I have taken a class! Unfortunately it did not help me as much as I hoped :( I'm more of a one on one learner, I guess. I'm learning I just have to keep trucking along and change my attitude from worrier to warrior :)
After 55 years with T1 clare said it best. Don't try to perfect with your diabetes or you will constantly beat yourself up. Monitor your blood sugars, take your insulin, exercise, watch your diet. I do all the above and still have elevations periodically, which I can usually trace back to something I did or didn't do. I used to think I was a bad person because my blood sugars did not stay within range all the time but so many things can effect it, sometimes things you are not even aware of. Insurance is also another worry. However, I worked for the federal government as a nurse for over 20years in order to be able to get and carry pretty good insurance. I was lucky because I was diagnosed as a small child so I have never known life without diabetes. The most you can do is the best you can and you can do it.
You definitely need to see someone asap and I recommend a retinologist who has the knowledge to see if something is wrong, they will do a thorough exam. My vision was completely blurry when I left the hospital- I couldn't see anything without some sort of glasses- coudn't function without them and my family had to drive me everywhere. I went immediately to my opthamologist after my second stay, they wouldn't get one for me in the hospital- I was back in again for the dvt. You don't want to take chances with your vision. I understand you're scared but if something is wrong it will only get worse over time and there are tons of treatments now that can help you if something other than what I mentioned is wrong.
I agree that 175 is nuts, I wasn't eating that before D.. I had days when I ate higher carb but I was much lower carb than the average American until I was hanging with my x who ate way too many carbs.. then I ate higher carb but even then it was lower than that most of the time.
I would try going lower if you can and see how your bg does, you may be pleasantly surprised- I have numbers in a normal range a lot of the time now.
Try not eating those foods at all and see what happens.. most pwd can't eat cereal anymore and the morning is the worst time to have it.. try eggs and veggies instead for breakfast or make low carb things with almond flour. The gym is good but I think timing the exercise with your meals when you figure out what your patterns are is best- you may be doing that. I have found going for a walk directly after my larger meal is keeping me in normal range and eliminating spikes I will have then sometimes, for the most part- of course as a type 1 who fluctuates, I will have them sometimes. I rarely go to 200's now- from treating a bad low or an air bubble/insulin malfunction.
Good luck! I know you're going to feel better over time and adjust to all of this and how to manage it. And remember perfection isn't going to happen, we just do the best we can each day- one day at a time :)
"To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him."
Buddha
Keep on Keeping on Sister!
"Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Laws control the lesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one."
Mark Twain
"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit."
Emmanuel Teney
"One Day At A Time!"
Love and Light abound!
Many Blessings!
When I was first diagnosed i went to dka and was in ICU for 3 days. I wear glasses and my glucose levels actually changed to the point that I could actually see without glasses. I went to a diabetes eye doctor and he told me it would be a while before my eyes would be back the way they were. It took about 4 months. I hit about 1100 during diagnosis.
The most you can do is the best you can and you can do it. great comment, Wyche .Ashley, He is so right. Take it one step at a time and do not beat yourself up for not having "perfect " control everyday all the time. The other posters gave wonderful, real-world advice and encouragement. Your eyes will return to a better state as your blood sugars stabilize to more normal ranges. You are a strong, capable woman who has a lifetime of possibilities for success Know that. Say it out loud, even if you do not believe it, YET.
God bless,
Brunetta
I'm not totally convinced that trying to be perfect is such a bad thing. I don't beat myself up when I miss targets or whatever but if my targets are "perfect" I think I have much better chance of hitting them than if I am at the sort of moderate/ ambivalent targets propagated by medical associations, however clever they are. When my BG/A1C was higher, I had lows. Often much more exciting ones than the ones I have these days, although I still have lows. That seems to be the big concern with lower targets but it seems to me that the way to avoid problems with lows is to test frequently, in order to obtain the amount of data required to make adjustments safely and conservatively, without taking chances, "rage bolusing" or whatever you want to call it.
For me, taking control reduces most of the stress/anxiety, but it might just be how my personality works. Find a doctor to prescribe you insulin, and ideally one that gives you free samples when you visit (ask for them). Read books on using insulin (basal bolus), cut back on carbs which need to be counted, learn how exercise changes things and how to time bolus with eating. Once you get carb counting and basal/bolus down, it will be easier to enjoy food. Since you are in college, major in something that will make decent money when you get out.
Getting your BG under decent control should help with most of your other concerns. Health issues should improve and then you'll need less medical attention in the future. Vision should improve when you get your BG under control, and having a lower A1C (good BG control) will greatly decrease the chance of vision problems in the future.
BTW, cheap and decent cheap test strips can be found online or at Walmart, and older varieties of insulin can be purchased over the counter (Walmart pharmacy) in a pinch. Many of us reuse our syringes.
Short term, I feel that going low carb makes BG control easier. Eat a lot of salads with low carb dressing. Learn to enjoy other foods.
It will take some time, but you will get there.
Diabetes will never define my life, it will never be part of my legacy.
If you think you are beaten-you are
If you think you dare not-you don't
If you want to win but think you can't, it is almost a cinch you won't
If you think you'll lose-you've lost
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man; but sooner or later the man that wins is the one who thinks he can!
I'm a survivor, born 2 months early -3lbs in 1953, struck by a train my junior year high school, Vietnam Veteran, Type1 Diabetes after returning from the war, raised two collage educated children, I now have grand children, I was diagnosed with liver cancer, received a liver transplant, I still own and operate two business which I started after my Diabetes Dx.
Life is tough, that's what makes it worth while...don't stick your head in the sand..get out there and do it...
"just wear a helmet" ;-)
Oh, and see an eye doctor. He's a good description on (relatively) short term blurred vision issues after going high for an extended period of time. My vision was blurred and my prescription didn't get back to normal for a while (as they describe).
I haven't had the experience (that i can remember, anyway) of DKA, but i can only imagine how terrible it is. The good thing though, is that you have motivation to keep things in line, which is an excellent start :)
People are usually pretty scared after being diagnosed with T1. Once you get the hang of things, and learn the tricks that work with your body, you'll relax a ton, and even relaxing helps with BG levels. You're doing well to stay on top of your sugar, and that's something that you should continue, but just know that there will be times where you might go over 180. It's okay, as long as you don't ride there 24/7. You'll also drop below 80 every now and then, and that's okay as well, as long as it's not all the time. I've got 12 years of "less-than-great" diabetes care in my past, with A1Cs as high as 11, and i'm still doing great. It takes a long time, and almost full neglect, for diabetes to cause the issues everyone is scared of. That is NO excuse to not take care of yourself, though, because it does happen.
Diabetes changes a person's life, and it's something that you'll be living with for forever. (Though, care is getting much much easier and better in recent years.) The best you can do is watch your sugar, keep track of what you eat (You'll get really good at looking at food and guessing how many carbs are in it, and it really becomes second nature), see how your body responds to certain foods, and just try to fall into the rhythm of the D. Many people have had diabetes longer than i've been alive, and for 30 or 40 or 50 years, and live great lives. Eventually diabetes just becomes part of your life, and managing it becomes second nature, and there's always people here to help you when you need it. :)
I've been focusing a lot on lowering my stress level the past few days and (shocker!) my BG has been much more stable. I'm one of those people that generally eat the same thing over and over with a little variation so I've gotten pretty good at eyeing carbs on a few things :)
Thanks for all of your input and care :)
And while I'm rambling, I LOVE my Dexcom G4 CGM. I'm on the fence regarding the pump because I had gotten good at MDI and was used to shots, but the continuous glucose meter was a game changer for me.
Staying calm helps more than just about anything, in my opinion. From reading your replies, i'm pretty certain that you won't have any issues getting your diabetes under control, and not being worried about it :)
Hi Ashley,
I believe you when you say you are worried. There’s a lot to balance with Type 1 and all that life has to throw at you. I can tell you that I was diagnosed T1D at age 10; 29 years ago. I have 4 healthy children, all not diabetic so far. I had a very rough start with no family with diabetes and I read a lot of books when I was a kid. I rebelled for quite a few years w/o control but i tried to learn so much that i could live outside the typical diabetic box that my hcp’s wanted me to live in. I didnt always but i learned to test often and collect lots of data and learn from it to organize some of the chaos diabetes creates. There is many things that each of us needs to learn personally how we react to insulin, foods, meds, stress, illness and so many other things.
Everything unknown at first is overwhelming, how you move forward is what will be your future.
The best Info i wish someone would have told me 29 years ago was to not be ashamed of the high BG’s. Rather figure out what caused it by collecting good notes and testing. And then use that root cause to fix the issue.
A BG is not valuable unless you know if its on its way up or on its way down, so consecutive testing in time periods is best when troubleshooting issues.
I have fibromyalgia and stress and depression issues but i am really fortunate to not have any complications from my diabetes. Try to set one or two obtainable goals at a time right now in your life, priortize what seems to be most important, one worry at a time. I believe your frustration.
How can I help?
I find the same thing.. lower my stress, most of the time my bg is stable too... so I do everything I can to avoid stress.. laughing and doing silly things helps as well as some wine with dinner :)
Sharing your personal story is help all in itself :) I'm the type of person who becomes reassured when I'm supported by someone; Tu has done that for me. I've personally been trying to tweak my C:I ratio perfectly lately and I guess thats the thing that I'm working on improving first.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm here if you ever want a friend as well :)
It's insane how much stress tolls on anyone's body :o
Aside from the physical effects, stress affects my eating habits quite a lot. I'll eat under high stress, and also messes with whatever routine I have. My son is on the autism spectrum, so there's a lot of stress in my house. Light exercise seem to do a lot to stabilize my BG.
I wrote this last year . . .
Two Years Down, Many More to Go
I never thought I'd say this, but as I approach my two year diaversary things are definitely better and easier for me. Dx T2, I spent the whole first year learning what to do, modifying my diet, looking out for complications and hypos, worrying about lowering my cholesterol, exercising every possible evening to get my BGl down. Essentially I was living for the next A1C. I did alot of mourning that first year, especially over missed foods. God I hated making open-faced sandwiches! I frequently dreamed about eating (cake, bread, etc).
After a year, I began to calm down & kept plodding along with healthy habits and measuring portions. I knew what to anticipate about Thanksgiving and traveling. My last A1C was 6.1. My management is obviously working.
I sleep well, my energy is good. Although I still fight cravings, I no longer dream about food. I have a bunch of regular food & exercise habits that make me feel good. I keep reading up about diabetes & trying new stuff. My daily diabetes anxieties are much diminished. Overall I feel a sense of control and well-being.