Just thought i'd introduce myself(: Sorry its so long

Type 1 and LADA
1

Hello everyone :)

My name is Kia and i come from Sydney, Australia. I'm almost 16 years old and im in year 1O at school. My favourite class in school is English, I own a gorgeous horse and ive been horse riding for 7 years, I've done ballroom dancing for the last 5 years but I've recently had to quit due to a problem in my foot. I also have a wonderful boyfriend that i've been with for 2 years next month (:

I've been diabetic since year 4, however I was first diagnosed type 2 until late 2OO7 when i changed to type 1.

In 2OO4 i think it was around June/July mum took me to the local doctors with me complaining about always being thirsty, headaches, blury vision and needing to go to the toilet alot. My doctor tested my blood sugar and i was 14.9. Of course back then, mum and I had no idea about diabetes and what was meant to be done. My doctor then sent me on to another doctor who then diagnosed me Diabetic and further introduced me to my Diabetes Educators @ Campbelltown Hospital.

I was about 5 kgs overweight at the time, and had to lose it to see if that would help with the type 2, it didnt. I actually got worse, i ended up on tablets, then insulin + tablets, then just insulin for a few years. All my local doctors thought it was really strange, being so young and being type two.

At the end of year 7, i got my first case of ketones and i went downhil pretty fast, i ended up curled up in a ball on the lounge one night. Later mum called the hospital and ambo's came and rushed me in. I remember having all these wires and needles hanging out of me. It was during that week ; they said i was type 1. This shocked my educators, as they very rarley get kids in there being type 2, then later down the track type 1.

Anyways, Its been a tough ride, especially lately.. I am a growing teenager remember, Im not perfect, I eat when i want, I sometimes forget insulin, and im dealing with the consequenses. My hbA1c has been high ever since i was diagnosed, and they said if im not under 7.0 next appointment ill be going into hospital. Im currently on Levemire + protophane in the morning and Actrapid + Humalog @ dinner time. I've always had the problem of having an alright reading in the morning, and by dinner time im 2O + , sometimes even HI ( above 27.8 ) This morning i woke up 3.2 actually. Hypo :/

I joined this website because I dont have any other friends that are diabetic, so it makes it hard. When my boyfriend found out I was diabetic he researched everything there was to know about it - and I thank him so much for that, he's been amazing. However, he reads things on the internet and thinks its all right ; but its different to what my educators are telling me so i find it hard talking to him about what im doing, and what he thinks im meant to be doing. My educators are heaps nice ; they let me eat what i want and work my insulin around that. And I know its not the best thing to do , but yeahh :/

Im hoping from this I read people stories and get motivated to do whats right.. I just find it hard sometimes..

Sorry its so long,

Take Care.

Kia xx

2

Welcome!

3

Welcome, Kia. Sorry my reply is so long. = )

True your boyfriend won’t understand. Nobody will understand if they have not been through it. They can try, though. One thing about men is they always want to fix things that are broken, so if you are complaining about being diabetic, or a related issue, he is going to either come up with potential solutions, or just sit there wondering what he can do to fix it. If you complain to him, you should suggest ways he can help you better manage. Otherwise he will start getting bored and ignore you when you utter the words “blood sugar” or “insulin” or somethign similar.

So, I suggest you get “Think Like a Pancreas” by Gary Scheiner. It changed my life. I was diabetic for almost 25 years when my boyfriend gave it to me. I had been “educated” by doctors for decades, and some taught me things contained in the book, but I was amazed how much I didn’t know. This taught me the basics I needed to drop my A1c from around 8 (sometimes higher and sometimes lower) to 7.2, and then 3 months later, 6.9. I did have a lot of lows for about 6 months, so I would be carefull about that, but I haven’t been above 7 since. My doctor who I have had for almost 10 years smiled for the first time when I got a 7.2. The book talks about fine tuning one aspect of your care at a time. Master one, and then work on teh next. We tend to jump in with both feet, because we know what we should do, but when you are taking insuiln, one step at a time is healthier.

I grew up in a small town with no other teenage diabetics, except for one girl who had diabulemia and killed herself when she was 16. I was very lonely until I found this website. I have great friends, but it is so nice to have someone understand what you are going through.

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Welcome, Kia! Hope you feel at home here. Lots of friends & people who understand.

I was much older than you when diagnosed, also curled up in ball, sicker than I ever thought was possible with tubes everywhere. I was too ill to even ask what was wrong with me. I remember hearing “diabetes” through a brain fog, but it didn’t sink in,

You’re right. Eating whatever you want & dosing insulin around that isn’t a path to success. You can change anything you want to.

Along with the book Tanya recommends, Using Insulin by John Walsh is great. Our health is completely in our own hands. It’s not fair & sure is a tough ride.

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Welcome abroad the diabetic train…Kia
On it you will find friendship, support and lots of understanding….
Please do get in touch if you need any help.

Osob