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.

Paddy how long do you leave the needle in for after you've pushed it in?

I've got two massive horrible lumps on my stomach

Hello! Lovely new Diabetes section, really pleased...

So I'm T1, for 31 years now (since age of 6), had a Medtronic pump for 2 years. Was only allowed to get it because I said I wanted to get pregnant - I too was told my control was "too good" for me to qualify for one before that. Which is stupid because my control has been even better (& simpler to manage) since getting the pump.

Had my DD 11 months ago today - my control was obsessively really well managed during pg, still not bad now though I've no idea how! HBA1C's around 6 at the mo. Spotty I lurked a lot on your pregnancy thread while I was pg, think I was only a few months behind you all - it was so helpful!

But as others have mentioned I went through years of poor control as a teenager, drinking, not testing, A1C's of 14-15, awful. Paying the price a bit now with some retinopathy, but I'm lucky it's not worse... I was really lucky to have sessions with a diabetic psychotherapist at the clinic, alongside dafne, so I feel really fortunate for the support I've had, makes a ton of difference.

Paddy I get insulin leaking out after I've injected too,and I always hold the needle in for a count of 5. I think I need to get better at switching my sites.

Spotty I went through a couple of months when my Lantus would make my leg feel as though it was burning during the injection and for a couple of hours afterwards. I've switched to my bum for lantus now, although that's a pain in the arse (literally!) as I obviously have to leave the room to do it at work (I work shifts so do my lantus at a set time every day rather than at 'bedtime').

I've not noticed any lumps but I'm pretty lumpy to begin with . Once you have lumps is there a way to get rid of them or are you stuck with them long term then?

I was told to hold the needle in for ten seconds.

The lumps can go but only if you avoid the area and it can take years. Liposuction is the only way to guarantee they'll go. I'm pretty tempted to be honest

I've tried my arm before but I have pretty skinny arms so no go really.

Anyone on a split dose background insulin? I have 18u at night and 10u in the morning.

I think I remember spotty's pregnancy thread as well. I remember posting once and skimming often, coz it was a really good one.

Plodding, I am SO with you re the fatigue. its amazing I manage as well as I do really!!

I keep the needle in for 10 seconds - it doesn't always leak out but it does probably a quarter of the time!

I used to split my background insulin but my consultant wanted to stop that as I always take extra insulin for snacks do that's a lot of shots!!

I heard there's a long lasting background insulin that lasts for 36 hours or maybe 48. Has anyone else heard of that?

Nope not heard of that.

Nurse for IMAGE course I need to do said they wouldn't do it if I was splitting my levemir. I tried stopping and I was up in the twenties. My consultant told me he had no idea why they said that and I should just lie to them!

Ds is 19mo now I still want another one! Dp has said no.

I used to split my background insulin too, and did loads of injections for snacks, meals, corrections etc. and being right handed was always injecting in the same spot on my stomach on the left, so I've got lumps there too. I've always found stomach was best but I had to make a real effort to use all the areas - above and below belly button, right round the side (on the love handles).

Always found I bruised on my legs too & never tried arms - I guess anywhere with a little layer of fat will do the trick! Which is why I still favour the stomach, plenty of fat there. I have occasionally had an infected cannula site from the pump though, that's pretty shit, and the insulin doesn't go in properly.

It's ridiculous they don't approve of splitting it - levemir doesn't last a full 24 hrs, or for me it didn't. So of course your bloods will be high! Haven't heard of one that lasts 36 hrs either...

I'm starting to think I might be up for another too, not sure what DP would have to say about it - non sure it'd be positive!

Hey all, nice to see a topic, hope I can join! Been diabetic for 28 years and am now 11 weeks pregnant! Liking the extra scans etc at the hospital, not liking the extra tests and injections heh.

I eat sugar free jelly for deserts-with a great big dollop of cream!

zyla I'm 2 weeks ahead of you. I'm testing about 12 times a day now. Crazy!

I hated being pregnant but it's surprising how your levels just return to normal after delivery!

Yeah also testing loads mild and my insulin requirements at meals are already up! but the hospital are happy everything's good.

My insulin requirements dropped both times at 35 weeks so was induced around then both times.

That's interesting, I'll keep an eye on it when I finally get to that stage, feeling so far away atm!

Hurray a diabetes thread!!
My Ds2 was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 6. He is 16 now and going through all the normal teenage stuff and breaking his pump playing cricket etc. He has been to a festival with his dodgy mates this summer - and survived.

Just got the date for the IMAGE course (lied to the nurse about splitting my levemir as per my consultants advice ). Not sure what I'm going to so about childcare though

Hi peeps, just popping in to say hi. I'm t1, diagnosed when 15, am 27 now. Hoping to get a pump in october which with any luck will help my control and prevent so many hypos, and (i'm really, really hoping) might help with my struggle with excessive tiredness and depression too.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do about my pump rejection! At 8 grand a year I don't really want to self fund it! But if I did go down that route what would I do? Can you just buy them?

Remind me what IMAGE is Spotty?

I think it's like a DAPHNE/DESMOND whatever course. They change the name all the time! But basically all about carb counting which I know exactly how to do but have to do the course before I can have the pump. It used to be called the SAILING course

Just to say I ended up making the sugar free carrot cake for dad's birthday and he loved it! It was actually very easy and it tasted pretty yummy too.

Hi all, hope all ok?
I'm just sitting up waiting to test DS after a hypo caused by eating pasta. He bloody loves the stuff but even though I split his dose to half with his meal and then half an hour or so after, we still get a hypo followed by a high a couple hours later . I guess his body is just really slow at digesting it. I don't want to stop him eating it but now I face another sleepless night it's tempting to never cook it again

I'm ok with pasta but i'm always low the day after I have rice! Has always been a problem for me!

Apart from the pasta incident has life become any easier for you all itwillbebetter?

Do any of you find it difficult to lose weight? I'm not exactly big (size 14) but am bigger than I would like to be. Despite exercising ridiculously hard and trying to be more sensible with food I haven't really lost any :S

I can't lose weight paddy. plus having lucozade tondeal with hypos doesn't exactly help, does it?

re pasta. half with meal and then half later. sounds OK.
but then hypo? when hypo? how long after?

and then high again - but that in itself is because of the hypo, not the pasta root cause, as it were, right?