I recently found out that im type 1 diabetic a few weeks ago.
Just wondering if anyone has any tips. As im finding it over whelming and quite difficult.
Hardest part is that I used to have a sweet tooth, well still do and I find it interesting but depressing when I go food shopping and seeing how much sugar is in everything, it has opened my eyes, but get sad when all the stuff I used to eat I can no longer have :(
Im 18 and was wondering if any females could help me.
Im 6 days late for my period and I think where it is my body is getting used to all the new changes, I took a cheap 99p store hpt and it was negative, was just wondering if anyone else had this problem to help easy my mind.
Well you probably missed your period because you're stressed. That happens so I wouldn't be too concerned. If you don't get it next month, take a test again just in case if you are having unprotected sex.
Everything has sugar in it, that's true. What you will learn now is how to balance that sugar intake with your insulin.
I am going onto my 19th year in November with T1. I still have slurpees, I still eat cake, candy..I pretty much eat what I want. Saying that, I have had to learn WHEN I can eat those things and when I can't. I have had to learn to balance insulin intake to cover what I eat. If my BG (bloodsugar) is high, I skip those. If my BG is normal, then I'll take an insulin shot to cover the carbs/sugar and have a slurpee.
I don't mean to suggest you should go out and drink a slurpee tomorrow, but don't think that from now on you CAN'T have those things. Everything, including milk, has sugar. A lot of food has natural sugar. You are obviously still going to need to drink milk, eat veggies, have fruit.
What you need to focus on is learning how to carb count (unless you are on a fixed amount right now) and talk to your dietitian about how much in is what and talk with the clinic nurse about how much insulin you should take for X or Y.
Of course, if you have any specific questions or general questions, we are always here. =)
It's going to be overwhelming since it's all new but it will get easier (somewhat haha we all have our bad days/weeks/months). You WILL still be able to eat the things you used to, you just have to be more aware of sugar/carbs they have in them, where you BG is and how much insulin you need to ensure they don't cause spikes in your BG.
When I was diagnosed almost two years ago my mom flipped out (cried) when she heard the news about my diagnosis, well I cried too. It was a big shock for us when we finally figured out why I was loosing all my weight, going to the restroom every hour, drinking nine bags of milk a week, and constantly sleeping for long periods of time. I was in a super high BG level. The a1C chart goes to 12% mine was way above 14%. My blood sugar was sitting at 32.2. It is today in the 4s-6s for my blood glucose and my last a1C was 5 (%?). You might not like lows. whenever I have a low I test sometimes I do forget to and just eat because that's the first thing that comes to mind you want to eat. Always test that is what I have learned. One time in school I had a low so bad I couldn't stop shaking, and wondered why. This was when I first started out into my honeymoon phase and my mom told me to test my blood so I did and my meter read out LO. I was saying is something wrong my mom gave me some chocolate or werther's and said eat just eat. LO on my meter means that your blood sugar is less then 1.4. I'm not trying to scare you if your reading that it was just an experience.
I don't think a1C is different anywhere in the world but BG readings vary in different countries. I'm from Ontario Canada by the way, names Victoria.
You said about your . well at least you get yours. Mine is well curently non-existent and I'm just 19. I am not prego that's for sure. No bf or past on so I know it isn't that. Sometimes diabetes screws that up from what I my doctor said.
I agree with Batts on the meals and when to take them and of course testing your blood. Sometimes your mind tells you that you don't need to but you can tell how your body reacts so test. Then continue as your team and doctor told you too. Eat right, work well at being healthy, and have sweets if your carbs are still good for a meal. No one is alone on this sight. Have a question fire away in a group or in a blog post. You'll meet great people on here and everyone has gone thru what your just going thru. All the best Zoey.
T1D December 4,2010 @17 years old; 11 days before my birthday
Paradigm Veo Medtronic Minimed insulin pump September 19, 2011
After a while did you find your bg levels sorted themselves out, as at the moment mine are usually between 10-30 :/
Is it true that the sun can lower your bg levels so you have to be more careful? as we have had really nice weather the last few days and my bg has been under 10.
I know doctors say that it should be between 4-7 but since being diagnosed around 3 weeks ago ive only been within that level twice and I felt so dizzy like I was going to faint , and just generally ill, is this normal? x
It's not uncommon to have highs at the beginning, your getting used to this and your body is too. Obviously try to aim for 10 and avoid 30 as much as possible. It might help if you plan a week's worth of meals, or a couple days, and calculate the carbs in advance. That will also help you learn how much/get an idea of what carbs you're eating for what meals which might help you and your doctor figure out what ratio you actually need and help the dietitian help you figure out what to eat when, if you're getting enough of X vitamin, etc. I tend to skip breakfast so I end up eating extra carbs at lunch to make up for it cuz my body craves it and then eat a moderate amount of carbs for dinner because of the big lunch.
I find mine tend to drop in extreme heat (we get a heat wave of around 26-30 C for a week around here and I HATE heat), so that could be true but I think it really depends on the person. I'm just naturally more comfortable in in moderate to low heat (fall and spring are my FAV), so extreme heat (or extreme cold) stresses my body out. More than a few times in the summer during a heatwave or just 20+ heat, my bg was 18..all..the..time. It wasn't until after the heatwave was over, that I got it back down to normal. Same with one week in the winter when we got snow (we almost never get more than a sprinkle) and half the city shut down.
Because your bg has been high for so long, the "lower" you get, aka closer to your target range/below what you've been, you'll feel symptoms of being low. It's pretty common. Your body has gotten used to being "high" and so when you drop below that, it thinks you're low.
I am usually between 6-10 (if I aim for lower by adjusting my insulin I end up in the extreme of going low -all- the time, so 6-10 is what my doctor agrees is okay for me, everyone is different). so when I go down to say 5.5 sometimes I'll feel low but I'm not actually. When I am really stressed and my bg shoots up for a day or maybe two, and then I get it down to 8 or something, I'll feel low as well but I'm not actually...it's just because my body got used to being high.
I never heard of the sun lowering anyones bg levels. I just remember to eat a little something before I go outside for long periods of time in the sun. Depends on the heat too if it is a cool heat I'll be in the sun almost all day, the opposite for a dry heat I'm inside all day.
The doctor's are right to say that your bg should be between 4-7 because that is a normal range in everyones bg levels. I remember testing my mom's blood once and she was in a low like 3.6 and she couldn't believe what I have to go thru especially for how much the head hurts before and after. I agree with you for wondering if it is normal for you to feel dizzy and want to faint, I had the same thing happen to me when I was diagnosed. You have probably had a bg that has been so high for so long you are just getting used to your bg going back to normal. My bg after I came home was between 11-26.
Three weeks with T1D there's alot to learn and still more to come each day as you go along. I'm still learning and it's almost two years with T1D for me in December. Hope this helps Zoey.
-Victoria Zimmerman
T1D December 4,2010 @17 years old; 11 days before my birthday
Paradigm Veo Medtronic Minimed insulin pump September 19, 2011
Im now 9 days late and get a lot of CM did two tests one three days ago and one yesterday and both came back negative. Should I be worried or is this normal.
Sun doesn't drop your blood sugar... it's the heat. I notice it especially with humid heat. You get the same effect from taking a hot shower.
There's a great book by Riva Greenberg called "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life; And the 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" that's great for any new diabetic (type 1 or type 2).
Another good book is Gary Scheiner's "Think Like a Pancreas." Scheiner also has 1-hr. online classes that cost about $30 each on different aspects of managing insulin and blood sugars at www.type1university.com. His sports/exercise class is especially good since he's an exercise physiologist and diabetes educator who's had type 1 a lont time himself.
The best resources for carb counting are the Calorie King Guide to Calories, Fats and Carbohydrates. You can download the app on your phone or get a book version from Walmart or most bookstores or at their website at www.calorieking.com.
For smart phones the free app Lose It! has carb listings for most foods or you can also use the Track 3 diabetes app that has carbs and also lets you list bg tests, insulin doses and notes. As a longtime diabetic I don't log glucose results much anymore, but appreciate the new Glooko cable that downloads results from my glucose meter to iPhone.
I found "Think Like a Pancreas" to be totally, utterly useless because it's focused towards pump users. Yes, you can apply a lot to MDI users but he still talks mainly to Pump users and only a little translates to MDI.
Bummer about Think Like a Pancreas. I heard the new version had more pump info, but didn't realize it was so exclusive. Have you found other books you like Batts?
None that I've looked at. I pretty much avoid them. Either all pump-related or it's for people who want to live on strict "diabetic" diets and stuff that I'm not interested in.
Hi Zoe, I was diagnosed with Diabetes when I was 13.. (Dec 1st 2010) You can always email me if you have questions. I understand how it is just being diagnosed..