Hi all!
I am new here to the forums. I was diagnosed 2/26/14 with Type 1 (at 27). It was certainly a huge shock to me. I was under the very wrong assumption that all T1s are diagnosed as kids! So wrong.
I just couldn’t believe it, I was eating super healthy and working out everyday, yeah I was constantly needing to go to the bathroom and had a unquenchable thirst, but I just couldn’t be diabetic! Well my A1C told another story, at diagnosis it was 15.3.
It was hard at first because I have always had a huge fear of needles but I was able to overcome that (for no other reason than I had to) and began my treatment. I did MDI for a few months and just started on the Omnipod 3 or so weeks ago. I’m so happy to be pumping now as the MDI was a huge inconvenience for me.
I just had my second A1C test and it came back as 5.8, which I think it pretty good but still within the “pre-diabetic” range so not “normal”. I don’t know why but I am so obsessed with getting everything into a non-diabetic range. I am so scared of the long term effects of high blood sugar on the body. I always wanted to live to 110 but now I feel like that will not happen. Also, I was planning on having a baby in the next year and I feel like I cannot do that until I get my A1C under 5. I am getting a CGM in the next couple of weeks so I hope that will help me drop it to the 4.5 - 4.9 range.
I don’t even know why I am writing this. It is hard because I am the only diabetic person I know, and nobody else really understands. Many of my friends thought that my diagnosis meant that I could no longer get pregnant. It gets exhausting having to constantly give everyone around me a diabetes education all the time.
Welcome to TuD,
I'm a little younger than you (I'm 23) , but I've had diabetes for almost a year (will be a year this weekend) . I don't know my diagnosis a1c as they didn't take one I just had a random glucose test when I went in the ER for chest pain and found out about it. Congrats on the a1c, but DO NOT push yourself for a low a1c, 5.8% is a beautiful A1C , mine's 5.7% and if you're in the ranges I am you REALLY don't need to do more. It seems the pump helped you. I HATED the pump and have much better control on mdi, but that's a very personal thing, your diabetes may vary. I feel you on the fear of high blood sugar related complications but if you do push for much lower than 5.5% (that was a previous a1c of mine) you WILL have more hypoglycemic episodes. I'd say 5.5-6% is my happy place . Please DO NOT think that you can't have a child because your a1c is in the 5's and not under 5. Like really, I understand the fear, but that's not stress you need. You obviously can control your blood sugar, so don't worry about it? DO what you want with your life!
We've had many members have kids here. I don't think you need a a1c in the 4s to have a successful pregnancy. Please join this group, they really understand
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/ohbaby
Glad you're enjoying the freedom of the pods. I've been pumping 25 years myself. The CGM will really help too. and I'm really glad you posted! you don't have to explain everything to everyone.
Welcome Jme. Your concerns are valid and totally natural. But, I would like to recommend that the first thing you do is.....take a deep breath. Everything is going to be ok. I have had diabetes for 30 years and been pumping for 18. I have 3 beautiful kids. My pregnancies were not normal, but with my team of doctors, nurses, CDE, and a strong family, we made it.
Set an attainable goal for an A1c that is healthy and makes sense for you. Work with your endo and your CDE on this. Take it one day at a time and if you fall.....just brush yourself off and get up again.
This is an amazing family that can help you with all kinds of questions, worries, problems, friendships, etc. Please feel free to join us in the chat room when you can. Take care and good luck. YOU CAN DO THIS.
Sarah
Hi JCF: Welcome! You are doing so great, learning MDI, getting on a pump, being very proactive. A new diagnosis is really hard and very scary, IMO. You have to learn a new way of living. I wrote a blog of my top ten tips for the newly diagnosed person with adult-onset Type 1 diabetes that I hope you will find useful. And BTW, adults made up the majority of new cases of Type 1 diabetes, not children. It's a myth that it is a childhood disease. I am glad you have found TuDiabetes--you are no longer the only person with diabetes that you know.