[army_neil]

I was diagnosed type1 just over 3months ago. Diagnosis was a bit of a shock, whilst being treated for a back problem I mentioned to the doctor on the off hand how I was feeling a bit strange and he diagnosed me and sent me straight to hospital!!

I'm a soldier in the british army and have had to learn how to manage my bs fast inorder to fit back in with the hectic army life and with all the physical exercise we do....... so far so good.

Not really had much support from the nhs or military to be honest, been left to get on with it and everything I've learnt has been self tought via the web so I'm really glad I found this forum.

Really looking forward being part of the community...

 

[John.in.France]

I was diagnosed type1 just over 3months ago. Diagnosis was a bit of a shock, whilst being treated for a back problem I mentioned to the doctor on the off hand how I was feeling a bit strange and he diagnosed me and sent me straight to hospital!!

I'm a soldier in the british army and have had to learn how to manage my bs fast inorder to fit back in with the hectic army life and with all the physical exercise we do....... so far so good.

Not really had much support from the nhs or military to be honest, been left to get on with it and everything I've learnt has been self tought via the web so I'm really glad I found this forum.

Really looking forward being part of the community...

Hello Neil,

It's not much fun when you discover something nasty like this, is it?

The bad news is, you're stuck with it for life

The good news is, with sensible management, it doesn't need to cramp your style too much.

First steps -

• if you smoke - stop!
• if you're overweight start getting rid of the lard.
• if you don't exercise - start doing so (I suspect this one won't apply)
• start looking HARD at what you eat - if it contains carbohydrate - stop eating (or drinking) it.

That's about all I can say without knowing more about the severity of your situation - what medication have you been given, and what your current blood glucose figures and other data look like.

A good web site to look at is Blood Sugar 101. Jenny Ruhl, the author is diabetic and her site describes in non technical terms the issues we have to consider - it's well worth an hour or two!

Welcome to the forum.

John

 

[PedsRN]

Welcome Neil. So sorry you have this diagnosis but this is a great Board with lots of information and people that listen and help. I have been on here for 2 days and already learned alot. Again Welcome

 

[Richard157]

Hello Neil, welcome! John has given good advice, but I disagree with him on one of his items. Type 1 diabetics can have food with carbs, we do not have to "stop eating them". We can take insulin to compensate for the carbs we eat. It is important to know how many carbs we are eating, and to know how much insulin to inject. I need 1 unit of fast acting insulin for every 8 carbs I eat. That is called a 1:8 insulin to carb ratio. Other type 1 diabetics might use a 1:10, or a 1:15 ratio. You can find your own ratio by experimenting, using trial and error. My ratio varies throughout the day. There is a course called DAFNE in the UK where you can learn all about carb counting, ratios, and many other things. I eat an average of 130 carbs per day. I have been type 1 for 66 years and I am very healthy.

Richard

 

[Patdart]

Hi, Neil! I'm sure you were shocked....we all were, but it's good to learn what has been making you feel less than wonderful at least. Hang in there and hang with us and things will get better soon. As you read, you'll learn most of us get very little aid from our medical professionals, but this group knows a lot and shares it easily.

Grab a chair and read away,

 

[beefy]

...Type 1 diabetics can have food with carbs, we do not have to "stop eating them". We can take insulin to compensate for the carbs we eat...

Richard is correct in this regard, but it's important to note that MOST Type-I diabetics with good control also eat MUCH lower carbohydrate than the average person. At 130g of carb a day Richard is eating under 600 calories of carbohydrate in total daily.

Where I personally believe "extremely low-carb" has it's place is for those who are INSULIN-RESISTANT. Insulin-resistance mostly affects Type-II diabetics, but can affect (although much more rarely) Type-I also. When insulin-resistant a person requires MORE insulin than normal to effectively process glucose (because their cells are 'resistant' to it). As such, we often end up with too much insulin in our bloodstream, and that promotes both carbohydrate cravings (a vicious cycle for anyone) and fat-storage.

The solution to insulin-resistance is to eat as low-carb as possible. That way Type I's require less additional/bolus insulin, and possibly lower basal dosages, and Type II's don't produce unnecessary amounts (which both taxes the pancreas and promotes body-fat storage). I personally found that daily exercise and lowering my body-fat percentage also helped a great deal with my own insulin-resistance.

 

[army_neil]

thanks for all the advice guys, we measure in mmol/L in the uk, my bs are usually below 8 and always below 10, i'm due my 1st hba1c but am still waiting for my appt to come thru. i dont smoke and dont drink anymore apart from the odd pint yea i've found the more exercise i do and the greater the intensity how little insulin i need. the big problem i hav a large appetite so what can i eat? and a weak spot for chocolate lol! Because i'm usually burning 1400 calories a day i like to eat big pasta bowls, rice, biscuits etc what effects will consuming all these carbs hav? i've read about excessive gluten intake links with celiacs desease

 

[John.in.France]

thanks for all the advice guys, we measure in mmol/L in the uk, my bs are usually below 8 and always below 10, i'm due my 1st hba1c but am still waiting for my appt to come thru. i dont smoke and dont drink anymore apart from the odd pint yea i've found the more exercise i do and the greater the intensity how little insulin i need. the big problem i hav a large appetite so what can i eat? and a weak spot for chocolate lol! Because i'm usually burning 1400 calories a day i like to eat big pasta bowls, rice, biscuits etc what effects will consuming all these carbs hav? i've read about excessive gluten intake links with celiacs desease

All carbohydrates are processed by the body into sugar. So the more carbohydrate you eat, the more your blood sugar goes up and whilst you can medicate to handle it, I personally think the better solution is to cut it back drastically.

Pasta in particular is a slow release carbohydrate, so you won't always see the impact on test after an hour or two - but you will cop it later!

Last August, I was nailed with this condition.

The wife changed my diet drastically - the quantity of carbohydrate I now eat is less than half of the carbohydrate I did eat. I'm on about 2,200 calories per day. I lost 2 stone in weight between August and February. No bread, no pasta, no potatoes and no beer. Basically think the Atkins diet.

On measurement units, mmol/L converts to mg/dL by multiplying by 18.05. Ideally you are looking for a fasting figure below 6 but getting down there will take serious cuts in carbs and/or medication.

Have you had a look at www.bloodsugar101.com yet?

It's well worth a look.

John