Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed with Type 1 in August, 2014. I am in my senior year of high school and it has been a rough ride but I recently received some good news when my insurance company approved my OmniPod before the six-month mark! Life with diabetes is still new to me so if anyone has any overall tips or advice for diabetes in general or the OmniPod, they would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Sorry you received this diagnosis. It's almost always a shock and takes some getting used to. You will adjust and the degree of your success controlling blood glucose will depend to a large extent on you and the choices you make.
Learn all you can about using insulin to control blood glucose. I recommend Think Like a Pancreas by Scheiner and Pumping Insulin by Walsh. You are just at the beginning and you have a lot to learn but don't be intimidated. What you learn will serve you well the rest of your life.
Often, in the beginning with T1D, many of us experience what is know as the "honeymoon period." This a a period of time when your pancreas still produces some insulin. This is a big advantage. It will make your numbers easier to control. If you carefully control your blood glucose, there's a good chance that you can extend this period.
Consider your diabetes like a part-time job that require that you show up and take care of business. If you need to test, test! I'm aware of the social life of a senior in high school but take care of your BGs first, then enjoy life.
Insulin pumps are great, but in and of themselves, they are simply another tool in the toolbox. They can be used well or poorly. There's no inherent magic in them. Learn all you can about the basics then concentrate on your unique endocrinology.
Try to keep a log of insulin dosed, meals eaten, exercise, and BG numbers. This is part of your education. We've all tried to "wing it" and "play it by ear," that produces inconsistent results, at best. I don't log every day but I always return to this habit when things go haywire.
I read recently that Eliot Joslin, a medical doctor that pioneered diabetes treatment, instituted a medal for people that reached 25 years of living with diabetes. Inscribed on the medal was, "Insulin, Diet, Exercise." These are the three pillars of effective control.
Go easy on yourself! You are now manually calling the shots for the pancreas. The healthy endocrine system exquisitely manages blood glucose with a complex pattern of signaling and hormone secretions. We cannot compete with that level of control! Do your best. Don't beat yourself up. Learn from your mistakes and move on. This is a marathon, not a sprint!