Hi all! Really need some support because I have been having a rough time with my diabetes as of late. My numbers have been all over the place despite lowering my carbs more (although I already ate pretty lowish carb and low GI carbs), walking after meals, drinking piles of water. The only reason I am still in-range (although a range I do not like) is because of all this work I am doing micro-managing. Feeling exhausted. Working on tweaking my basal and bolus but just getting overwhelmed by not seeing immediate results and not finding what works yet. I’m not on a pump yet, unfortunately, as my insurance company requires 6 months on injections and I am still not there yet (next month). I do have a Dexcom though, which has been helpful to at least keep myself in range and see what’s happening.
I am worried that my honeymoon may be over. How do you know when it’s officially over? Scared of changes as everything was going pretty smoothly for the most part. The worst part is that I feel so awful when my sugars are running over 130 and with these spikes. I have been a dysfunctional mess for the past month trying to sort this out. Just as I was celebrating my 5.8% A1C.
Any support, encouragement, advice would be greatly appreciated right now. I don’t know anyone with D so it’s rough to find someone to talk to that “gets it”.
I’ve been type 1 for 5 years. Not a super long time in the grand scheme but long enough that there have been quite a few times I’ve thought… “this is it! This is the downward spiral Ive been fighting to avoid” then I’ll keep plugging away at it and a few weeks later I’m back on track. I’m not sure there’s ever really a definitive line in the sand you’re going to knowingly cross and know for sure that one stage is over. It’s a continuum, and as things get harder you just keep getting more experience at them and in the end it’s all a wash. One day at a time. Celebrate all the victories no matter how large or small and learn from the defeats.
Sam has given you the best advice you can get, put as eloquently as can be stated. I’ve been type 1 for 34 years and some days, weeks, months, years can be great and problem free. Then the disease will rear it’s ugly head and cause you to feel like giving up. Just keep at it, in another month you’ll be on an insulin pump and a whole new world will open up to you.
Thanks for the support @Jason99. It definitely helps to hear from other people with D that this happens and it will get better if I keep plugging away at it and that feeling like giving up when it gets bad is normal. It’s just difficult to remain calm and make one change at a time when the blood sugar swings cause me to feel so awful.
It was clear to me when the honeymoon was over. I was getting consistent low 6s on my A1C and then an 8 and then a 10 something. The pancreas was not responding to flogging anymore (the oral meds), so it was time for Novolog.
If your sugars are normally under 130 then I think you’re doing great! The online community is great to help us stay mentally in the game, especially when it is kind of rare to have other diabetics to talk to in person. Good luck on the pump, have you decided what kind to get?
Hi @Timbeak48. Thanks for your response. I currently am on insulin already: Novolog and Lantus. My dosages just don’t seem to be working anymore so I’m in the process of adjusting these. This is my first dosage adjustment.
Hi Kenrick. Thanks for the support. I have decided to go with the Omnipod pump as I am quite active and do a lot of exercise. I hope it helps make life a bit easier.
I’ve been t1 for about 27 years, I still go through rough patches where everything needs to be adjusted, actually, I’m going through that now after having started Metformin. I buckle down and just do it. It takes time, it takes effort. I start with basal rates by basal testing. Then I work on my insulin sensitivity factor because this causes me a ton of problems being so insulin sensitive (1:120 right now). Then I tweak my insulin to carb ratio. I look at it as a project that will have a wonderful outcome. It’s like putting in an in ground swimming pool, lots of work, lots of stress, but worth it in the end!
I’ve been wondering how much carb intake has to do with overall control, and the paleo diet would be perfect, I think, if I enjoyed eating a lot of meat. I don’t. But I read this interesting article about type 1, bg differentials and inflammation. I’ve been fighting systemic inflammation for a year now, hoping that overall I’d feel better. This article is one guy’s experience with that:
I read these questions. Lot; You will know it is over the minute iyour BS start escalating on a routine pattern. It is important for you to be dig in and manage your blood sugars with various foods. Does toast raise the blood sugar? How about later in the day. No one can tell you yes thisis the end. Much like great economic expansions we cna only see them in hindsight
Thanks @MissMargie. I like the idea of looking at it as a project with a wonderful outcome. I will continue to put in the work in the hopes of getting it all sorted out soon. Thanks for the support. Greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for expressing your question here. For several days I had been considering writing a post very similar to yours asking this same primary question. Thank you for being brave enough to ask. It sounds like I’m in the same boat as you, so I’ve appreciated these comments here and just wanted to send you a virtual wave to say hi and that you are not alone. Your post has made me feel less alone, so thank you!
Thanks @Rphil2. I will continue to look into my data and see what keeps happening with my BS and with every adjustment we make. I do find my spikes are becoming disproportional to what I am eating and have always been eating since diagnosed: protein, non starchy veggies, nuts and a bit of avocado, and a tiny bit of lentils for energy for exercising. Thanks for the advice.
Hi @isthatapersonalchefs. You’re welcome. Thanks for posting on this thread. It certainly makes me feel less alone in trying to figure out what is going on. Hope you find out what’s going on in your case as well. Sending a virtual hi back!
i can really relate to your experiences. i have had t1 for five years and had a lovely long honeymoon with beautiful numbers and very easy control. i also feared the end of the honeymoon because i would read things on tuD and other forums of people who just couldnt seem to get good control all the time and struggled with this or that. i dreaded it-would i be able to eat ANYTHING?
over the 18 or so months of honeymoon i had instances of my pancreas really slowing down and needing to up dosages. i was extremely resistant to upping the dosages, something mental about being EVEN MORE DIABETIC if i needed more insulin. every time that happened, i thought the honeymoon was over and every time, with a bit more insulin, things settled down again and went back to the honeymoon easy living. that was a good 18 months.
only time will tell if your honeymoon is over for good. i found it difficult to accept that it was over and i was a full-fledged member of this club.control will not be as easy, you will see some higher numbers, youll have to work harder at it. it sucks, and sometimes its very tiring and frustrating, but it is what it is.
you can do it, but its like learning new rules for the big D beast that has just come on your scene.
keep your game face. eyes on the prize. you can do this.
Thank you for the support @pancreaswanted. I have the same issue with fearing being even more “insulin dependent”. I liked the comfort of knowing my pancreas was still “there” to help out and avoid my sugars from getting way too high. Now I fear ending extremely high all the time. Even worse is that exercise doesn’t seem to be the “sure fix” anymore to bring blood sugars down. It can cause me to go higher sometimes, which I am not liking at all. I really hope I can do this. Thanks for your support. <3
It will get a whole lot better once you’re on a pump. Having the ability to set basal rates on certain times of day when your sugars decide to not play nice is huge. It’s going to get better, don’t fret about what might happen in the future but look forward to being able to control your diabetes with a lot more ease. On the bright side, the 670g is right around the corner as well. Keep your chin up, we’ve all been there.
