Diabetes chat - general

[Oblomov]

wow. new topic. cool.
I am a type 1, since aged 1, so 40 years. I have had a pump for the last 10.
Any questions, please ask. I am ALWAYS Happy to help.

Flour and sugar are both carbs, your body breaks down flour (and rice, potatoes etc.) into simple sugars before it's absorbed into the blood. Yes sultanas are very sugary. They also contain a lot of fibre though so the sugar is absorbed more gently, which can help a bit.

You say your DDad is controlling his diabetes with diet - it's probably best to ask him what diet he's following and fit in with that. DH is doing low GI and lowish carbs. However, some people are following the NHS advice of low fat with plenty of starchy carbs (There's a whole other thread in that!) Actual sweet sugar is not recommended on any of the various diets.

We have never really done puddings and cakes anyway. DH has whole milk yoghurt or unsweetened fruit with cream for an occasional treat, or the dark chocolate sometimes. It's the pasta he's missing most!

He's not from here so I'm not entirely sure about his diet. As far as I can see since he's arrived, he's eating pretty much everything that I eat. He even has beer!

Oh ok, haha. Do ask him for advice, he must have been told something! If I were making a cake for DH I would pick the recipe with the lowest total carbs. It would probably involve lots of fresh cream and nuts.

DH has an occasional beer but dry wine is better and whisky and water is best of all (well, probably no alcohol is best but, you know )

a bit of inspiration

Thanks so much!!!

Hello! I'm 38 and was diagnosed with type 1 8 years ago. I've been on a pump for around 5 years but still struggle with good control. Before I was allowed to have assisted conception treatment they wanted my hba1c down to 50. After much much effort I got to 59 for IUI, and when that didn't work I lost it a bit and it crept up to the 70s and then they would allow IVF until it went down again. I got it to 60 by going low carb, and my diabetic consultant wrote to the ACU asking them to treat me at 60 which they reluctantly agreed to.
I'm now pregnant but utterly terrified that every high sugar reading is damaging my baby.
mskitty I got very very fed up about 2 years in too.

Mild I don't understand your hba1c results round here it's all between 4 and 6.5 sort of thing...

I was always told by my dietician if u want cake eat it!. Have it in moderation and don't be greedy!

And I've been diabetic for almost 10 years

Spotty - they changed the way hba1c readings were expressed a couple of years ago, from a % to mmol. converter an brief overview here just to give us one more thing to figure out and try to understand!

I found the 'time to change' webpage. As suspected, not a lot goingon around here, and certainly nothing as useful as mood management! I really should look I to getting some support (I know I've got issues!) But it's finding the time, finding the right person,and finding the money to pay for the right person...

Mildatheart - it's good to see some other people that have experienced diagnosis at a similar time to me. Can i ask, how did you get a pump? I enquired about 3 years ago but was told I couldn't have one as my control was too good (ha! Look at me now...) Then when I enquired more recently I was told my hba1c was too high so I couldn't have one, which has left me confused as to which hoops I might have to jump through if I wanted one.

ohdearthisishappening, that's what the Dafne course promotes too, and for most people that's great. Trouble is, I don't have a 'moderation' or 'not greedy' setting. I'm not proud of it but its something I've struggled with all my life. It's pretty much all or nothing for me (and 'all' is a lot more likely)

My plan now is to get back to restricted (not low, or no) carbs, aiming for 30-50g per meal with no carby snacking in between... Given my eating habits over the last couple of years this'll be quite a challenge, but I've done it before and been happy. I just need to get in to it... Now if I could just put down the bloody chocolate and nice bread!

They changed a few years ago in my heath authority...
www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/866/opendoc/181920
48 is 6.5, 50 is 7.7, 60 is 8.6 etc

mrskitty it was because I was trying to conceive and they wanted me to have good control. I did have a horrible period about 2.5 hers ago where they threatened to take it off me as they bought my HBa1c was too high which made me upset.
Now I've got an exciting combo pump which is controlled by bluetooth from my blood monitor and it does all the figuring out for me which really helps. I think everyone should have pumps. I hated injecting.

I had heard they were changing it but they never did round here. I work in a drs surgery and they all come back the 'old' way.

I don't have a pump yet but do have the tester to go with it. I think everyone should have it. It tells you how much to inject based on the amount of insulin you're already carrying, your sugar level and what you're eating. Super clever.

Combo pump sounds fab.

oblomov thanks for the welcome and sorry it's taken me sooo long to get back to you, life has gotten in the way!

DS2 is 11 and has been coping really well with multiple injections until the last week when he's had a couple of painful ones and its really freaked him out. After being certain he didn't want one, he is now very interested in a pump. We are very lucky to have a fantastic diabetic team (consultant is diabetic too) and are due to attend a pump awareness day in september.

TBH dh and I are still reeling from the sudden diagnosis and feel heartbroken. DS2 was just starting to gain some independence in his life and now that all seems to have stopped. I'm sad that he hasn't had any invites to visit friends over the holidays because all the parents are understandably anxious and out of their depth with dealing with this condition. He hasn't been able to attend school camp and other normal stuff he once did and we took for granted, now becomes problematic. We are grieving for how simple our life was before. I know that sounds ridiculous, there are far worse things to have but it is a bit of a life changer isn't it sorry for the wallowing x

itwillbebetter I really feel for your poor DS. my diagnosis at 30 really knocked my confidence. As a secondary school teacher I always take an interest in the pupils on team diabetes. Rest assured, most of them become very confident and take part in the full range of activities including residentially.
They do have to grow up a bit quicker, but they do manage day to day.

I was 12 when I was diagnosed. I think a pump would really benefit him. You don't want him to be a rebellious teen like me- drinking and not doing injections etc. The sooner he learns to carb count himself the better. Obviously it's really unfair and I'm sure you'd do anything to swap places with him but hopefully he will grow up to embrace his healthy lifestyle.

Why didn't he go to school camp itwillbebetter ? :O

paddy. He was able to spend a few hours there in the day but couldn't stay overnight because his levels were all over the place and he needed lots of overnight testing

I'm having loads of trouble doing any injections in my right leg. It just hurts so much wherever I try to do it and then it ends up throbbing for the rest of the day

Hello! Another old timer here...diagnosed at 11 months old, & (cough) mid 30's now, so have seen a few changes!

I'm on the combo & it's fab - felt weird being 'connected' at first, but the benefits are huge.

To the pp who said their control is 'too good' for a pump - have you tried speaking to 'input'? They might be able to advocate on your behalf that the effort it's taking (which in my case was 3am correction shots daily to counter dawn phenomenon) has too adverse an effect on your quality of life...might be worth a try?

I definitely relate to the 'diabetes fatigue' thing - I think unless you live with it daily (i.e you or loved one has it) it's hard to grasp how draining / obsessive it can become. Still, am trying to focus on positives & am glad to be relatively intact still after all this time!

Spotty - I had to give up injecting in my legs, although admittedly that was many years ago on old insulins (one of which I had an allergy to the preservatives, ouch!! )

at the current time I'm sticking my cannulas in my tum, on the basis that a) they seem to work well there, b) they don't tend to hurt there, c) habit & d) I figure 2 kids have already trashed my tum, my bikini days are well & truly over anyway! . it is hard to force myself to use the edges even though I know I should to avoid lumps though...

I overuse my stomach for injections and just use my legs for lantus at night. If I inject anywhere else I can't tell how I will respond to the novorapid if that makes sense!

plodding I've never heard of input but will look into that, thanks!

itwillbebetter that's a shame :( ... When I went on school trips I remember my mum having to attach pages of A4 paper to the medical forms!

I use legs for levemir and stomach for novo rapid usually. I really feel like I'm running out of places to inject

Same here! I have loads of lumps but amazingly it doesn't actually look bad, just feels it. I do get covered in pink dots and bruises though!

Does anyone ever use their arms?

Oh and the other problem I have sometimes is insulin leaking out after an injection. Does anyone else have this?!