Howdy from Texas,
They call me Ninja Ken. I am a Type 2 diabetic that just recently went on insulin. I didn;t control or even see a doctor for 2.5 years then got hospitalized recently for chest pains and also discovered my blood sugar was seriously out of whack and AC1 at 9.2. I have a long road to go but I'm scared. I was hoping to find some friends here for support. Thanks in advance
Oh you will find many friends on here ninja that will help and support you.
This can be a tough disease to handle but I know being a ninja that YOU CAN DO IT.
Got questions just ask.
Hi, Ken. That's scary! I'm glad that you are looking for support - bg control is crucial to your health. How's the insulin going?
I'm very new to insulin. Don't even know what this bolus concept is. My Diabetes educator just gave me the basics. I feel that I have failed in some way because I haven't controlled my BG and had to resort to Insulin. I hope through diet and excercise I can go back to meds.Thanks for your support.
hi Ken, glad you've joined us. Look around here and you will find many type2s on insulin. (I'm type1 btw). We try to get the word out here that going on insulin does not mean you've failed in any way. I have a very good type2 friend (a nurse even) who ASKED her doctor to put her on insulin. you might discover some folks with a lot more knowledge than me on the subject in this discussion
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/would-you-ever-ask-to-be-put-on-insulin-why
please let me know if you have any questions about the community. we are all helping each other here. feel free to join any groups/discussions that you find interesting.
I'm not a fan of insulin myself, if there are other options, but lots of diabetics find it to be wonderful for BG control. I was on it for a while myself, but I'm doing oral meds + low carb diet now. It works for me, but I imagine that I'll eventually be back on insulin, and that's fine.
Don't beat yourself up over past mistakes. You can only really move forward now, and I'm sure you will have that A1C back to normal in no time flat. :) Insulin can give your pancreas a break, too, which is nice. Just look out for those low sugars! They can really sneak up on you.
thanks andrea
Hello Ninjaken. Welcome, you will have many friends here. Yep. A1C 9.2 is not good. You know it must be below 7.0 and better yet strive to get down to the lower 6s. Insulin is not so bad and have been using it for a long time. The worst are the fingersticks. I've had a few problems along the way and do the best I can. Jump into the different forums here and read as much as you can. The more you know the less the anxiety.
Like Marie I'm a Type 1 too and I don't think that u failed in anyway. There's lots of Type 2 here who are on insulin. Please feel free to let me know of anyway I can help u. If u just need to vent come to my page and do so or if u just need to talk well I can do that too.
I think it is really easy to convince yourself that type 2 diabetes is not a big thing and put it off. I even have a word for it D'Nial. But it is a big thing and once you wrap your head around it, it seems strange that one could convince yourself that you could just ignore it and things would be ok. I'm sure that you will find any number of people here who have at times had D'Nial.
But I'm glad you are now taking things seriously and you came here. I'm diagnosed as a T2 and use insulin. I take two basal shots to keep my blood sugar level during the day and then take a bolus at meal time to "cover" the carbs I eat. I bought two books that were quite helpful with insulin, "Using Insulin" by John Walsh and "Think Like a Pancreas" by Gary Scheiner.
Anytime you need help or support or just want to talk, we are always here.
Hey Ken. We hear ya! Jump in anytime and rant!
There are no failures when it comes to D. Only people that are in denial and those that are coping..I'mglad to see that you have joined the ranks of the coping. We have all made a journey to get to this point, for some it is along journey for some it''s short. My journey took almost twenty years so 2 1/2 years don't seem to bad. The only failure would be to never admit you have a problem and never getting control of this thing called diabetes. So don't beat your self up but rather pat yourself on the back for finially seeing the light.
As far as bolus versus basal insulin. Basal insulin is a slow acting long lasting insulin that is taken to help with around the clock insulin needs. I suspect this is what your using. Levemir and Lantus are two of the most common.. It's given as a little extra help for your pancreas. Bolus insulin is a fast acting short duration insulin taken before or just after meals to cover the carbs taken in during the meal. Most T2's start with basal insulin since a little help is all that's needed. Bolus insulin comes into play when insulin production continues to fall off or when insulin resistance increases. In this case the pnncreas no longer has enough capacity to cover carbs from a meal.
I hope I have made this clear as mud. Luckily there are many people on this site to explain things much better than I can so don't be afraid to ask.. Welcome to the ranks of people who've decided to take control. You'll find many friends here.
GaryS.