New here and struggling

Thanks :sunny:

I would definitely get on the Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring system. It connects with your phone so I can see my BG’s at all times. My wife has it on her phone as well so she can see my BG’s. It will certainly make your life a lot easier.

does anyone read the comments or messages here before they post? maria has said that right now a cgm is impossible because shes on disability! people! come on! :yum:

I did not see any comments/questions about your Aic’s so…How are they? Are you able to have it checked every 3 - 4 months? If they are steady…Congratulations, you are doing some of the right things. If they are improving…GREAT, you are on the long path to thinking like a pancreas. I have been at this since 1978 when at age 30, a mean bout of flu turned me into a T1D overnight and I am still learning. I too was on MDI only the insulin was NPH and Lente derived from pork cells, but had no effective glucose test till the mid-90’s. A1C as an effective measure was even later; my first one’s were in the 10’s. Then learned about carb counting, insulin pens and finally CGM and pumps both of which I use now.
Of all the technology we have now vs my early years, the A1C, carb counting and the glucose test strips were the most effective in bringing down my A1C and effectively controlling my T1D. The most helpful medical people were always Endocrinologists and not GP’s along with the Diabetic Trainers and Nurse Practitioners associated with the Endo’s. Use them as guides as you encounter new and confusing situations. Finally, dig into the details of your current insurance. CGM’s are the standard of care for almost all insurance, Medicare and your current insurance excepted.
Take care, it’s a life-long journey and our goal is to make it as long as possible.

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To coin an oft-repeated phrase, “Diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint.” :wink:

Kind of OT but serendipitously a couple of different comments like this recently have echoed my own experience and I’m kind of curious about it. I had turned 28 in November '83 (my bday is International Diabetes Day, quelle ironie) and right around that time had a super nasty cold, and not long thereafter started developing all the classic symptoms. Not exactly “overnight” but I think it was like two weeks from the first vague feelings that Something Is Not Right to being on the verge of DKA (doc told my wife “If you hadn’t brought him in this afternoon you probably wouldn’t have been able to wake him up in the morning”).

I hear about adults getting misdiagnosed as T2 and struggling on with Metformin diet ‘n’ exercise for a long time before finally getting properly tested and put on insulin, but there’s just no way I could have survived another week let alone the months or even years some people have experienced. This seems to be its own subcategory where it gets kicked off by an infection and progresses rapidly, as opposed to a more gradual and insidious thing. I’m curious whether there’s any actual literature about it.

Hi, I’m not sure what my A1C is…I know I’m overdue for it, I’m just not looking forward to it because last time I was around 7.4 and I know my #'s have been bad the last few months. I’m trying to get it together though.
I’m blown away that you got type 1 overnight from a flu! I’ve heard type 1 can sometimes be caused from a virus, I just didn’t know what kind. Wow
I am just about to read the book “Thinking Like A Pancreas”. I know I have room for a lot of improvement and hopefully some day can be covered for a CGM…Thanks for your post.

I have talked to several people that have what they thought was type 2 but are most likely type 1. The most recent was an HVAC tech who was working on my A/C when he asked to use our bathroon. He briefly explained that he was a type 2 diabetic. I said I was type1 and pointed him in the right direction. When he came back we had a long talk in which I found he really did not understand much about diabetes. I asked if he was being treated by an Endo; he was not even though his BG’s were in the 300’s. I strongly suggested he should see an Endo and repeated that advice the next day when he came back to finish my A/C. He said he had discussed it with his wife but I am not sure they thought an Endo necessary (insurance problem?). I don’t know him personally but I feel obligated to find him when we get back home in May.

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If anyone suspects a misdiagnosis, please read or pass this along. Melitta knows all about it from personal experience. she has listed in this topic the specific blood tests you should ask for

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Thanks for posting my top ten tips, @MarieB. This is such an important topic (misdiagnosis) that I have updated one of my blogs from 2010, A Field Guide to Identifying the Misdiagnosed Person with Type 1 Diabetes

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I just saw it & I’m just thrilled you updated it. we may have our opinions on diet & treatment that may differ from the next PWD, but misdiagnosis of lada is downright dangerous and something we all should shining the light on.

And the American Diabetes Association (ADA), in their magazine “Diabetes Forecast,” provides an article on autoantibody testing 6 Tests to Determine Diabetes Type

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Your insistent advocacy seems to be hitting home, @Melitta . Nice that the ADA published this helpful article about misdiagnosis of T1D’s as T2D’s and citing the actual tests needed to help diagnose T1D in adults.

30 years and after the fist 4 or 5 years thought my insulin dose was pretty good - got careless not testing and ended up in hospital a second time d/t high BG. Then 3 to 5 years ago many instances of low BG and EMS visits convinced me to acquire a CGM. Still get careless with my diet resulting in swings high and low, but the CGM allows me to take corrective action and keep A1C under 7. Don’t want to be plugged into the CGM and ATT a pump is not a choice for me.