[Songs4Drowning]

My name is Amanda and I'm 24. I don't have any children, but I do have eight rats (six girls and two neutered boys) who are very much like children to me.

I just found out that I am diabetic on Thursday, and am still in the hospital. (Hopefully I can go home tomorrow.) I went to the hospital on Tuesday last week for an abscessed Bartholin's gland, and without checking my sugar, they made incisions and sent me home on antibiotics. My sugars were high and sure enough, the infection went really nuts. I went back in on Thursday for a wound check, and they admitted me. My sugar was tested at 380 and my A1C came back at 14.1.

It's still a little overwhelming. The doctors aren't sure if I'm Type 1 or 2 yet, and right now the biggest priority is to just get everything under control and to find myself a primary care physician.

The last couple of days my sugar has still been a little high, mostly testing just over 200, but there were a couple of times when it in the 120s, which made me really happy. Right now I'm on (I think!) Humalog for my "coverage" and a 70/30 twice a day. The body has an awful high instinct to NOT jab a needle into your belly, but I'm slowly getting over it.

 

[Guest]

Hello, and welcome to the board.

 

[Terrie]

Hello Amanda:

Sorry about your diagnosis and I don't blame you for being overwhelmed. I'm sure that you are scared also. It is a complicated Disease but as you may know, People can live with Diabetes for a long time. There has been much research going on from different branches so hopefully we will see a cure in our time.

There is a lot of info to read here, to go along with the info that you were already given. Get the basics down first and then you can extend your knowledge about Diabetes.

Did they put you on Insulin to lower your sugar because of the infection? It's Good that they are doing that. I'm on Humalog and Lantus. That's strange. Most People like to inject in their tummy the most. You probably mean that your body just plain doesn't want a shot anywhere.

There is a cream called Emla that numbs the skin so that the injection doesn't hurt. It has to be put on about an hour before you inject though. I'm surprised that it takes that long.

Wow! Eight rats?? That must be entertaining. You must have one huge cage. We had 3 rats but one at a time. They're cute.

Good Luck finding a Physician. Perhaps you could ask the Dr. at the Hospital to refer you to one. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Songs4Drowning]

Giving the shot in the tummy is the easiest place, but it's hard to get the nerve to do it at all. I'm a wuss! Thanks for letting me know about the numbing cream. I'll have to check that out!

I'm not sure if they'll send me home with both types of insulin, or just the 70/30 yet. If they've told me, they chose to sneak it into the huge rush of other information they throw at me when they come by to look at the infection site at 6 in the morning.

The doctors as well as the diabetic care people have referred me to a few places to start looking for a doctor. I'm uninsured, and at a minimum wage job, so finding a doctor seems to be more difficult than I'd like right now, but we're hoping good things will happen soon.

We do have a huge cage. It's a Critter Nation, stands about five feet tall, three feet wide and two feet deep and they love all the space. I do a lot of sewing for them - cage liners, hammocks, beds and tubes and stuff like that. The worst part about being in the hospital is not getting to see them.

 

[Richard157]

Hello there, welcome to our community! I get the impression you are going to work hard at getting good control. I have been a type 1 for 63 years and I am very healthy. That is what good control can do for you.

I used the 70/30 for many years and I had many highs and lows with it. My control improved very much when I began using separate vials of basal and bolus insulins. I used carb counting to determine the insulin dosages I needed before meals and snacks. Then in 2007 I started using an insulin pump and now I have the best control I have ever had.

Ask all the questions you want. we are here to help.

Richard

 

[Terrie]

Giving the shot in the tummy is the easiest place, but it's hard to get the nerve to do it at all. I'm a wuss!

Hello Amanda:

Don't feel Bad about being a wuss. Most People are not genetically or instinctively programmed to hurt anyone, including themselves. That is why there are hundreds of millions of Fellow Wusses out there.
You are Not Alone!!

I remember many, many years after I was dxd., that I had to practice on an orange(like most have). Of course, my rebelling Teenage mind(like most) was thinking, "How stupid is this? How is sticking a needle in an orange going to help rid me of the pain, when I stick it in myself???" I even felt Bad about poking an :boink: orange. It was to practice injecting of course, but I wasn't impressed.

I'm not sure if they'll send me home with both types of insulin, or just the 70/30 yet. If they've told me, they chose to sneak it into the huge rush of other information they throw at me when they come by to look at the infection site at 6 in the morning.

Isn't that awful, how they do that? Hopefully, All the info will be included in the papers that they give you. If there is no prescription for Humalog then they will not be expecting you to take it. They prefer to give some newly dxd. Diabetics the 70/30 because it's less shots. Hopefully you will move on to 2 separate vials of Insulin and more shots(better control) later on.

The doctors as well as the diabetic care people have referred me to a few places to start looking for a doctor. I'm uninsured, and at a minimum wage job, so finding a doctor seems to be more difficult than I'd like right now, but we're hoping good things will happen soon.

I was going to say, "Yay!", about them telling you about Drs. but not so good if you're uninsured. Go to every walk-in Clinic that you can find. If the Drs. there are not accepting new Patients, then they probably know someone that is. I think you are a Type 1(that's just a guess). Every Diabetic should have a Dr. Good Luck!!

We do have a huge cage. It's a Critter Nation, stands about five feet tall, three feet wide and two feet deep and they love all the space. I do a lot of sewing for them - cage liners, hammocks, beds and tubes and stuff like that. The worst part about being in the hospital is not getting to see them.

Oh Ya, I've seen those cages. Humongous!. I'm laughing here.
Just picturing the hammocks??...beds?? :lol: I used to make some furniture and pillows and blankets, etc. for my Daughter's Barbie dolls. That was Fun!

 

[Songs4Drowning]

Thank you for the welcome and support! I'm finally home, and they did give me just the 70/30 in a 2/1 ratio for morning and night. I've been given instructions on how to adjust the dosage, and when, and I think I did okay carb counting for lunch and dinner today! My pre-dinner sugar was 180, and it's been just a touch over 200 while in the hospital at around the same times.

Whoa, Richard, that's really impressive! Everyone's been reminding me that diabetics can live long, healthy lives by taking care of themselves, and you're living proof!

Terrie - I got started sewing making things for my baby sister's Barbie's! I never thought it would go towards making things for rats! I have some pics of ratties relaxing in their hammocks, but I can't post urls yet.

 

[Terrie]

Hi Amanda:

Good to hear that you're home. I'm sure that the ratties enjoy having Mom's care again. :clap2: Soon, soon, Very soon. Then I could put photos of ours on also, although they are no longer with us. They don't live Very long unfortunately.

Terrie - I got started sewing making things for my baby sister's Barbie's! I never thought it would go towards making things for rats! I have some pics of ratties relaxing in their hammocks, but I can't post urls yet.

Okay that, I'd Love to see. Next will be clothes for larger dolls, then Neices and Nephew's clothing or for your own Children.


((Shhhh, don't tell anyone but I snuck our Bunny in to my Hubby's Hospital room when he was in there last summer. His Best Friend happened to have a tote bag the exact size I needed for the deed, on the back seat when he came to pick me up.

My Hubby was Terrified that someone would see it and would get mad but he was Thrilled at the same time. Just minutes after we arrived, a Nurse of course, had to walk in the room. She was surprised to see the Bunny but had a Big smile on her face and asked a few questions about her. She told us that it was okay but for us to try and keep our Joy down a bit. After the okay, my Hubby and the Bunny were more able to enjoy each other. ))


That's Nice that they gave you Good info for your Insulin and carbs. Both are important since they are the main items that control your blood sugar levels. Good to hear that you are below the pre-meal glucose number that you had at the Hospital. Good job!! It will take a bit of trial and error with foods and Insulin doses, to get the pre-meal number even Better. It depends on which Dr. you ask. Some prefer Diabetics to have their pre-meal number 110mg/dL(6.0mmol/L) or less and some Drs. prefer the pre-meal number to be 85mg/dL(4.5mmol/L) and up to 110mg/dL(6.0mmol/L).


Sorry, I took so long to answer but I was unfortunately interrupted and forgot to log off.