Just rediagnosed as lada, now what?

Hi there @Microbe99 from my limited experience nothing happens immediately! Well not strictly true, I had a letter telling me I would have an appointment with a consultant in 'the future' but to let them know if it was no-longer required (!?!?).

It should mean that you will be accepted to get a Libre, if you do not already have one on prescription, and as you are on insulin already, then you may be suitable for more tech, but I don't know anything about that side, sorry.

I had to go privately for an endocrinologist to confirm T1/LADA not T2, despite my positive antibody tests, otherwise I was going to have to wait 12 months+ to see one on the NHS; with the reclassifying and the consultant's request, I will get the Libre next month, (2 months after the appointment and 6 months in), but as I am well managed, basically not a priority.

Hopefully wherever you are will take action sooner, but with the new diabetes guidance, if you are in the UK, I guess health trusts are swamped with new requests for all the tech as per NICE. I guess it depends on how well managed you are and your priorities and eagerness for tech on how you want to push it with your GP, (but mine will do nothing, I am now in theory under the hospital team).

Hope this helps, but not sure if it will

edited for typos

Welcome to the LADA club Microbe99!

I was re-diagnosed after seven years as a T2, initially managing well, then spiralling out of control, quite rapidly by the end as my pancreas finally spluttered out of action. I think what happens next depends (i) on your point of entry into the LADA club and (ii) what the arrangements are between your GP practice and hospital specialists (assuming you are in the UK NHS system?).

(i) for me it was a massive change starting on an insulin regime, and I actually was quite poorly, but as you have already been on insulin for 14 years, I doubt day-to-day much will change straight away.

(ii) my care arrangements changed to a shared care system split between the GP and community nurse (blood tests, blood pressure and foot checks etc) and the hospital consultant and specialist diabetic nursing team. In practice and in times of Covid the latter has meant predominantly telephone support . But I get 2x consultant phone consults a year and a lot more blood and urine tests than I did as a T2. I have a nursing team I can contact pretty much at any time, but after the first couple of months, I haven't really needed to use them.

I haven't been offered a Libre, although I do get free test strips, which I had to self-find as a presumed T2. As I understand it there are some slightly perverse incentives in the NHS if you are deemed to be managing your diabetes well. My HbA1C has improved from 107 at re-diagnosis to 46, which my consultant is very pleased with. I am aware that lots of other T1s and T2s on this network routinely report lower scores than that, but I manage this on what she tells me is a low dose of fairly primitive basal (Humulin 1) and Novorapid, so even if my HbA1 breaks no records I have few hypos and so I am not a priority for a Libre.

Wishing you all the best, the very fact that you are here asking questions tells me you will do well!

The biggest difference for me was how well I am now treated by all health care people, the way they treated me as T2 was a world of difference, disgraceful. But that’s just me, hopefully others are not blamed by the people supposed to be supporting them.