Now, on to the business at hand. I haven't been bolusing for anything for the past week. My numbers are always awesome still (never over 140, even right after I ate). I decided not to wear my pump the other night because I was in a bad mood, and I woke up at 90 (awesome, right?). I didn't sleep with it again last night, woke up at 85, and have continued to not wear it all day. After a breakfast of potatoes and pancakes, I was 140, and now I am at 82.
HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! But at the same time it's incredibly frustrating. Reading about all of you, it makes me feel so weird.
You're still hanging out in your honeymoon phase I'm sure. Enjoy it. Just don't get fooled into thinking that you'll be able to do it forever...the moment your sugars start creeping back up get back on some basal insulin because there's no turning back from insulin at that point.
Don't feel weird. Your situation is way different than someone who has had it for years. Your body still has some beta cells surviving the autoimmune attack so your body is still producing insulin thus you need to compensate for it by taking insulin.
I was taking 1 unit no matter what I ate for the first year I was diagnosed so I pretty much was on no insulin too.
I was the same way for the first year and half then I fell out of the honeymoon stage and I went from taking like .5 units of insulin with food to 7 and 8 units enjoy this time because it soon will end.
I am a honeymooner also. Dx's in Feb 2010. A1C's over 13 insulin all the time. I have finally gotten it under control to 5.9 and 6.5 at least check. Went from 49 units of Levemir and 4-6 units novolog before meals to 3 units of levemir and no short shots. I have thought about not taking any and see what happens but I have not gotten up the guts to do it. In my mind I feel like it would end my honeymoon. Don't feel weird be glad for now and enjoy it. :)
I've already gone through this once, actually. When diagnosed I was on 15 u of lantus, but it slowly decreased until I didn't take any for about a month (that was probably about 4 months after diagnosis). My numbers eventually went way up and I started on the pump, but now it's happening again. I talked to my Dr. today and she said I am just a rare case and that I should be glad about my second honeymoon.
I'm 12 years in and I still have weird changes in insulin. Last year around this time I was taking 32u of Lantus a day. I had been doing a 32 to 40 gig for about 2 years at that point. I realized I was coasting low all the time so I cut it down to 25, even though this whole time I never had an episode where I needed emergency help.
Passed out in my sleep one morning last fall and had to be taken to the E.R. Decided to cut down my Lantus to 15u from that day on and to this day still. It's the best dose I've found yet...no super lows, but enough to avoid any repetitive highs at a certain time of day.
But it's weird for me to accept. How the hell does my body make that kind of insulin need adjustment? My diabetes is not new at all. Yet 1.5 years ago I was taking 40u of Lantus with an A1c in the low 6's and today I'm taking 15 with an A1c in the high 5's.
A 25 UNIT DIFFERENCE. The eff?!
So, anyway, moral of the story is don't think your diabetes is weird. We vets deal with random changes too.
I think I've read that of the Joslin 50 yr medal winners, that the majority still make a little of their own insulin. I think our bodies know that beta cells are good and want them to work. ;) Our ped. endo wanted said that good control seems to really support the remaining beta cells and makes the honeymoon last longer. Pretty much no matter what number my son went to bed with, he would wake up around 100. She felt this could be 'taxing' to his only moderately functioning pancreas, so we worked out a correction that didn't cause him to go too low but that also helped out his pancreas. I suspect his honeymoon is ending now, but he has been in it for 18 mos. So that is a pretty good one!
I think a lot of things about a T1D diet and exercise plan may help support a better functioning immune system. (More whole foods, less processed carbs, etc.) that don't cause big blood sugar spikes and will help the body not attack itself (so much) and may explain why some people have greatly decreased insulin needs over time (like ideen).
Don't ever feel bad about having a well-behaved pancreas! :)
I'm not sure what was used to diagnose you as a T1D. From what you describe it sounds like you have a version of T2D and when you are using insulin to supplement your own body's production of insulin, your body starts a recovery process and eventually leads to not needing supplemental insulin.
This treatment , low dosages of supplemental insulin, is used in newly diagnosed T2Ds to help their boy recover and give the beta cells a chance to produce enough insulin to cover your needs. The T2Ds are slowly weened off insulin as their insulin needs are reduced.
I'm not sure what was used to diagnose you as a T1D. From what you describe it sounds like you have a version of T2D and when you are using insulin to supplement your own body's production of insulin, your body starts a recovery process and eventually leads to not needing supplemental insulin.
This treatment , low dosages of supplemental insulin, is used in newly diagnosed T2Ds to help their boy recover and give the beta cells a chance to produce enough insulin to cover your needs. The T2Ds are slowly weened off insulin as their insulin needs are reduced.
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I had antibody testing done, and I do have the beta-attacking antibodies, qualifying me as a T1.
hi sjwprod :) sure wish my husband with type 2 could have had that happen.He started off on pills and then eventually started on insulin shots...Been on shots so many years now that I can't even count them ..
If the C-peptide was low also, then T1D sound right, if now then the antibodies are not the total picture. What was the result of the C-P test?
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I don't know, but trust me, I've asked my endo if I am really a t1 diabetic multiple times. She always tells me to stop thinking that because I definitely am and my wishful thinking will only end in disappointment.
I convinced myself I didn't have diabetes the first the first time I went off insulin, then I woke up one day at 300 and my bg wouldn't go down no matter how much insulin I took.
I'm just a lucky T1 with a crazy honeymoon. Maybe my body just fights back harder than most other people's.