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i've come to my senses and that why i'm here :o)

V

Vikki1981

Member
Messages
19
Location
N.E England
Hello, pleased to meet you all my name is VIKKI i am 28yo and i have had diabetes for the past 7 yrs, but i must admit i have not looked after myself well doing my insulin for 2weeks then i would stop for 2months convincing myself i didn't need it , but now i have had a big wake up call and with 2 gorgeous daughters (4 and a half & 11months)that i want to see grow up... its time to get my health in order.
Anyways your probably wondering why i'm yapping soooo much, but i just thought i'd let you's know a little bit about me, and then if ever i get stuck in future instead of just giving up again, i have ppl i can relate to that are in the same boat.

HBA1c 13.4 (25/01/10)
 
Welcome aboard! Nice to see your taking it seriously now because you really need to. You will feel millions time better if you get control of it! Im a similar age and have had it 9 years. You always have bad and good days as you know but if you look after yourself them bad days get less and less. Good luck!
 
thankyou, its getting control of it thats the problem, when i say this to my friends they say well you should know by now what to do, but fact of the matter is i have no idea how to control it, what to eat and when to eat it, i've spent the past 7yrs in denial... lying to docs and not attending appointments (apart from when i i was pregnant). i feel worse for taking my insulin at the moment but i'm presuming that goes away once your in control. (if i ever get the hang ov it...lol) :?:
 
Hi Vicky, in what way do you feel worse when taking your insulin? if you could give some examples I'm sure you will get lots of advice on here
 
i think at the moment its because bs is up and down and just wen i get the hang ov it i'll hypo and then i eat something and it seems to go sky high and i'll get head aches and when i'm hypo i feel like i'm drunk its very scary! and i feel hungry all the time.
 
eek, sounds horrid :cry: I think you are probably eating too much to correct your hypos which is understandable as they are scary and we have all over eaten at some time or another :? I wonder, do you adjust your insulin to what you are eating or take the same dose with all your food?

top tip - 15g fast acting carbs are all you need to correct a hypo, so this could be one of those miniature cans of full fat coke, 5 fruit pastilles or 5 jelly babies (for example). Have those, then check your BG 10-15 mins later and if the number hasn't risen, take another 15g. If it has risen, have a slice of toast or a biscuit for some longer acting carbs.
 
i have been sticking to the same insulin, which is 15 novorapid before brek, 20 novorapid before lunch, 10 novorapid before tea, and 35 levemir before bed. and thankyou for the information on what to eat/drink when having a hypo
 
Hi viiki

You know what, you aren't the first diabetic nor will you be the last diabetic that spent time avoiding there condition, it acutally happens to most at some point...

I would contact your diaebtic team, explain what has happened in the past, and what you want to do now and you will find that they will help you all they can along the way... They won't judge you or look at your past, they will be looking at what and how they can help you now and in the future... They might give a sigh of relief, but this is because it's nice to see a diabetic come in from the cold, and it is much easier helping someone who wants to be helped (actually makes there job a lot easier)

There is also us lot hear, who will help as we can, perhaps with a tip or two that we use, or just a word of empathy when it's needed..
 
Hi Vikki,

Just so you know you're not alone, I've had diabetes for 25 years and suddenly have no idea what I'm doing. I'm sure people keep changing the rules without telling me!! At least you've taken the first step and life will only improve, especially as you now have 2 children to focus on.
 
Hi Vikki,

I suggest that you make phone your diabetes clinic and make appointment to discuss your control. When you are there, ask about the DAFNE course which some NHS Trusts run for type 1 people. This course will teach you to deal with insulin adjustments, counting carbs and how to adjust insulin to match the food you eat. Search the forum for information about DAFNE.

Nigel
 
i'd like to thankyou all for the advice and information you have given me, i have an appointment with my diabeic specialist on monday and i'll be sure to ask about the DAFNE course.

while i'm here i'd just like to ask a couple of questions,

is it just as dangerous to hypo all the time as it is to be hyper all the time?

is carb counting any good? :roll:
 
in my opinion, carb counting is fab! I love it and wish I'd cottoned onto it many, many years ago :wink: it takes a bit of getting used to but before you know it, you'll be automatically calculating carbs in your head I did the Insight course (which is like DAFNE) and they taught me a bunch of techniques to guesstimate carb qtys should the need arise (ie: my fist size is approx 50g when it comes to jacket spuds!) etc, etc.

as for hypo's being dangerous, whilst they don't do as much damage to your body as hyper's, when you are in a hypo 'state' you could cause an accident or harm yourself or those around you so in my opinion, they are just as dangerous, although I know not everyone takes that view
 
Debloubed,

'Guesstimate carb qtys'.................wash your mouth out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wink:

Vikki1981,

Yes, hypo's can be very dangerous indeed, for example whilst driving, cooking or looking after children, that is why it is important to monitor blood glucose closely, recognise the syptoms of hypo's, and treat accordingly with fast acting glucose.

Rest assured, carb counting is one of the most important tools to hand in all aspects of diabetes management. Good control comes from knowing how many carbs you eat, and by adjusting meds accordingly.

Good luck on Monday!

Nigel
 
Something I learnt recently here on diabetes.co.uk is that when hypos occur, especially during the night the liver releases glycogen into the blood as a counteractive measure and if this is a regular occurrence then the body does not have ample opportunity to replenish its glycogen stores. I'm still researching to find out what this does if it's long term.

Also, I read somewhere once that when hypos occur brain cells are killed in small numbers. I guess if this happens often then lots of brain cells get killed. Don't know how this impacts long term!

I haven't done the DAFNE course as my clinic runs a similar in-house thing but I understand from others that it is really good and being an avid carb counter myself since getting my pump I do believe that carb counting and understanding the ration of insulin to carbs at different times of the day is the secret to good control.

Good luck with it all and stick with it now you've accepted it!

roo.be
 
noblehead said:
Debloubed,

'Guesstimate carb qtys'.................wash your mouth out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wink:



Nigel
Click to expand...

Guess what Nige?! Just 'guesstimated' a fist sized jacket spud for my lunch and my fist didn't lie - 50g carb = 5 novorapid (on my ratio) - perfect guesstimation! :lol: :wink:
 
Debloubed,

Good guess............I'm impressed! 8)

By the way, did they not tell you on the Insight course that you don't say 10g of carbs anymore it is 1 cp, cp being 1 carbohydrate portion.

Stay lucky!

Nigel
 
Nope! 10g carbs = 10g carbs on Insight! makes it easier for my little brain
 
Must just be taught on DAFNE then!

Must admit, I still like to use the old method.

Nigel
 
I honestly don't know how ANY diabetic - of whatever variety - can successfully manage their condition WITHOUT carb counting. Since carb increases your blood sugar, it's a bit of a "no-brainer" to me!

Persistent low blood sugar levels, quite apart from the symptomatic dangers already noted, can reduce your awareness of being "low", so it's back to walking the tightrope...
 
noblehead said:
Debloubed,

Good guess............I'm impressed! 8)

By the way, did they not tell you on the Insight course that you don't say 10g of carbs anymore it is 1 cp, cp being 1 carbohydrate portion.

Stay lucky!

Nigel
Click to expand...

Sorry to jump in on you guys, but 10g carbs to me is still 1 exchange. Shows how old school I am!
 
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