Hi everyone,
I am newly diagnosed DT1 and I still cannot quite grasp the reality of it all. I feel like I am myself but in a strangers body!
Anyway… a friend of my cousin’s is currently being treated for breast cancer and was told at the time of that diagnosis that she also has DT1. My cousin tells me that her friend’s Endo told her that the stress of the cancer brought on the diabetes and that once the cancer treatments are done, the diabetes will go away. Is this possible??
Thanks!
Hey there Cathy @HopeFloats2020!
Welcome to TypeOneNation, and welcome to the world of T1D. I’m super glad you’ve found this website! I know that right after diagnosis, everything feels super overwhelming. Don’t worry - it will get easier! We’re all here to offer support and answer any questions you may have.
I’m not a doctor (at least, not yet!) but I can tell you with certainty that Type 1 Diabetes is a lifelong condition. Once a person develops T1D, there is no cure (although hopefully there will be one someday). Some scientists hypothesize that T1D can be triggered by an illness or similar event that puts stress on the body (I’ve done a few studies on this, actually) but this remains largely unproven. Either way, T1D cannot just “go away.” If your friend has T1D, then she will have it for the rest of her life - or until a cure is found.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for the support! I’m happy, not happy, to be here. 
I think my cousin is grasping for happy info to comfort me. 
Hi @HopeFloats2020. If this person has Type 1 diabetes, then no, it’s not possible. Also your diabetes (if type1) was not caused by stress nor will it go away. No one knows the context of your cousins friends endo or why they would say that. I only wanted to add to @bookwormnerd13 post that if the diabetes was caused by the treatment such as huge doses of steroids then yes that might go away but that is not type 1 diabetes. Sorry. Hope this helps.
Thanks, as always, Joe!
hi @HopeFloats2020 Cathy, if it makes it any better at all… this is the club that no one wants to be in. believe me I spent 20+ years in a depression and wished, every day, that this was all a bad dream. what didn’t ever get better was the diabetes, what did get better was my attitude and the way I deal with diabetes. if I can do it, then you can too and I am rooting for you as are all of us, Most of us here remember our diagnoses and the physical and emotional trauma of it. please reach out if you need to talk about anything!
Thanks, Joe. Appreciate the support!
I do miss red licorice and Baby Ruth’s!
given time you can learn how to use insulin and have a treat once in a while. I eat smarties with my 11 year old son. in fact, our typical Halloween is a feast of candy. I never pass up a piece of ice cream cake. I also “Always” have 1st birthday cake and wedding cake. I taught myself how to take insulin for pizza and pasta, even take-out Chinese (that’s the hardest one). you can do it!
Mmmmm, Chinese!
please - I am crazy for general tso chicken but I swear it has 6000 grams of carbs. hang in there Cathy
I entered that many emojis because of a character limit per this system!
Thanks, again!
Hi there, fellow new T1D-er here. I’m six months into my diagnosis and still trying to take in the reality of it all as well. The management involved is something I was totally unprepared for, even after I’d had my diagnosis (doctors - three in total - were absolutely no help in this regard). If possible, get a CGM. They do add to stress and anxiety for a while, but they are the ultimate tool in giving you the info you need to better manage your glucose levels. It requires a lot of effort to try and understand how insulin and carbs affect your body (not to mention your liver). I’m only now getting more comfortable with the continual ups and downs I see on my monitor, and how to manage them. Listen to good, reliable podcasts. The best one I know of is The Juicebox Podcast.
I’m only now getting more comfortable with things only because I now have four months experience with the CGM. I know that highs and lows are temporary (if you have your basal/Lantus insulin set right, which is really important). I’m only now beginning to feel not completely alienated from my body. I still can’t believe how much of an emotional and psychological toll this disease takes, and again, I’m only just now beginning to feel a bit more comfortable in that regard as well. If you have a good support system (spouse, family, and/or friends), that is priceless.
Start out getting good first w/ foods that don’t give you many issues, then work up to foods that seem to wreak havoc. Benign foods for me are nuts, seeds, tofu, seitan, avocadoes, brown basmati rice, and vegetables (other than potatoes). Foods that take a bit more work but have become very manageable for me are whole fruit, legumes, fresh corn, and simple sugars in modest portions. I still haven’t figured out how to eat homemade, relatively unprocessed bread, or a healthy serving of potatoes, or more than one serving of a snack food (corn chips, for example), without often going well into the 200s (if not higher). But I have hope I’ll get there one day… If eating certain foods is too stressful, take a break from them for a while. Eat whole, nutritious, relatively unprocessed stuff (for the most part).
I’m finally realizing that the best way to get better at T1D management is, well, put in the effort to understand how stuff (insulin, food, exercise, etc.) is affecting your numbers (hypothesis-test), and, in the meantime, give yourself time. Like with any skill, it takes time and experience to get better at it.
Psychologically, I find that when I start to feel depressed, angry, or anxious about my disease, I try my best to immediately turn my focus away from diabetes and to other things (something I need or want to do in that moment, something I’m looking forward to later that day, something I appreciate having in my life that makes me lucky to be alive, etc.).
YOU are the best manager of you blood sugar (not your doctor, let alone anyone else). Doctors, friends, podcasts, etc. can be wonderful resources, but ultimately it’s you who is going to come to intimately know your body and how it works with respect to this disease. Trust yourself, try different tactics (if something doesn’t work, again, it’s just temporary; reset, and try again later, or the next day, or the next week). You can do this. At least we DO have insulin, etc., and that T1D is no longer a death sentence, or as difficult to manage as it was in the recent past.
Anyway, that’s just solely my own advice from a still-limited experience, I hope it helps. I’m still struggling and just trying the best I can myself, a day at a time…
Also, if your cousin’s friend really does have T1D, and her endo really did tell her it will go away, it’s time to jettison that endo.
Hi Becky! Thanks so much for sharing your experience and thoughts! I definitely remind myself when I am down and out about this disease how lucky I am that there IS effective treatment today!
I have been eating very well, barely having a granule of sugar! Only once in a while with my Grapenuts and yogurt. I hope to one day feel confident about treating myself to red licorice or a Baby Ruth!
My dietician did say that, if I do have simple sugar , to check the numbers at the next meal (and on 3 separate occasions). The delta, ideally, should be <50. So far, twice it has been well below. Fingers crossed.
I did just get CGMs and am going back, on the 6th of this month, to my Endo for a check-up and to discuss these devices. Yay! 4 (or more) less pokes of my fingers per day!
I will check out that Podcast, thanks! I am reading a recommenced book, Think Like a Pancreas, too.
I am now much more freaked out about contracting Covid-19; yet another stressor on my mind and body. I will start to exercise again once I gain about 10 pounds back. I do feel better when I “move” regularly. I just cannot afford to lose one more ounce. I lost a lot - 55 lbs. - but was actually attempting to do so. After a few months, it kept coming off unintentionally. I knew in my gut I had Diabetes. Then, BAM, my annual physical confirmed it, oh, and I have Graves Disease to boot!
I have been lucky being quite healthy at my age - approaching 60! My Endo has DT1 and encourages me that I can lead a pretty normal life, including food. I actually tear up when I realize I cannot just go to the fridge or pantry to grab a piece of cake or chips. Hopefully one day I will be able to incorporate this “crap” into my “new normal”. I am so sick of that term! LOL. Most days I am OK but I have my moments. When I think ahead, I get VERY discouraged and scared knowing this is a forever thing.
Sorry in advance for typos or grammer boo boos. I am typing from my tablet. I’m off to make lunch.
Nice to meet you!
I’ve been able to have a serving of vegan ice cream and can keep the numbers pretty good. I think you should be able to manage candy well at some point! I agree - my food choices shouldn’t be limited by diabetes. I want to eat healthy, but I want my enjoyable treats and bread too (in moderation!)…
I’ve read Think Like a Pancreas as well - I really liked it. The author has a blog where they’ve started doing food challenges - eating pizza, ice cream, etc.: https://integrateddiabetes.com/blog/
I know diabetes is a risk-factor for so many things, COVID included. But, without having done or read enough research, my understanding is that it’s not diabetes per se, but consistently high blood sugar that causes vascular, immune, and other issues. So good management, exercise, eating well - all that bodes well!
I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease at age 12 (21 years ago). Fortunately that disease is a breeze to manage, relative to diabetes. I’ve been pretty stable for several years now on my dose of levothyroxine, so I rarely need to get bloodwork done, just take a pill once a day - no prob!
Anyway nice to meet you too and good luck w/ everything! Even w/ the bad, it’s mostly good… (hopefully one day too I can go face down into a slice of cake… tried homemade cinnamon rolls a while back and didn’t go terribly well, but again, I’m still getting better and learning about this whole exogenous insulin thing…) Be well…
Regarding the Graves… did you ever consider the radiation iodine therapy? I am considering but either way, a pill every day! But either hormone pill once the thyroid is killed or the meds, I’m on methimazole which can mess the liver.
Also, I cannot even begin to think how to handle diabetes when I get back to socializing!
Have you tried Ezekiel bread? They have sesame and multi grain. No flour! It’s in the freezer section of your grocery store.
I love it but am considering getting a bread maker. I love the bread!!
I should add that my treatment for Grave’s was radioactive iodine. I actually had to take two doses, because the first wasn’t effective enough. My parents opted for that option over surgery. I’ve developed an issue with salivary glands by my throat not working very well, which causes a dry throat at night. I think it may be due to the radiation, but who knows for sure. However I’m still glad they chose that option over surgery, but that’s just my personal preference. So, once you get that initial treatment of the overactive thyroid out of the way, the rest is easy… best, becky
Hi @HopeFloats2020. I’ve had diabetes for 50+ years. I know it sounds easy coming from someone who has had it so long, but you will get back into socializing as well as incorporating treats and high carb foods. As far as socializing, I’ve noticed that whatever condition a person may have, others tend to follow the person’s leaf. I have a friend who has epilepsy. She can go a few months without a seizure then start again at “Day 1” when one occurs. She is one of the most positive people I know, with a great attitude towards life in general. There area people who have known me for years ago don’t know I’m diabetic, and others I’ve known a relatively short time who do. It’s not something I hide - or broadcast. I just tell who I choose to tell. People who know don’t make a big deal of it - it’s just one of many things they know about me.
Hi Dorie! Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate the support!