Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cody Turner on June 28, 2008 at 4:01pm

You will have your bad days and your good days with it. There will be some days where you will wonder why me, what did I do to deserve this. You will probably go through the same stages a person goes there when they have lost someone.
* Denial (this isn't happening to me!)
* Anger (why is this happening to me?)
* Bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if...)
* Depression (I don't care anymore)
* Acceptance (I'm ready for whatever comes)
You might even bounce back and forth all the different stages at different points in your life. It isn't a life sentence that you have been diagnosed with diabetes. You will read, research and learn what you need to do and one day it will become second nature. The highs and lows are scary. The complications you can face are also scary when you look at them. But you don't have to let diabetes control you, you will learn to control the diabetes. Hang in there and read and look for advice. You will get to the point where you can handle it.

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Permalink Reply by Terry Keelan on June 28, 2008 at 4:33pm

"You're not alone." That's the one thing I wish someone had told me.

As Cody says, you'll have good days and bad days. It's easy to get overwhelmed, but in a short while all this . . . stuff . . . will be integrated into your life. The most difficult part, I find, is not all the equipment and numbers and crap.

It's remembering to pay attention.

So, Steven, my friend, it's time to 'man up.' Diabetes is not going away for either of us. Lift yourself up, grab your glucose tablets and your testing kit, head out the door and kick some diabetes ass.

Terry

As for your 'low' experience - how long after taking your insulin did this event occur? What did you eat for breakfast? How much insulin to you take? What was your BG when you took it? What time did you take it? Write all that information down, because you'll forget it if you don't, so that you can relay it to your endo and so you can remember for future reference. It's all part of paying attention.

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Permalink Reply by dino on June 28, 2008 at 4:42pm

Steven. First let me reluctantly welcome you to the balancing act known as living with diabetes. I am normally pretty humorous with my posts, but I really do hate hearing stories like this. I have had this disease for seventeen years and I have never (knock on wood) been hospitalized, collapsed, or passed out. I have, on several occasions, come very, very close.

The one thing that I wish they would have told me?....thats easy. I wish they would have told me that no matter how good my blood sugars were, no matter what I ate, no matter how much I exercised, that there was no way I could treat this disease without the help and support of others like me. I've only realized that now, and I'm thankful every day that I have.

Diabetes is a savage mental game. It's a game that never ends, and a game that will destroy you physically and emotionally if you allow it. It's a game that will test you every second of every day...when you are awake and when you are asleep. Diabetes is relentlessly waiting for you to make even the smallest mistake, and will punish you when you do. Some days the game is easy to play...but guess what?...Diabetes doesn't always play fair, as you just tragically learned.

Yes, Steven, neither you nor I chose to play this bullsh*t game, but here we are. The hardest part is alienation. Just keep close to the community and you will find the strength to keep fighting.

It's a long road, and we're all lifers here. Everythings gonna be alright :)

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Permalink Reply by drrps3 on June 28, 2008 at 5:22pm

This is new to you. Don't get overwhelmed. Get as much information as you can and realize you will constantly be learning with this. What I wish someone told me was that this is really a full time job....a constant balancing act and just when you think you have everything under control....there's an unexpected high or low or days of them with no reason why. What I try to do...and I'm far from perfect....is to be prepared. I carry glucose tablets with me in my pocket, I try to test as often as possible, and I correct for highs and lows.

I'm like you in that I was diagnosed as an adult at 33 (11 years ago). I was fit, healthy, very active so I didn't understand why, and 11 years later I'm still fit, healthy and very active. This is something you can manage. It takes getting used to, but you do get used to it. Find yourself a good endocrinologist and dietician to help you with the carb counting. Have an educator fill you in on the different types of insulins. I take shots and they come in pens that look like pens so there isn't the inconvenience of a syringe and vial. There are options with the therapies.

We all get frustrated with this. Give yourself time to get used to it, and realize that you are definitely not alone!

Peter

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Permalink Reply by Terrie on June 28, 2008 at 5:36pm

Hi Steven: :o)

Welcome to the Pit! :D Sorry, j/k . Sorry that you were dxd. Yes, you are over-whelmed right now and you may be entering Depression. Anxiety could entail. Many Diabetics suffer from both also which doesn't help.

If you need to cry then for heaven's sakes, cry. It's not a sin nor does it go against the law. It's actually a Good quick, free therapy for you. Having low blood sugar can also make a Person feel so many different symptoms at different times. You could go into a giggle fit, feel totally over-whelmed and suicidal, combative, paranoid, etc. A balanced sugar level is the Goal.

I'm a Type 1 not Type 1.5 but all Types have similarities. I was dxd. at age 3 and Yes I resented not having a "normal" Childhood. I got over that a long time ago.

I remember passing out many times while walking home from School and most other places when I was young and not really understanding WHY. I knew it had to do with Diabetes but no one told me exactly WHY or explained about Diabetes to me. I'm sure that was because they didn't exactly know why either.

I was told, "Don't eat sweets", "Do exercise", "Test your urine", "Take your Insulin" BUT not in terms of exactly why, how much or when along with any of the other Fun stuff we need to know about. Even some of that info would have been Great to know.

But you know, I wish someone had told me years later at age 8, that "No, you won't be blind at age 19", "No, you won't need to have your legs amputated by age 28", "No, you won't have kidney failure at around age 30" and "No, you won't be dead by age 35". I'm telling you that now Steven. Many Diabetics actually live to a ripe old age.

Yes, you have a lot to learn. Yes, you will have many frustrating hurdles since this disease is complicated and the treatment/delivery systems are not perfect but definitely have imporoved. Yes, you may develop some minor complications even if you do your Best. Most of these can thankfully be repaired to a Good extent.

You will get a lot of help and meet a lot of Good Friends here at Tudiabetes who are basically in the same boat as you. Just know, that you will Succeed. Diabetes is the Monster...keep it in the cage
as Best you can.

P..S. Alcoholic drinks, illegal drugs and smoking are definitely NOT Good accessories for a Person who has Diabetes.

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Permalink Reply by Beatriz D. on June 28, 2008 at 6:17pm

I am really glad someone helped you. Please, CARRY DIABETES ID.

It is hard at first. I don't use insulin, and I can't even begin to imagine to have a really bad low.

Hang in there. We never stop learning about diabetes.

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Permalink Reply by saundra barragan on June 28, 2008 at 6:41pm

Hi Steven.
Welcome to our family. You are now part of a family that is 3000 + strong on this site alone. And i choose the word strong because together we all are. You have gotten excellent words of advice and here you will get the support you need to face this each day. Like you, I am type 1.5 or LADA and I use two types of insulin. It is scary at first, but each day you learn more and more about your body and how it reacts to things. You will get the hang of it, just take each day one at a time. Don't worry in advance about tomorrow or next week. You will handle it when it gets here.
Lows usually warn you they are coming with sweating, dizziness, shaking, light headedness, or any other unusual happening. In the beginning you may not recognize it. But if any of these symptoms come up, be aware that a low may be coming on and be prepared with some type of snack with sugar, glucose tabs, glucose shots (little bottles) or anything that may pick up your blood sugar levels. Many people grab a soda or juice or other quick snack available. For me the sweating is my first signal, but it can be anything for you just be aware of how you are feeling. And Terry's advice about writing it all down is an absolute necessity. Log in a journal or book every day. Write everything. It will definitely help to figure it all out. Best of luck. We are all here for you. And none of us is exactly like another so don't be afraid to write or ask anything. Together we can all make it.

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Permalink Reply by Scott Strumello on June 28, 2008 at 6:43pm

The simple fact of the matter is that diabetes sucks ... anyone who tells you otherwise, or tries to be a cheerleader about it isn't being truthful. I would add that I think biosynthetic "human" insulin (lab-manufactured insulin made from yeast or e.coli, and this includes all non-insulin analogues) is in NO way the same as the insulin made by the human body, and since 1997, the U.S. no longer mandates that batch testing must be done by the manufacturers, so its little wonder that the pharmacodynamics have become less predictable.

Regardless, some of this is a learning curve, but the key is to test, test, test ... anyone with type 1 who claims 6 times a day is enough is probably not testing enough!

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Permalink Reply by Steven on June 28, 2008 at 8:29pm

Thank you—all of you—for your supportive words and excellent advice. Your collective wisdom means a lot to a newbie like me, and I do appreciate it. In fact, I'm going to print out your responses and keep them in the new log book I'll start tonight. Not only is this advice worth having on hand, it's also a great reminder that I'm not alone, as a number of you pointed out.

Scott—yikes!—should I really be testing six (or more!) times a day? My fingers are already, well, ready to give my One Touch the finger!

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Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on June 28, 2008 at 10:06pm

Steven:
I think 6 times is really a good goal to have. It you want, start with 3 or 4, but try to work your way up to 6, 7, 8... the more, the better. Don't worry, man: I promise you will get used to it and it will become something you don't even think of.

I am glad you found us! :)

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Permalink Reply by Stephen Przepiora on June 30, 2008 at 10:38am

Heh, as a member of the T1 family, you'll get used to testing way more times than that.
1. At first waking
2. Before breakfast
3. Two hours after breakfast
4. Before Lunch
5. Two hours after lunch
6. Before Dinner
8. Two hours after dinner
9. Bed Time
10. Before driving (you should)
11. Before exercising
12. After exercising
13. During exercise

I think you will get the picture :) You will get used to it so don't worry about it. I have a couple of pieces of advice.

Don't sweat the numbers to much.
Tweak your lifestyle slowly so you can see what works for you
Keep a log book

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Permalink Reply by Scott Strumello on June 30, 2008 at 12:27pm

Don't forget any time you get behind the wheel of an automobile! Personally, I have lived with type 1 for close to 32 years now, and have never kept a logbook; rather, I download my meter readings onto the PC and print them ... I'd kill myself if I had to write all this crap down! Seriously, though, the best way to know how well your insulin-to-carb ratios and your basal insulin (long-acting such as Lantus, or basal rates on a pump) is to test, and you do get better at it over time. As for lows, they can sometimes sneak up on you, so just follow the simple rule: when in doubt, test. Its an ongoing task, but it need not consume all of your time -- just don't let it!

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