My advice to you is to get on a pump and a CGM. The pump will help stabilize you and the CGM will give you a warning if you are going high or low. You have a LONG life ahead of you and with the proper tools it can be a long and healthy life. I just had my first A1C since going on the CGM and it was 6.5. This was after years of having my numbers bounce all over the place. It will give you better control as well as help with your anxiety, something I suffer from as well.
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Kevin,
While the pump is great for many people it is not meant for everyone. It is a decision you have to make on your own and can't let anyone guilt you or try to twist your arm into it. It works for some people, for others it doesn't. If you are truly concerned about lows and you have coverage you might want to look into getting a CGM, if nothing else it can help you track trends. If your insurance doesn't necessarily cover the CGM many will allow you to do a three day trial to track trends. Once you find a new Endo, if you are searching you can always ask about that.
In the end it is all your decision though. Some people when it comes to the pump thought it was more trouble than it was worth. Ask Batts. In the end it is your decision.
Ok, so a lot of people are talking about a CGM, I have never heard of that before this site. How does it work? If it helps me recognize lows and fix them then I am willing to try it out. As for the pump, I tried it a while back and I had nothing but problems. The first day I had it installed I passed out and that day I had to switch the site 4 times. Therefore i switched back to Lantus. I really appreciate everyone giving there input on here it has made a world of difference so far. Thank you and keep replying
I have had frequent lows that I did not feel. I have had T1 diabetes for 50 years. I'm 60 now. CGMs are great, but not very accurate. They CAN tell you if you are going down or going down quickly. About that, they are accurate. A CGM is an inserted sensor that measures the sugar available in the interstitial fluid under the skin. The the monitor uses software to calculate how that relates to your blood sugar. I have used them for 5 years. My wife sleeps much better when I wear one, because it alarms if I go low. You won't test less often, but when you are studying, working or sleeping and you haven't tested in a while, it is a comfort to know the CGM is doing its best to keep track of what is going on with your blood sugars. You may be able to get a free trial for a week or so. Ask your doctor. The three brands I know of are: Medtronic (but you must be wearing a pump to get a reading), Bayer (their reader is also a blood sugar tester, convenient as long as you don't loose it) and Dexcom. I have used them all over the years. They all have their pros and cons. Some last only 3 days, others are 7. Some don't give you an accurate reading for 12 hours, others are giving readings in 2 hours. Call the manufacturers and see if they will let you have a trial.
May I recommend the Behavioral Diabetes Institute? This institute of psychologists works solely on the mental aspects of being diabetic, married to a diabetic, or a family member. They offer classes and counseling. Find BDI's website and look at what they offer. BDI is located in San Diego, but the psychs speak all over the world. They also have Diabetes Etiquette Cards for you to give your mom and friends - things you should and shouldn't ask a diabetic ("Are you allowed to eat that?" is my favorite no-no!). They try to have fun and help you deal with the mental aspects of the disease.
All the suggestions by others have been great, and I will add just this one more. My 4 yr old does not notice when he is low and doesn't show any symptoms (like shaking, paleness, etc.) either. Thus it has been quite a shock for both me and our daycare to do a routine check and find out he is 49 or 32! Fortunately , this has only happened a few times, but each time is very scary - so you are not alone in fearing these lows, esp if you are living on your own now and don't necessarily have anothe person to check on you while your sleeping, esp.
I think one thing for you will be taking small steps to get more comfortable, if your average BG readin is 350, you may feel low all the time if one day you just switch your target BG to 100. You will probably want to set a new target each week or so, so week 1 is 300, week 2 is 250, week 3 is 200, etc. Until you are down in a healthy range. Your endo or even a CDE from an endo's office should be able to help you with making the insulin changes to acheive this. The other aspect of this approach is that you can gradually conquer your fear of lows. After week 1, you can say, "Well, it is not so bad being at 300, and I didn't have many lows, so now I can try 250." And look at each week's lower numbers as a big accomplishment for you.
As someone mentioned, "Think Like a Pancreas" is a great book that I highly recommend as well.
I too am more afraid of my son dropping to low than being high (though i know that being high can be dangerous for him if we leave him there) even though he is pretty good at telling us. but will he tell someone he is low if he's on the playground a recess? we don't know. will he wake up and tell is in the night? we don't know (he tends to wake up in the night anyway, so i wouldn't suspect a low just from the waking up part).
my husband is the opposite and flips out if our son is high (needless to say our differing fears creates a lot of stress!). I had to laugh when i read your comment sarah as I have actually said to my husband 'what- do you think he will end up on dialysis after just a few hours of being 19 (candian- don't know how high that is in US)?' It's good to know we aren't the only paranoid ones. We are hoping to be able to afford a pump soon and maybe that will help to keep him in range though...