I was diagnosed on july first and have been doing really well. I have not had a blood sugar reading over 130 in about 2 weeks and i am moving back to chicago to go to back to school in 20 days and i was wondering if it is to soon to think about making an appointment in chicago with an endo to talk about getting a pump. Also if you guys have any college tips i would really appreciate it.
no, in my opinion it's not too early. I see no reason why you couldn't be put on a pump at diagnosis if it weren't for the thing being a little overwhelming to some at first. congrats on the always good readings but you know you might be making some of your own insulin , called the "honeymoon" period. things can vary a little the first year and it can be tricky. do you have a cde in chicago? best of luck on college this year, diabetes always puts the same variables in everything you do: high, low, eat, insulin, and exercise. It doens't matter ifg you are in college or starting a new career. cheers!
I have been on a pump for about 5 years... and honestly can't imagine going back to injections. Some of the things I like - when I need insulin for a meal, I just use the "bolus wizard" on the pump, instead of having to excuse myself to go somewhere for privacy. The pump also gives me flexibility with my schedule. I don't have to eat at certain times, I can sleep in, or stay up late. As far as it being too early... I don't see a reason not to think about it, but would talk to an endo.
I was actually diagnosed 3 weeks before I went off to college as a freshman. I learned that it was really important to carry around extra food - I lived in the dorms so I got a mini fridge to keep snacks in, and always had a supply of "emergency" foods (glucose tablets, juicy juice boxes, mini boxes of raisins) so I wasn't stuck if the cafeteria was closed. These were pre-pump years for me, but I was in even better control then, partially because of the "honeymoon" period that Joe mentioned, but also I was really active and walked everywhere on campus, worked out, and ate really healthy most of the time. I don't know if you drink alcohol, but be careful of lows. I stayed away from alcohol at all until my senior year and had some scary lows then if I drank too much. Good luck!
Jen
Absolutely not! I knew right away at my diagnosis that I was going to do whatever it took to get a pump as soon as possible. I was diagnosed just over 6 months ago on Jan 28, by April 15 I was on a pump. I was determined to get one so I worked with my endo and cde and got one as soon as I can. The best thing to do is to go ahead and start doing your research and contacting the companies. Most people will say that insurance companies won't allow you to get one until like 3 or 6 months from diagnosis. This is true, however, if you talk to the pump companies they will tell you they can get around it (and they do-notice I had mine before my 3 month anniversary). They will just prescribe the pump to your endo instead of you. Trust me, being proactive was definitely worth it for me. I absolutely love being on a pump, the 2 and 1/2 months worth of injections was awful. If you have any questions about how to go about it, feel free to contact me. Good Luck!
Chris
I was diagnosed with Type I when I was 19 (I am totally not the person to help you get thru college, because I was a mess after being diagnosed) and pumps weren't really out then. I have been on a pump since right after my son was born (14 yrs. ago) and I cannot even imagine NOT having a pump! It gives you so much more freedom to eat when you want, etc. When you are on long acting insulin, its going to peak at a certain time so you will HAVE to eat by then or bottom out. I think with you and college life, you will love the pump!
NO it is not too early, i was diagnosed this past 4th of July and i started pumping 2 weeks ago. It does make control a lot more easy, but then again you have to talk to you doctor, look over your past BG and see if it will help you. for example I used to have a lot of hypos and wouldnt notice then, thats is calle haypo unawareness and the pump helps me with them, i dont get hypos as often as before and whn i do it lets me know i have to check. So as i said before it all depends on whats best for you!
not too soon at all. my seven year old son was diagnosed on July 18 and already had a pump on September 21. he loves it and is doing really well on it. Go for it!
I haven't dealt with bipolar personally, but had a good friend who did and learned a little bit about the challenges. I know the medication takes time to be effective, so try to give it a chance and make sure you're also doing counseling so you don't make the common mistake of stopping the medicine when you're in a manic stage.
Diabetes and depression are definitely linked. I remember being completely overwhelmed by my diabetes as a young adult, but it somehow seemed less dire as I got older.
Do you use a pump? That might help you to deal with the transitions of your bipolar.
It helped me to realize I'm not a statistic and am not destined to have complications. There's a book calle "50 Secrets of the Longest Living People with Diabetes" that was encouraging.
You can't make your mental illness magically go away, but there is a lot you can control. Try to do positive things in your life like eat well, listen to positive music, and get fresh air at least once a day. Don't pressure yourself about your diabetes management. Just take some extra insulin if you're high or eat some sugar if you're low and go on.
Hope others can offer more personal help. You sound super smart and it's cool that you're dealing with your problems head on. Let us know how you're doing and what you've found that helps you.
-Jenna
I understand all of that. And being intelligent is what causes me the most stress. I get it, I've read it, I know it all by heart. I even understand the new things I have to do for my manic and depressant phases.
The problem is that my emotions are not logical. I cannot process them. I cannot understand them. And occasionally I cannot over come them. I just wish I could handle it all without depending on others. But I do have a fantastic therapist and hopefully my mental doctor will be able to figure something out about the ineffectiveness of my current meds.
Thanks for your response. I'm glad to have found this support site.
As far as what helps me...
Well, the depression is a very hard thing to get thru. I set multiple alarms on my phone to remind me to eat now, take meds now, check sugar now... etc. I also keep my meter on me at all times when I'm depressed, otherwise I don't want to get up to go use it.
Really, all I can do during an episode is hunker down and ride it out like I did growing up on the Coast during a hurricane. When the sun comes back out from behind the clouds I just clean up the mess and have a fresh start.
Wow, that kinda just came to me while I was writing this. It is amazing how the comparison is very real. After a hurricane, everything is torn to Hades but there is a newness to the world after days of rain and overcast skies. The air even has a fresh scent to it. That is what it's like for me when I'm going through a fit of depression, and when it literally "lifts".
And the diabetes...
I've found that tech helps me, and gets me interested and involved in my diabetes care. I've found two smart-phone apps that have totally engrossed me. I'm even checking my sugar more often than my PCM told me to.
One is a log book app. It automatically generates graphs and a printable/email-able logbook that can keep track of many things including weight and blood pressure as well as blood sugar and medication.
This app is called OnTrack for anyone interested. I know you can find it in the Google Play store for android phones. Other than that, I'm sure you google it and see if it's available in any other form.
The other I use to figure out just how many exchanges are in my granny's cooking. :D It's a weight loss app, but it has an unbelievable nutritional information database. It is called my fitness pal, and has become my pocket guide for eating out and for those foods that are hard to estimate.
So.
I hope anyone else with these problems can find some form of help here from my experiences.