Welcome and nice to meet you! My story, like many here, is similar to yours. I was diagnosed at age 27, initially misdiagnosed as Type 2 because of my age, started on a parade of oral meds that didn't work while I begged for insulin. Fast forward 25 years and here I am!
You're a step ahead of me though in that you're on a pump and I'm old school MDI. It's worked for me up until recently so there was no pressing need to change. Old lady hormones are making control more difficult so I'm going to the OmniPod soon. I also use a Dex and it helps tremendously.
Please do encourage your wife to visit here. Diabetes can be tough on spouses because they worry sometimes more than we do ourselves even. She will find lots of recipe sharing here also. There's a great low carb muffin recipe floating around here that's awesome and very blood sugar friendly.
My daughter is 24 and in grad school now. Enjoy those little ones every day and don't blink because they grow up way too fast. Little girls are special for sure. :)
Hi: I am in the minority, but I chose to tell only two people (other than medical professionals). That way, I don't have to listen to the horror stories or to bad advice by people who mean well, but totally don't have a clue about T1. I just want to remain the "same old Sue" I've always been. I already regret telling my sister! You have such a great attitude; you are going to be just fine!
Welcome Jay. You are way ahead of where I was at this time last year. Keep up the great attitude! I was dx'd in Oct. of 2010 just before my 55th birthday. Fasting bg of 436 and A1c 12.3. I'm not sure how I stayed out of the hospital, but I did. I should have recognized the signs as well. Problem is I had no clue about the warning signs. I am 6 ft and 180 lb ate a good diet. Why would I think about diabetes at my age? That is why I talk freely about my D. The really dumb comments open the door for me to educate. That's me though. Everyone has to deal with this in a way that works for them. I have two daughters , now 35 and 32, four grandsons and one grand daughter. And yeah they do grow up way too fast. Even the grand kids.
BTW, I would encourage you to keep texting from your daughter's phone. Sounds very entertaining. I like to ambush the grand kids FB chats from time to time.There's nothing quite like a mortified teenager to bring a smile to your face.
Welcome to tudiabetes! Congratulations on getting such good control so quickly! Diabetes definitely comes with it's ups and downs! Literally and emotionally! That's what makes this group so wonderful. There's a ton of knowledge and experience on this site. If you're going through a tough time emotionally, or your BGs are behaving the way they should, someone's been through it before and can relate.
I was diagnosed w/T1 at 38, myself -- avoided the ICU because it happened to get caught by doctors looking for something else. I felt like ■■■ for months, and got every (EVERY) bug that came around, but had no idea that something REAL was wrong with me.
Hi Jay, welcome and congrats on getting things so well under control so quickly! Awesome that you are already on the pump and the Dexcom, they really make such a difference. And I always say, attitude is everything. I was 35 when I was diagnosed with Type 1--lots of people here on TuD were diagnosed in their 30s and up. You are part of the crowd! Welcome.
Welcome Jay. Great job getting things on track. I am sure you will keep it up, but when things do change and impact your ability to keep your BGs in the target zone, the folks that participate in this website have a wealth of first hand experience and are willing to share it. You are not alone on this anymore - Doug
So far, it's a numbers game and goals that I can reach for, I usually do well with. The only problem I'm having is since going with the pump, I don't have to take needles so it's making snacking a challenge lol. Now that I can snack when ever I want and just bolus for it, I've noticed I'm not as disciplined. I'm now starting get back to eating better, but it's a challenge lol.
Pleasure to meet you and thank you for sharing your story with us!
I was 17 when I was diagnosed (type 1). I knew nothing about diabetes and what a horrible disease it was. I lost about 30lbs in less than a month. Being a senior in HS and with a few pounds on me I was really enjoying the rapid weight loss without even trying. I had ALL the signs and symptoms had I known what they were. By the time I went to the ER my sugars were over 1100, spent a wk and a half in the hospital learning about the disease and how to do my daily shots. I felt like my world was going to end! I HATE needles!! It has been a daily struggle the last 15 ys of my life! I now have a loving boyfriend who is very supportive. I do daily shots and just recently started the Dexcom. I want my sugars to be at the best control as we are planning a pregnancy in the near future! My A1C a couple of months ago was 6.2. Every day is a new day to strive for the best! I would love to connect with any females out there who are in a similar situation as mine or have had kids while being diabetic type 1. Just want to hear their stories and know it is possible for me to be blessed as they were. Just a bit of reassurance :)
Thanks again Jay and I wish you much luck on your path, Monica
Sorry people made you feel bad about 'not knowing,' as a society, we can be so judgemental of others. I am 55yo and was mis-diagnosed as a T2, then found out I am really a T1 - LADA. I was also overweight when diagnosed (as T2), but had been loosing weight for several years and very surprised about dx. Only dx as T1 4 months ago, so I am also learning. But it is a shock to me and others that I was so heavy (6 years ago 284# and now weigh 164#). As much as we 'know' about Diabetes, I think there is a lot we don't know. That's one reason why this website is so great, we can learn from others and have a lot of support too! God bless you and your family! Keep up the good work!
I was diagnosed when I was 21. I was a justational diabetic so I knew the signs. I checked my bsl and it was over 500. So I went to the ER, they brought it down and released me right away. I was very scared. No body gave me any information. So I made a doctors apointment and they told me I had anxiety issues. I told the Dr. about the ER. But for some reason it wasn't registering with her. I really think it was because i was the wrong body type!! After I got irratated about it she told me I should loss weight if I was diabetic. I was 5'8" and less that 110 lbs!! I would have to cut off an arm!! She made me so uncomfortable that I didn't go back to the Dr. for it. At a normal visit, over a year later, a new Dr. asked me what type I was. I had no clue what he was talking about. He set me up pretty good, and I have been a lot better since. But I wanted you guys to know that the extremely thin get very negative reactions to being diabetic also. I have since put on weight, good i guess.. LOL Also!! I hate hearing the stories about dibetics lossing limbs or going blind. I don't stand infront of peoples cars and tell them how many people are getting injured in car accidents a day!! LOL One quick question though, what is Dexcom?
Glad that you found us!! Yes, very few people understand the difference between T1 and T2. I have had so many people say to me, "But how can you have diabetes? You're so thin!" Ugh. And many people don't realize that about 1/3 of people diagnosed with T2 are of normal weight. There are unfortunately many misconceptions when it comes to "diabetes" and poor understanding (even within the medical community) about the different forms of the disease. Few understand that T1 is an autoimmune condition.
Your diagnosis definitely sounds class T1. An A1c of 19 is just....frightening! You are definitely lucky to be alive.
I do think having some sort of support is good. But probably what you'll get most out of this site is a good place for troubleshooting. Docs/endos are great, but they don't live with T1D 24/7 like everyone on here. I've learned more from this site than I ever have from an endo or doc. So glad you found us!
Oh, and you'll also find plenty of folks on here who have been diagnosed with T1 later in life (I've encountered at least 1 or 2 folks who were diagnosed with T1 in their 50s).
I enjoyed reading your story. I was dx with type 1 at age 54! I had lost 18 lbs, was thirsty and hungry all the time and had no energy. I was told 2 yrs before,that I was type 2. I couldn’t control my BS no matter what I did, and was wasting away. Finally my dr got smart and sent me to an endo. He dx me as type 1 on the spot and confirmed it with a blood test. He was suprised I didn’t end up in the hospital. I think the fact that I was eating a strict low carb diet and exercising like crazy kept me out of the hospital. I am now on the pump for 2 yrs and doing pretty well. it is a day to day struggle.
I am a type one that got it later in life. I was in ICU for 3 days but stayed 5 total. I feel the same way when I tell people I am type 1. I am a substitute teacher and one kid told me that if I lost weight it would go away. What can I say to a kid! I stay active too with my nephew and zumba but still big aka fluffy! Congrats with the A1C!
Welcome buddy, sounds like a fantastic job on your A1C my last one was 8.5, not to bad but could be a lot lower so the saga continues lol. Ive been T1 for about eleven years now yet im still learning about the condition every day, thats one of the reasons i think this site is so great because we can learn from each other and vent our spleens. Loved try there best to understand, but you can never truly understand diabetes unless your diabetec yourself. Chat soon buddy:)
Whew. Glad that you have come so far in your journey in such a short time. Keep up the good work.
And with 5 girls. Wow. I have 1) 26 year old son and 1) 6 year old grandson living with us. Sometimes they make me want to pull my hair out! uh oh. here they come now.
I sure do love this site. Everyone here is so nice and helpful. I have joined lots of groups so I can get lots of knowledge.
I have had T1 for 33 years or so. Just got on a pump that I love and it has really helped bring my A1C down. I also see a nutritionist (at my endos office) once a year. You get some good ideas, recipes and info.
Sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis, but welcome! You are in a great place full of people with vast experience in managing the trials and tribulations of diabetes.
I found tudiabetes in the months after my then 12 year old son was diagnosed with type 1 a year ago last November. I had already done a great deal of reading and learning on my own and visited a lot of forums that I didn’t find very helpful. I read a lot of horror stories and a lot of posts by people who weren’t coping well and found myself getting pretty depressed over my son’s disease. I wasn’t looking for a group to validate my fears - I can ruminate on those all by my lonesome! I wanted a place to learn from those who had gone before us and could help us learn to navigate our way through this.
I was so pleased to stumble across this forum and find what I was looking for - people who were mostly living well with this disease and from whom I could learn a great deal about helping my son navigate the ups and downs of his new circumstances.
Now, 15 months in, I feel very under control. That’s not to say we don’t get thrown a curve ball every now and again (like my son’s site failure Tuesday when I didn’t have a back-up pen with me, we were quite a ways from home and I needed to get him insulin NOW). With all I’ve learned from the folks here, rather than panic when those situations happen, I can channel my inner MacGyver and deal with the situation with confidence.
It's sad, but awesome that such a disease can bring so many caring people together. My mom is awesome and she's old school so she thinks I'm dying from this. I educate her and tell her Diabetes is living with ME! The ONLY time I let it get in the way is when I don't want to do something; (wife) take out the garbage! (me) I can't, I got the diabetis (what my Mom calls it).
It's VERY encouraging to find so many people that aren't "living with diabetes" but forcing diabetes to live with us.
And thanks for the compassion regarding the daughters. Right now, they're all perfect saints that do anything Daddy asks. My wife doesn't agree. I don't think she likes any of them but puts up with them because she doesn't want to go to jail lol.
