Hey guys, so I was diagnosed with LADA on 10/04/19. Last month was very difficult in getting adjusted and starting insulin. My employer hasn’t been very understanding. I called my doctor-the endocrinologist I have only seen once to relay symptoms of fatigue and the nurse called me back and told me the doctor said I shouldn’t be feeling fatigued, that it’s not a LADA symptom?! Really?! Can this be true? I feel I’m still adjusting physically to all of this. What do you all do when you have a provider like this? Any advice is helpful. I read many of you are dealing with fatigue too.
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Prior to my diagnosis I was feeling pretty terrible. Losing 1-2 pounds per-day, no energy and just in general feeling really bad.
When I started on insulin I started feeling better and better but it probably took 4-8 weeks to free “normal”.
Also in my case my sugar was 330 A1C 13% so when I started insulin and got it down to an average of 105 I had blurred vision. It took about 2 weeks but my vision returned to normal. I only bring this up because you might experience this and should not worry.
I let my employer know what was going on but I never missed a day of work. It probably depends on your line of work but as an office worker it was not too bad for me.
I would recommend you tell your doctor you want a Dexcom CGM, continuous glucose monitor.
When I was first diagnosed I was checking my sugar 10 times a day. After a couple months I got the Dexcom and it has made my life so much better. I no longer have to wonder about my sugar, it also makes it easier to learn how things like food and exercise affect your blood sugar.
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Thank you for sharing. It makes me feel better knowing it took a while for you too, as I would expect anyone with our diagnosis would. I guess it’s been 5 weeks now. Things are slowly getting better, had some nausea two days last week. Not sure why. And lots of tingly nerves at night. My work hasn’t been very supportive and I work in mental health. Now that you mention, yeah my eyesight has been different. I’m glad you are feeling better now.
A T1D diagnosis, even the slow onset LADA variety, is a shock to your metabolism and your psyche. I’m sorry that your doctor doesn’t get it but, unfortunately, a lack of empathy from a medical provider is not all that uncommon. Don’t let his/her comment about fatigue convince you to discount real symptoms that you feel.
A healthy glucose metabolism is a finely tuned system that works to keep glucose in a tight range. It does so for a good reason; the body needs glucose tightly controlled for optimal health. Your body, approaching the time of your diagnosis, was likely experiencing extended high blood glucose with a blood sugar orders of magnitude higher than optimal.
Hyperglycemia (high glucose) produces lethargy, cognitive muddiness, and all your organs complaining about this metabolic mayhem. Wouln’t it be nice if you could simply flip a switch and transfer your physical symptoms to your doctor for a few minutes?
Fantasy aside, the fatigue you feel is completely understandable. Try to stay well hydrated, get enough sleep and keep your glucose in reasonable control. Check your blood glucose often as you are now starting a crash course on how to manage your glucose in “manual” mode. It’s not an easy task but one that you can get better at.
Many of us have found ways to “normalize” our glucose and live a productive and happy life. Learn as much as you can but realize that this is a long term project. You can’t learn it all right away but learn something every day and the power of persistence will certainly work in your favor soon enough.
The emotional/psychological aspect of a new life-changing diagnosis needs your respect. Do not be afraid to seek out some professional talk therapy if you think it might help you. The rest of the world will mostly not get it but you will find some exceptional people to help you cope. They are few and far between but keep your attention peeled for them.
An in-person diabetes support group can help but you may want to look for one that specializes in diabetes type 1. Most people with diabetes are T2D and while we share many struggles, there’s enough unique issues for T1Ds that you will likely find more resonance in a T1D group.
I’m sorry that you joined our ranks but this is a good place for some empathic understanding. There are people here with decades of experience on the path you now embark. We’ve seen a lot and are happy to share what we know.
Get educated and be kind to yourself; you can certainly establish a new normal for you!
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I agree things take awhile to get back to “normal”. Or your new normal! I am so sorry your employer is not being helpful. I am not sure what your situation is but most large companies have to abide by some federal laws. I have FMLA on file with my work and I have to pull it out once in awhile when I have some tech problems. It doesn’t happen often as I try to keep everything at work also. But there have been a few times I’ve used it.
I also use it when I attend classes, workshops, retreats. And the main reason I got it, was due to driving and being late to work. If my blood sugar was too low to drive, I would be late for work. With FMLA, i just call and tell them I will be late, using FMLA and will be there as soon as I can. That way, I don’t get dinged for a tardy.
I hope you start feeling better. As your blood sugars start to come into line, you will feel better. I also agree that a CGM is a game changer and can really help give you information. Maybe your fatigue is due to higher than normal blood sugars. Would be nice to have answers. Good luck!
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Thank you Terry. I don’t think anyone could have written a bette response than what you wrote me! It is all of that as you explained. Coming to terms with this is my life now. Yes my doctor telling the nurse to tell me that fatigue is not a symptom typical for LADA blew my mind. I think I may need to find another doctor for what she said. I have a friend who is an endocrinologist and she said what you wrote. The ups and downs we experience can drain us and it will get better the more I can control those levels. Well I or diet and insulin. Thank you for being supportive 
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Thank you! Oh forgot to say I am wearing the Freestyle Libre, I call it the donut on my arm. Yes it has been a great tool in the day. No more pricking all through the work day. Some news on my work front, yes a trusted supervisor said I need to let Human Resources know what I’m going through so I will tomorrow. I have had two good days in row, I like how you said my new normal. This week is better than last week
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At least for me I got better and better and managing my diabetes. You will learn to manage it and get to a point where you can pretty much do anything you want and feel good the majority of the time.
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@Mocha2. First, welcome! Your first year is a voyage, a tough voyage. You will find tons of support and information here from people who are both new like you to people that have 50+ years of experience. Personally, my first year was tumultuous as everything seemed to go sideways at once. It took the better part of 2 years for me.to grasp the basic concepts and get stabilized. Just know that you are not alone and there is help here if you want it.
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Thank you for the support. It’s good to have validation that I’m not alone, that others have experienced ups and downs too. My endocrinologist saying fatigue wasn’t a part of LADA didn’t seem right to me so hearing that it is makes me feel better.
Yeah, I would find another endo as well!
I was mis-diagnosed as Type 2 by the VA, and it took me over a year and a half of messing with them to find a private doctor. She told me I was a Type 1 in the first 5 minutes of my appointment!
And, once I started insulin, I felt WORSE. But after I got things better under control, I started feeling better.
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