My 60th birthday present was a T1 diagnosis. No family history, health screenings 6 months prior had a fasting BG of 84. Go figure!
Silver lining -- I had great and tight BGs for my entire childhood!
38 for me. But, like you, I guess I was somewhat lucky in getting correctly diagnosed early. My T2 label only lasted a short time. The specialist at the hospital took one look at my exhausted skinny self and said "Are you sure you're not T1?" (Yes I know there are skinny T2s also….) and insisted on going to an endo asap.
Your diagnosis is a lot to wrap your head around right now, but this a great place for questions and support. Good luck!
I was diagnosed when I was 8
I was diagnosed at age 37 and my annual fasting bloodwork was the epitome of health just 4 mionths prior and I’ve always run and done weight training. Liek everyone else, it seemingly came out of the blue.
I was diagnosed with Type 1 at the age of 62. There was never any question about the type. I was in DKA, very thin and I had been on a healthy diet forever. It was a shock.I was on MDI for about 10 months at which time I went on a pump. I've been on a pump since 1993.
49, not misdiagnosed, not LADA. Started insulin immediately, pump within a few weeks. Insulin was (and still is) like a wonder drug.
54, just officially diagnosed this month, sick for many months.
i was diagnosed at 36 too. it sucks the big one. its been two years and three months.
Try CoQ10 for leg cramps. I use it and it seems to help.
My pharmacist recommeneded it and my endo was in agreement.
diagnosed at age 54 as T1 before that I was misdiagnosed as T2 at age 43. It only took 11 years for the doctors to get it right.
Lots of us out there, m'dear. I started showing deranged (!) BGs at age 43, but all the doc did was tell me I was hyperglycemic and send me to the diabetes clinic to get and learn how to use a meter. While I was there, I got a meal plan, too. And cried the whole time, because for me the T2 not-yet-diagnosis was full of guilt and self-blame.
Well, when I was 44, I started being symptomatic, with the 3 polys (polydipsia -- extreme thirst, polyphagia,-- extreme hunger, and polyuria -- peeing all the time), eating until it hurt, and not losing, but not gaining weight (because I was LADA, and still had some insulin production) so the doc sent me to an endo, who put me on sulfonylureas. When the first didn't work, tried another, which also didn't work. I now know, through genetic testing, that I should have been ultra-sensitive to sulfs, but they did absolutely nothing for me. So after 5 months of that, I begged for insulin, went through the whole protocol for insulin for T2s and when I finally was allowed to mix insulin to the ratios I needed, my BGs started coming down, and symptoms abated. Still not ideal, because I was having 2 lows a day (old days, when there was nothing but R and NPH), so went on Humalog when it came out. And finally in 1999, when I was 51, I went on the pump. Hallelujah! I still have to be careful that docs and medical professionals don't eyeball me as T2, because of my age, and the fact that I'm not young, thin or athletic. But at least I know what's right for me, and that's an achievement!
So with that history, even though I never had antibody tests (they weren't available at the time), it's pretty clear that I have LADA, which, of course, is a form of T1. Took me some time to wrap my head around it, to realize that it WASN'T my fault, and that no matter what I do, the diabetes is not going away. When you're T2, you are given hope that if you change your lifestyle, it will be reversed (even though that hope is often false), but with T1, you just have to accept that this is your course in life, and you have to deal with it, no matter what. At least there is a lot of support here.
And PS, our dear jrtpup, AKA Barbara Bancroft went through the same struggle, although I don't know what age she was diagnosed.
Oh, Terry, I love the "Type 2 scenic tour" expression! And yes, you are truly lucky you avoided that misery. It's not pretty.
Although those statistics are interesting, most adult-onset Type 1s are misdiagnosed as having Type 2 diabetes, and not included in the stats for T1d.
ER admit in DKA, BG 480s, A1C 11, normal weight, physically active, unexplained weighloss, fasting BG 6 month prior low 80s, hospitalist insisted T2, more than likely based on age alone, totally ignored the drop from high 400s to 140, in two hours with 10U novorapid. Endo consult not sure, wanted additional testing. Kicked out of hospital at 10PM cause I did not look sick and they wanted the bed, with 250 BG on T2 meds, (metformin, glypizide, lantus) after first lantus self injection. Discharge orders - - follow up to endo in two weeks. Fat chance you could get an endo appointment in anything less than 2 months!!! That's assuming you survived that long on lantus dose way too low, etc, etc, etc!
I was lucky to work in pediatric teaching hospital. All my peeps said honeymooning T1, and I was able to lead my PCP to get all the T1 testing. Was on basal bolus within 2 months of initial presentation, and on CGM in six months, pumping with a T:slim in 8 months. As a result I still have lot of preserved pancreatic function and hope to keep it. It means thing are a bit strange since my basal is now down to about 2 units a day, and bolus is just a little as well. Have had to take a page from the pediatric play book and am using U50 insulin in my pump. If current trend continues, may need to move to U10 insulin. However once honeymoon finally end will be back up there and back on standard U100.
wow! how are you still alive?!?!?
I was misdiagnosed at 22 with likely type 2 but type unknown and I was put on metformin, which didn't do crap for me after months and I only got worse and sicker until I got to an endocrinologist and properly diagnosed as a type 1. Insulin helps me a lot and I love it even if it sometimes is (sometimes even literally) a pain in the butt.
Type one at 51 years of age. Two years ago. Still honeymooning, but things are surely changing!!!
Cheers Roodgirl, it’s a lot to learn
That was my thought as well.