I found out I have type 1 diabetes a week ago today, I went into DKA and spent like 4 days in the ICU to learn I'm diabetic.
The doctor has me taking 30units of Lantus in the mornings every day, and I take NovoLog before meals and at bedtime according to this scale he gave me.
So far my blood sugars seem to have averaged out in the past two days to like 140-220 before meals,
and like 280-350 after meals.
I used to be a really bad eater, I'd eat randomly at times, and very very unhealthy foods.
also in the past like year, I've lost about 120lbs <I'm down to about 166lbs>
but for the past week, I've been eating very healthly. 3 squares, and 1 snack a day so far.
When should my blood sugars average out? I'm told 90-130 is where I'm told I want to be,
Hi Orcajin,
I am still pretty new also. First it takes awhile to get blood sugars inline after you are first dx’ed. I also do 30 units of Lantus in the morning. Now one thing I would be careful doing Novolog before bed, for me I won’t go to bed till after about 4 hours after my last injection. My blood sugar goal is 80 - 120, shooting (LOL) for 100. Us type 1’s can eat when and what we want once in control. Oh, just because I can eat whatever I don’t, I diet by insulin. That means what I eat has to be worth the injection. Candy, nope once in a great while. Here is an example: At fast food I order a side salad instead of fries. Also for me my post meal numbers were high to me, so I try to inject about an hour to 45 mins. before I eat.
A little about me. Like you I was dx’ed in ICU, DKA in aug./08 and I did it at age 52. Welcome and if have any questions, just ask!!! Oh, check out juvenation.com is a website just for type 1’s, I think you might like.
Dude i just got type 1 about 5 months ago and they had me start out with about 32 units for my 24 hour insulin and i was takin my novolog how they told me to but my numbers still got up to around 300. But after about 3 weeks they started goin down hella fast and i was able to go down to 24 units on my levemir (your lantus) and its been way easier takin control. Give it a couple more weeks and they’ll be down.
Hi Orcajin,
Sorry about your diagnosis, but it must be a relief to finally know what has been making you sick.
It took about a year until I wasn’t making any. I was in the ICU for 3 days, and then in a regular room for a few days after that, so we are similar in that way, but I was a 12 year old girl, and we are much different that way.
Unfortunately we are all different, so what is true may or may not be true about someone else. There is a banana discussion about how some people don’t eat bananas because they raise their blood sugar too much. Other people don’t take any insuiln at all for a banana. Some people need to correct for caffeine, and others don’t. When I say “people,” I mean diabetics here on TU.
I am a fellow Sacramentan, or Sacramentoan, whatever we are called. If you like your endo, I would love to know who it is, because I haven’t found one here I like yet.
Sorry, missed your last question. The best ways to keep your bg’s in range are exercize, low carb intake (probably not more than 45 to 60 per meal, since you are a guy, eat fiber and protein with your meals. You are going to have to figure out your carb ratios and how many carbs to eat when you do different types of exercize. It has been hot here in Sacramento lately, so I have needed less insulin. Heat drastically reduces my need for insulin, maybe not yours, but mine. Also, be aware that your carbs probably raise yoru blood sugar for one to 2 hours, but your insulin takes a while to work. For the Novalog, you should have about 30% used up in an hour, 50% at 1 1/2 hours, 70% at 2 hours, and 10% at 3 hours. So, if you take 10 units of Novalog for a meal, you will still have about 1 unit of insulin left after 3 hours. The other thing, though, is that your bg will drop from 3 units of insulin after one hour, so you have to be careful not wait too long to eat.
I recommend getting Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner and Using Insulin (Pumping Insulin is better if you are on a pump) by John Walsh. My boyfriend bought them for me on Amazon, and they taught me more than I had been taught by doctors and educators in my over 25 years of being diabetic. My favorite is the first book, but others like the second one better. They are different, and overlap in some places, but they both have valuable information that will help you understand what you are doing. Oh yeah, and you have to read them! You might have to read in small chunks, because you have a lot to absorb, but understanding what these books teach is invaluable to your diabetes care.
Oh yeah, I don’t eat pizza or chinese food after 4 pm, because they do wierd things to my bg’s.
I actually dont have one yet, I’ve got an appointment with CMISP to get on some medi-cal.
I’m going to try to get a regular doctor here asap.
as for Injections, I was told by my doctor I should give my injections about 10 minutes before I eat, and right before bed.
whats about right for you? should I change how long to wait before I eat?
Welcome! Glad you found us so soon after diagnosis.
In addition to the books Tanya mentioned, Using Insulin by John Walsh & Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein are great. Also, check out www.bloodsugar101.com. Jenny’s site is wonderful. Clear, concise, no nonsense & well researched. I happened upon her site shortly after being diagnosed. Like everyone, I was confused & overwhelmed. This site helped me get a handle.
Ask to be taught to count carbs & to dose insulin according to what you eat. This is the best way to manage diabetes, not using the outdated sliding scale method. Research this if a doctor won’t help you. It’s not difficult.
If you’re not dosing insulin properly to match meals, your blood sugars won’t be in range.
It’s safer to lower BG slowly to allow your body time to adjust to more normal BG, but 280-350 is high. After I left the hospital, I called the endo who treated me there to help get my numbers more in line until I could see my own doctor. Eating fewer carbs will help get BG down. That’s the best way I know for better control. My BG was terrible following the ADA diet of 45-60 carbs per meal plus snacks.
It will take a little bit of time before things are ironed out… At some point you will probably want to go to counting carbs and corrections…
One thing you might want to try doing a bit is testing 3 hours after your humalog/novalog dose in addition to( 2 hours… (at some point youll be taught to possibly test and correct after 3 hours since it can take more than 2 hours for the fast acting insulin to have done most of its work… Also even though it sucks… youll want to try to test your blood sugar at 2-3 in the am, or if you wake up for some reason…lantus can be a bit unpredictable at its tail, and most people are insulin sensitive in the early morning hours… (Theres the dawn phenomenon and some other name for it when it goes the other way)… Hang in there…
Well its very individual. Being on injection therapy, it will make it harder than if your on a pump. I would look into a pump as they allow the flexibility of eating when you like, and having more flexibility in diet. There is a lot of science that goes into maintaining 90-130 BG readings. I have had it for 28 years now, and I still spike BG’s in the low 200’s…It just happens sometimes with no rhyme or reason. Its not the end of the world. Learn what caused it, and try not to do that again. It will get better. I would try to find some good books on the subject (There are a ton out there) and learn and apply all that you can. Its worth the investment of time and effort for sure!
sorry about the diagnosis…but, as you can tell…you are NOT alone!
when are you testing after meals? and, are you correcting the high numbers after meals? or are you waiting and they come down?
i don’t want to say to do anything different until you speak to a dr…since its so new for you.
really, read ‘think like a pancreas’ …it has made me WAY less reactive to high and low blood sugar reading. and given me some understanding on how to make things a bit more leveled out. i used to overreact to highs and lows…causing more highs and lows.
