Newly diagnosed T1 husband

[Judy99]

Hi there- my husband was diagnosed with type 1 two weeks ago at the age of 49. We are trying to get our heads round it.

He is on Lantus and Novorapid (4/2/4-6) and will start the carb counting once he’s been on a course.

At the moment we’re just wishing Christmas was over and done with! It just seems so complicated.

Any advice on 1) how to cope with a Christmas party (at 4-6pm) - treat it as an additional meal and give a bit of extra insulin? He won’t eat or drink much but doesn’t want to have nothing

2) Christmas Day with the family - what’s to have for dessert? I’ve also been trying to find some nice recipes for treats for when everyone else is sitting round eating cake but the book we’ve bought seems to have xyteril (?) in everything and I’m not sure where to get hold of it.

Thanks. It all seems so complicated at the moment.

 

[himtoo]

Hi there @Judy99
welcome to the forum !!

It is a heck of a lot to get to grips with at first -- and to be honest it must seem like the whole world has been turned upside down for both of you.

from what you have told us -- your husband is on a normal starting out routine -- which is "fixed" in terms of insulin doses -- this is a good thing at first because it helps to keep things simpler.

I am assuming the 4/2/4 - 6 corresponds to 4 units novorapid at breakfast , 2 units novorapid at lunch , 4 units novorapid at evening meal , and 6 units lantus ( long acting ) at night ??

for scenario 1 -- i would treat the party as the evening meal and aim to eat in the middle time wise ( say around 5pm )
a drink like red wine is ok , or a spirit like Gin with a low calorie mixer ( slimline tonic )- or any sugar free soft drinks if driving

scenario 2 -- 2 answers -- for me I just avoid puddings -- have been diagnosed 45 years and it is just easier all round ( just my own way of dealing with it )
answer 2 -- there are artificial sweeteners such as splenda available that work as a sugar substitute.
here is a link to a thread about low carb cake recipes -- this might help you find something suitable.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cake-recipes.129229/#post-1616463

I promise it will get easier to understand and deal with over time -- try to be kind to yourselves.

 

[catapillar]

He is on Lantus and Novorapid (4/2/4-6) and will start the carb counting once he’s been on a course.

While the courses are useful, you really don't need to attend a course before you start carb counting. They usually don't offer the courses to newLy diagnosed type 1s until 12 months after diagnosis because the honeymoon period makes finding your insulin to carb ratio more difficult.

You can do the free NHS online course on carb counting here - https://www.bertieonline.org.uk - it's not that complicated.

 

[Judy99]

Thanks so much - all really helpful. Doses are novorapid 4 with breakfast, 2 with lunch and 4-6 with dinner depending on what he’s eating, plus 12 of lantus at 10pm.

 

[Jc3131]

Hello Judy99, I was diagnosed 6 months ago at the tender age of 42 and what a complete shock and life changer it has been.

This festive period is a nightmate but we have to try and live our lives.

I had a works meal last week and just gave myself 2units of novorapid as im still in my honeymoon period, I gave my mate my chocolate cake instead of taking extra units. Looking back 3 units would have been better but my levels came back down after 3.5 hours.

A week before that I went out for a pizza and drinks. Lager and Pizza a great combo. 4 units novorapid before my meal and then I just monitored my blood every so often when I was out. I let my blood sugar run a little higher as to try and stop a dip in sugars during the night. To help with this I had some chips and went to bed with a higher blood sugar than normal, around 13mmol mark rather than the 7mmol I normally aim for.

For the first time ever we are eating out at Christmas, a nightmare for me, but I'm coming around to the idea. Im just gonna go with the flow. Soup for starter then the dinner and no sweet. Instead of the sweet Im having the cheese board. And a few lagers. Im planning on 5 units for this meal.

Everyones different, but that's what I'm doing at the moment.

 

[paulus1]

just eat sensibly. avoid the obvious nonos savoury is better than sweet. just dont start carb counting until they have you on your correct dosage. it will mess up there working out. in reality if he is finding it tough just eat the normal Christmas meal just reduce the amounts of spuds and if he has to have puddings small portions. dont increase dosages just yet without your doctors ok. its not the highs we now need to worry about its going low. its why they start off with small doses.try to enjoy christmas its not all about food. the diabetes will be there after christmas.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. Yes, Christmas will be difficult food-wise if you aren't carb-counting. It really is easy and the NHS makes too much of a 'thing' about it; my nurse took 15 minutes to explain it when I started insulin. Do follow the link another poster has given. Answering your question yes it is about altering the rapid insulin for a meal. The important thing when making any adjustments is to check the blood sugar frequently to avoid hypos and only make small changes until you gain experience. I have cake but not too much and remove any icing. The good thing about fruit cake is that it is low GI without the icing and hence smooths any blood sugar spike. Beer and cider may contain some carbs but spirits don't affect blood sugar by much BUT too much alcohol ties up the liver getting rid of it and it then can't dump emergency glucose if the blood sugar goes too low.

 

[TheBigNewt]

Pay attention to who's giving you advice, a Type 1 or a Type 1.5/2. Think about passing on the desserts. Eat the other stuff and maybe just a taste of that. Light beer or red wine, or spirits/ice.

 

[Daibell]

Pay attention to who's giving you advice, a Type 1 or a Type 1.5/2. Think about passing on the desserts. Eat the other stuff and maybe just a taste of that. Light beer or red wine, or spirits/ice.

Ah but a T1.5 is a T1 except it probably came on later in life and more slowly. T1.5 (LADA) needs to be treated in the same way as T1 but not the same as T2

 

[TheBigNewt]

Ah but a T1.5 is a T1 except it probably came on later in life and more slowly. T1.5 (LADA) needs to be treated in the same way as T1 but not the same as T2

So you're saying that measured insulin levels in T1.5 are the same as a truly confirmedT1 like me: ZERO? My understand is T1.5 doesn't take metformin/glipizide like T2, but make insulin so they may need less.

 

[Judy99]

Really helpful info everyone - thanks very much. I'm going tom make one of those recipes tomorrow too. Judy

 

[Jc3131]

I don't know if im classed as type 1 or 1.5 or whatever. But i had the gad test and tested positive in all 3 tests which I was told was unusual.

Anyway since starting with small doses of insulin my pancreas has kicked in and fires out its own random insulin which is hard to track. Some days I eat a sandwich (burgen bread only, as if i eat any other bread my blood will turn to pure sugar) and my bloods fine, other days it's too high and then it's down in the hypo zone.

Just get your hubby to test all the time before and after food to get an idea of what works for him. People say rice is a pain, at the moment I can eat it no bother with just a small amount of insulin, but with bread I'm a mess, well sort of.

 

[himtoo]

Really helpful info everyone - thanks very much. I'm going tom make one of those recipes tomorrow too. Judy

fantastic @Judy99
living with D is a long game ---- so taking a long view is essential to living with this chronic condition.

pleased you are trying a recipe -- this stands you in good stead for the long game !!!!!!!
hope you have the best christmas that your whole family can
will be thinking of you all
xxx

 

[Scott-C]

@Judy99 , if he's not got it already, a useful app to get is Carbs & Cals. I went out for our office xmas lunch recently, had pre-ordered the traditional turkey and trimmings, but had no idea what size it would be until it arrived, so a little delve into C&C helped with that:

One thing to bear in mind us that T1 is not about avoiding sugar altogether. We're not allergic to it. It's more about managing the rate at which it is absorbed into the bloodstream. A cake at the end of a meal has fast sugar in it but absorption will be buffered by the proteins and fats in the main course, and, indeed, by the fats in the pudding itself.

I've never really had much of a sweet tooth, so it's not an issue for me, but I do like a chocolate eclair or dark chocolate cheesecake every now and then. Those sort of things are totally manageable without wrecking blood sugar levels.

I'm sure by next Xmas, hubby will have learned so much that he'll be getting stuck into a three course meal with no difficulties at all.

 

[Cobia]

Hi there- my husband was diagnosed with type 1 two weeks ago at the age of 49. We are trying to get our heads round it.

He is on Lantus and Novorapid (4/2/4-6) and will start the carb counting once he’s been on a course.

At the moment we’re just wishing Christmas was over and done with! It just seems so complicated.

Any advice on 1) how to cope with a Christmas party (at 4-6pm) - treat it as an additional meal and give a bit of extra insulin? He won’t eat or drink much but doesn’t want to have nothing

2) Christmas Day with the family - what’s to have for dessert? I’ve also been trying to find some nice recipes for treats for when everyone else is sitting round eating cake but the book we’ve bought seems to have xyteril (?) in everything and I’m not sure where to get hold of it.

Thanks. It all seems so complicated at the moment.

Its very complated the first year... only advise from me is try to pass on the deserts... to help with an idea of what carbs he's eating... find the app Carb and Cals... it has pictures to give you an idea of the carb value....


Main thing is dont panic this is a long term thing everyone makes mistakes we all do.

 

[Cobia]

Hi there @Judy99
welcome to the forum !!

It is a heck of a lot to get to grips with at first -- and to be honest it must seem like the whole world has been turned upside down for both of you.

from what you have told us -- your husband is on a normal starting out routine -- which is "fixed" in terms of insulin doses -- this is a good thing at first because it helps to keep things simpler.

I am assuming the 4/2/4 - 6 corresponds to 4 units novorapid at breakfast , 2 units novorapid at lunch , 4 units novorapid at evening meal , and 6 units lantus ( long acting ) at night ??

for scenario 1 -- i would treat the party as the evening meal and aim to eat in the middle time wise ( say around 5pm )
a drink like red wine is ok , or a spirit like Gin with a low calorie mixer ( slimline tonic )- or any sugar free soft drinks if driving

scenario 2 -- 2 answers -- for me I just avoid puddings -- have been diagnosed 45 years and it is just easier all round ( just my own way of dealing with it )
answer 2 -- there are artificial sweeteners such as splenda available that work as a sugar substitute.
here is a link to a thread about low carb cake recipes -- this might help you find something suitable.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cake-recipes.129229/#post-1616463

I promise it will get easier to understand and deal with over time -- try to be kind to yourselves.

Himtoo its seems impossible at first but your right. It takes time undersand how things work. Guess we all learn something new every day..

 

[Cobia]

So you're saying that measured insulin levels in T1.5 are the same as a truly confirmedT1 like me: ZERO? My understand is T1.5 doesn't take metformin/glipizide like T2, but make insulin so they may need less.

Question..... im 48 now was 46 when diagnosed had a cpeptide test 1 year ago ... was 0.25 if i remember corectly..... fasting glucoes level was 8 at the time was 8.0 mmol. At diagnosis full on DKA..
6 months later positive to Gad and 1a2....


Am i type1 or type1.5 because of age at diagnoses....


Honey moon never saw an insulin free day.


Either way it is a forum newt have a very merry Christmas its worth it.

Either was my diabetic educator regards me as type1 mainly because i think the state she orriginally saw me in.... i think more type 1.5 being not a child things are a little different......

 

[TheBigNewt]

Full on DKA usually means full on Type 1. Type 1.5 we don't have in the US. We recognize the "honeymoon" period though for new Type 1's. They still make some insulin for awhile.

 

[ringi]

@TheBigNewt I think Type 1.5 is also called Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA)

 

[Daibell]

So you're saying that measured insulin levels in T1.5 are the same as a truly confirmedT1 like me: ZERO? My understand is T1.5 doesn't take metformin/glipizide like T2, but make insulin so they may need less.

I think you're sort-of right. My understanding is that not all 'true' T1s have zero insulin and many T1.5s will have very low insulin but it often decays very slowly like mine did over 10 years or so. My c-peptide 6 years ago was right at the bottom of the acceptable range so not zero and has I believe has gone a bit lower since. T2s will usually have high insulin towards the top of the acceptable range I believe. As usual in nature conditions are a spectrum. My Bolus ratio is 1:10 and very similar to a 'true' T1?