Hello, my husband was diagnosed with LADA on Monday Feb 25th. It was a bit of a shock to say the least. It was also a bit of a relief because he had lost 30lbs in less than 3 months while eating like a “college kid” to try to gain weight. We obviously thought, cancer, when it came to the rapid loss. He had an SI joint fusion surgery in May 2018, he had a pancreatitis attack 8 days later. We received a letter a few months later that an un-sanitized instrument was used during surgery. So we thought it was an infection of some sort. They did a lot of testing for infections and everything that goes along with that. We assumed the weight loss was due to muscle atrophy. He did not have any of the other symptoms of diabetes. Looking back maybe he did, but it wasn’t on our radar because he has always been healthy and there wasn’t a history of LADA or diabetes in his family in general. He is 35. I found this site and decided to join this forum because I need help navigating all of this as a spouse. I want to support him and I want to encourage my husband in every way without making him feel less than, or “different” or any of the other things that come to mind. I want to be an encouragement and an up-lifter through all of this. We have great friends who are Type 1 and diagnosed early in life. They have been a great support over the past few days. However, I as a wife am struggling, I will always be there for my husband, I will love him no matter what. I want to be the love and support he needs no matter what. He is trying to be strong, and I encourage him. He knows how to take charge and lead, I support him. He is a strong and proud man, I love him. I know that he can take care of the things he needs to. I know that he is strong. I just need to be there for him in the right ways.
Welcome to our wonderful community. Here you will find people who both have and those who support those with diabetes. Please feel free to explore and check out the forums. Ask us anything and if you get lost check in with one of our admins. We love newcomers and you will find a community that values you and your husband.
He is a very lucky man. I hope you both well.
This is a great place to get advice and also share stories. Reading others stories has been very helpful to me.
@beth39 welcome! Your husband is a very fortunate man to have such a devoted spouse who has his best interests in mind. There is a ton of info on the site, but maybe you have specific questions that would be helpful in understanding what is happening?
I must say your husband is very lucky 
@El_Ver I guess specifically right now I am wondering how long he will have low sugar symptoms after he levels out. When he was diagnose he was 513 with an A1C of 13. Yesterday he was under 200 4 times and slept most of the day (daylight savings played a small part I’m sure). He has a dr appointment tomorrow so we’ll be asking her then as well but personal experience usually comes with a better idea of what will happen.
Welcome, Beth!
This is one of those odd things that seems like it should be objective but is very subjective. People seem to get acclimated to the high BG, such that it can “feel” low even when you’re well above range for a normal person. As you get better control and acclimate to levels in, say, the 100-140 range, the level where you feel low will also come down to something like the 70s or even lower. Which leads to…
What treatment regimen have they started him on? These days it’s standard to start with a basal-bolus multiple daily injection (MDI) routine, but if he works on learning to carb count and finds out what his insulin-carb ratios are and the like*, he may want to transition to a pump. Even before that, it can be enormously useful to get a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). FIngersticks just give you a snapshot a few times a day whereas a CGM gives you a dynamic picture of trends underway, heading up or down or maintaining a steady BG level. Very anxiety-relieving and VERY useful for figuring out how to treat your BGs while minimizing the “roller coaster” effect. Lots of information here about the different options and what their pros and cons are. If I were faced with a choice between giving up the pump or giving up my CGM, the pump would go first. Though it’s good to have both!
Sleepiness at high BG levels is also pretty normal. He should definitely experience a big improvement in his energy level as he gets his BG under control.
ETA: *This is the stuff that can seem very daunting and depressing at the beginning, especially if you’re a guy who has never had to think much about nutrition, dieting and all that. I was dx’d at 28, and back then (1983) the tools were much cruder, and amongst many other not so happy feelings I had, “Oh crap, I’m going to have to think about this ‘diet’ stuff forever!” was right at the top. I hated that kind of thing. But after not too long you mostly internalize it. Generally people are fairly routine in terms of what they eat most often, so it’s not as daunting as it might seem at first. And again, a pump and CGM make things a lot easier. Didn’t have anything like that back in the dark ages when I was dx’d!
I read this response to my husband and he laughed and said “this guy gets me” He is up to 20 units of Lantis at night and on Novolog for before meals 3 units plus a little extra depending on his levels. We are watching the carbs and being sure he is getting proper nutrition. He is a healthy weight and was very active before his SI joint injury. We are hoping within the next few months to get him a pump. His Doctor has already mentioned it to him.
@beth39 as @DrBB said it is subjective and highly individual per person. For me it usually takes 2 to 3 weeks to adjust. The first 2 weeks feel like I have the flu and I am miserable. During this time I check my bg incessantly because I cannot tell if I am high or low. The only caveat to that is if I go back up to the high bgs I was at I feel better. I liken the entire experience to withdrawals from opiods. Once I have levelled off for a week or so I start to feel better and this becomes the new normal.
I am also similar to El_Ver when it comes to feeling general malaise with foggy brain as my blood glucose levels have stepped down.
FWIW, my A1C shot up to 11.8 several years ago as metformin ceased to control my T2 diabetes and I entered into the world of basal and bolus MDI therapy. I worked hard at getting the A1C below 8.0, then I got a CGM last year which really allowed me to hone in on how I reacted to certain foods, eating times, activity, etc. That helped me get below 7.0 and now I am consistently below 6.0.
An app that really helped me in the beginning of insulin therapy was MySugr. I logged everything I ate, insulin injections, blood glucose readings, etc. Get the paid version as there are a few extra perks and the reports are very nice. Focus on getting a good handle on eating: carb counting, meal planning, meal scheduling along with consistent testing of BGs and insulin dosing.
You’re husband is lucky he has you as a cheerleader.
Nice job @lumi73! Keep up the good work. 
Congrats on the much improved A1C @lumi73
Logging insulin doses and food eaten, in conjunction with an app like MySugar is vital to improving your glucose control. It does take a bit of time (work) but it’s so worth it.
I use the free MyFitnessPal app to record meals / exercise / weights. It automatically calculates meal and daily totals for Calories (Carbs, Protein and Fats) and is simple to use. Scan the barcode of the food you’re eating and enter the amount eaten - that easy. 
After a prolonged period of high blood sugar and then as I brought it down I would get signs of low blood sugar between 200 and 250. what i did was take my blood sughar, make sure i was not really low and then resist the urge to push through. Today, I get panicky if my blood sugar gets above 150.
It is all what you get used too and are willing to endure. He will feel much better around 100.
Thanks! He is still feeling bad today but we are trying to get some more carbs in him. I called his Doctor this morning and we were making the “classic” mistake of not eating enough carbs. I gave him some juice and an english muffin. Fingers crossed he can get back to feeling normal.
Quitting carbs suddenly is hard physically and mentally. IMHO, gradually reducing the amount of carbs consumed and being more judicious about the type of carbs consumed helps immensely.
Choosing whole grains rather than more refined options, understanding portion sizes and carbohydrate quantities, adding more protein or fat while reducing carbs, all will help. Read nutrition labels, weigh and measure food until it becomes second nature. Writing down all the food consumed along with the carbohydrate count help figure out exactly how many carbs are being consumed as well as their effect on BGs.
As has been said millions of times, “Welcome to the club no one wants to join!” TuDiabetes is a great resource for both of you.
It’s great that you are on board with helping your husband manage this new, unexpected chronic condition. While you can cheer him on and not undermine him as he begins this journey, it’s ultimately his. For me, one of the key points is to recognize that diabetes is a part of me. It can often be frustrating and maddening, but since I love myself, I have to love all of me and accept this condition.
Get the right team together. Right now, you are on the steep part of the learning curve, so your doctor gives orders and the reasoning behind them, and your husband follows. Eventually however, he will only see the doctor 2 - 4 times/year, and your husband will be fully in charge, with the doctor as a valued, expert advisor.
Skimming trough the responses, I have yet to see recommendations for two wonderful books: Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner (cuz that is what he will be doong!) and Using Insulin by Jpohn Walsh. BOth are available on Amazon, aND WORTH BUYING. wiTH MY ALMOST 40 YEARS OF LIFE WITH t1 (AND lada IS A FORM OF t1) i ALWYS BUY THE NEW EDITIONS. thEY ARE KEPT UP TO DATE AND FULL OF USEFUL INFO. anD PROVE THAT IT IS VERY DO-ABLE. lIKE YOUR HUSBAND, i WAS 30 YEARS OLD WHEN (oops hit the caps key) dX’D, REcently retired as a ballet dancer and got down to 105 lbs. (I am 5’6") learned that it is possible to be too thin! Like T1, LADA is an auto-immune disease, not tied to health nor lifestyle (but then T2 isn’t either, the biggest risk factor is family tree with T2). When he is ready to think about usiing a pump _ I love mine) Walsh’s Pumping Insulin is a great resource.
Welcome Beth. I’ve been type 1 since the age of 22 mths. I am 50. D sucks but it has come so far. I have a 670G pump and I feel like I have been reborn. It will be ok-your husband will go through a lot but he will be fine. I am in Canada, and things are pretty good. I am female, did not die, and it will be fine.
Hello Beth. I have type 1 and have had it for 45 years. I have to say though that I have learned more in the last few months than since I got this. I started by testing my glucose by peeing on a test strip. When I think back to that I wonder how I got this far. I have always been quite conscious about looking after myself but never the head of the class. Two months ago I got a Dexcom G5. (G6 isn’t available in Canada yet). It has really opened my eyes up and I have to say my control now is way, way better than its ever been. My A1c has been in the 7.8 to 8.2 range ever since that test was started. After 2 months it is down to 7.0 and I expect it to go lower on the next test. I also have an insulin pump (Omnipod) which I love. Now I can check my glucose level on my iPhone, and enter that on the controller for my pump and it calculates the amount of insulin I need or don’t need and move forward. Once he gets more experience with his diabetes he will start feeling more comfortable with it. It took me a while to finally accept it but it does come. And don’t be afraid to tell others without making it a big deal about it. Others can accept it and that will help him and you accept it.