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New Here Type 1

4K views 29 replies 12 participants last post by  cjmobxnc 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, im new to this forum and this disease. I just turned 21 this summer and was luvvin life. Im a big guy i was 6-3 200lbs..i go to the gym 4 times a week. In about a month and a half I lost about 30lbs, was drinking 3 gallons of water, was peeing sometimes twice in an hour, and had really bad muscle cramps. I went to the doc for a check up and after i told him my symptoms, he tested my sugar, and after fasting it was 272. At times I would check and it would be in the low 500s. Its been about a week, my bloodwork came back, its definately type 1. Ive somewhat got it under control its between 100-250 now. Im starting to get really frustrasted having to shoot up all the time and eating 2 slices of whole rye bread all day for carbs. I dont know if I could do this the rest of my life :S
 
#3 ·
You will do it or you will have really short life. You don't know lucky you really are. 40 years ago I went the same thing but I was only 12 at the time. If I can do it from the age of 12 on you can doit from 21 on for sure. You also were not in a state of DKA at the time. You weren't throwing up and hurting so bad that you just wished it would all end. Yes you are lucky that you caught it early and didn't really suffer.
 
#4 ·
You can, and you will. It is hard at the beginning, it is a HUGE adjustment. It is a bit harder because of your age when diagnosed. (Trust me, I was 35 when I was diagnosed, and its hard throwing away 35 years of eating. LOL)

You will do it, becuase you have no choice. But, you will have so much to gain. An understanding of health that your friends don't have. You will have an innate understanding of your body, that your friends don't.

Good news about T1 - it is pretty easy to adjust for. You aren't fighting against resistance that much, and once your numbers get in control - you are in the pilot seat.

Welcome to the club no one wants to be part of. LOL.
 
#5 ·
A lot of people do it and you will adjust too. Your diet doesn't have to be that restrictive. Many Type 1's eat 100-150 carbs a day and cover it with insulin. Even on lower carb diets you should be able to include some bread in it. You don't have to go cold turkey on the carbs but you may need fast acting insulin. We have a member here who has been a type 1 for more than 65 years and is very healthy. I'm sure he will pop in and welcome you.
 
#8 ·
Look at the package to see how many carbs are in a slice of your rye bread. Many of us try not to eat more than 15 carbs in one sitting or it shoots our bg up too high. Diabetics should try to eat 5 or 6 small meals/snacks per day. If you distribute your carbs evenly throughout the day, you should be able to eat more carbs. And try to get/keep your bg below 140 if you can.

Most grocery stores carry low carb bread (forget about the whole grain foods... too many carbs in most of that stuff). There are a lot of good things out there that you can eat, just watch the carb count per serving. Welcome aboard.
 
#9 ·
This is where the difference takes place. He is a newly diagnosed type 1. He can eat what ever he wants and as much as he wants if he learns how to dose his insulin for it. He doesn't have a metbolic disorder where he can't process his food like it needs to be. He just needs to coordinate it all so he has the insulin working when the glucose hits his system. Type 1's have no problem processing it so eat away and we don't need to eat 6 snacks a day thats just six more shots that he has to take.
 
#12 ·
Well shooting too much at any age is never a good thing. Too much means you are going to end up hypoglycimic and need to eat more to keep from crashing. You need to take enough to utilize the food you eat. I was never overwieght until I had to start taking steroids every day and since then I have packed on 50 pounds and stayed there. But in answer to your question you do not become imune to insulin. It is a natural hormone. After years and years of use some type ones do become insulin resistant but that happens to a lot of people. But as far as I know it really has nothing to do with how long you have taken it. If that was true I would be taking more than I do.
 
#14 ·
People are or were afraid to do that for a long time. There is the the theory of small mumbers. The smaller the number that you trying to hit the smaller the amount that you will miss by. Everyone will miscount the carbs they are eating from time to time or they will get the timing wrong on what they ate and when they take thier shot. My point of view is that if I am going to have to take insulin anyways I might as well enjoy a good meal. I eat pizza and pastas and all that stuff that you will be told not to eat. The truth is that you can eat what ever you want as long as you know how to dose your insulin right.
 
#15 ·
How can i better my insulin calculation? Is it a matter of educating or sheer trial and error. And how do other type 1s do it wen u go to bars/restaurants?????? Thats wats bothering me the most. I got diagnosed bout two weeks ago, i went out to a club once since for my buddys birthday, i drank whiskey on ice the whole night cuz i kno theres carbs/sugars in mixers and beers
 
#16 ·
Straight hard liquar is not going to raise you levels much but it may leave you low 3 or 4 hours later. It is the effect it has on the release of glucose from your liver. So if it didn't leave you crasging that was the right choice. Get a copy of Calorie King and look thru it. You will find that just about everything has some carbs. It is available at most book stores or you can order from thier website.
 
#18 ·
I wondered that myself...
I've only been once to a restaurant since I was diagnosed and took it in the car before I went in.
Of course that was before I realized it should only be 15 minutes between shooting and eating. Not 30.

But now I'm going on a trip to Europe tomorrow. 9 hour flight.
So should I shoot in the bathroom, or just tell the guy sitting next to me that it's not what he's thinking! :D
 
#20 ·
I have been type 1 for 65 years, and am very healthy. I hope you get all the help you need on this site, let us know whenever you have questions. Diabetes has slowed me down occasionally, but I have accomplished all the goals I have set for myself. Good luck to you in the months and years ahead.

Richard
 
#26 ·
I think you'd be wise to do as Josh suggests & calculate ahead of time what some of these cocktails are worth carb-wise. You might consider taking a pass on some of the "sugarier" ones. Do test frequently & do have a buddy along who knows the symptoms of a low, so they don't just think you're getting belligerent from drinking, or you passed out from drinking. Above all, EAT while you're drinking! The food in Vegas is famous too, and you can reduce the effect of the alcohol by keeping food in your stomach while you're drinking.

Be prepared - have your pens or syringes at hand, and have glucotabs or gel ready too, in case you DO have a hypo, and be sure the buddy knows what they're for.
 
#24 ·
First of all, you might need to give up some of those drinks. It would be a bad idea to mix being drunk and hypo or hyperglycemia. I would figure out how many carbs are in the drinks you want shoot up for that. Make sure you test often and have someone with you that can keep tabs on you throughout the trip. I know it is difficult but this is your health we're talking about.

With that being said, I don't drink so I don't know what the impact of alcohol and the other substances in those beverages is on a diabetic. Sorry.

Welcome to the forum, I hope you come back often. We are a pretty cool bunch and would love to see more of you as time goes on.
 
#25 ·
Well, it's easy for me to say, because I never drank to much alcohol...
But everything I read so far says don't drink alcohol when you're on insulin.
Especially since you (we) are so new to it.
But then again it's Vegas, and you don't go there every day.
Funny, because I was just in Vegas 5 days before I was diagnosed ;)
 
#27 ·
I decided already, im gonna insulin, eat, then party in vegas to make sure i dont hypo. Im also gonna hav a buddy with me at all times.
Im really excited..ive had my bg under 140 for the past like 40hours..i ate watermelon and an apple and a pear for the first time in two weeks..
My carb intake has gone up, my insulin is still twice a day 12 units of 75/25 and my bg is low..wats going on...before it used to skyrocket..
 
#28 ·
There's a potential thing called your "Honeymoon Period". Some of us Type 1s go through it (I haven't researched Type 2s with regard to this condition so they might get it too, I don't know). Basically your pancreas can tell you're giving yourself insulin and it doesn't like being phased out. Kind of like when you bring a younger dog into the house while you have a old one still around. Your pancreas tries a Hail Mary pass into the end zone and puts out as much insulin for as long as it can before it finally dies. This is only temporary and will go away eventually. This might be what you're experiencing or your body might be figuring out how it likes insulin.

Like Shanny said, make sure you eat a lot when you're drinking. Please make sure you take care of yourself.
 
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