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New Type1. Running before I can walk

R

Rich1889

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone,

Recently diagnosed Type 1 aged 26 and currently a month in.

As soon as I was diagnosed it was more of a relief that there was a fix of sorts and although it's a pain, it is what it is! Took the approach that there was no point being down or depressed, a lot worse things could have been found and I just need to get on with it now.

As is my nature, I've spent the last few weeks delving into books, forums and websites to understand as much as I can. Thank you to everyone on here for the info! My Diabetic nurse has been very positive, had my well done stickers for some better than expected readings and already on with carb counting and the like. All going well...

Feel like I'm close to getting back to normal life but now finding it hard to not run before I can walk. I want to get back to my golf, football and badminton, do my active day job and not feel sluggish and ill still. When I think I've cracked it one morning with a good level, the calculated carbs and and the right dose....bang and the hypo happens which is so frustrating.

I'm a problem solver and a+b=c whereas diabetes seems to be a+b=49!! I know I'm not long in and can't expect it all to work out as I have so carefully calculated, but it is annoying. I think on reflection,I'm aiming for good readings when I should be at the higher end of ok to give myself a buffer in case I get caught off guard.

Anyway, sure I'll get there and plenty of years ahead to practice!
 
Rich1889 said:
Hi everyone,

Recently diagnosed Type 1 aged 26 and currently a month in.

As soon as I was diagnosed it was more of a relief that there was a fix of sorts and although it's a pain, it is what it is! Took the approach that there was no point being down or depressed, a lot worse things could have been found and I just need to get on with it now.

As is my nature, I've spent the last few weeks delving into books, forums and websites to understand as much as I can. Thank you to everyone on here for the info! My Diabetic nurse has been very positive, had my well done stickers for some better than expected readings and already on with carb counting and the like. All going well...

Feel like I'm close to getting back to normal life but now finding it hard to not run before I can walk. I want to get back to my golf, football and badminton, do my active day job and not feel sluggish and ill still. When I think I've cracked it one morning with a good level, the calculated carbs and and the right dose....bang and the hypo happens which is so frustrating.

I'm a problem solver and a+b=c whereas diabetes seems to be a+b=49!! I know I'm not long in and can't expect it all to work out as I have so carefully calculated, but it is annoying. I think on reflection,I'm aiming for good readings when I should be at the higher end of ok to give myself a buffer in case I get caught off guard.

Anyway, sure I'll get there and plenty of years ahead to practice!
Click to expand...

you have an amazing attitude ... I am sure you´ll be an expert in a very short time and get it all in line and get you old life almost back again... and yes ones attitude is half the Victory of enjoying life... that is if one does not have a serious mental disease or deep depression.

once I watched television, I have been a very depressive person filled with eternal worries , and then I saw this amazing swedish portrait of a man born without arms and legs... and the first I saw was him swimming... gosh.. with a happy grin on his face, and then him in his handicap car driving home to his lovely wife and 3 children.. and all his personality shined ... then I thought If he can get at wonderful life and have that attitude, then I also must be able to make a good life in spite of all my different kinds of illnesses...

and then I learned that happyness do not need to have a reason, it can be at state one tries to create inside without no outside reason... and that too helped a lot... and got my twisted mind back to the simple state of just being
 
Hi @Rich1889
Welcome to the site, it is early doors for you and you may be in the honeymoon period where you are still producing some insulin, obviously you are bolusing for all carbs were you might not need as much insulin and/or if you have a basal insulin you are taking too much.
I will tag @daisy1 to give you more info about the site
 
Rich1889 said:
Hi everyone,

Recently diagnosed Type 1 aged 26 and currently a month in.

As soon as I was diagnosed it was more of a relief that there was a fix of sorts and although it's a pain, it is what it is! Took the approach that there was no point being down or depressed, a lot worse things could have been found and I just need to get on with it now.

As is my nature, I've spent the last few weeks delving into books, forums and websites to understand as much as I can. Thank you to everyone on here for the info! My Diabetic nurse has been very positive, had my well done stickers for some better than expected readings and already on with carb counting and the like. All going well...

Feel like I'm close to getting back to normal life but now finding it hard to not run before I can walk. I want to get back to my golf, football and badminton, do my active day job and not feel sluggish and ill still. When I think I've cracked it one morning with a good level, the calculated carbs and and the right dose....bang and the hypo happens which is so frustrating.

I'm a problem solver and a+b=c whereas diabetes seems to be a+b=49!! I know I'm not long in and can't expect it all to work out as I have so carefully calculated, but it is annoying. I think on reflection,I'm aiming for good readings when I should be at the higher end of ok to give myself a buffer in case I get caught off guard.

Anyway, sure I'll get there and plenty of years ahead to practice!
Click to expand...
Great attitude, exactly how I approached my diagnosis aged 33. In my opinion it's the only way to do this!!!
In regards your unexpected readings you are more than likely getting the honeymoon period, sure you would have read up on that already!
 
You sound very similar to me. I was diagnosed last year at the age of 27 and in many ways it was a relief finally knowing what was wrong with me. I'm glad to hear that you aren't dealing with depression, denial, etc. However, don't make the mistake of assuming those are feelings that you can control. Personally, I haven't dealt with them either, but many people do and it's not a choice they get to make.

There's no reason you can't (slowly) work back into being active. Obviously, you need to be careful, but there's no rule that says you have to wait for a certain period of time. I was in the gym lifting weights two days after my diagnosis.

I'm not telling you to do this, but the best thing I ever did after my diagnosis was go onto a very low-carb diet. I didn't want to make things harder on myself than I had to. By eating fewer carbs there was less of a chance for making mistakes with my insulin doses. I'm far less strict about the the low-carb approach now than I was back then, but it's still an important part of my management.

Others have mentioned that you may be in the honeymoon phase and that's probably true. However, I'd take that with a grain of salt. When I tell people that my last a1c was 5.4% they're quick to say the same thing too. While it may be true (I can't prove it without another c-peptide test), my management is more complicated (in a good way) than anyone I've ever met in person.

My point in saying that is that you need to decide what works for you, where you're comfortable keeping your levels, and how you want to approach your management. Obviously, there are approaches that work for many people, and that's always a great place to start, but try not to compare yourself to others too much. Keeping educating yourself, be patient, and make disciplined decisions.
 
Hi @Rich1889 :)

The fact that A+B doesn't always equal C was the thing I found most annoying about Type 1. I'd do everything right - and still go low or high. I kept thinking I was making mistakes, but I wasnt. Firstly, Type 1 is a firecracker - it can suddenly jump off in all directions - and secondly, I'd bet you're honeymooning. The honeymoon can make sugars really erratic and it can be frustrating.

My advice is to keep doing what you're doing because you sound very focussed :) I also recommend making lots of notes so you can see what works for you regarding meals and exercise. I had a selection of meals that I stuck to just to make things easier. I knew what bolus worked most of the time and what to,eat if I went too low. I also kept notes about snacks prior to exercise.

As your own pancreas stops spurting out insulin, things do become a little less erratic, but there never gets a point when things go like clockwork - because we're humans not machines :)
 
@Rich1889

Hello Rich and welcome to the forum :) As mentioned above, here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 220,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
Welcome to you
I was diagnosed aged 6 and am now 48 and i do sometimes wonder where i would be if i'd been diagnosed in my 20s.
I suffer with depression and take pills for it which help.
Is it the length of time thats caused my depression or other factors?

Hey ho it is what it is and you are dealing with it superbly it seems and long may that continue.
Routine is a huge thing when starting out and underrated in my humble opinion and working from a baseline and knowing how your body reacts to insulin exercise and food is paramount to good control and yes mistakes will be made and things do happen that you can't figure out but with your attitude i believe you will get there.

I'm a fairly new member to this forum and am conscious of the effect the written word can have on people so i hope my humble observations are taken in the right way and i wish you the very best of luck.....

Kindest regards

Tony
 
Thanks everyone for their kind and positive words and happy to say things have improved and I'm a lot more steady than before! Time makes a difference and feel a lot more clued up than when I originally wrote this.

I have picked up on trends, know my body better and despite the blips over Christmas (it happens!) I seem to be getting there. Left my exercise until the new year and have started hiking to build my fitness back up. Enjoying being back out in the countryside and feel positive that in 2017 I'm going to get better control and back to how I was.

Its never going to be perfect but you are correct we are humans and that's part of lifes fun and challenges, wouldn't want it to be boring!!!

Happy New Year!
 
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