[poonampv]

Hi. I am new to the forum and hope to have some great interactions with all of you. I am 46 years old and was diagnosed as Type 1 about a year ago. It came as a rude shock to me since I didnt have any of the typical risk factors associated with the disease. i always thought myself to be very healthy at a BMI of 21 and no family or personal medical history. Its been difficult for me not only to accept the disease but also to understand it, deal with the medication and insulin dosages but, I am gradually learning and accepting it.

 

[Guest]

Welcome to DF. We have both Type 1 and Type 2 members here with many years of experience in dealing with the disease.

Please tell us what medication/insulin you are taking, and anything else about yourself you would like to share.

 

[John.in.France]

Hello and welcome. Like you, being diabetic came as a serious shock to me. OK, I'm a few years older and was a bit heavier but the DKA came as a serious shock. Initially I think I was considered a type 1, but now I seem to have settled into a type 2 pattern. It would be nice to know "officially" but frankly I think the distinction is academic.
For all of us, the name of the game is "keep that blood sugar down!". The best way is to cut back on the source - carbohydrates. Do have a look at Blood Sugar 101 - that site describes our issues and how to address them in nice simple (but not over-simple) terms.
This forum is a great source of information and moral support - the members are a friendly bunch and have been there themselves, so don't think twice about asking questions. The folk here believe that the only silly question is the one you don't ask.

Again, welcome to the club and sorry you have to join us.

John

 

[Shanny]

Hello & welcome, Poonam. It takes awhile to assimilate everything that goes along with having diabetes . . . I've been 2½ years with it, and am a complete novice still. There's so much experience, knowledge & wisdom here though, that both of us should be able to advance our learning just by being here. I hope you'll be able to visit often - it would be good to get better acquainted.

Take care & thank you for joining us.

 

[skb]

Hello Poonam,

Welcome to the forum. I'm also new here, but I'm sure there are several other members with LADA over here. Tell us a bit more about yourself and set the ball rolling.

 

[jwags]

Usually with type 1 there are not a lot of risk factors, except some family members may increase it a little. It is an autoimmune attack on your pancreas that you could not prevent no matter what you do. Now, type 2 has more to do with eating more carbs than our pancreases can handle. There is even some thought that an autoimmune attack may be responsible for Type 2, also. I was a very healthy vegetarian, who exercised a ton and still got diabetes. I happened to be the first in a very large family to get it. Now that I have eliminated most carbs I am very well controlled. I just know my pancreas cannot handle carbs. The way I eat now is great for my body and keeps my weight very low and BMI around 20-22 most days.

 

[Spunky]

no family or personal medical history.

There is so much type 2 in my family that we all know once we hit our 40's through 60's we're gonna get it, but when there is no family history, it can be quite a shocker. If you don't know anyone else who is dealing with Diabetes it can sometimes feel like you're all alone in the struggle, but stick with us, we'll get you over the hump and help keep you on the road to good health.

Welcome to the forum, glad you're here.

 

[Richard157]

Welcome to our community! There are no type 1 diabetics among my relatives, but I was diagnosed in 1945, when I was 6. Mumps and chickenpox left me weak and very sickly a few months before my diagnosis. That was likely what caused the damage to my pancreas. I have now lived with type 1 for 66 years, and am very healthy. With good care you can have a long healthy life.

I want to recommend the book "Using Insulin" by John Walsh. It gives excellent information on carb counting and basal and bolus insulin dosing. If you ever use an insulin pump John Walsh also wrote the book "Pumping Insulin".

Richard

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Poon, welcome to the forums!

 

[tony0611]

Hey Poonam welcome to the forum. Yes it can be a rude shock but it's a great attitude that you have. Diabetes can me managed and i am sure you are already doing a good job.

Welcome !!

 

[poonampv]

thanks

thanks for the warm welcome everyone! i can already feel i have a caring group of friends around me. I am currently on Novorapid - 4 units each before breakfast, lunch and dinner and lantus - 8 units at bedtime. Most of the time this works well except for the evening snack which just ruins everything! i often land up with very high numbers- 200+ before dinner, and it depresses and angers me to see it. any suggestions on how you all handle the evening snack? I feel really hungry early in the evening.
another question- my dr has given me a target bg level as follows:
fasting- 100-120 mg/dl
pp (2 hours) - 140-180 mg/dl
i think these numbers are on the higher side. what do you all have to say?

 

[John.in.France]

thanks for the warm welcome everyone! i can already feel i have a caring group of friends around me. I am currently on Novorapid - 4 units each before breakfast, lunch and dinner and lantus - 8 units at bedtime. Most of the time this works well except for the evening snack which just ruins everything! i often land up with very high numbers- 200+ before dinner, and it depresses and angers me to see it. any suggestions on how you all handle the evening snack? I feel really hungry early in the evening.
another question- my dr has given me a target bg level as follows:
fasting- 100-120 mg/dl
pp (2 hours) - 140-180 mg/dl
i think these numbers are on the higher side. what do you all have to say?

My target is to remain below 100 except after meals. Then my targets are 140 after 1 hour and 120 after 2 but I get VERY annoyed if my figures after 1 hour are above 110.
When I was diagnosed, my doctor told me to adjust my basal insulin when my fasting went outside the range of 80 and 120 three days running. I followed these instructions until I managed to reduce the dose to zero. I'm still following these instructions 12 months on.
HOW?
I cut the carbohydrate content of my diet back to around 70 grams per day. That's it! See Blood Sugar 101 for more information.
In your case, the issue with changing your diet is that you have been prescribed a rapid insulin to take before meals.
This has been calculated (I hope) based on your weight and the carbohydrate content of your diet. Changing either of these significantly will impact your need for insulin and if you cut the carbs, you might end up hypo. That's probably why your lower limits were given as 100 and 140 pp2.
Before you fiddle with the insulin or diet have a good look at Blood Sugar 101 and make sure you understand what it implies before you discuss it with your doctor. Don't be too surprised if the doctor has an issue with a high fat approach to diet! The poor soul is merely following the guidelines of the ADA!hwell:
John

 

[silvertiger]

Welcome!

I was diagnosed pre-diabetic in November and I love this community!

In some ways being a Type 1 can be easier, in that you can adjust your insulin if you are eating more carbs. But, you also have the risk of lows. Still, it's not a big risk as long as you calculate your insulin, which will no doubt become second nature soon.

I agree that lowering carb intake will help a lot. My personal goal is 15-30g per snack and 50g max per meal. I don't really keep a daily total. The big thing for me was cutting out the "casual" carbs like soda, and paying attention to my meals to ensure they weren't carbfests. Pancakes for breakfast, for example, is not a good idea anymore. Make sausage too, and even better eggs, and maybe have one small pancake while eating mainly the meat and eggs. You don't have to give up sweet things altogether, but you need to pay attention to what you eat.

I realize now that although I wasn't consciously doing it, I was actually gravitating toward a low-fat, high carb diet before I was diagnosed. That means Twizzlers are OK, after all they're low fat and fat is evil, right? LOL. Low carb and high fat is a much better option for me, and maybe for you. Try different foods, keep testing with your meter, and see what you can eat.

180 is a bit high, I'd try to keep post-meal closer to 140. (For me, that's 7.8)

 

[Richard157]

The numbers achieved by type 2 diabetics are not always so easy for type 1 diabetics, like you and I. My routine is to try to be very close to 100 at meal time, not over 120 two hours later, and back to 100, or less, four hours after meals. The kind of food I eat and the portion sizes, as well as exercise can all affect the blood sugar levels at all times. A schedule that is consistent as possible every day certainly helps. This is not always possible, but it is very effective. The more my routine varies, the more highs and lows I have. Knowing your correct insulin:carb ratios and insulin sensitivities helps very much with stabilizing blood sugar levels.