NEWLY DIAGNOSED TYPE 1 2 WEEKS AGO

[EmmaB26]

Wow!!!! What a shock to be told after heading to the dr for one thing and a couple of days later being told I have type 1 diabetes two weeks ago. Had no idea I was presenting with so many symptoms, lucky I went when I did and can now start the journey of getting things under control. On top of this at the young age of 41 I started a PGCE in Primary in September and currently on placement so lots of things going on and most of symptoms put down to the stress of this. Lots to get my head around, now injecting 4 times a day and checking bloods regularly. Have a wonderful 10yr old boy called Alex and he has been amazing, there is just the 2 of us so he has been told what to do for any emergencies - what a surreal conversation to have with your child. Count myself lucky this was the outcome from the drs as could have been told a lot worse news and I am always one to look at life positively knowing there are people dealing with so much more than this. Looking forward to having a break from studies over Christmas and try to get my head round everything I have been told so far and how to make the changes needed to live a happy, healthy life with diabetes. Sorry this is so long nice to find somewhere to get stuff down. X

 

[Prem51]

Hi @EmmaB26 and welcome to the forum. You seem to have taken your diagnosis in your stride, after the initial shock.
I'm Type 2 so I don't know anything about Type 1 diabetes, but there are many T1s on here and I expect they will be along soon.
Ask anything you want to, and you will get good advice and support on here.

 

[himtoo]

hi there @EmmaB26
welcome to the forum !!

It is a whole lot to take in at first so my only real advice is to try and be kind to yourself.
You can only learn in real time how your body will react at different times.


great group of people on this forum for support too.

going to tag in a few............... @catapillar , @Juicyj , @Snapsy , @novorapidboi26 , @therower
to come along and say hello

 

[EmmaB26]

hi there @EmmaB26
welcome to the forum !!

It is a whole lot to take in at first so my only real advice is to try and be kind to yourself.
You can only learn in real time how your body will react at different times.


great group of people on this forum for support too.

going to tag in a few............... @catapillar , @Juicyj , @Snapsy , @novorapidboi26 , @therower
to come along and say hello

Thank you. I'm sure I'll have lots of q's and can see there's lots of helpful advice on here.

 

[Deleted Account]

I echo @himtoo - there's a lot to take in but don't feel you have to take it all in on day 1.
I am 14 years in and still learning more each day.

Remember the forum members are a great mix of type 1, type 2, LADA, ... young, old, in between, ... diabetes old-timers, diabetes new-timers, and those in between, ... with a huge wealth of information between them. Not all is relevant to everyone or everyone at this time. So, feel free to pick and choose the information that helps you now.

Don't be afraid to ask questions - there is no such thing as a silly question, even if it has been asked before.
... and don't be afraid to rant every now and then.

 

[Juicyj]

Hello and welcome @EmmaB26

I will echo the words already given above, the forum is great for practical advice and mental support when you need it. The best advice I can give is to pick up a copy of 'Think like a pancreas' written by a type 1 and a useful guide to help develop your learning, knowledge is key with good t1 management. Lots of friendly folk here too, sounds like you have a great positive attitude which will help you enormously with t1 life

 

[novorapidboi26]

Welcome aboard Emma....

 

[Snapsy]

Hi @EmmaB26 ! Wow what a great post - despite the shock of your very recent diagnosis you're sounding very positive, and it sounds as if you and Alex are a great team. We're a similar age, so hi from another young lady in her early(ish) *coughs* forties.

I found it bewildering in the early days but I was lucky to have great support, and more recently I've found this forum and hang out a bit on here with lovely people who are all very helpful.

There's a lot of information to take on board, but take each day at a time, write down any questions you've got for your doctor/diabetes nurse when you think of them - and ask questions here too, of course - and keep records of blood glucose test results and what you've eaten, as this data is invaluable when you are getting to grips with making your diabetes more predictable with carb counting etc. You will get there - it's a journey, and a process, and as you're in education I know you know all about that!

I don't have any specific recollection of my own post-diagnosis 'honeymoon period' - I was 11 - but you may well find that things take a while to settle particularly in the first few months because of this - don't be fazed, don't be freaked out - it's all part of the deal.

Love Snapsy xxx

 

[EmmaB26]

Hi @EmmaB26 ! Wow what a great post - despite the shock of your very recent diagnosis you're sounding very positive, and it sounds as if you and Alex are a great team. We're a similar age, so hi from another young lady in her early(ish) *coughs* forties.

I found it bewildering in the early days but I was lucky to have great support, and more recently I've found this forum and hang out a bit on here with lovely people who are all very helpful.

There's a lot of information to take on board, but take each day at a time, write down any questions you've got for your doctor/diabetes nurse when you think of them - and ask questions here too, of course - and keep records of blood glucose test results and what you've eaten, as this data is invaluable when you are getting to grips with making your diabetes more predictable with carb counting etc. You will get there - it's a journey, and a process, and as you're in education I know you know all about that!

I don't have any specific recollection of my own post-diagnosis 'honeymoon period' - I was 11 - but you may well find that things take a while to settle particularly in the first few months because of this - don't be fazed, don't be freaked out - it's all part of the deal.

Love Snapsy xxx

Thank you so much for your kind words. The information on here is brilliant. Seriously no good time of year but heading to Christmas and all the stuff around making it harder. Xx

 

[therower]

Hi @EmmaB26 . Welcome to the forum. I've just returned from the gym to find that we have a new member.

So you say that it's just you and Alex...........well not no more.
You're officially part of the Type1 gang.
We're odd, weird, caring, loud, quite, in control, out of control, sometimes happy, sometimes not so, occasionally funny, serious now and then and all living with type 1 diabetes.
One thing you can be sure of is, if you need help, a chat , a rant or information then they'll always be someone here to assist.

You've already had great advice.

I'll let you into a little secret. Diabetes hates a positive attitude. It thrives on negativity.

 

[EmmaB26]

Hi @EmmaB26 . Welcome to the forum. I've just returned from the gym to find that we have a new member.

So you say that it's just you and Alex...........well not no more.
You're officially part of the Type1 gang.
We're odd, weird, caring, loud, quite, in control, out of control, sometimes happy, sometimes not so, occasionally funny, serious now and then and all living with type 1 diabetes.
One thing you can be sure of is, if you need help, a chat , a rant or information then they'll always be someone here to assist.

You've already had great advice.

I'll let you into a little secret. Diabetes hates a positive attitude. It thrives on negativity.

Thank you so much. Positive thoughts all the way. This is an amazing forum and so much useful advice. X

 

[catapillar]

Hi @EmmaB26 welcome to the club no one wants to join. Sounds like you are taking it in your stride, that's really commendable. It's a lot to get your head around, so don't be ashamed to take a breath, when you get the opportunity. I very strongly second the recommendation to get hold of a copy of the book "think like a pancreas" it's a great practical user friendly guide to the basics of what you need to know to manage type 1. Has your GP referred you to endocrinology? As a newly diagnosed type 1 you should really be under the care of an endocrinologist and have the number of the Diabetic Specialist Nurses - you should be keeping in fairly close contact with the DSN for their help with insulin doses at this stage. Don't be afraid to make use of the DSN resource, they want to help you. You should make sure you let the school and your uni know - sounds ridiculous, but you are now officially disabled and entitled to reasonable adjustments to accommodate your disability, so if you find yourself needing to eat or test during a lesson, you can. Blood sugar testing and injecting 100% fascinates children, they love it, but if you'd prefer to be discrete about it it's perfectly possible to do it under a desk, behind a book, and no one notice.

 

[EmmaB26]

Hi @EmmaB26 welcome to the club no one wants to join. Sounds like you are taking it in your stride, that's really commendable. It's a lot to get your head around, so don't be ashamed to take a breath, when you get the opportunity. I very strongly second the recommendation to get hold of a copy of the book "think like a pancreas" it's a great practical user friendly guide to the basics of what you need to know to manage type 1. Has your GP referred you to endocrinology? As a newly diagnosed type 1 you should really be under the care of an endocrinologist and have the number of the Diabetic Specialist Nurses - you should be keeping in fairly close contact with the DSN for their help with insulin doses at this stage. Don't be afraid to make use of the DSN resource, they want to help you. You should make sure you let the school and your uni know - sounds ridiculous, but you are now officially disabled and entitled to reasonable adjustments to accommodate your disability, so if you find yourself needing to eat or test during a lesson, you can. Blood sugar testing and injecting 100% fascinates children, they love it, but if you'd prefer to be discrete about it it's perfectly possible to do it under a desk, behind a book, and no one notice.

Thank you. I am thinking there's a great year 6 science lesson to be had where they can work out the insulin I need based on my levels. X

 

[Fastcol]

Hi Emma, like you I have just been diagnosed type 1 a couple of weeks ago, what a complete shock, I live a healthy lifestyle, eat well, don’t smoke, avoid fizzy drinks and junk food. I go mountain biking regularly, and for a 52 year old consider myself in good shape.
I guess I’m just getting my head round the fact that it’s just bad luck and like you are thankful it was nothing much worse.
This past couple of weeks my wife and I have spent so much time analysing every item that goes in the shopping basket and to be honest it’s no wonder that diabetes is on the up as so many foods contain unbelievable levels of sugars, but at least it’s easy to detect these levels on the packaging.
I’m still getting to grips with getting my blood sugar levels sorted but I do regularly get well within the required band, understanding the balance between insulin requirements and food intake is still daunting but it’s still early days.
So from one shocked newbie to another, good luck and keep positive

 

[catapillar]

@Fastcol type 1 diabetes isn't caused by lifestyle. It's an autoimmune disease. What you eat doesn't cause type 1 to develop. Diabetes is "on the up" and that's type 2 diabetes, an entirely different condition with a similar name. Type 1 diabetes isn't managed by what you eat, it's managed by taking insulin, so while you do have to check food labels to figure out how how much insulin to take you could just buy exactly the same things in the food shop as you were before and read the food labels befor you inject for your meal. The leading national course on type 1 management is Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating - ie. Carry on eating just like a normal person, adjust your insulin to go with whatever you choose to eat.

 

[DobbieTheElf]

It seems you have the right attitude towards it, and thats all you need. Just ask on here anything you need to know, and as EVERYONE else has said, you will get a great answer. Good luck in the future!!

 

[Macdonald1995]

I was 41when I was told I had type 1 that was 2 and a half years ago, it was a shock to say the least but you get there once you get your head round the injections and blood testing. Good luck, we have all been there

 

[TheBigNewt]

@Fastcol type 1 diabetes isn't caused by lifestyle. It's an autoimmune disease. What you eat doesn't cause type 1 to develop. Diabetes is "on the up" and that's type 2 diabetes, an entirely different condition with a similar name. Type 1 diabetes isn't managed by what you eat, it's managed by taking insulin, so while you do have to check food labels to figure out how how much insulin to take you could just buy exactly the same things in the food shop as you were before and read the food labels befor you inject for your meal. The leading national course on type 1 management is Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating - ie. Carry on eating just like a normal person, adjust your insulin to go with whatever you choose to eat.

What she said. But you need to eliminate/limit some food items of course. No Sugar Frosted Flakes for example. What skyrockets me are white starches: rice, pasta, tortillas, potatoes, breads. I still partake but I cut way back. French fries are killer (I believe you call them chips) but are probably my biggest weakness. I don't have a problem skipping sweets.

 

[Circuspony]

Hi Emma - also diagnosed in 2017 at the grand old age of 43. No family history so came as a bit of a surprise.

Despite being told I would feel a lot better after I started on insulin I spent about 3 months feeling dreadful. I was lucky enough to have a fabulous consultant at the hospital who basically told me I'd had a sugar addiction (unintentional) for around 12 months and now they were making me go cold turkey - so I was bound to feel awful. For some reason I also had a flood of coughs and colds and its only now (6 months in) that I'm really starting to feel 'well'. So go easy on yourself, remember your metabolism has to adjust to the new normal and you won't get everything right.

 

[Antje77]

I am thinking there's a great year 6 science lesson to be had where they can work out the insulin I need based on my levels.

Welcome, Emma! I'm sorry you have diabetes, it's a pain in the fingertips sometimes. But I'm happy you joined us, it's made diabetics as a whole an even cooler bunch! Be careful with your science lessons. Make sure your students know what to do when you go hypo before following their dosing-advice without double-checking.