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.

I have my diabetic appointment tomorrow. so don't want to catch the train up to London to go......... oh well!!!!

How did your appointment go Oblomov?

I think you've hit the nail on the head about the Lucozade - I try and eat less, end up going low and then having to treat the bloody hypo!

I'd never do this but sometimes i'm really tempted to reduce my insulin just for a few days!

So I had my routine eye check a few weeks ago, I'd had my last one in feb and was fine, was told to come back in a year (this is for possible retinopathy caused by diabetes) so was happy nothing was wrong. The one a few weeks ago is cos I'm pg and this can apparently cause eye issues, I was told last week when I asked a consultant about where my results were that it was very unlikely I'd have issues as my eyes were fine in feb and it's rare to get new problems, the pg just usually makes already existing ones worse.

So today I had a letter from the hospital to go see a consultant ophthalmologist on Tuesday. This is the first I've heard of any results so I'm now assuming there's a problem. Ffs, I've worked so hard and my sugar levels have been excellent (even too low and this wouldn't cause problems) but it looks like I'm going to be one of the unlucky ones. I don't know what this could mean, possible laser treatment and maybe permanent issues? I'm so scared now and fed up, why can't I have something go ok? I already work hard to minimise any issues from the diabetes

Hi everyone, I have just found this topic. A very welcome addition to MN. I was diagnosed withType 2 in the spring. I have lost weight and am trying to take more excercise etc. Yesterday I attended a 'DESMOND' course which was very interesting and helpful.
I am still puzzled though about my diabetes. We were told that the normal range for was 4 -7 something or other. I am 4.9 which is well within the nornal range so why am I told I am diabetic?

Hi Zyla

How did your appointment go with the ophthalmologist? I was going to say that they're probably just putting you under the care of a specialist just to be on the safe side during pregnancy. Sometimes the extra good control can also cause problems, which is a bit of a kick in the teeth.

When I was PG, I did already have some background retinopathy, but they did laser treatment early on to pre-empt any further damage, and it did work. But I was devastated, in my head laser was always the start of the slippery slope to blindness.

Better they keep a really close eye on you, despite the extra appointments and general fear factor!

Hey, I've got a little bit of retinopathy, caused by being pg they said as I didn't have any before (but you're right my control's been really tight so may be that too, sigh), so it 'should' go after I've had the baby but she also said it might be due to blood pressure issues if I have them, so have to talk to docs next time I go about carefully checking those.

I have to go back in 3 months to check it again so they can't be too worried, I'm just about breathing again :)

Thanks for asking

Cos I am currently off work because my bloods were 'too low' (can't say I ever expected them to say that!) and now I'm past 12 weeks when high sugars can cause congenital problems, they want me to run them a little higher. I did what the consultant told me with regards to meds but it was too high, so we're still adjusting them. Not easy this!!

Itwillbebetter is the high afterwards caused by a liver dump? I never have problems with pasta (or anything tbh) so not an expert with that sort of thing.

Am halfway through the boring I already know it carb counting course. It's full of old men who really can't grasp it and keep saying 'well back in my day....'

Does anyone else dream they're having a hypo when they are? I did last night but didn't wake up. Knew it had gone low when I woke up though. Now having a day of lows

I'm trying to lose weight and as a result my levels are awful and i'm really bad tempered and ratty!

I definitely have funny dreams when i'm low and wake up feeling really hungover :/

Yes to dreaming about being hypo, then waking up and realising I'm low. Guess it's the same as dreaming about being thirsty or needing a wee?!

Paddy, are your bloods low because of dieting? I find that too - takes me a while to realise I need to lower my basel, because generally dieting means less carbs. And carbs seem to have a kind of cumulative effect when you have a lot! But I get really fed up trying to lose weight, going hypo all the time and consuming a ton of calories in fruit juice.

Zyla, I hope you're getting on ok. It is hard during pregnancy but it's not forever, and you'll be so proud of your good results. I think I must have learned something about controlling my diabetes while preg because my HBA1Cs have been much better since having DD, but I don't really think I'm doing anything different, IYSWIM? So the effort really pays off.

I've felt really ill tonight felt tired all afternoon had a pre dinner reading of 16. 55g carbs plus 5u correction dose so gave 11u. Obviously buggered it up as as soon as I'd finished dinner I felt really sick and generally shit bm 3.7 and took two 'treatments' to come back up. Ffs.

Hi Spotty, hope you're feeling better this morning, how were your levels overnight? It's a bugger when they swing from high to low so quickly, and your just chasing the last reading...

I slept all night but woke at 19 and felt really sick until gone 10am. I'm wondering if I had a bit of a bug

Sounds like something threw you off kilter... Hope the day has been better & BGs are behaving themselves now!

I agree Spotty it sounds like you've been fighting off a bug.

Loads of colds going round here which might explain why my levels are a bit unstable. Can't say I've actually got a cold, just a bit of a snuffle. Levels are better today so fingers crossed!

Has anyone had their flu jab yet?

I'm having mine next week

Eugh. Bm's today:

16.6
14.4
20.1

Despite giving correction doses and not eating loads. All I can put it down to is the horrendous sore throat I woke up with I'm not thirsty or anything though which is odd.

Sounds like you're prob coming down with a cold, that would explain the raised levels :/

It's so annoying as I'm having to keep and food/bm/insulin diary for the course I'm doing and my levels are just all shit.

It's awful isn't it? I usually just keep taking more insulin, a couple of units at a time, til it comes within range, eventually you can pull it down but it seems to take quite a bit more than usual - and remember to drink tons of water to avoid ketones! Hope you feel better soon...

I've been doing my normal ratio for meals plus a 1u/2mmol correction dose but I'm still struggling

I DKA'd last year with readings all below 14.

I'm feeling really fed up!!

I bet you're fed up! It makes you feel totally helpless... I'm a bit trigger happy with the insulin, but if I had a reading of 20 I'd probably whack in about 6-7 extra units, keep testing and watch for it coming down (I'm not advising btw, everyone has different ways of managing highs, I just get so desperate to see something under 10 I keep bolusing til it's there)

That's worrying about the DKA - thankfully I've not had it apart from when I was diagnosed! I always end up chasing the high but then it all ends in a huge hypo. Such a pain!

Yeah I was in itu for a few days. Drs were scratching their heads a bit as to why it happened.

High all day followed by an hour of hypos argh! Luckily