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Original poster

Diabetes chat - general

455 replies

Oblomov · 29/07/2014 20:30

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.

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 15/04/2015 12:30

I've been, not a very kind nurse Hmm

They've checked for thyroid too on the list of bloods. No results til the end of next week. I said 'oh it's quite a while' and she bristled and said 'it's very quick'.

I tried to get her to just look at my blister for advice, covering it or not covering it. She said 'she didn't do feet' and made a face.

This is why I don't go to the doctors, I get irritated at anything Grin

Off to eat lunch now, quite hungry.

SpottyTeacakes · 15/04/2015 13:03

Eugh some surgeries are so shit it makes me so cross. The results will be back in either tomorrow or Friday the lab will process it today, they don't do hba1c every day but it shouldn't take longer than 48 hours. Obviously it just means the Dr will take forever to look at them. Angry Fingers crossed for you though and sorry you had a horrible nurse

chinnychinchin1 · 15/04/2015 19:45

Hi all. New to this thread and haven't read it all yet. Smile

I am worried I have diabetes. I've been having dizzy spells recently, even more thirsty than usual (have always drunk loads of water) and over the last few weeks my vision has been blurry in the morning and occasionally later in the day. I feel almost hungover when waking up.

I'm very overweight but trying to lose it. Day to day I eat healthily but go over the top of course, hence being fat. As an eg today I've had a cereal bar and tea (with sugar), tuna salad, two small boiled eggs and some snack a jacks. Will have pumpkin pasta ravioli things for dinner with salad.

If I do have diabetes is there a natural way to control it through diet?

I have a doctors appointment on Monday. I probably wouldn't be too worried and concentrate on losing weight but I am now very worried about my eyes!

Not sure if relevant but I have underactive thyroid and take 175mg of thyroxine.

SpottyTeacakes · 15/04/2015 19:52

Don't know about thyroid. Before I was diagnosed I was so thirsty. It couldn't be quenched I had to drink, I had to get up in the night to wee/drink and I lost a stone in a few weeks.

Some type 2's can be controlled with diet alone but not sure for how long.

chinnychinchin1 · 15/04/2015 19:56

Thanks for your reply Spotty. Sadly I'm not losing any weight - I find it so so hard to shift the pounds

Laurie - good luck. Keeping fingers crossed all is well for you

LinzerTorte · 16/04/2015 09:29

I've just found this thread - DD1 (aged 13) was diagnosed with diabetes last night and I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. She'd been drinking far more than normal the last couple of weeks so I took her to the doctor's yesterday, who discovered her glucose levels were high and said she needed to be admitted to hospital straight away. DH took her and is still there with her; she has to stay in for two weeks and one of us is supposed to be with her at all times (a little tricky as we have two younger DC and DH can't easily take two weeks off work, but I'm freelance so can be more flexible and I'm sure we'll manage somehow).

I'm hoping to be able to go and see her this afternoon; she's been hooked up to an IV drip since she was admitted, but her glucose levels are apparently back to normal now.

SpottyTeacakes · 16/04/2015 14:24

Your poor dd and poor you Thanks I was 12 when diagnosed. It'll probably take a while for it to sink in for her these days they offer counselling as standard for children diagnosed with diabetes (in my area at least) is she going to get a pump? I think you should push for one from the off. I was only in hospital for two days and after I went to the doctors with a bm of 27 they still sent me home as it was New Year's Eve! How times have changed, and for the better Smile

It will be difficult at times but hopefully you'll all get the support you need.

LinzerTorte · 16/04/2015 15:14

Thanks, Spotty. You're right, it still hasn't sunk in properly and I'm sure it will take a while. I don't know about the pump or counselling yet (we're not in the UK so I'm not sure what's standard here), but DH and I will be doing a course for parents at the hospital next week so will hopefully find out a bit more then.

Am sure I will be back with lots of questions before too much longer!

SpottyTeacakes · 16/04/2015 15:29

Oh ok if the healthcare is private out there I would expect a pump. Fwiw I can still eat a big piece of chocolate cake and my sugar level will be fine after its not as restrictive as it once was Smile

LinzerTorte · 16/04/2015 18:03

No, it's not private here; it's the same as in the UK really, we could have private health insurance if we paid for it but we just have standard health care. I've been quite impressed so far though; DD1 has just been moved into a parent-and-child room and has her own bathroom and toilet too. The parent has all their meals provided although there's a big notice up in the room saying that you (i.e. the accompanying adult) are expected to make your own bed!

That sounds good about the chocolate cake. Grin

paddyclampo · 16/04/2015 23:13

2 weeks?!?!? Crikey I wasn't in that long when I was diagnosed and i'd been in a coma. When my nephew got diagnosed he was sent home the next day.

Diabetes is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. My mum was told back in the 80s that I was never to eat sweets, ever and you got given the mixed insulin to start with which was dire. Times have definitely changed for the better!

I imagine being diagnosed as a teenager is a tough age. I was 8 at diagnosis. My diabetes buddy (did anyone else have one of those??) was diagnosed at 14 months and because she doesn't remember anything else, she never had the rebelling issues I had! There was definitely no counselling then !

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/04/2015 18:21

Linzer - sorry to hear about your DD. My eldest was diagnosed 6 weeks ago - we were only in hospital for 2 nights though although he did his own injections from the second day which seemed to be key.

If you want to pm me please do. The first 10 days were very tough so much sympathy.

LinzerTorte · 17/04/2015 19:07

After the shock of the diagnosis and discovering how long DD1 was going to be in hospital, I was feeling much more positive yesterday - but it's hit me this evening and I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by it all again. DH has been with her up until now (although I went to visit today and yesterday), but I'll be taking over from tomorrow until Sunday afternoon. The diabetes nurse came to talk to us this morning, which I found really helpful, and we'll be doing the course with her next week plus another course with a dietician.

Two weeks in hospital is great in a way as it gives us lots of time to learn how to manage everything, they're still adjusting her insulin dose, etc. but logistically, it's a bit of a nightmare. We have two younger DC and no family nearby to help out, although have had lots of offers of help from friends here; there are a couple of days next week that DH can't take off work so the DC will have to go to friends' then (they're out of school before lunch so it's not just a couple of hours after school, it's the whole afternoon and early evening that we need someone to look after them, give them both lunch and dinner, etc.).

I'll PM you, MrsCB - it would be great to talk to someone else who's just been through the same thing.

SpottyTeacakes · 17/04/2015 19:13

I think there's a Facebook group for parents of children with diabetes? Also if in the future you ever get worried about something (ie a hypo or dose of insulin etc) feel free to pm me

SpottyTeacakes · 17/04/2015 19:15

I think there's a Facebook group for parents of children with diabetes? Also if in the future you ever get worried about something (ie a hypo or dose of insulin etc) feel free to pm me

LinzerTorte · 17/04/2015 19:52

Thanks, Spotty. I'm already feeling slightly worried about hypos (or "undersugaring" as it's called in German) since the diabetes nurse mentioned that most DC have their first hypo while they're still in hospital - still, it's the best place for it I suppose. The real test will be when she comes home.

If it's the CWD group, a MNer friend has just added me although I haven't had a chance to have a proper look yet.

SpottyTeacakes · 17/04/2015 20:26

I am so thirsty and despite doing correct ratios for dinner etc was sure my bm would be in the twenties. Just tested and its 5.0. Obviously I am just thirsty!

MrsCampbellBlack · 17/04/2015 20:59

Spotty - that made me smile. Everytime eldest is grumpy I ask him to test and often it is just that he's grumpy Wink

Linzer - apparently in the UK the policy used to be to make children have a hypo before they left hospital so they knew what it felt like. DS1 had one in hospital but then not another one for nearly 3 weeks - he's had plenty since then though. But they're fine - he's very active and his levels are generally good so to be expected I think.

paddyclampo · 19/04/2015 15:33

That's right mrscampbell ! I can vividly remember being overdosed with insulin so I'd know what it felt like! They're prob not allowed to do it these days though. Thing is, I don't always have the same symptoms every time I'm low!

LinzerTorte · 21/04/2015 21:45

Shock at you being overdosed with insulin, paddy! That's reassuring to hear about the hypos, MrsCB; DD1 hasn't had one yet, although her glucose levels were very low the night I stayed in hospital with her and they said that if we'd been at home, we'd have needed to give her something.

She's been having problems with blurred vision, which the nurse said was very common and should get back to normal within 3-4 weeks; thankfully it seems to be improving already, although she still finds it difficult to focus on reading. Otherwise, she's getting quite proficient at glucose monitoring and injecting herself; we had to practise giving a glucagon injection today, which was very sobering, although the nurse reassured us that we may never need to use it. The dietician also came to see us for the first of our three "lessons" with her; she's very nice, but I was a bit Hmm about her advice to give a maximum of 2-3 eggs a week. I'll quite possibly ignore it.

MrsCampbellBlack · 23/04/2015 21:00

Linzer - I was just wondering how you were doing. The glucagon injection injection was a definite low point for me - we've watched the youtube videos since home and have trained 5 year old in how to call 999.

Are you home yet? We have trip to France with school in just over a week - I'm not stressed at all about that Wink

SpottyTeacakes · 24/04/2015 19:40

Had a 3am hypo. Bleurgh. Couldn't get back to sleep. At least I got up and got something, I'm awful for rolling over and going back to sleep Blush

LinzerTorte · 24/04/2015 20:20

Do you often get woken by hypos, Spotty? DD1 still hasn't had one so it's looking increasingly unlikely that she'll have one in the hospital. Probably famous last words.... Hope you have a better night's sleep tonight.

MrsCB Our consultant was saying today how important it is that DD1 takes part in school trips etc. - I can fully understand your worry, though; I know I'd be exactly the same. He did agree that it was a good idea for DH to accompany DD1 on her sports week next month as it's still early days, but said he should make sure he doesn't hover over DD1 and lets her be as independent as possible.

I'm in hospital with DD1 tonight, feeling really tired and so not particularly looking forward to getting up to monitor her glucose levels every few hours - but nurse asked me to do so as we're supposed to be taking over DD1's care now that we're getting ready for her to be discharged (even though we won't have to test at night when we're home if everything is normal). She's going to be allowed out during the day at the weekend and on Monday afternoon, and is due to be discharged on Tuesday morning. And I suspect that will be when the real test begins.

SpottyTeacakes · 24/04/2015 20:28

Not too often no. Sometimes I will know it's gone low over night as I wake up with a hypo hangover (headache and generally feeling crap) also will have a bm of about 16 from liver dump.

All that time in hospital sounds exhausting for you all. Once you're home you'll be able to get yourselves into the routine of it all

paddyclampo · 24/04/2015 21:34

I hate going low in the night. My eyes just ping open, and I roll over and try and sleep through it. When I go down in the morning there are shreddies all over the kitchen!

I don't test my blood in the middle of the night as part of my normal routine, sometimes do if I've had a lot to drink - does anyone else?

You will get used to it, Linzer, it will all become normal. I kind of forget i'm any different, most of the time.