Hey guys I’m new to this. I’m 23 and have been diagnosed with Type 1.5. I’m one of the youngestate people to have LADA. It is normally in adults 30+. I have lost my daily life. It has brought on 5 shots a day, neuropathyou in my legs and feet, DKA, loss of energy, and a horrible immune system. I real,you don’t know how to deal with it.I get depressed, stressed, and am very emotional about everything. Please someone help!!!
I feel your pain; I was diagnosed with type 1 at 24, after a trip to the ER in DKA just over a year ago the ICU doctors came to me and said, you have diabetes, we think its type 1 but we’ll run a few more tests and get back to you. Six weeks later I still didn’t have any results; just my insulin and my sliding scale. It was quite the blow and in those weeks after I was released from the hospital I seriously doubted my ability to deal with all the demands of my life and the demands of the diagnosis.
The first piece of advice I will give at this point is to take 20 minutes a day to read about diabetes; knowing the disease and how to manage it will help you a lot with dealing with your new normal. I will recommend the book, Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner; this book was my bible after I was sent home with practically no information or resources on managing diabetes. Unfortunately, whether you choose to control your diabetes or not, you will always have it and that fact is what makes managing a chronic disease feel like such a pointless effort at times. Just remember that the turmoil is worth it because you are worth it.
In regards to the daily grind, carve away some extra time each day for meal planning, testing, calculations and insulin injections; as you settle into the routine it will take you less and less time to complete these tasks and before long it will be second nature.
Try to get together with a nutritionist who specializes in diabetes as soon as possible; mine was far more helpful to me than both my general practitioner and first endocrinologist put together. As you have questions prior to your appointment make sure to WRITE THEM DOWN or you will forget and be kicking yourself an hour after your visit when your remember. Back to your endo; if you just aren’t clicking try to find another one you feel is a better fit. Your relationship is going to be a long term one, you’ll see each other 2-4 times a year every year forever, so having a good relationship will make things easier for both of you.
If the stress and anxiety is too much for you to cope with I would first suggest going to someone who you trust and know will listen to your concerns. Even though they probably can’t understand what you’re going through, knowing that you’re being heard helps a lot with the frustration of what you’ve just been shoved into. If you don’t have that person in your life there is no shame in seeking professional help. The situation you’re in is one that few truly get. You’ve been diagnosed with a disease that you in no way could have prevented and will never be able to get rid of; if that’s not a reason to be a little depressed I don’t know what is.
Give yourself time to come to terms with your diagnosis. I remember in those first months after I was diagnosed I felt myself going through a grieving process; denial was first and by far the hardest for me to get over. Right now is an okay time for you to be a little selfish; talk with your friends and family about the new demands of your daily life and ask that they be patient with you as you figure everything out. And like I said earlier in my message, before long you will be so competent with your diabetes people won’t even know you have it.
One final piece of advice I will leave you with is, for the days when you just feel like giving up, find something or someone in your life that is your motivation not to quit your battle. For me it is my son; even though there are days when I just want to throw in the towel, I can’t because he needs me to be there to take care of him. Remember this, YOU manage your diabetes, it does NOT manage you.
You have a great community of individuals right here who understand all the tedious ins and outs of diabetes and are always so helpful and supportive. Hang in there, it gets easier I promise, just don’t give up trying. Hope this helps.
Olivia.
hello @tylerj1992,
the first year or so with this can be very troubling. my brother said to me: “you would be amazed at what you can get used to”. These turned out to be very important words.
going through the grief of your loss of good health is a process, it involves denial,anger, bargaining, depression and then - acceptance. No one gets a free ride. No one gets to skip a step.
you will become very good at controlling your blood sugar, not perfect, but very good. This year may be tough, and it will involve re-ordering the things in life that are important to you, but if I can do it then so can you. we are here, please check in and tell us or ask us or yell if you have to but keep talking about it. good luck!
Hi Tyler,
I was diagnosed 10yrs ago at 44,yes the 1st year can be a tough one but you will be surprised what you can get use to,before you know it this will become second nature to you and like Joe said keep talking about it and educate your self about T1D,a lot of good people here that can help you,this is the site I came to when I was diagnosed it helped a lot, good luck !
I became LADA on the other end of the age spectrum- at 49. That was eight years ago. My BG was over 900 and my “Type 1.5” diagnosis didn’t come for almost 2 months.
Live life! One day at a time! Laugh adversity in the face and be what you want to be. It doesn’t slow down Olympians, NHL players, NFL quarterbacks, winners of The Amazing Race or Indy Car drivers! Why should YOU let it slow YOU down.
I never had the self pity moments. I was too busy learning my new responsibilities in life and, just as I was making the decision to tether myself to a pump, I met Iris. She was diagnosed at 18 months and, at 3, was being disconnected from her pump (which lived in a backpack) in order to go swimming at a pool party. I’m now an Advocate with ADA to do my part to end the disease!
You did nothing wrong… SO DONT START NOW! Make your life great!
I was diagnosed LADA 13 years ago, same as my dad, also while in his 30s. I have been all over the map in my dealing with diabetes over the past 10 years, very active outdoor athlete, depressed and no exercise, additional medical issues entering the scene. These days I’m mostly back on track, prioritizing my health, exercising more, etc.
Much like getting out of bed every morning, you’ll figure how to deal with you diabetes even when you don’t want to. My hope is you’ll learn to manage your diabetes and make it a “hassle” rather than an dark, overwhelming thing that rules your life. I think @Joe put it well in a previous reply when he said you’ll experience “denial,anger, bargaining, depression and then – acceptance” and the only thing I’d add to that is that you may periodically revisit those various emotions in random ways. Recently, after doing really well managing my blood sugars, carbs, losing weight, I went through a period of F#$k this! and didn’t want to deal with any of those things. But much as having kids taught me, I accept feeling that way, stew in it a bit, pick myself up again go back at it.
We’re all stumbling through this Tyler but even if you don’t lean on others directly, know that we’re all here, just like you doing it every day. You’re not alone.
…and if you do need support, encouragement, or just need to bitch about it, do reach out.
T
Hi Tyler,
So sorry to hear you’re struggling with your Diabetes diagnosis. I was diagnosed Type 1 at just around your age, couple years younger but close enough. It can be a daily struggle and might seem overwhelming when you think about things from a “whole life” perspective. What helps me in this regard is to view the struggles from a much shorter point of view. Not thinking that it will be a terrible challenge the rest of my life, but rather dealing with any stress in that moment. Today might seem difficult or overwhelming but it doesn’t mean I will feel that way tomorrow. As things like measuring your blood sugar and doing calculations for insulin injections on the fly can seem like it will always be stressful, as you get used to doing these things in your life they will gradually become second nature. In no time you will be able to manage these things and with much better control comes better health and you will regain strength and energy and things won’t seem as daunting.
If you are having the annoying buzzing and pains from neuropathy, you might want to consider talking to your Endo about whether or not you should try some supplements like Alpha-Lipoic Acid / Acetyl L-Carnitine. I have been taking them for almost a decade now and they have helped me to get those neuropathy issues under control. Not to mention that Alpha-Lipoic Acid is a fantastic supplement for getting better blood sugar control as well. I notice I require reduced doses of fast acting Insulin while taking these supplements. This is just a suggestion from someone who has seen benefits from using these supplements to possibly help someone else going through these same issues. It is of course Very Important to discuss this with your Doctor before beginning any supplement regimen, especially if you are newly diagnosed.
I wish you all the best! You will be over this stressful situation in no time! Once you are under better control and start feeling good again, your outlook will improve!
Stan
Olivia’s advice is very good especially about Nutritionist and also the book Thinking Like A Pancreas. In addition I suggest you discuss with your doctor get a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). I use a Dexcom CGM and it is a life saver. For me it takes away the stress of dealing with diabetes by allowing me to closely monitor and manage my glucose levels.
In addition to think like a pancreas get John Walsh’s book Using insulin. Both are helpful.