• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Struggling to cope

Diet ...what's that then .........carny do it myself ....won't give up my foods I had before ..... And yes I know what you all going say ......
But I was told to eat the normaly ....so normally is chocolate ....and all things nice
Should I care ...prob... Do I care ....nope

Needles In tum less pain then leg for me
Find tum easy and fast ......and can do standing up lol. And yes it's dose wind us all up sticking ...or as I call it ..stabbing oneself
But if you can get past the tum thing bud....it will swing better for you ...as you have more points to stab ya self with and not give your leg a rest at points
 
Hi Shabso, I was diagnosed when I was 60 years old and GP told me that I was type 2 but within 2 weeks I ended up in hospital and put immediately onto insulin...NO problems with that as my youngest daughter was only 9 when she was diagnosed type 1 so I knew what to expect. The family just pulled my leg and daughter said that now I'll know what it's like. My advice is within the next yext 6 months to a year get yourself on the DAFNE course. It's a type 1 management course that teaches you how to carb count/insulin ratios, the whys and hows things happen to us individually. They'll show you that you don't have to stop eating your favourite foods and how to deal with it. Also the info learnt is USUALLY better than what you'll be given by your care team...unless you get a really GOOD CARE TEAM. Keep reading this site and look at the Diabetes co.uk facebook site...not Diabetes uk.
Hi nigelho, thank you for the advice. I will try and get myself on to a course. I'm glad to hear I'll still be able to enjoy my favourite foods, at the moment I'm really struggling with snacks as everything seems out of bounds! I still haven't fully accepted this, the thought of being on insulin for the rest of my life & the complications that diabetes brings I constantly have that sinking feeling in my stomach and been crying myself to sleep.
 
In my opinion .... Absolutely! I was diagnosed in December and I am eating the same as I did before - I have chocolate, biscuits, desserts - it's no problem if you can correctly calculate your carb ratio and bolus accordingly for the food type (and it certainly helps if you exercise regularly as well). Some people prefer low carb diets because it's easier for them to manage their insulin doses but it's really a personal thing and you can do whatever works for you. When I was first diagnosed I remeber thinking I'd never be able to have high carb food again - it's not been the case at all and I've maintained a great HbA1C and have got my post meal spikes down by injecting my rapid insulin sometimes up to 45 mins before eating. It's all about getting used to how you react to different foods: for example, if I have a sugary drink I know it'll spike my blood sugar very quickly so I try to bolus half an hour before. Conversely, a burger (even with the roll) will spike slowly because of the fat, so I'd usually have to bolus a small amount right before and then follow up a few hours later with another dose.

I'm on holiday right now and yesterday completely over indulged on pizza and other higher carb foods (plus lots of ice cream and dessert!) and - although it took a bit of pre-planning and effort to time my insulin appropriately - it worked out fine! As you may be aware, you're probably in "honeymoon" period right now, so your pancreas is still helping out a little bit - realise it may get harder over time but certainly make use of it whilst you can. There is no one rule fits all so you just need to take the time (and lots of trial and effort - there WILL be times in goes wrong and you spike high!) to work out what is best for you. I'd also recommend you look at the Freestyle Libre: it's really helped me keep my eating and exercise habits as "normal" as possible. Good luck!
Thank you for the advice. I think it will be a while before I can start enjoying higher carb foods then, my levels have been around 20mmol on average and I've started on 4 units of insulin for each meal however this will be increasing gradually.

Hope you're having a great holiday!
 
Hi, just my 2cents:
I find I often bleed when injecting on thighs, more muscle? I don't know. I do belly for bolus and bum for basal
 
Hi shabso - firstly welcome to the forum. You are not alone in the way you are feeling right now, everyone has been there, and at first it is all incredibly overwhelming. The good news is you have been diagnosed with something that is entirely manageable with a bit of time and knowledge. Just take one day at a time, and don't be too hard on yourself if things don't go to plan straight away - use your diabetes care team as much as you need, it's what they are there for. And when it gets you down, we are all here to listen.
 
It is perfectly normal to ache! The spots that you choose for injecting are sometimes painless, sometimes very hurtful. You should cycle the injecting sites every chance you get. For example, when you have breakfast at home in the morning, try to inject in the legs. Because, if you have lunch out or next to other people, it would be easier to inject in the arms.
Also, when the needle has been used many times, it hurts almost every time. It's good to change the needle, not just for health and hygiene reasons, but also for less pain.
The same goes for testing the blood sugar. Cycle your fingers to make sure it doesn't hurt and change your needles often.
When I first got diagnosed I was 15 and I felt like my world fell down because I thought about all the restrictions. But, as I kept living with diabetes, it all became bearable and it just made me stronger. Just keep going
 
Back
Top