Found out I am type1

Newly Diagnosed
#1

Hello,

Well title says it all, i was diagnosed this week with Type 1 Diabetes and DKA i am 32yrs old. Of course they have me on insulin and asking i take my blood sugar test 3x a day. Which is fine with me, looks like its finally going down a little last 2 days it has not been in the 400’s or 500’s staying in the 300’s :slight_smile: I know its still high but progress… To be honest I am not sure how I am suppose to feel writing my story to strangers ( no offense ).

Back in November 2020 i weighed 275lbs, today i am 210lbs people ask how i did it; i just shrug. I always thought it was due to eating better and drinking a ton of water. Plus carrying a car seat multiple times a day up 3 flights of stairs lol. My wife is the one who pushed me to set an appointment to get checked out. I was drinking so much freezing ice water, and then going to the bathroom alot… That made since to me, and i did not second guess it though it was annoying. I would get hungry, but could barley eat. I also was tired felt like 24/7 not enough sleep or coffee could fully wake me up. What seriously caught my attention is the numbness in my foot ( Still there ) its not fully numb id say half.

The only time i feel i get mad/sad is when i look at my daughter who is 10 months old. I can not help but ask myself is she going to get it. Diabetes runs on both sides of my family, my grandma had type 1 and my dad has type 2.

I of course have changed my diet, id say that has not been fun. Got told i need not eat as much steak, i love my Ribeye so that hurt… eating more salads, eggs toast, porkchops… and looking up Mediterranean recipes.

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#2

Well hello @Dean112 and welcome to TypeOneNation. Yes we are all strangers. In a way that makes it easier to say what’s on your mind. So feel free. We also have a few thousand years experience here if you add us all up (I have 42 years with type 1 diabetes) so there’s that too. I don’t know if they set you up as an outpatient but I can tell you the beginning is tough. It takes a while before you feel it but a lot of times getting used to the new thing takes time. Insulin is tough too, not impossible, just tough. When your sugar comes down it’s really common to get blurry vision. It’s normal and comes back in a few days but it can be scary. Anyway. We’re here all this time if you need any help or if you’re just looking to say hi. Welcome to our club.

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#3

@Dean112 Hello Dean, and welcome to the JDRF TypeOneNation Forum - and welcome to the TypeOne FAMILY!

“Strangers”, no, we are members of this wonderful diabetes club that no one wants to join - you will soon feel at home. Please feel free to ask whatever questions you have, and you are sure to hear from others who have had “that experience” and figured out what to do - I’m not a medical professional, but I’ve lived with MY diabetes for 64 years and have learned much about diabetes, and I’m still learning almost every day.

In a way, it may be good that your BG isn’t coming down too fast, as long as you do bring it to a more reasonable place in the not-to-distant-future. The half-dozen, or so, symptoms that you have been feeling for a while will soon start to disappear as your BG returns near “normal”.

Insulin management can be a challenge, but you will learn especially by being observant about how it affects your blood sugal levels as you eat different foods - like a good ribeye. [occasionally!!!]

Hug you daughter, cherish her and take care of yourself so you’ll be there to walk her down the aisle, and then spoil your grandkids.

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#4

@Dennis and @joe thank you for your comments! I’ve been reading through the forums and have seen both of you and many other provide advice. I look forward asking questions within the community. As I feel better going through the forums. I just don’t really know what to ask at this point.

I am home so I guess yeah I’m outpatient and my clinic has been checking on me a bit.

I will always cherish her, I know I need to take care of myself even more now. So I can do those special occasions with her as she grows up

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#5

Hi again Dean - I just responded to another post you wrote and see you are new, so welcome to the forum and the club no one wants to join. I’m glad to hear things are improving for you. If it helps any people on the forum take from newly diagnosed to living with diabetes for 50 years and up. I myself am a little short of 60 years with it but there are people here who have had it much longer.
Thankfully there is knowledge and technology in place to help you live live to the fullest. I imagine having relatives with diabetes gives you a bit of a head start. In listening to family members (Type 1s) as well as in reading the forum - remember that each of us must determine how things work for our own body. There’s no one size fits all, so take what you read our hear as suggestions to look into, but medical advice. Eventually you’ll know how to make your own adjustments and things of that nature: you’ll read the phrase “be your own doctor” as you go through the forum. Keep in mind doctors get medical training and you are now in learning mode. So find a good team and work closely with them to keep improving your numbers and achieve and keep good control so you can be there for your daughter and the rest of your family.

Here are a couple of lists of famous people with diabetes.

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#7

Here’s another list - I’m more familiar with some of these names than the first set I posted.

#8

Hi there. I’m 36 years old myself, but have had type 1 since 1995, so most of my life. You’ll be in learning mode for a bit for sure; after you’ve had the condition for years, it will feel more “automatic” as you draw on the years of knowledge and research at your disposal by that point.

Sad to hear you can’t have as much ribeye; that is also my FAVORITE steak cut, and so I have it 1-2x a month as a “treat” at local restaurants. Steak doesn’t affect blood sugar since it’s an animal protein; I presume you were told to have less for health reasons unrelated to your diabetes?

Anyway, good luck on the long journey!

#9

Hi @Dean112) Welcome to the club! You’ve come to a good place, online. I’ve been a diabetic for about 45 years or so, and since joining this group a couple years ago I’ve learned some, and come to respect a lot of the people giving the advice particularly Joe, Dorie and Dennis. Missing a few more names, but these three tend to be the most vocal…
Mike

#10

From reading the forums, does seem like its going to take awhile to get use to. I was told to not each as much steak, i was having it for dinner very 1-3x a week and it wasnt as healthy as chicken or pork…

#11

I had no idea those celebs had type 1, that was def interesting to look at. Reading every ones responses is making me feel better, about talking about it and asking questions as the come up. For now im following what the doctor is asking me to day. Though i am not following some posts, and why some have to adjust there insulin on what they eat.
Looks like there is alot of math potentially down the road ill have to do. I do not know if it matters on the insulin you take… I am assuming just cause we have type each case could be different? if im understanding correctly

#12

I see your point there is alot of infromation here that ive seen… alittle over whelming with all the info… but really glad there are knowledgeable members in this group.

#13

One thing to keep in mind is that you are human, and living with diabetes is difficult. You will make mistakes, and at times no matter what you do your sugar will not be ideal. Isolated highs or lows you just have to deal with as they come up. Eat sugar for a low or a little extra insulin in the next bolus. (as long as you’re not in the danger zone you’ll be ok) Patterns/ regular occurrences of highs or lows at certain times will need adjustments on meds. What works for me may not work for you, but looking at what others have done it can give you ideas on what to try.

#14

Hi again. There will be some math involved in counting your carbohydrates and calculating the amount of insulin to give. For example, I’m on an 8:1 ratio – for every eight grams of carbohydrate I consume, I give myself a unit of insulin. Some people have different ratios depending on how sensitive they are to insulin. If you’re on an insulin pump, the pump will be able to do these calculations for you – all you have to do is enter the total carbohydrate amount, and it will deliver the bolus. The pump will also take into account any recent blood sugars that may affect how much insulin you need…for example, if my blood sugar has recently been low or high, I may have to adjust how much insulin I give based on the current state of my blood sugar.

It does sound like your steak reduction was based on factors other than diabetes. All “animal” protein, whether steak, chicken, pork, turkey, fish, etc. is 0 carbohydrate, so it won’t affect your blood sugar. But high consumption of red meat does have links to other health problems, so people are told to eat it in more moderation relative to other proteins.

#15

Hi Dean I was diagnosed when I was 32 aswell.

#16

Hi, @Dean112, and welcome, as others have said, to the club no one wanted to join! We’re sorry you’ve got this to deal with now, but we’re glad you’re here. :slightly_smiling_face:

You are exactly right that everyone is different, so different people need to do things differently to manage their blood sugar. That said, there are some commonalities, and a lot of doctors try to ease patients into this “new normal” gently if they can.

When my daughter was first diagnosed, for example, the doctor had her on a pretty simple system (which still felt like a lot!) for checking her sugar and taking insulin, trying to keep the food pretty constant so we could focus on one thing at a time.

As we got more comfortable with knowing how the whole “check your sugar and take your insulin” thing worked, then, yes, we started adding more to the mix. But when you’re newly diagnosed, a lot of people feel like you have enough on your plate (so to speak) without all that.

Keep browsing around, ask anything you’re wondering about, and hang in there. You’ve got this!

#17

To be honest I’m grateful I made this post and created a account. I was nervous at first and unsure whether I should or not.

I do feel better knowing I can come here and ask questions. Yes i also have my dad to ask but, I do not know the big difference between type 1 (me) and type 2 (my dad). The only thing I’ve read is pretty much my body hates my pancreas, where as he has a control issue. Unfortunately my grandma isn’t with us anymore so I can’t really ask her; she passed over 10 yrs ago. She was still the same person no matter what.

I appreciate everyone’s advice thank you all

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#18

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 is an important distinction, and general public misunderstanding is frustrating for those of us with Type 1. Don’t feel bad - you’re new and now you will learn and can teach others.
When I think about the misunderstandings others have about diabetes though, I imagine there are forums like this where people with other conditions wish “outsiders” understood their condition and the inherent distinctions as well as they do.
There’s vocabulary and terminology for every condition - after a while you’ll be as familiar as the rest of us with names, terms and acronyms such as “A1C,“BG,” “CGM,” and"Dexcom”; and the comparison of Medtronic vs. Tandem." Likewise people with asthma, seizures, cancer… have their own areas of familiarity that we don’t share.
Thank you for allowing me to vent. Sometimes I think “we” expect others to know a lot about our condition when we do not know much about theirs.
As you learn about Type 1 ask questions to help you learn to differentiate. Keep in mind that what works for your Type 2 family member or friend may not work for you as a Type 1 because of the nature of each.

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#19

Well-said, Dorie! I always spell out that I’m a type 1 nowadays, and explain that it’s different from the more common form of diabetes. I’ve had to do this many times over the years, especially with people who would give me a “look” and wonder why I wasn’t older and/or overweight. Yet they would still lecture me on not eating sugar in my diet. :roll_eyes:

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#20

Our endo explained the big-picture difference between T1 and T2 in a way that made sense to me, so FWIW, I’ll share it here in case it helps others.

Now, this is only supposed to be the general idea; there are plenty of situations it doesn’t capture. And if anyone with actual knowledge sees something that needs correcting, please do. I’m just repeating what I think I heard her say, and it was 6 years ago now, so with all those caveats:

She said that, basically, insulin is the key that unlocks the door between the sugar in your bloodstream and the cells in your body that need that sugar for energy.

People with T1 don’t make keys. People with T2 make keys, but their locks are sticky.

Same result: sugar can’t get from your bloodstream into your cells. But since the problems causing that result are different, it takes different things to solve the problems.

People with T1 add insulin (keys). People with T2 add Metformin/change diet/exercise (oil the locks).

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#21

Excellent explanation. I think the definitions have become muddled over time: “Back in the day” (I was diagnosed in the early 60s:
Type 1 meant your body does not make insulin so you must take it to survive.
Type 2 meant your body makes insulin but does not use it effectively: diet and exercise might help it do that on its own; or you could take oral meds to stimulate the body to work.
We now know that both statements are true up to a point, but additionally
Type 1s may continue to make insulin for a while (known as the honeymoon period) but it probably needs to be supplemented with injections or a pump.
And if I’m not mistaken some Type 2s use insulin, although perhaps that is temporary as things are getting in control.
And there are other types as well but I can’t even begin to speak on them so I’ll invite @Dennis and @joe to chime in if they like - they are both admirably knowledgeable.
Anyone in the know, feel free to correct me if need be.

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