure I've been lucky not to have complications (yet), it's never too late to improve your blood sugars, and many diabetic complications can be stalled, controlled or even reversed by improving your blood sugars. So, there's absolutely no point in castigating yourself for past poor blood sugars, the most important thing is to keep track of your current and future ones. Many illnesses are made "more likely" by diabetes, but you'll never know if they're caused by it directly or whether you're just unlucky. My T1 mother died when she was 78, not from diabetes (though that didn't help) but because she smoked heavily until she was 70.
I admit to feelings of inferiority when I read of T1s on here who achieve hbA1Cs in the 5s and bemoan their occasional foray into double digit blood sugars, but I do the best I can with what I've got and if I have some bad readings I work to correct them. There's no point in agonising over past damage that you may or may not have done to your system, most of us muddle along without being perfect, just don't ignore your diabetes. Getting your basal right is a huge step in the right direction, and if you can get access to a cgm that works (unfortunately I'm one of those whose body disagrees with the libre) you may find that diabetic control becomes dramatically easier.

Good luck.
 
Thank you for the reply I appreciate it, you have put me somewhat at ease I'm just worried that if I can't get off the sugar rollarcoaster that iv been on for 10 years I will go blind it's just worrying but if I can get my numbers sitting at 8 and 7s hopefully I can halt this from happening. Do you still have daily swings in blood sugars ?
 
I’ve been T1 for two decades and a;art from maybe the first two months, a year when I was pregnant and since last Christmas, my control has been appalling., I had an HbA1c of 131 a few years ago. It’s never too late to get to grips with it! I don’t think I have much by way of permanent complications - a little numbness in my toes which is receding now I’ve got things under control, all my other tests have come back fine. My shoulders had frozen up a bit, but again, they’re much better now, as is the trigeminal neuralgia I suffered that nobody realised was a neuropathy.

First up, try not to regard numbers as “good” or “bad” - they’re just data that we may or may not need to act on, not a judgement. Second, if they haven’t gone too far, many complications can be reversed. Third, all T1s get daily swings, as do non-diabetics (within a range). The only ones who don’t are the ones who follow a very, very low carb diet and dose very accurately, but this is very intense and doesn’t suit everyone. I personally follow this approach, mostly to try and make up for the years of high sugars, and I still get small swings in levels. But there’s many here who can eat a mainstream diet and dose accurately for it. Fourth, rather than aim for 7-8 long term, make more normal BG levels of 5-6 your eventual goal, as you’re far less likely to have any issues if you do. Set 7-8 as an interim target, and then go from there once you’re comfortable. It’s great that you have your basal sorted, as that’s the foundation everything else is based on.

What’s your current treatment regime?
 
Thats a big relief to hear im on tougeo at night so i take 25 units i think that is how you spell it and im on humolog in the day which i take according to carbs really But im still seeing high fluctuations during the day i guess my stress is bad and i have a job that isn't very meal friendly so I tend to eat at different times of the day which isn't helping I just hope I dont go blind or something worse.
 
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