They want to put me on Insulin scaredti death

[Blossomflowers]

I am looking for some advice, I was diagnosed with Diabetes a couple of years, on Metformin. However recently ended up in hospital with serious raised Glucose and Ketones had to go on a drip. GP has finally sprung into action and referred to a specialist it now seems I was wrongly diagnosed and have late onset Type 1 and they want to put me on insulin now as in today. I am terrified think this is going to change my life forever, I am so worried I will get the dose incorrect too much too little, am very confused. Have appointment booked with specialist nest week she has already ordered insulin from surgery, seems decision has been made. Anyone out there who been through the same?

jelly I have strips, there a different colours from pale to dark Rd, mine is reading second highest i,e second to top, still waiting for GP to call, I think reading is 8, bloody brilliant and specialist D Nurse on leave to today. Have decided to eat and drink water

I think you should just go to a+e to be on the safe side as if ketones are 8 then you need medical help immediately. Urine test strips are quite hard to interpret and don't give a reading of what your ketones are now whereas blood monitors do so def better to get checked out at hospital ASAP

If that was in your blood, I'd be shouting '999'. But I don't know how the strips work. It won't necessarily be what your ketones are now, but what they have been overnight.

Water is good. Low-carb food also good.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx This lists the dangers symptoms for DKA. If you get any of those, dial 111 and tell them what your ketones are - they'll send you an ambulance and it won't have been your decision .

GP just called and consulting his colleague, my appointment not till Friday with specialist nurse but he wants me on insulin before, how I don't even know what to do.?

Good news is I have drank pints and pints of water, some nuts and avocado and just retested and now showing as trace. I was almost on the way to A and E, feeling a bit happier., Thanks for your support

DP was diagnosed T1 at 10, he's 41 now.

He likes to stay low, around 5 rather than higher which can cause eye and nerve problems. He drinks lager, LOVES Haribos and just checks or alters the amount accordingly. There is nothing he won't eat or do. Bread is a bit of a problem which shoots his sugars up and he struggles sometimes with Chinese meals and trying to work out carbs in them. Big stress or a bad cold knocks his sugars sideways, I know if he's going to be ill if his sugars struggle to stabilise the day before.

We've been together 4 years, I've occasionally woke. Up in the night and just 'knew' he was too low so sorted him out with LUcozade BUT he'd manage himself it'd just take longer. We always have lucozade in, which is the only change I've made in my shopping. Oh and glucose tablets in every handbag and the car.

Please don't worry about the needles, or try not to. He's tested my sugars (frequently!) and also put a spare needle into my stomach so I could feel what it was like. I asked him!!! It looks worse than it feels.

He gets 6 month checks at the eye clinic and regular trips to the diabetic nurse. He's amazed the doctors with his ability to keep his sugars at such a 'normal' level so it can be done.

You are not a diabetic, you are someone with diabetes.

I can only speak as the partner of someone with diabetes but if I can help at all just ask. Good luck x

Thanks you stupidh everyone so positive, glad your DP still can enjoy a beer, I love red wine would be rather motified if I could not drink, guess it will be all about monitoring and getting insulin right. I actually do low carb and don't particularly like sweet things, so guess I am lucky there.

Oh good (about the ketones). If they want you on insulin they'll have to find someone who can explain it to you, won't they? Ask for a blood ketone meter though, its a lot more accurate.

And don't don't don't let them fob you off with mixed insulin twice-a-day jabs while they faff about finding someone to train you. The basics of carb-counting/insulin-dosing is really not rocket science. When ds2 was dx'd they told us what to do in about 45 minutes. Then spent half a day finding all the stuff and filling out their paperwork (sigh) and sent us home to manage. Which we did. And so will you.

Also you will feel a lot better in yourself once your BS is under control - high blood sugar messes with your moods.

Aww Blossom, you'll get the hang of it. He's mentally weighs up the carbs on his plate and adjusts. But there is nothing he won't eat!

jelly so I need to ask for fast acting insulin, which I can adjust dependent on what I eat. Rather than the other way around??

Yes that's right. Its called MDI (multiple daily injections). So you can plan to eat a mahoosive box of chocolates and give yourself an extra injection, if you want (but don't tell the doctor that ).

There is a good book called Carbs&Cals (and you can get it as an app too). It has pictures of different-sized plates of food with the carb value, so you look at the picture and think "my plate of spag bol is about the same size as that one, so the carbs are xx".

Ask for novorapid to have with meals, and either lantus / levemir as background!

'Carbs and Cals' is a definite must for getting to grips with portions when you can't weigh. But honestly, it gets to be part of your routine really quickly. I have a digital scale that we use, it sits on the counter top ready for action. And after a while you won't need to weigh everything.

Eating low carb helps and will make it much easier and more convenient.

Don't be fooled by specific diabetic food though. Usually high in carbs and worse for you,in a lot of cases, than the original.

The needles are very thin and don't hurt. You hardly feel them. The testing is actually the worst bit and you're doing that already.

There is a 'Carbs and Cals' app too which is great for eating out, although only if you are eating what's on the database .

It's all such a shock and the worry of sorting it out and what will happen in the future is awful, I have been there. For now just worry about today. When you get the insulin ask the million questions in your head, tell them about your worries, they won't mind and will have heard and answered them all before. There is no question too silly to ask, I asked loads!

Well today is the day. Going to pick up insulin in a minute, they are putting me on 1 injection a day and fast acting for meals, I think this will work better for me. Nurse coming this afternoon to explain how to use and answer an questions.
Will get the Carbs and Cals book though I am luckily quite clued on carbs

Hi honey how are you doing?

donkey not so good really. On insulin now but all very stressful. Could not sleep last night. Will get used to things I am sure, just all a bit too much tbh.

It's a massive help to have MNers who know about this to ask. It must feel new and strange but gently does it. And if there's a local support group that will be another source of advice.

Don't know if it's any use but my DP has terrible nights sleeps and headaches if his sugar is too high at night.

stupid aw sorry to hear that. My levels were not too bad just think I was panicking about things, because I am on my own seems to make it worse, I worried in the night if things went wrong that's it. Probably over thinking things.

Hello Blossom hope you feel better about things this evening. You will find that once things settle down you will feel so much better on the insulin, it's liquid gold to us type 1s. You must have felt rotten a lot if the time over the last few years. The medical profession are at last catching on to the fact that not all type 1s develop it in childhood.

It is easy to over think things but you do need to get things right, the insulin to carb ratio for example, I am finding that mine varies according to the time of day, now need more insulin to carbs in the evening than at other times of the day. Low carbing helps for me but others seem to be able to eat what they like and providing they take enough insulin can keep stable. We are all different!

Once you are sorted type1 won't affect your life too much, just look at Theresa May, she amazes me.

apple Thanks, yes I am feeling a little better, an quickly getting my head around the carb ratio thing. I think you are right a bit of trial and error really. I was speaking with my mum yesterday who has been on insulin for a few years ans she does not carb count and thew carb ratio has never been taught. Not surprising she has hypos. Word fail me.