If it makes you feel better, I was Dx’d with an A1c of 13, and the office said they’d never seen so much sugar in the urine, in fact, they wondered if their machine was broken. I went on a low-carb diet and labs are now close to normal, although I do take insulin to help with BGs.
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It’s definitely helpful to know I’m not alone, thank you for sharing!!
@gretchen, how nice to see your familiar face here! I really enjoy your blog, just wish you wrote it every day! (No, I know that is not realistic.)
I recommend having a look at Jenny Ruhl’s writing on diabetes. She is herself an elderly journalist who has survived T2 for many years. When I was struggling with the dismay of diagnosis I found her comforting, sensible and very informative. You can find lots by her free here:
Or, better, buy one of her books. I like “Your Diabetes Questions Answered” best. It is not too technical. The Q&A format makes it easy to skip to the topics you care about most.
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Thanks for the tips, Gentian!! I will say after finding this forum and everyone’s comments, I am feeling a little better, but still not great.
Thanks, Gentian.
gretchen
Hi JLR220, You’ve gotten so many replies that I’m hesitant to add another but here goes:
I’ve been T2 for about 16 years. When I first got serious about trying to control it I decided to do a lot of finger pricks trying to track which foods made my BGL worse and for how long. I found my tolerance for carbs, even complex carbs, was much lower than what following the ADA recommendations would suggest. But remember everyone different so I suggest you take your own measurements.
Recently Abbott introduced more affordable CGMs. I’ve always wanted to see just what was happening with my BGL so even though Medicare doesn’t cover the cost (I’m not using insulin 3 times a day) I got a prescription in July and used sensors for about 3 months. The insight really help me because I got very granular data and was able to track my out of zone peaks but also to see what my time in zone was.
There was another benefit of the sensor I didn’t expect and it may be one just for me. I set the high BGL alarm right at the upper limit of a tighter zone (for me 70 to 150). I get an alert and know to start watching what was happening and avoiding things I shouldn’t eat. It effectively acts as a conscience for me (or a nagging mom?) that helped me control my BGL better. Without the sensor I was about 65% in zone on average but with it I could stay just over 90. I’ve gotten a good price on sensors through Kroger’s pharmacy but even at $68 for two I’ve grappling with how I pay for it going forward.
Good luck. As everyone here will tell you it is manageable with destroying your life.
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Assume you meant WITHOUT !!
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OMG I sure made a big mistake - yes without!!!
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Heya JLR220, how are you feeling about things today?
I’ve had Type 1 for 44 years now, diagnosed at age 13. I had a period of denial about my diagnosis until I was in my mid twenties. Then I just got tired of being sick and tired, so I decided to learn more about what was going on with my body instead of ignoring it. Once I did that, I started feeling so much better! So it’s fantastic to see your determination to try to understand what your diabetes is all about so soon after diagnosis.
You will need to be a sponge for a while, taking in all sorts of information. Don’t be afraid, because once things stop being so overwhelming, you will be more knowledgable and will feel much better. But it will take a lot of patience, and you will need to be kind to yourself. Your body is an organism, not a machine. Damned Mother Nature! Of all the nerve!
I suggest you find an endocrinologist if possible to get your bloodwork done, or perhaps a nurse trained in diabetes care to help you find your way (the endo may be able to help you find one). GPs are fine for initial diagnosis and general care, but you will need someone to keep a closer eye on both you and the latest advances in diabetes care, someone who can help guide you through this maze.
And always, always remember: these people should be there to help you, not hinder you or make you feel bad about yourself. You are giving them your hard-earned money, not the other way around.
That’s my two cents worth, anyway. You can do this!
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Hi Lisa, a little better. I can ask my Dr about a referral for an endo when I speak to her next week. As a naturally anxious person I think I’m always going to always sort of freak out about things, but hopefully talking to a therapist and figuring out exactly what I need to do, I’ll feel better.
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Hi all, I so appreciate everyone responding!! I’ve gained so much insight already. I do think I’m improved from when I initially posted, somewhat, as I’m not crying anymore (at the moment at least). It’s nice to know there’s such a great, welcoming community to come to. I’m definitely going to look into seeing an endocrinologist, and hopefully be able to get in with a therapist that’s also a CDE (still playing phone tag with her).
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Don’t beat yourself up … take each day … ask questions here … and to your doctor (and no question is ever a silly one … trust me … I’ve asked a few over my years). I’m on meds too - for depression / anxiety (and this crazy Pandemic isn’t helping us either right?). Glad you’re are posting here. Tudiabetes is what made me feel better in myself after I joined up to the online community years ago, after living in the dark for many years.
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Hello JLR220.
Diagnosed 2 years ago sudden onset DKA no warning except for a viral throat.ICU for a number of days seriously ill.
Diagnosed type 1 male 52.
Complete shock never had added sugar eaten cakes biscuits or takeaway.
I’ve never posted here but am a regular reader.
We have felt the frustration and having to adjust to Diabetes and still trying to.
I find the forum a big help even though I’ve never postedI know there are people there who can relate and advise me if I need it.
Take care.
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Glad that you posted Greg2. Getting dx with type 1 at 52 had to have been a horrible shock especially since you had no warning. What a life change for you.
Thank you so much.
Yes he was very healthy just collapsed early one morning.
It has been tough but he is managing ok.
His diet of course is important.
Shirley
@Greg2
Hi Shirley!
Health or what you eat has nothing to do with getting type 1 diabetes. It’s genetic .You inherit the gene that makes you able to get type 1 and the belief is certain viruses set it off. Covid does seems to be one of those viruses.
You can eat what you want, you just have to learn how to dose with insulin for it properly. We have to take insulin for any carb we eat, whether it’s broccoli or cake. Obviously broccoli is less carbs so less insulin. We are susceptible to damage caused by high blood sugars, and it all comes down to dosing right in the timing and amount. Keep in mind everyone is better off eating broccoli versus cake.
I got type 1 when I was 44. When you get type 1 when you are older, it has a tendency to be slower progressing. Unfortunately a lot of people find out they have type 1 by going into DKA. DKA is caused by a lack of insulin. Initially since it’s slower progression it takes an unknown amount of time to completely lose the ability to make insulin. So you can be very irregular at the beginning. We call this the honeymoon period. It can make it harder to learn to dose at the beginning and over time the odds are you will slowly need more insulin as your pancreas completely stops making insulin altogether.
People decide all sorts of eating types, you choose what works for you best. The important part is learning to take the right amount of insulin and the timing of taking it. It comes down to carb counting and learning to adjust your insulin dose to what you eat and what you do. It’s a learning curve at the beginning.
Any questions you have, there are plenty of people that would always love to help!
@Greg2
Hi Shirley!
Health or what you eat has nothing to do with getting type 1 diabetes. It’s genetic .You inherit the gene that makes you able to get type 1 and the belief is certain viruses set it off. Covid does seems to be one of those viruses.
You can eat what you want, you just have to learn how to dose with insulin for it properly. We have to take insulin for any carb we eat, whether it’s broccoli or cake. Obviously broccoli is less carbs so less insulin. We are susceptible to damage caused by high blood sugars, and it all comes down to dosing right in the timing and amount. Keep in mind everyone is better off eating broccoli versus cake.
I got type 1 when I was 44. When you get type 1 when you are older, it has a tendency to be slower progressing. Unfortunately a lot of people find out they have type 1 by going into DKA. DKA is caused by a lack of insulin. Initially since it’s slower progression it takes an unknown amount of time to completely lose the ability to make insulin. So you can be very irregular at the beginning. We call this the honeymoon period. It can make it harder to learn to dose at the beginning and over time the odds are you will slowly need more insulin as your pancreas completely stops making insulin altogether.
People decide all sorts of eating types, you choose what works for you best. The important part is learning to take the right amount of insulin and the timing of taking it. It comes down to carb counting and learning to adjust your insulin dose to what you eat and what you do. It’s a learning curve at the beginning.
Any questions you have, there are plenty of people that would always love to help!
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First of all welcome - you are definitely among friends! Second, just give yourself a big hug right now because you deserve it. Your whole live has just changed and you are facing a big unknown - of course you are worried and frightened and upset! Of course you are overwhelmed. How could you not be?
I just want to reassure you that everything will get better. I promise. The most important tool you have available to you is information. Right now, a lot of that information is falling on top of you all at once and on top of diabetes, you have information overload. Not all of what you are hearing is important to you RIGHT NOW. Yes, it is good to know about long term complications but that doesn’t help you right now and you really don’t need anymore stress in your life.
You are doing the right things - you know your numbers, you have started medication (and you may try different medications at different times to find the ones that work best for you - that is normal), and you are looking at the changes you need to make in your lifestyle. All this is really good and it has only been one week!
Your A1c measures what the average glucose level in your blood stream has been for the previous 3 months. Hemoglobin cells collect glucose and how much glucose they collect is measured in the glycosolated hemoglobin - or A1c - test. So, view the next 3 months as your playing field. This is the time frame you have to work with for changes to impact your blood glucose levels and for you to see the differences the changes you are making take effect. Use your meter regularly when you get up in the morning, before meals and when you go to bed at night. Blood glucose levels will vary throughout the day - they are not one constant level so that will help you see the pattern that your body follows.
Talk with your doctor about enrolling in a diabetes education program. I don’t know if there are any locally for you but sometimes local hospitals will have these programs and there may well be something available online. The more information you have the more in control you will be and will feel.
In the meantime, many hugs to you and please know you are not alone. Go ahead and cry. It is ok because you are facing a major change, and that is your body’s way of coping with the sense of loss and the fear of the unknown. It will pass. You have to just give it time. Soon, much of these changes will become second nature to you and you will see that they are having positive impacts on your life and your diabetes management. Even though it is hard to see at the moment, you are doing everything right and you will see your numbers drop and you will feel in control of your life once again. Change is difficult, but you can do it - and feel free to ask any questions or share any concerns here - we’ve all been there and are happy to offer our support in anyway we can.
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