Hi everyone. my name is Charlene I'm 27 and I've been diabetic for the past 15 years. Lately I'm feeling suffocated by it and just wish I didn't have it. I've become scared of it since I got into my late twenties. I wasn't a great diabetic for the first ten years my average Hba1c was a little up but not extreme. In the past 7 years I've become really well controlled except for low blood sugars. My Hba1c is between 6-7. I'm scared though from information I've been told from another diabetic. That I will get complications as I get older even kidney disease even though my blood sugars are really well controlled. Everything else about me is under really good control and I'm healthy but a little overweight by 2 stone. I'm in college though and walk everywhere and have 3 dogs so I'm active and losing the weight and on a healthier diet. Can anyone tell me if the kidney disease is true when your a really good diabetic or any other complications as a really good diabetic? I'm scared and just looking for support and answers. Please help.
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Type one diabetic advice please
- Thread starter Charlie89
- Start Date
- Messages
- 5,234
- Location
- Worthing, UK.
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi Charlene,
I won't lie to you, the potential list of diabetic complications is horrendous. But many diabetics live to a ripe old age without developing any complications and do it mainly by keeping blood glucose under good control.
Nothing is certain or guaranteed, and all you can do is try to keep your BG numbers as good as you can - from what I've read, keeping your a1c below 8 is pretty significant so you're doing well there. You also need to be aware of BG spikes, and trying not to spike too much after meals.
Diabetes is often thought of as a progressive illness but with good control of BG's, diet and a little bit of exercise it doesn't have to be that way.
I won't lie to you, the potential list of diabetic complications is horrendous. But many diabetics live to a ripe old age without developing any complications and do it mainly by keeping blood glucose under good control.
Nothing is certain or guaranteed, and all you can do is try to keep your BG numbers as good as you can - from what I've read, keeping your a1c below 8 is pretty significant so you're doing well there. You also need to be aware of BG spikes, and trying not to spike too much after meals.
Diabetes is often thought of as a progressive illness but with good control of BG's, diet and a little bit of exercise it doesn't have to be that way.
Yes with all medical conditions there are complications,but if you look after yourself half as good as I have you will be OK.I have been a T1 for 55 years and very little problems and I am a 69 year old and still walking driving and target shooting Look on the good side
Thanks everyone for all.the kind words and advice. I feel much more relieved now. I'm on the right track I guess and that's the main thing. Working on the low blood sugars it's because of I'm in full time college and still adjusting to the walk there and back. Thank you guys so much :-D
kev1
Member
Don't despair. Agreed if you read everything they say about complications it's pretty scary but as Videoman says, every condition has its potential nasty's. I've been a type 1 for 33 years and although in the last few years I've had some problems with retinopathy, it's under control and all other tests show my main organs etc working nicely. With careful management and planning you can do pretty much anything you want to, don't let the naysayers get to you. Good luck.
Thank you kev1! Hearing things like that makes me feel more relieved, especially since I'm doing all the right things too. Yes I had a scare with the retinopathy, waited 4 months worrying to be seen by a specialist and turned out they made a mistake in the end and turned out my eyes are extremely healthy for a diabetic. Thank you again and good luck to you too. Diabetes can be such a pain sometimes. The only thing I can need to combat now is low blood sugars but I'm getting there.
- Messages
- 9,292
- Location
- Worcestershire
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
- Dislikes
- Hypos, rude people, ignorance and grey days.
Hey Charlie, as with anything in life you have to stay positive, lingering on the negative becomes a perpetuating downward cycle. Try not to worry about the future, focus on now as this is what you can control, keep on doing what your doing, sounds like you have a good grasp on things, with type 1 it is constantly work in progress just a case of keeping your eye on the ball 
RuthW
Well-Known Member
Many years ago my doc admitted to me that "if you don't get kidney disease in the first seven years, you tend not to get it at all." He was hesitant to say it, I guess, in case I went, "Whoooo! Now I can do whatever I want and it will all be OK!" I didn't, because I care about my eyesight too! But I have been T1 for 48 years and everything's still ok. A lot of complications are tied to high blood pressure. So stay calm. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff.
