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Type 1 at University

EvePop96

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi, my names Evelyn and I was diagnosed when I was two (super young). I have Type 1 Diabetes most of my life and while I've always been on the slightly high side I've never had any serious problems.
I'm in my second year of uni at the moment and I'm 20 years old. I'm really struggling at the moment with stress from my course which is messing with my blood levels, making me ill and then making me more stressed.
Everyone keeps saying that my health comes first and I am trying but it feels like a constant, never ending battle. I don't know anyone else with Type 1 and I just was hoping there was someone else who understood where I was coming from...
 
I was in the fortunate situation where I had finished my studies before being diagnosed. I can imagine just how stressful heavy amounts of coursework and walking the T1D tightrope can be.

I'm assuming that you're living away from home whilst you are studying? If so, have you registered with a local Clinic and do you have contact details for a DSN/diabetes care team in the same area as your university?
 
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https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-t...d-my-diabetes/School-and-college/University-/

http://www.healthtalk.org/young-peoples-experiences/diabetes-type-1/university-and-work

Take care @EvePop96
 
I didn't have any problems and that was an Engineering degree, but I am quite and easy going guy I suppose.....

Maybe try and think of ways to make the course less stressful.......identity what specifically is stressful....

are you injecting [Mix, MDI]......
 

I am registered at my local clinic but they just do the checks. I didn't think about a care team, I haven't seen one around but I'll have a look into it
thank you
 
I went to Uni and didn't let type 1 get in the way as much as I could help it.

Looking back, I think putting my blood sugar as a higher priority would've helped me out in study performance and day to day living though.

Things I would've told myself back then:
  • Eat well -carbs may be cheap but they're not good (in such large amounts) for blood sugars
  • Don't go crazy on alcohol -you're cool and fun enough without most of it
  • Don't be afraid of high numbers -each one gives a slightly better chance to get things right next time
  • Test a lot around exams -bad control is more painful than lancets after all
 
EvePop96 said:
I am registered at my local clinic but they just do the checks. I didn't think about a care team, I haven't seen one around but I'll have a look into it
thank you
Click to expand...
I'd be confident in saying that you'd be entitled to consults with the local diabetes care team. Check in and I'm sure they'll be happy to help.

The DSN will be able to give you pointers with getting tighter control of your BG. What she will probably need though, is a good amount of BG readings to work out the best course of action to take, especially with regards dose adjustments and ratios. If you don't keep logs, now would be a good time to start. If you could keep a food diary also, complete with carb estimations, that will allow your DSN to give you the best advice possible.

And as much as I understand you're busy (and probably skint as a student) it's well worth shelling out a few quid for this e-book - it really is great for helping with your diabetes management:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Like.../ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
 

Hi Evelyn

I only started insulin recently in my 40's so personal experience I cant help with, but I do work at a UK University.
Contact you Universities student support / student wellbeing department. they should be able to give you the support and help you need or point you in the right direction. they will also be able to liaise with your tutors to help explain your situation if you need any extensions to deadlines etc . Even if you just talk to them, you wont feel quite so alone.
 
Come exam time you'll need to talk to student support as You'll need permission to take in hypo treatment into the examinations hall. I also work for a Uni - but fortunately have no direct contact with students!
 
Hi Evelyn, I am also at uni, in the final year of my degree. Does your university have a support service of some kind for students with learning difficulties or health conditions? At my uni it is called the Dyslexia and Disability Support Service. Definitely make an appointment with them, to sort out exam arrangements, and they will help you put together what my uni calls a 'Learning Support Plan'. Mine talks about being allowed to record lectures, taking food into no-food-allowed lecture theatres, leniency with deadlines if required, so on and so forth. Also make sure your personal tutor is aware.

So am I right in saying that you have your diabetes care based at home still? I moved mine up to university, because of being away so much of the year. If you talk to your GP, they can refer you to your local diabetes care team, as has been suggested above.

As @alaska has already mentioned, alcohol also doesn't help. I suppose I'm fortunate in that I don't drink, because it mixes really badly with some of the other medication I am on, and I don't know if you do or not, but that can contribute to making things worse.

It is really important to be an advocate for yourself. At university, you are a tiny tiny fish in a massive massive ocean, so nobody is going to know you need help unless you stick your head above the parapet and tell them. I learnt that by way of a very sticky situation!

Sending you hugs @EvePop96 and sorry for the long post!

Feel free to message me if you just need to chat to someone who is in the same boat
 

Hi I have had Diabetes 12 years, I also have CFS and have kidney condition (Not related to the diabetes) So I truly understand how frustrating this is. Keep in mind I also have CFS so some things may be irrelevant but I found these bits helped my diabetes as well as CFS. I always always kept eating regular snacks through out the day day/night depending on work load when doing course work/ revision but increased my glargine. For every 45 minutes of work I did I took 15 mins rest, this gives opportunity to test bloods if needed or just sit, and when I mean sit I dont mean talk to your friends/text/listen to music I basically sat people watching or if I was at home I'd stroke my dogs. You try and clear your mind its so so hard at first but helps it gives your brain and body the time it needs. I also find dont keep indoors all the time even taking a break and walking to the end of the street for a bit fresh air can really help!! Although I am the worst for filling up on caffiene it really isn't good for your diabetes when you are already at the risk of high bloods as it can increase stress and mess with your hormones which in turn your bloods!

Hope this helps a little if I think of anything else I did/do ill update you

Ps. As for alcohol I personally have never had bad effects of it but I have weirdly quite a few diabetic friends who do so maybe think about this too?

Pps. Uni support and wellbeing is a mystical magical place, they are the most helpful people on earth at my uni they are able to give you support with work with how you approach it, give special considerations for Highs/Lows in exams amongst a million other things. People often don't seek university for uni but remember you are paying 10,000 a year the least they can do is give you some advice!!
 
Hey I'm Izzy, I'm 20 and also at university and girl I get you ! It's sometimes a nightmare when your so stressed because of uni work, which makes me go high, then when I'm high I really struggle to concentrate then I get even more stressed because I've done no work !! They way I've dealt with this is quite frankly to stop stressing so much, I always think that actually I will find time at some point to do the work !

Also if your trying to make the diabetes work a bit better then you can try my trick and do one part of the day for a while, so like I concentrate on the mornings being in range, and then once that is sorted move on to the next bit.... this means that I feel more positive and just generally helps me !

With the stress have you talked to your personal tutor about it because without the diabetes, stress is a nightmare and you might find that they have some really good suggestions to do with uni work, have you also told anyone else that your struggling with the diabetes and the effects of stress ? Like sometimes I just rant and rave at my friends for like 2mins, even though they don't 100% get everything with the diabetes it's sometimes nice to have that support network. Feel free to message me ! Remember everyone at some point struggles with some thing (even if people tell you they are fine)
chin up and keep going !

I also the second the thing about going to see your support peeps at uni because they are often so sympathetic and know exactly how to help.
 
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