Type 1

Hello everyone I’m new to the group just want to see what everyone else is doing to achieve their goals with type 1 diabetes.

Welcome to TuD @Chell1! Obviously that’s kind of the baseline question for a large part of the entire site, though it’s usually broken down into more granular, specific issues. But as for me, in a general sense, the answer is a) insulin pump (Medtronic), and b) CGM (Dexcom G5). I was dx’d in 1983 at age 28, and have been on many treatments over the last 38 years.

How about you?

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Welcome to TuD, @Chell1! You’ve come to the right place! Feel free to ask anything you’d like or join any ongoing conversation. I was diagnosed at 50, currently taking Apidra via an insulin pump (Animas Vibe) and Dexcom G4/Share CGM and trying to aim for close-to-normal BGs. Currently mostly following a lower-carb diet.

Hello and welcome, @Chell1.

Diabetes responds well to determined people armed with knowledge. Knowledge really is power when it comes to diabetes.

An excellent way to educate yourself is use a blood glucose meter and/or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to learn how your body responds to food, insulin, exercise and many other factors. Watch your numbers and change your habits if your meter suggests it. If every time you eat a certain meal and your meter shows your blood sugar goes sky-high, try to learn from that. Some people call that habit, “eating to your meter.”

For me and many others, carbohydrates are a big deal. Reducing my daily carb consumption simplifies my regimen a lot. Fewer carbs = less insulin = smaller mistakes.

I try to exercise every day, mostly by walking. Thirty to forty minutes at a good pace keeps my body sensitive to insulin and has a great effect on my blood sugar levels.

I look at my diabetes data every day. I use a CGM and set goals for my time in range percentage, hypoglycemia percentage, glucose variability and average blood glucose. I don’t maintain an A1c goal since I believe it is a flawed statistic – your doctor won’t agree. For me, when I watch my glucose data, it motivates me to influence the data in a better direction.

Finally, I participate in this diabetes community and others. I’ve learned far more here that I ever have from my doctors over the years. It’s not even close. I think the “skin in the game” focus of people with diabetes creates an awareness and analysis that leads to a good place. Participating here directly contributed to a better quality of life for me.

I could go on, it’s a broad question you asked. Can you tell us more about yourself and your life with diabetes?

Nice to meet you!

I’m not doing a damn thing, lately. The numbers have just miraculously stabilized themselves. Strange diabetes black magic!

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Lol, thanks for the laugh.:joy_cat::joy_cat::joy_cat: Really wish I could eat a burrito and eat like a normal person again.

I’m a vegan, so generally it is a healthy diet. (We have a lot of different diets here that work for different people) If I know I am going to eat something higher carb, I predose and that works a lot better than it shooting up and then trying to get it to drop. Predosing helped me a lot. Just don’t forget to eat! That’s really important!

But then the next thing that made a huge change is a CGM. It allows me to see my levels all day constantly when I want to. And then adding a pump which greatly helped being able to give insulin amounts constantly if I need too. I have dawn/morning phenomenon so being able to adjust needed amounts automatically during the morning made a huge difference.

I love burritos!!! But I make them myself with lots of lettuce, tomatoes, onions and some beans. mmm No rice, no potatoes. ( no meat or cheese either vegan :):grinning: )

This site is so informative, other people out there with their experiences makes you feel not so alone with what you go through at times.
I agree knowledge is invaluable!