Hi everyone! My name is Vicente and I was recently diagnosed with type 1 back in June of this year. Prior to this diagnosis (1/2 year), I was misdiagnosed by another doctor with type 2. I started having doubts with this diagnosis when I started to lose weight from 200 lbs all the way to 150 in June and my blood glucose levels would hardly stay controlled.
However, when I landed my engineering job right out of university in downtown Los Angeles, I immediately received access to awesome insurance that allowed me to chose a primary doctor that is a type 1 diabetes specialist! I was immediately sent to blood work for all kinds of insulin antibody tests and GAD, etc which determined that I was producing little to no natural insulin. Right that day I was placed on Novolog and Lantus and my weight when up to 165 just a week after this ahaha.
Since June of this year, I was doing multiple daily injections 4 times per day. However, I just received my Animas Vibe insulin pump and training on Saturday and I am LOVING this little device. I have much better control over my blood glucose levels especially with the Dexcom G4 CGM!!
Anyone have similar diagnosis stories? In my time at university and work, I have yet to meet anyone that has type 1 diabetes. It would be great to hear from the community!
Hi Vicente The main factor is to remain positive, diligent and motivated to hold BGās between 70 and 140. I was diagnosed in 1950 with T1D and never allow the condition to deter or depress me. I am on a 5X BG test and 5X injection routine daily. Hba1c should be maintained at 6.0. I am on a low carb, high protein, veggie and fruit diet. This works perfectly for me, however,should be
personalized as we all have different metabolisms and tolerances.
Fortunately my kidneys are 100% functional, however a blood vessel in my right eye, retina started hemorrhaging recently. This is however treatable and not catastrophic.
Nowadays people with T1D should be able to live fully productive, healthy lives to a good old age.
As @OShoot advises, the main thin for you to do is remain diligent and positive; he has over 65 years experience with T1D and Iām completing 60 years. You will never control T1D but you can manage it very well and lead a fully productive life.
Iāve never let my over reacting immune system, killing my beta cells, prevent me from doing whatever I wanted. Certainly I had many years when I was in denial and didnāt do much other than a once-a-day injection to manage diabetes but as a result a few complications have crept into my life but they are all under control.
I had diabetes for about 20 years before I met another TypeOne with whom I could share stories and gather insight. If you want to meet some people tap on the āEventsā tab at the top of this page and you may find something scheduled in your area.
misdiagnosis of T1 as T2 is shockingly common. Glad you didnāt get more sick. I was a stubborn little kid and was near death before I complained about being sick, exhausted and severely dehydrated.
Great news about the insurance thing - yes I also was able to get great insurance once I started working. Iām also an engineer I have a current project in San Francisco for the next 20 months. You sound like youāve got a great outlook and from what I have learned in the last 30something years with T1, attitude is everything. Just like @OShoot said, getting a retina specialist on your team while you have great insurance is fantastic advice. I always recommend āThink Like a Pancreasā as one of the best resources for understanding treating T1 with insulin. Hope to see you around. Cheers!
misdiagnosis of T1 as T2 is shockingly common. Glad you didnāt get more sick. I was a stubborn little kid and was near death before I complained about being sick, exhausted and severely dehydrated.
Great news about the insurance thing - yes I also was able to get great insurance once I started working. Iām also an engineer I have a current project in San Francisco for the next 20 months. You sound like youāve got a great outlook and from what I have learned in the last 30something years with T1, attitude is everything. Just like @OShoot said, getting a retina specialist on your team while you have great insurance is fantastic advice. I always recommend āThink Like a Pancreasā as one of the best resources for understanding treating T1 with insulin. Hope to see you around. Cheers!
Thanks for the great input @Oshoot !! I am definitely trying to keep a good attitude and remain positive despite having t1d. My hope is to follow a low carb high vegetable diet in the coming weeks (maybe after the holidays :D) and attempt to lower my daily insulin need. Weekdays are easy because I always pack a large salad to work with an apple and sometimes a sandwich. Itās the weekends with my parents that always ruins my āhealthyā streak.
@Joe yes! I guess itās very easy to misdiagnose a person especially when one is not sent to be taken the proper blood test to make a complete, solid diagnosis. My current doctor quickly jumped onto this and had the proper tests conducted, so Iām very thankful for that!
Iād like to hear more about your project in San Francisco! Iām currently a structural engineer in Los Angeles and I work in the power/electrical sector.
I just got that book in the mail and Iām looking forward to reading it!
Hi Vincent. I was diagnosed at 22 as well! Now I am 31. I have a story similar to yoursā¦ I ended up losing about 30 lbs in one month (didnāt think much of it at the time), until I almost passed out in the mall twice! Scheduled an appointment with my doc, he was booked so I saw a colleague. That Dr ended up putting me on some pill (canāt remember) for diabetes. Well, I guess my chart landed on my Endos desk b/c his nurses called me the next day asking me how soon I could get to their office! Next thing you know, my Dr is holding my hand as weāre injecting Lantus into my stomach. 6 month later I got the pump & life is so much easier now. Sometimes I wish I could go back to injections b/c at times I hate having it attached to me, but I know my blood sugars are SO much better with it.
It may sound crazy but Welcome to the club! No one will ever understand what you go through on a day to day basis; it can be difficult, but nothing you canāt handle.There arenāt too many of us T1Ds out there or at least I havenāt met any more than a handful of people with the disease Iām sure you know (itās the Mom in me to remind others) but always keep extra juice or snacks on you for emergenciesā¦ I have many juice boxes stashed in my purse and car!
hi @villegasvicente, glad you got that book, itās a good one. I am a mechanical/controls engineer I work for big pharma my specialty is clean rooms, automatic controls, and laboratories. We have a 10 story research lab - discovery chemistry and a biological center of excellence, going in to South San Fran right near the airport. I am out there (I am on the east coast) for that project 2x a month until we start steel this Winter.
@Lilac1633 wow, it seems like I went through the exact same experience! I was also given a pill, actually 2, that never seemed to work on me as intended. They were metformin 2000 mg per day and 5mg of glyburide. Now I know why those didnāt work for me! They are intended to force insulin from my pancreas when in reality my pancreas was like ācanāt man, no beta cells left! Ahahaā
Good idea on the juice box and candies thing. I keep forgetting to bring them around with me and always have to buy some from the work snack table. Since starting on the pump a few days ago, I have hovered at around 75mg/dl for most of the day. I know, I should probably work on getting that up to 90.
hi @villegasvicente Yes, itās different, but also at my other project locations Amsterdam Netherlands, Ireland, Miami, NJ, Pa, Boston, Mn, South America (Brasil and Argentina), India, Puerto Rico, China, and Mexico. Engineering and construction has been good to me these past 30 years, but it is a mentally and physically demanding job, esp when your company grows all over the world and your staff is reduced to āsave moneyā. =) good thing I am tough and stubborn, good thing I have a pump!
I was 22 years old as well and treated badly by my GP. But that waist 1971 and in those days what we now call type one and type2 were known as juvenile and adult onset diabetes. I was 22 and a nominal adult, therefore my diabetes was type2.
I just celebrated my 69th birthday and my healthās been pretty good since 1971.
Take care and Lilac1633 is right when she said, āNo one will ever understand what you go through on a day to day basis; it can be difficult, but nothing you canāt handle.ā
Hi Vicente! I can totally relate to your diagnosis story ā mineās pretty similar! I was diagnosed in March of this year with type 2, and the week before finals (and graduation!), I was admitted to the hospital for DKA. I had been working out regularly and trying to diet, so I thought losing weight was just a natural reaction. As it turns out, youāre not supposed to feel lethargic and miserable at the same time. Thankfully we both figured out the right diagnosis and can take care of it! Itās felt a little strange to be type 1 and diagnosed at 22, but itās nice to meet someone else whoās been through the same!
@Joe Thatās great man! Seems like you have traveled to many parts of the world! Iām just starting my career and Iām hoping it will be a long and rewarding one
@Allan2 Wow man, congrats on maintaining healthy regardless of the GPās treatment of your condition. When did you finally become diagnosed as Type 1? Hopefully it wasnāt too long afterwards?
@kelseygeller Hi Kelsey! Your story is the closest to mine that Iāve heard! It was also the weeks before finals week and graduation that I started to notice the huge weight loss I mentioned. However, since I was going out to exercise everyday to bring my BG numbers down (didnāt work) I justified the weight loss with this exercise. When I would get up the next morning feeling completely miserable and drained of energy, I also justified it due to exercise -_- I also remember always stopping to use the bathroom at some McDs when driving home from UC Irvine to Camarillo on the weekends. Interesting times for sure haha.
About 18 months after I was dianosed my uncle, a physician, was visiting. Took a look at me and almost dragged me to a medical school mate who was an endochronologist. He started me on insulin immediately and the rest, as they say is history.
Hi, Iām a college student at San Francisco state studying mechanical engineering. I was diagnosed at the age of 16, im still figuring out how to manange my bs. My doctor is not the best, but since I recent turned 18 I can pick my own doctor with out the hassle. Do you have any advice on getting through college as an engineer major?
