Newly diagnosed

ChelsM96 said:

- do you ever get over feeling guilty

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I've never felt guilty, why would I?

ChelsM96 said:

angry about being diagnosed?

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Yes, most of the time. I've mostly taken it in my stride, although I have the occasional anger and frustration.

ChelsM96 said:

- does it get easier doing your insulin as times goes by?

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For me, yes!

Would you like to tell us a bit more on what things bother you the most? We might have some tips, and if not we can still listen if you need to vent.

Ah, that must be a big adjustment for you! Take your time, being bewildered is very natural.

ChelsM96 said:

It's the using insulin in public too which currently is a massive fear. Do people just inject where they are or go to the bathroom and do it..

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Personally, I just inject wherever and whenever. To my thinking, all those other people are having insulin put in their system by their pancreases in public, so why shouldn't I put my insulin in my system in public?
It needs less than a square inch of skin, so that's not an issue either.

But that's the practical side of it. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you'll need to find the best way to deal with this for you!
For some, this means finding a private spot but most of us, I think, get used to just injecting in public with a bit of practice.
It sure makes having T1 less of a burden if you don't feel the need to find private spots all the time.

Would it be an idea to tell a friend and go out for something nice to eat to practice with their support?

ChelsM96 said:

doesn't do needles.

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They're invisible from more than 2 feet away. They wouldn't be able to see the difference between you holding your pen with or without a needle against your body.
But if you like this person, why not just inform them you're about to fiddle with your insulin pen so they can look the other way or go to the bathroom for a couple of minutes?
It's sure much more hygienic to sit out your fear of needles in a public bathroom than to inject there...

That said, I'm not too bothered by the hygiene aspect of injecting in a bathroom. Like I said, I inject anywhere and everywhere, and that includes bathrooms.
But I'm pretty sure someone with a needle phobia will appreciate not wanting to do an injection in a bathroom!

ChelsM96 said:

It's all just still a minefield at the moment.

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Take your time, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
It takes time getting used to all this, and that's perfectly fine!

ChelsM96 said:

Hi,

I'm newly diagnosed type one and have decided to join here for a bit more support. Diabetes team have been fantastic so far.

I do have a few questions..
- do you ever get over feeling guilty/angry about being diagnosed?
- does it get easier doing your insulin as times goes by?

thank you for reading.

chels

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What I found is most people are so busy looking at their phones and talking they do not even realise that I am checking my bloods and injecting in front of them.

If they new friends I might casually drop it in the conversation hey just got to check my SUGAR level as I am Type 1 diabetic.

I do not tell them I am checking BLOOD or INJECTING they do not need to know the details. If they ask I will explain.

If I go out for a meal with friends I just do the checks in front of me using the table as a bit of a shield for them if they might be "squeamish".

I find needle clippers amazing as when I am done cut the needle and put the plastic part and test strip in a old test strip container.

As already said this is a Marathon not a sprint, take it in learn , test , document and Always keep your hypo treats on you and not in the car or at home when you out.

It gets very much easier doing insulin. I think the more you learn about your own insulin needs, and the way you respond to food, the more you know that to stay feeling well you need to put in some insulin whenever you need it. People generally don’t notice or don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Some may wonder why that odd old woman’s just pushed her top off her shoulder, revealing a bra strap (always a coloured bra strap) and put a pen against her upper arm but they’re too used to people doing odd things in the street to point or comment. And I feel better. Like Antje says, if they’ve got working beta cells, they have insulin on a constant internal trickle.
It also gets easier to measure carbohydrates, inject more or less the right amount and wait the right amount of time before eating. I always ask friends what the food they put on the table has in it. Most of them get used to it. Some just don’t get the idea of carbs, so that’ll be the next part of your T1 journey.
I never feel guilty. I didn’t do anything to invite T1, and neither did you. We’re just unfortunate that we have the wrong genes. I do feel very very sympathetic towards those who’ve acquired it because of cancer or Covid. Such bad luck!
I do sometimes feel angry, especially if I have days when the balancing act doesn’t go well and my blood sugars rise or fall and I can’t explain why. It’s then that I feel horribly envious everyone who has a fully working system.

PS I never go to the bathroom to inject. I’d be horrified if a doctor or nurse took me to the surgery toilet to administer a jab.

Hi there @ChelsM96
the feelings of guilt and anger are totally normal / have a google of " the 5 stages of grief "
this was one of the first bits of education i got at my diagnosis ... with such a traumatic thing happening it is much like the loss of a loved one --- only that loved one is part of you......
.
everything about your diagnosis is about you ... we are all different and what works for one may be different for somebody else...

my advice is to be kind to yourself because D lasts a lifetime ... always available for a chat if you ever need some support