New to the forum but T1.5 diagnosis Feb '14

mrbroons

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Hi everyone. My name is Jim and I'm a Diabetic (I feel that this is how I great everyone now, here it seemed to be appropriate too, if only to start my post with a smile)

I'm new so thought I would introduce myself. I was diagnosed just over 5 years ago with LADA T1D. It was a bit of a shock as I'm sure it is for us all. No family history, no issues apart from blurry vision for a few months. Then BOOM all the symptoms at once.

The next steps of my story will be familiar. Go and see the Dr, I'm told mmm not sure what it could be, let's do some tests, which included C-Pep and Hba1c. Don't worry it's just procedure, you will be fine, they said....

Unfortunately the tests came back that I was T1. I was immediately put on treatment but I had just about exhausted my sugar in my muscles - I know this as I could barely move my arm to brush my teeth!

I had been on gliclazide for a few years but then stopped when I queried if this accelerated the reduction in my insulin production (which I was told it did - please correct me here if necessary)

I started on 8 units basal a day and this has slowly progressed to me now being on 26 units once a day with some bolus as of last Sept, if required. Prior to this I was managing with basal and exercise.

I'm sorry to say that I have been in some form of denial, trying to keep remaining production in place before it gets "really hard!" So I have been doing all sorts of crazy things such as running up and down 7 flights of stairs at the office to get my levels down a couple of times a day (when needed). Please don't judge me too harshly, this disease terrifies me . The stress of management both prior and now is sometimes overwhelming as I'm sure you all know.

So since last year I have been given the option of fast acting insulin and this is helping to save me exercising at odd times but with it comes new problems including more hypos.

I'm ready to step up and be counted now and I would really appreciate any thoughts on my journey or recommendations.

Regards

Jim.
 
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Diakat

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Hi Jim,
We all have different journeys and all find different routes. Regarding hypos - are you carb counting and adjusting doses? You say you have the option of bolus insulin, are you using it at every meal?
@Japes and @ert may have valuable insight as both had circuitous routes to insulin if I remember correctly
 
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mrbroons

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Im not carb counting yet. Not been offered DAFNE but will get that sorted. Not taking bolus at every meal just when exercising is not pragmatic or when my numbers have gone too far to realistically exercise to fix.
 

Japes

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Thanks for the tag. @Diakat and welcome back @mrbroons .

I was originally diagnosed as T2 just over 4 years ago, went down the meds/low and lower carb diet/exercise and ever-increasing exercise route which worked really well. Until it didn't. Then I was referred to the diabetes clinic, re-diagnosed LADA 18 months ago and went straight onto basal/bolus at that point with hysterical nurses in the clinic at my first appointment as to how I was still standing, why hadn't I done anything about it (I had, oh I really had!) and wanting to hospitalise me on the spot. The consultant concluded I was probably OK to be let loose with a whole load of instructions as to when to come to A & E if necessary.

For me, the fact that I'm now on insulin and I can eat a wider variety of food, and not have to exercise to keep bloods down was a massive relief and that ultimately with LADA as an autoimmune disease no amount of controlling with food/exercise was going to work without insulin.

I still do a fair amount of exercise to help keep the blood sugars behaving and to help with insulin sensitivity. I'm still careful about what I eat, but make sure I try to get the insulin right. I'm definitely not someone who can just eat what I like and cover it with insulin, but I certainly don't miss out on occasional treats when I feel like them

It's well worth learning to carb count and worth learning how exercise affects blood sugars. I was taught basic carb counting with the nurse when I was first put on insulin, and a month later we'd worked out enough between us to let me loose adjusting my doses. I'm hoping to get on a DAFNE course before Christmas.

Also worth making sure you always, always have something available to treat the hypos! I'm nowhere near as scared of hypos as I used to be as I've now a pretty good idea of how much I need to bring me back up without going to really high numbers.again. Also well aware now that what works this week may not work next especially as I still have occasional moments of my pancreas spluttering into life again. (Think it's woken up this morning for some inexplicable reason.)
 

Japes

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LADA
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Ooo... meant also to say. What helped more than anything was support in the way that worked best for me... which happens to be this forum.
 
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Hi Jim and welcome to the forum :)
 

ert

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Jim.[/QUOTE]
Welcome, Jim. I've been on insulin for 7 weeks now and type 1 for two years. I certainly can relate to being in denial, and exercising at all hours of the day and night to control my blood sugars. You will be so good at managing your blood sugars on MDI insulin, as you've been doing so well without much insulin, so it will be a walk in the park when you move onto MDI. I was terrified of hypos, so purchased a CGM before starting insulin and then an MM alarm system. So I'm not bothered now about hypos and can detect them before they arrive. I still run twice a day, but now just to reduce my insulin requirement, rather than my blood sugars. It's an extraordinary thing, that injection 1 unit of fast-acting can lower my blood sugars 2-3 mmol/l without doing anything. I just think back to what I'd have to do to get this sort of result and laugh at myself.
 
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