I was diagnosed 5 years ago at age 46 with T1/LADA, and I guess I’m still in the honeymood period. It’s actually something that puzzled/perplexed me for a long time. My impression was it was going to end shortly, and quite suddenly, so I always dreaded an imagined cliff I was going to fall off. I was greatful to have it, but every fingerstick gave me a moment of panic wondering if this reading was going to signal ‘it’. After a couple of years of that I just burned out on the constant worry.
I started insulin 18 months ago. Bolus-only for the first year, then added basal 6 months ago - that’s not typical protocol but it’s what worked for me. I still only require low doses so I guess I’m still honeymooning. I definitely consider it an advantage, being able to ease into this whole thing…
TBH, I couldn’t wait for the random fits and bursts of endogenous insulin that my daughter’s rallying beta cells spit out as they circled the drain during her honeymoon to end. I knew that her remaining beta cells were on borrowed time, and I secretly wished they would quit p1$$1ng around and just die as dignified a death as possible. Once her honeymoon ended (and before puberty hormones became the new “gang members” in my fight to mange her BG), her T1D was infinitely easier to manage. In my daughter’s particular case, the sheer random and unpredictable action of her dying beta cells were just a little bit more challenging than her current screamingly intense puberty hormones that require large volumes of insulin to manage. I know how difficult it is to not feel as if you are somehow failing or losing the battle when larger amounts of insulin are required.
Nice. I’m on insulin now tried novolog at a meal for the first time and hated it. I am thankful I have some time to figure it out but it’s crazy being three weeks in and having to think about every little thing that affects BG. Ugh. Thanks for sharing your story. I hope my body keeps on trucking.
Rgcainmd…interesting…maybe I’ll feel the same way when this part is over. I think my problem is mental…that I will have to rely on medication to LIVE. It’s a hard concept for someone that doesn’t go to the doctor and I’m dependent on modern medicine to keep me alive. That’s the part I’m struggling with right now but it shall pass and not be a big issue. I ate healthy before but having to count and measure what I eat and see how insulin affects my body is slightly (okay REALLY) annoying. My family went to dairy queen tonight and I passed after seeing the carb content. It’s not worth it right now while I’m figuring out how to handle a regular meal.
that is the thing, the relying on the medicine to LIVE.
and dairy queen, so not worth it for you right now. but it will be one day. it gets a lot easier. youll be able to eat the good stuff again. smaller portions. not all the time. but there is a sundae out there with your name on it.
Recently diagnosed in February, my honeymoons come for a few days at a time. From what my endo and diabetes educator both told me, this can happen years after diagnosis.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to not have to take insulin and feel more “normal” for a while, but the onset of the honeymoon phase always has annoying hypos accompanying it
Yep, that’s it. But as you can read elsewhere on this site, it’s okay, just remember to take a deep breath, you get well-versed quickly and it’s not too big a deal (hopefully. As always, it’s an individual thing).
I was diagnosed at the age of 30 but I think my “honeymoon” began a year or two before my actual diagnosis. After diagnosis, my honeymoon extended for another year or two. I remember thinking after I started dosing insulin that it seemed relatively easy to control.
Do not be afraid of your honeymoon ending. As others have noted, extra natural insulin can sometimes be problematic. With today’s technology of insulin pumps, modern analog insulins, CGMs, and finger-stick meters, controlling blood glucose well with insulin, exercise, and lower-carb eating is possible. Not perfect – but definitely better.
We are all subject to aging and the real risk of some human illness or disease. I can see why you may feel “weak” but I urge you to reframe your outlook.
I have a story for you. A few years ago I watched the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon (swimming, cycling, running) competition at the bicycle turn-around spot. A small crowd was there to encourage the competitors as they struggled against the miles and their natural human limits. The elite competitors came through first and the crowd all clapped and shouted their encouragement.
But then a few cyclist without legs came through as they powered their recumbent cycles solely with their muscle-bound arms. A roar built up within this crowd each time one of the double-amputees cycled through the checkpoint. I found myself with tears streaming down my cheeks clapping long and hard as each legless rider passed.
These riders captured the epitome of the human struggle. Faced with a daunting deficit, they could have fallen into dispair, but instead they chose to laugh in the face of fate and become an elite athlete by anyone’s measure.
No one leaves this life unscathed. Some of us suffer more at the hand of fate than others. It’s not what life hands us that determines success or failure. It’s how we respond that matters. Take pride in your ability to live a full life while also managing your diabetes. Doing so may inspire others but more importantly it will inspire you! Your personal sense of your intrinsic value will soar and provide you with the very energy you need to persist.
Haha. I normally don’t even GET ice cream but for some reason now I feel I can’t dive in and it kills me. I’m such a dork. I WILL get my sundae one of these days (haha) but I’m giving my body a break and figuring out fast acting etc. You will be notified when I finally get one (thanks for responding)
Yep you are so right. I’m getting it into my routine (like I hqve a choice!) But slowly getting used to it all. I have a feeling I am in it for awhile which is fine. I’m still learning with a huge learning curve. How are you doing with everything?
You know what’s worst than having a bad attitude? Realizing you are having a bad attitude about things. You are absolutely right (and are you a writer? Your post made me smile). This isn’t the end of the world but I know I’ll have my fits…100 years ago it would be a different story. Thank you for keeping me on track mentally. Physically I’m there and can do this. It’s been almost a month since I’ve been to the DR and I feel 100 percent better than I did a month ago. =)
I was diagnosed at the age of 14 more than 40 years ago, so my experience may not be particularly relevant to your situation. My honeymoon, in the sense of not taking any insulin, lasted about a week. I actually had my c-peptide (a proxy for endogenous insulin production) tested recently, and it came out below the lowest measurable value. Nevertheless, I like to think that I must still have a few brave, battle-hardened beta-cell warriors standing their ground on my behalf. In the sense of having at least some endogenous insulin production, honeymoon never really ends. Which bring me to a point: with an adult onset, you very likely have a pretty good army of beta cells still working for you, which will help you with your bg control for many years to come. No reasons to consider yourself weak or not healthy because you need to take insulin externally. Go for that backpacking trip!
Not sure if this would make any difference to you, but I would not consider insulin a medication. It is not a man-made contraption that provides some (often questionable) benefits and a litany of undesirable side effects. I would be a lot more disturbed if I had to take any of those. Insulin is a perfectly natural regulatory hormone present in all humans, all mammals, all vertebrates. Some of us loose abilities to produce enough of it, so we must take it externally. That’s about it. There are no reasons to feel bad about taking insulin, however much you need. You will quickly learn how to do it well, and everything will be fine.
Manageable is a good word. We can live with diabetes. We can take insulin and eat. We don’t have to live with very high blood sugars. Daunting is not a good word. Thing is high blood sugars make you feel bad. Instead of daunting say it is a sickness. If you give up you die miserably. Thing is you can even feel healthy by having periods of blood sugars below 150 (?). Digestion and insulin sensitivity isn’t often predictable. That I would call daunting. Trying to stay in range with blood glucose level is daunting. In the old days we had to just give up on trying to eat carbohydrates and feel okay. The insulin uptake was so slow. I think I would wait till I felt a low and then I could eat carbo. It was not a normal way to eat. Going back to that seems daunting. So if something seems daunting maybe there is another way. Maybe the instruction you’ve received is pointing you towards a daunting life. But live your life. Diabetes is not fulfilling enough to fill your life. There will be a way for you to be undaunted.
Thanks Aaron. You have to remember that sometimes a post is a fleeting moment in time. When I’m happy and not thinking about D and feel healthy. Those are posts you don’t see. The Times I post is when I get down…overwhelmed and scared. So I agree it’s a manageable condition. Most days I’m pretty good about it. I feel my body put up a good fight for me prior to dx and I can start to take care of me. It’s a good feeling to know what the hell was going on and that I have control over it. I agree with you wholeheartedly and I’m not trying o be “woe is me”. When I can vent I feel better…get passed it…and go on with my day.
I am am in total awe how people in the old days did this. It’s very admirable. Thank you for your insight. Keep me on track I need that.
Thank you! I’m feeling better everyday to be honest. I am in a routine already and I am taking better care of myself. There are weird positives to this. I started a small cardio workout…plan my meals daily…stopped drinking crappy drinks and I do feel better. My color is back to my face (my face looked sickly) and I hqve more energy and I’m not cranky.
I really appreciate your response and thank you guys for your positivity. I’m sloooowly changing my outlook. Tomorro is my one month anniversary. Not even close to as many days you have but I’ve changed a lot in 30 days. =)
I have been honeymooning for over 6 years now, since my date of diagnosis in 2010. At my last endo appt in April, my c-peptide showed I was still producing some insulin. I don’t know how long it will last. It has it’s benefits- I rarely see high blood sugars from lack of insulin; however I do have more lows, since my pancreas is rogue and will randomly spit out insulin whether I need it or not. So it can be a bit unpredictable.
I’m doing great, actually! I’ve been learning a lot about diabetes, and honestly managing it has become nothing more than a slight nuisance in my life. Just gotta pay super close attention to my body and know what the different signals for different things are
I’m not one to really let things get to me, just gotta take it all in stride! Stress never makes anything better in my experience. How have you been doing with it?
