Hello, My name is Tara and I was just recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I’m having a hard time adjusting to all of the news and changes that come from it. What also sucks is that my family doesn’t understand, and it’s really frustrating when people tell you that they understand, but they don’t because they don’t know what it’s like to wake up and have your whole life changed, have to learn how to eat again and to have to give yourself shots everytime that you eat. It’s very frustrating, because I’m hungry all the time, but I feel like I can’t eat otherwise I’ll have to give myself a shot and with that comes a bruise. Or it will cause my blood sugar to be super high. I keep hoping that this is all a dream and I’ll wake up and not have diabetes anymore. I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, but then it went away. I wish this could be the same way. I’m reallly trying to keep a positive attitude about it, but it’s really hard, when right now it is really hard to enjoy life and food, when everyone around you doesn’t have to worry about what they eat and how it will affect them. I’m just struggling, some days are good and others I just want to break down and cry. It is a life altering disease that has no cure, at least not yet. And now I worry about my son, and I pray that he will never have to go through what his mommy is going through. I wanted to have another child this fall, but was told that I have to wait a year to get everything undercontrol. Not fun. Gotta love being a victim of genetics, NOT.
Tara, I don’t think a one of us that did not break down and cry when we were diagnosed. I was in my 30’s when I go the wonderful news. I am a T2 and as I progressed through the diet control, to oral meds, to insulin I cried many times along the way. I became a burden to my family when I went on insulin because I had so many lows. I was keeping my control to tight. My A1c was 4.1 at one point. I finally went to an endo who told me that I was controlling way to low and fixed things.
So go ahead and let it out and cry if you need to. Just remember that you are strong and that you will beat this thing. You will never be rid of it, but it will not control your life. You will control it.
Also remember that you have friends here. Ones that will laugh with you and cry with you. One that will always be here and be ready to support you. You are never alone in this fight.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Sparky
I understand 
no, really I do lol
But, I was diagnosed a couple of years ago a week before I started college. Yes it sucked; I was always up at nights, worried about passing out or my A1C. It took me awhile to get adjusted.
Id like to say that it gets better, but it doesn’t. You just get stronger and more adjusted to it. You will have your days, but you can’t let it defeat you.
Joining this site has helped me a lot. People do say “I understand” etc but 9 times out of ten, if they don’t have diabetes then they don’t understand. It’s especially frustrating when people start looking at what you eat and saying oh you’re eating sweets you’re not supposed to etc and you’ll be treating a low and already don’t feel well!
I guess bottom line is that diabetes makes you stronger, and you’ll fall into the swing of things if you put in the effort. Id say diabetes is one of the largest adjustments that you’d have to make amongst different diseases! But, you can do it keep the faith
Hi Tara: A diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes is devastating for most of us. It takes a long time to grieve the losses, and meanwhile we have to deal with many comments from people that frankly are not very supportive. But unlike Brea, I will say that it does get better. But it takes a LONG time. Be good to yourself, learn as much as you can, remember that perfect control of your blood sugars is not possible with our present technology, and allow yourself time to grieve. And get support here at TuD from people who actually do understand.
I am so sorry about your shocking news. First of all, you should not blame your family for not understanding. This is just as much a shock for them it is for you! It is up to you to learn as much as you can - and you will never know everything - not even doctors know everything and they are supposed to be the experts! The patients are the experts because they know how it feels to be diabetics and every case is different, though there are similarities throughout the illness. I know you feel frustrated and scared. My sister had invited me to visit her in her new home in America but read something on facebook where I had mentioned high blood sugars where I went to the hospital for a check up. I am prone to chest infections, and that was what it was. A course of antibiotics and thrush medicine (diabetics are more prone to thrush with antibiotics than a “normal” person) sorted it and I only had 2 hypos in her prescence during the 3 weeks that I was there. She wrote and said that she did not think I should go “in case” I got ill. I sent her a long e:mail back explaining the basics and told her that sometimes with illness and infection it can go wrong, but there is just as much chance of me getting run over by a greyhound bus as there is of me getting ill to the point where I needed medical assistance. The highs will eventually go down.
I would sit down with each of your close family and friends, armed with all the leaflets about diabetes as you can gather and talk to them about it. How it is for you, including warts and all. Do not sit them all down together and give them a group lecture. They will all have their own understandings and misunderstandings and this will confuse the others.
I do not know what your levels of control are like, but I can assure you of one thing, you do not have to stint with food simply because you have diabetes. I cannot tell you how much of what ever to take because I am one of those who are taking pork insulin because I was over sensitive and allergic to human insulins and your situation is different to mine. That should be discussed with your doctor and nurse.
You most certainly do not have to take a shot every time you eat something. You can, and indeed should still eat because otherwise you could end up going hypoglycaemic and that is no fun. Test your sugar levels regularly, ususally before each meal, 3 to four hours after a meal and try to keep eating regularly, taking a snack in between meals. The slow release carbs should keep you feeling fuller between meals and will deal with the hunger issues. It is not the pasta or rice or whatever that is “fattening” but what you put on them!
The rules of eating are quite simple really, little and regularly. Eating whole, unprocessed foods and eat carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cous cous or bulgar wheat) for every meal - enough to fit into the size of the palm of your hand - you will get used to estimating how much by looks - with every meal. These carbohydrates are slow release and help keep your blood sugar levels steady throughout between meals. The other rule I was given was to steer clear of anything with the letters “ose” on the end or at least limit it to a sensible level - so, glucose (of course) fructose, lactose, maltose, dextrose … You can have them if your levels are good, but in small quantities. The lactose is not so bad and is found in milk and yogurts. You would have to drink a lot of milk to make a significant difference. Of course fruits have fructose in them but you can get lists on the internet as to how much of it is in each type of fruit. Off the top of my head the two highest concentrates are grapes and oranges. They are not off limits completely but keep it to a minimum.
Always carry a glucose preparation in case you go low, or as I do put some small, unwrapped sweets such as jelly beans or whatever you like for those times when you need a quick fix. Chocolate is not good for a hyp
I know exactly how you feel. I was diagnosed at 13. I am now 23. It is really hard to have your whole life flipped upside down. I cant lie to you and say that i dont wish i wasnt a diabetic anymore or envy people that dont have to count carbs or have low/high blood sugar, or take insulin but i can tell you that it will become second nature. I HIGHLY recomend going on a pump! It will make life alot easier i can promise that ive been on a pump for about 3-4 years. Adjusting to a pump is very hard but it is so much easier than taking shots all day long! I would be lying to you if i said im one of those “happy diabetics” that are sooo optimistic about life lol but i know that some people have it much worse than me so i try to keep that in mind.
Welcome to the site. It has been most useful end encouraging to me since I discovered it a year or so after I was diagnosed, You can handle this. Become your own expert and observe how you react to exercise, meals and medications. This site is also a help for the loneliness feeling as the people here are struggling the same as you, Can’t give a lot of advice, being 82 years old, but sending encouragement. Never give up. All the Best.