T1 confirmed no ifs or buts

[SueJB]

I'm not actually sure how I'm feeling really.
After 7 months of assuming I was T1 but actually questioning whether they'd got it right, it was confirmed today.
I was also told I'd been checked for antibodies and had a c-peptide test in Aug last year. Why on earth didn't they send me or my doctor a letter rather than just saying they weren't sure and were going to treat the diabetes "aggressively"!!

Anyway, I learnt my c-peptide then was 222 (don't know the measurement) and that a normal pancreas produces around 1000 of whatever they are. Definite honeymoon the consultant said. Great!! I inject tiddly amounts of basal insulin and have reduced it without their sayso and I'm going to reduce it a bit more. She was OK with that. Don't bolus anymore either. She was OK with that too. I just get the feeling that they give you the "medicine" and you fiddle about with the doses yourself. They did take more blood to do a c-peptide test.. pleased about that.

So anyway, here's a question for all of you lovely long-time and experienced type oners, after the honeymoon, do the needles get bigger, thicker and longer the more units you have to inject or is that me just being a northern dafty?

 

[porl69]

Hi @SueJB you northern dafty You will be glad to hear that the needles stay the same length and thickness.. I have been T1D for 46 years, when I first started the needles were the length (and thickness) of a darning needle

 

[Deleted Account]

At the school of "there's no such thing as a stupid question", I do not think you are a Northern Dafty.
But, as @porl69 suggests, as we get used to needles and injecting becomes just part of our daily life, they make them smaller and thinner. (Thankfully, I did not have diabetes in the era of darning needles.)
It's as if they think "we'll scare her so much to start with that we can then throw anything at her in the future" ... either that or manufacturing techniques, treatment, research, ... improve and things getting better.
For example, I now have a pump so my 4mm needles are just for back up and I haven't used them for over two years.

 

[SueJB]

Hi @SueJB you northern dafty You will be glad to hear that the needles stay the same length and thickness.. I have been T1D for 46 years, when I first started the needles were the length (and thickness) of a darning needle

I love you

 

[SueJB]

Just an addition to what I was told today. I was told low carb hasn't been empirically proven so they can't recommend it. "I advise against going into even mild ketosis" Where does she think my body is when I'm often not putting away no more than 20-30g carbs? Silly consulatant. She wasn't interested in Bernstein either and hadn't heard of Gary Taubes or Adam Brown. She ignored me when I asked whether she would recommend Eatwell plate

 

[Bluetit1802]

Just an addition to what I was told today. I was told low carb hasn't been empirically proven so they can't recommend it. "I advise against going into even mild ketosis" Where does she think my body is when I'm often not putting away no more than 20-30g carbs? Silly consulatant. She wasn't interested in Bernstein either and hadn't heard of Gary Taubes or Adam Brown. She ignored me when I asked whether she would recommend Eatwell plate

Smile and ignore!
Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon and long may it last

 

[LooperCat]

So anyway, here's a question for all of you lovely long-time and experienced type oners, after the honeymoon, do the needles get bigger, thicker and longer the more units you have to inject or is that me just being a northern dafty?

Nah, over ten units at a time and they give you a slightly sharpened scaffolding pole

 

[SueJB]

Nah, over ten units at a time and they give you a slightly sharpened scaffolding pole

That is just so outrageously funny I won't be able to walk under any scaffolding now without widdling myself It was a serious question though. Thanks you've made me laugh

 

[KK123]

I'm not actually sure how I'm feeling really.
After 7 months of assuming I was T1 but actually questioning whether they'd got it right, it was confirmed today.
I was also told I'd been checked for antibodies and had a c-peptide test in Aug last year. Why on earth didn't they send me or my doctor a letter rather than just saying they weren't sure and were going to treat the diabetes "aggressively"!!

Anyway, I learnt my c-peptide then was 222 (don't know the measurement) and that a normal pancreas produces around 1000 of whatever they are. Definite honeymoon the consultant said. Great!! I inject tiddly amounts of basal insulin and have reduced it without their sayso and I'm going to reduce it a bit more. She was OK with that. Don't bolus anymore either. She was OK with that too. I just get the feeling that they give you the "medicine" and you fiddle about with the doses yourself. They did take more blood to do a c-peptide test.. pleased about that.

So anyway, here's a question for all of you lovely long-time and experienced type oners, after the honeymoon, do the needles get bigger, thicker and longer the more units you have to inject or is that me just being a northern dafty?

Hi Sue, were they happy to confirm just on the C peptide result? I've had all the tests going and although they suspect type 1, they STILL won't confirm definitively! My C peptide was the 'low end of normal' but they said that didn't confirm anything on its own because I had been on small amounts of insulin for 2 months prior to that test. My GAD (antibodies) were 'weak positive' but they said that didn't confirm either because people without diabetes sometimes have a positive result. I'm not entirely sure what would confirm it 100%. Always interesting to hear what other people's consultants are prepared to diagnose though.

 

[LooperCat]

That is just so outrageously funny I won't be able to walk under any scaffolding now without widdling myself It was a serious question though. Thanks you've made me laugh

Sometimes you just have to laugh at diabetes, glad I gave you a chuckle. I think they actually use new scaff poles for diabetes needles though, they don’t raid building sites for them. Although with the current funding crisis, who knows?

 

[SueJB]

Hi Sue, were they happy to confirm just on the C peptide result? I've had all the tests going and although they suspect type 1, they STILL won't confirm definitively! My C peptide was the 'low end of normal' but they said that didn't confirm anything on its own because I had been on small amounts of insulin for 2 months prior to that test. My GAD (antibodies) were 'weak positive' but they said that didn't confirm either because people without diabetes sometimes have a positive result. I'm not entirely sure what would confirm it 100%. Always interesting to hear what other people's consultants are prepared to diagnose though.

Thanks for writing this but it actually makes me feel very down. I'm trying to be positive and move on and work with what I've got. So what was your c-peptide exactly?

 

[SueJB]

Sometimes you just have to laugh at diabetes, glad I gave you a chuckle. I think they actually use new scaff poles for diabetes needles though, they don’t raid building sites for them. Although with the current funding crisis, who knows?

You just have to stop this or I'll be giggling all night. Stop now please, please!!

 

[porl69]

Nah, over ten units at a time and they give you a slightly sharpened scaffolding pole

I forgot about the scaffold pole.....ooooh bad memories

 

[SueJB]

Just had another thought. Does anyone know the measurement used for c-peptide test? I've got a figure (222) but what are these? certainly not inches, nor a measurement of weight, is it mmols? doubt it. Can someone solve this little puzzle please and post a thread so I can do some reading? Thanks

 

[slip]

Thankfully I was in my office on my own reading this thread.............however I have had people from right down the far end of the corridor popping in to make sure I was OK. Scaffolding poles!

 

[porl69]

Thankfully I was in my office on my own reading this thread.............however I have had people from right down the far end of the corridor popping in to make sure I was OK. Scaffolding poles!

Its only funny if you never had to use them

 

[LooperCat]

Just had another thought. Does anyone know the measurement used for c-peptide test? I've got a figure (222) but what are these? certainly not inches, nor a measurement of weight, is it mmols? doubt it. Can someone solve this little puzzle please and post a thread so I can do some reading? Thanks

From what I can find out, the units are pmol/l (picomoles per litre - tiny, tiny units. A millionth of the mmol we measure our blood glucose). It seems the reference range is 298-2350, so you’re under the lower threshold.

 

[slip]

Its only funny if you never had to use them

And now more people up the corridor are coming to my 'aid'!

 

[KK123]

Thanks for writing this but it actually makes me feel very down. I'm trying to be positive and move on and work with what I've got. So what was your c-peptide exactly?

Hi Sue, sorry if I've made you feel down, I find it hard to work with what I've got when I don't understand the data as well!! My levels were '148', I have no idea what unit that was measured in but they said it was the 'low end of normal' which seems strange now I've read Mel's post, (298 to 2350), that would make me way under the norm. I am certainly going to discuss it at my next Consultant's appointment which is running 3 months late.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Sue, sorry if I've made you feel down, I find it hard to work with what I've got when I don't understand the data as well!! My levels were '148', I have no idea what unit that was measured in but they said it was the 'low end of normal' which seems strange now I've read Mel's post, (298 to 2350), that would make me way under the norm. I am certainly going to discuss it at my next Consultant's appointment which is running 3 months late.

I understand from what someone said in another post that each lab can have different reference ranges, depending on the machinery they use for measuring. This is why we should have the print outs as they will show the appropriate reference ranges.

@SueJB is there any way you can get a print out?