I was recently diagnosed with T1D, Dec 30th 2014, to be exact. I’m 22 years olf & with no family history on either side or knowing people who have it…I am very confused. My A1C level was 13.7 % & my BG levels run fairly high. I have been put on a low carb diet but still struggle with my BG levels. What can I do to get my blood sugar in normal ranges? I can’t seem to get it down anymore than 97, & that’s been my lowest actually. My highest number has been 259 since being discharged from the hospital last week. My endocrinologist said to keep it below 200 & above 70.
Welcome to our club! You will be totally overwhelmed with information over the next few months. For now, I think your BG goals are fine, especially since you are only a couple of weeks into this. 97 is actually great - anything in the 90-ish to 115-ish range is nice and comfy. If you get much lower, you risk going too low. You’ll have one of those fun hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) events soon enough, so your doc probably wants to just get you stabilized for now. If you get higher than that, that’s OK for now, because I’m sure they will be tweaking your insulin dosages every week or two for the next few months. Did they describe the “honeymoon period” to you? That’s common in new Type 1’s, where there may still be some functioning beta cells that produce a little insulin, but over the next few months those will die off, so your insulin dosages will continue to creep up until you level off. For now, just get in the habit of testing several times a day at regular times, usually before meals and 2 hours after meals, and before bedtime. Communicate your numbers to your doc so they can continue to refine your insulin patterns. Eventually, you will learn to master carbohydrate counting and calculating dosages. Then you can go on a pump! That’s where your control can really get refined. I’ve been T1 for 31 years and pumping for the last 13. My BG at diagnosis was 1140 and I don’t even want to know what my A1C must have been. I was in lousy control for my first few years, but having a pump would have made it so much easier, so I hope you can transition to that in a year or two. Are you in college? Things got much more stable for me once I graduated and got my first real job with normal hours.
When counting carbs in a meal do you count the carbs in the broccoli even though there are only 4 carbs in a serving ?
Yes, but just a little. With foods that have more than 2g of fiber, the general rule is to deduct half of the fiber grams from the carb grams. So if something has 20g of carb and 4g of fiber, count it as 18g. Right now you might want to make a list of foods you often eat, with the carb counts to make it a little easier, but eventually you will remember them by heart. There are carb counting apps for yiur phone too. I like the “Carb Diet” one for the iPhone.
Does anyone ever have problems with their sugar going down and then up. I can’t seem to keep my numbers even anymore. Its been like this for a week. Is this normal sometimes?
if my blood sugar plummets after a meal, it’s because the meal may have had more fat than I thought, the very slow absorption of a mixed meal (fats plus sugar) loses to my fast acting insulin. the next thing to happen is I must eat some fast carbs, like glucose or juice, and then 3-4 hours later my blood sugar goes back up because that darn mixed meal is still absorbing.
2 foods that do this to me for example: pasta and pizza.
if you are not eating and your blood sugar is going up, then your long acting insulin needs adjustment. there is a thing called a “basal test protocol” that can help you figure out of your long acting insulin (or basal rates if you pump) need adjustment. you can also do this with your doctor.
a low can trigger a high - if your blood sugar gets too low your body may release it’s own sugar storage in your liver.
cheers and good luck
lindscaroline92 Getting to 97 after such high initial numbers is an accomplishment. It will take time to figure out how your body reacts to foods, and how to read labels, etc.
I’ve had diabetes for 21 years. I was diagnosed at age 30. My A1C hovers around 7. Here’s what works for me:
Regular exercise. Both cardio and weights.
High fiber diet.
I don’t over-indulge in high carb foods (italian, mexican, etc).
Regular doctor visits.
When my bg runs high for an extended period of time (1 or 2 days), I keep a list of what I eat, when I eat, how much insulin I take and the before/after meal BG. Google docs is great for this. This seems to get me back on track. And you can easily share with your doc and nutritionist.
I carry glucose tablets with me for to avoid hypoglycemic crashes.
Does anyone have trouble gaining weight? I have always been underweight and now i keep losing sometimes because of the way you have to eat. Im always hungry!!!
sixboys, if your bg levels are within the normal range, see a nutritionist. If they’re above normal, see your doctor. Once starting on insulin, I would think your weight would stabilize.
Hi Lidscaroline92! So sorry to hear about the diagnosis! I’ve had type 1 for 7 years and I can tell you that, for me, managing the disease has gotten much easier. At this point, I feel like taking my insulin is kind of like brushing my teeth… just another part of my daily routine. 
On another note, has anyone told you about some of the research opportunities out there? I wish I had known about how to participate in type 1 research when I was newly diagnosed but I was just so overwhelmed by everything that I didn’t even think to look into it and my endo never mentioned it. For many of the studies out there, people have to be within 100 days of diagnosis to qualify to participate, so I think you would still qualify.
There are two studies I am aware of for newly diagnosed people right now and both are giving therapy (infusions) to try to stop your insulin-producing cells from dying. One of the therapies is called Tocilizumab (you can find information here: http://extend-study.org/) and the other is called ATG-GCSF. The ATG-GCSF study is being done through an organization called TrialNet and more information can be found on their website (here: http://www.diabetestrialnet.org/). Both of these therapies have had some success in preserving insulin secretion in past studies and might give you a shot at slowing down the disease. I am a nurse in Seattle and work closely with type 1 diabetes research and diabetes management:) Both of these studies are being done at the hospital I am currently working at and are also being done at sites across the country. If you might be interested in participating in a clinical trial to preserve your insulin secretion, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer your questions and get you connected with the right people/ organizations to help you out. I wish someone had done the same for me! Welcome to the T1D community…there is a REALLY good group of people on here!
Hi there. I’m so glad there are people out there that I can reach out to for help with all my questions. Brief history. I was diagnosed a couple of years ago at the age of 35 as a Type 1. I still have so many questions. My first question is after I eat, I do go high, but I try to be around 180 2 hours after. If i’m not, I do correct. During the time that I’m high after eating, am I doing any damage to my body? Right now I’m doing daily injections and I’m trying to find a way to help me rotate better and remember where I last injected. I have a 10 month old and life can be hectic, so I just inject and go most of the time. I go where a CGM and it’s my best friend!! I’m considering the pump, but with a 10 month old, he is grabbing at everything. Is the pump better to prevent lows? I’d love some advice.
thanks