Just diagnosed type 1 [Archive]

lorkatz2004

07-15-2008, 09:38 AM

princesslinda

07-15-2008, 09:49 AM

Cathy, I copied your post to a T1 thread so other T1's can see it and offer you support and advice. I'm sure you're scared, but you'll be fine, once you understand and get adjusted to your new routine.

Scratch

07-15-2008, 09:58 AM

Scratch

07-15-2008, 10:02 AM

It's also worth mentioning that if you've been working with a pre-diabetes diagnosis, but you're actually type 1 or perhaps 1.5, that having your diagnosis corrected like this along with getting the proper treatment will result in you feeling a whole lot better than you've likely been feeling these past months.

fgummett

07-15-2008, 10:07 AM

Hey Cathy... Welcome and glad you found us at DF! Stick around, ask questions, vent your feelings... it's all good... you are among friends who have been exactly where you are now and trust me it will be OK :)

JenBarker

07-15-2008, 10:17 AM

I am so upset and frightened.......I just had an endo visit today and he claims I am a Type 1 now..........and here I thought i was dealing with Prediabetes.

I am totally lost and frightened and will need a day or so to get my emotions under control and then I can go forward......I think I just need a good cry.

I have pills to take 30 minutes before meals, and have to start injecting lantus.

I need help........all I can think is how scared I am.

Cathy

Hello Cathy
Firstly, its perfectly normal to be shaken to pieces when you get a diagnosis of D. Also, if you've been treated for Pre-D when you are a type 1, your sugars are likely to be high; this can make you very emotional and upset. I was high this morning and I was nearly biting the walls I was so mad :). Once the sugars go down, you'll probably start feeling better.

Secondly, don't be scared; people on the Forums are here to help, even me with the high bloods and the wall-biting :D. You can do this. As Scratch said, if you were initially treated for pre-diabetes, now you have the real diagnosis, you can get the right treatment; it really makes a difference. Have a look on the 1.5 forum, you'll see how much quality of life improves.

I know its a shock right now, but once the insulin starts advancing on the sugar, you'll be relieved. And you're here with us! Which is the best start anyone could need :).
Welcome to the forum
Jen

lorkatz2004

07-15-2008, 11:32 AM

Hi

thanks everyone. At the first endo visit in April, they were trying to control my sugar with diet........so I went from 1 meal a day to 3. At the 2 month revisit with the dietician, my numbers have actually gone up. The dietician was alarmed and said you now need to go to 6 small meals per day and at this point, I do not think it is going to help you. She said at that point that I do not fit the pattern of a prediabetic or a type 2 but it just went over my head.

No matter what I eat or do, my numbers kept going up. I am so tired and fatigued all the time and weight was falling off me.

Endo today said I was Type 1 and I have 3 different meds to start..........and tonight i have to do an injection of lantus.

I am going to have to look somewhere on this list on how to inject................plus the endo "yelled" at me for using lancets for 3 weeks and not getting new ones at least every other day. He said to make sure I don't do that to the injection stuff and to have a new needle everytime.

Thanks
Cathy

princesslinda

07-15-2008, 11:39 AM

Your endo should have more compassion:mad: .....I think all of them should have to "be a diabetic" for awhile..or at least pretend to be during their training, and deal with all that we deal with, THEN maybe they'd have more patience.

I think you may at some point want to find an endo that you can hopefully have a good relationship with...someone you feel free to ask questions of w/o being "yelled at."

I'll bet your lantus pen came with an instruction booklet or pamphlet, my Byetta did. If its like Byetta, you'll have to "prime" the pen, meaning you actually do all you would normally do to give yourself an injection w/o injecting. You'll see it shoot out of the needle and know its primed and no air is remaining. Otherwise, you may not get your full dose if you don't prime it first. It wasn't that difficult, its just new and different. After your first injection, you'll be a lot less anxious.

As for needles/lancets, I change lancets when they hurt, and needles about once a week. Doc has never asked how often I change them, and i've never volunteered the information.;)

JenBarker

07-15-2008, 11:45 AM

I am going to have to look somewhere on this list on how to inject................plus the endo "yelled" at me for using lancets for 3 weeks and not getting new ones at least every other day. He said to make sure I don't do that to the injection stuff and to have a new needle everytime.

Thanks
Cathy

Use a new Needle every time? That won't last; and the endo was wrong to shout at you. I think we need to send the lads round with a baseball bat. You can change the lancets as little, or as often as you da*n well like - when he starts paying for them, then he can tell you how often to change em.
Take the cap of the Lantus. Attach needle - make sure its screwed on all the way. Dial up the amount you want by holding the bit with the numbers on in your right hand, and the clear part in your left. Turn until you have the correct number. Take the cap off of the needle. Select a likely spot on your skin, and push the top of the lantus pen (this part should extend outwards from the pen as you dial up the number). Once the top is fully down, withdraw the needle from the skin, and put its cap back on. If you like, unscrew the needle, and discard. :).
That's the way I do it, anyway*
Jen
*Or did: I use Levemir now.

Scratch

07-15-2008, 11:56 AM

If you have a Lantus pen, there's a video you can watch through the internet.

LANTUS® Insulin Injection Video (http://www.lantus.com/tools_resources/lantus.aspx)

I'm also a big fan of having some sort of book reference about how all this works. For me, my book of choice has been Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner. He's a type 1 and diabetes educator, and that book of his does a very good job, I think, of explaining the whats and whys of what you want to do to take manual control what your pancreas doesn't do anymore.

fgummett

07-15-2008, 12:03 PM

I'm puzzled.. if your Doctor feels you are Type 1 D, then you will be needing more than just Lantus for insulin. Lantus provides the background or basal insulin that our bodies require when we are just ticking over and not eating. When we eat we also require a faster acting bolus of insulin to cover the carbohydrate intake. Type 1 typically produces little to no insulin and so far as I know, no amount of pills can yet change that.

He has no call or even any right to yell at anyone and I hope next time you don't accept that kind of behaviour from him. Doctors are not gods and in time you will find as we all have here, that you know far more about you and your D that he ever will. :)

Most folks seems to start off changing lancets and needles every time but once you are more comfortable you'll realise that it is not always necessary. In fact, many folks here seem to change their lancets when they change the smoke-detector batteries :T

It would be ideal if your first injection could be supervised by a nurse... any chance you can drop into the Endo's or GP's office/clinic and get shown the ropes? I'm surprised they let anyone loose with needles without more show and tell first.

Hang out here, ask questions... there really are many folks here who can relate :)

LancetChick

07-15-2008, 12:10 PM

I am going to have to look somewhere on this list on how to inject................plus the endo "yelled" at me for using lancets for 3 weeks and not getting new ones at least every other day. He said to make sure I don't do that to the injection stuff and to have a new needle everytime.

Thanks
Cathy

Your endo is a moron. If I were you, I'd start looking at your endo with grave suspicion...... it's a cultivated look, and one that a lot of us have perfected over the years as our knowledge and experience increases.

I once used a single lancet for years (3 or maybe 4)..... it was dull, to be sure, but the dullness reaches a plateau fairly quickly and then doesn't seem to get any duller. Syringes I used to use for 1-2 months, or until the numbers wore off and I couldn't tell what I was dosing. If you reuse syringes, just make sure you extract as much insulin as possible from the needle. I was taught to do this by a CDE (certified diabetes educator) at an ADA sponsored class when I was first diagnosed over 20 years ago.

If I were you, I'd want to go on a fast-acting insulin rather than Lantus (or both, if necessary) so that I could eat as I pleased and didn't suffer post-prandial high-high-highs.

Using Insulin by John Walsh is a very good reference book, and will give you all the basics, formulas, etc., so that you can start understanding more of what people are talking about on this board, and so that you can start insisting on the things you want from your endo with complete confidence. Sorry you got the diagnosis from ****, but personally, I'd rather be type 1 than type 2.

sprzepiora

07-15-2008, 01:33 PM

Hey lorkatz2004, Welcome to DF. I just want to let you know that if you have any questions or just some cheering up hop on the forum and post a message. There is always someone around.

BrianSCohen

07-15-2008, 01:37 PM

lorkatz2004,

Welcome to the forums. I know this is quite a bit of a shock and it sounds like your doctor was a bit less than helpful. There are many knowledgeable and sympathetic people here who have gone through very similar things. I hope you can feel like you can come here for support. You should also look in your community for a diabetes center which has certified diabetes educators, nurses and dieticians who can spend time with you learning about these things.

buddy7

07-15-2008, 03:06 PM

I think I just need a good cry.

Cathy

Hey-Cathy!! Go on my-friend!!

Emotions runs high at a time like this, good evening and welcome to the DF, you're among friends now, noted from the response post, you've been getting, things will be OK, diabetes comes with its complications, all of us at some time have experiences, some of what you are going through, you're not on your own any longer, we're here to help you.

You've had your wake-up call signaling something has radically gone wrong with your health, get the professional help you will require to get you through this period, above all, keep reading the post on here, now! this helps.

A good health-care team can give you the the emotional support, reassurance and help you to build your confidence in coping with your diabetes, your goal, is to manage your diabetes, don't let it manage you. Keep posting, my interest is to here how you get on.

B/7 ESSEX UK.

KCP

07-15-2008, 04:16 PM

WELCOME welcome :)
Id like to say first off, its ok. THis forum is awesome for support and we will soonhave you functiong as well as ny new t1 diabetic can!
YOu'll be surprised at how much better you will start to feel after you start injectiing your lantus, soon <and VERY soon i might add!!> you are going to need more then just lantus.. You'll need to inject before each meal, or before food enters your mouth. it sounds scary, but think of it this way: You are alive! and this insulin? will help live better and healthier. It seems hard now but honestly, soon it will become second nature :)

If you ever need any help, come over and chat to us here :)

DanG

07-15-2008, 07:25 PM

I need help........all I can think is how scared I am.

Cathy - again, welcome here - as so many good friends here have already told you.

I guess I would caution you on thinking this is a problem you need to suffer under an ignorant endo. You are the one living with feeling bad all the time as you watch numbers rise. This is your life - not the life of some ruthless endo. So, take hold of the life you have been dealt, get making that lemonade - NOW!!

Now, I will express my opinions based on years of using insulin. But, as you know, opinions are like dirty socks - everyone has them, but nobody likes someone elses.

Generally, if you stop eating and take lantus and the other meds, your numbers will come down. Don't just do what anyone here says - think about what is said, and then make the choice for yourself. It is your life - you decide. Don't let us ignorant diabetic friends, nor the stoopid endo guide you in ways you cannot live with - you must live, you must decide, we can only suggest ideas for you to consider.

Taking insulin does bring numbers down. Eating brings numbers up. All food becomes some form of sugar for use in your body. While some of us can argue that this may not be the case in certain foods, for the most part, all food becomes sugar, so if you don't feed those numbers and take lantus, your numbers will come down. And, you might have leg cramps, as high numbers will cause that as the numbers fall.

You can live without eating, but you cannot live without drinking - water. Do not drink anything but water - while some here will drink diet drinks, I am firm believer that diet drinks are very bad for anyone, and especially a diabetic person, a person with some physical medical problems already does not need unknown problems creeping up from aspartame or sucralose or splenda - don't be a guinea pig for monsanto or searle - you can live without sweet in your drink.

Remember - this is your life. Don't blame it on some other ignorant person, like your yelling endo - the nerve!! Plus, don't blame anyone else for bad advice - you decide, you choose. Ask questions. You live your life. Don't blame anyone else for diabetes you live with - live with it. Don't let it rule your life. Now, go cry - really. Crying is a good thing.

lorkatz2004

07-16-2008, 06:03 AM

Good Morning All

Many thanks for all the replies. Please don't laugh......but last night was a miserable failure. I was able to get that pen done correctly, but the minute I tried to inject myself, I got sick and pulled it out! Not enough time.........I am a failure. I can't even get the shot in correctly!

Am I the only one or has someone else have this problem?

Shamefully
Cathy

Jan B

07-16-2008, 06:10 AM

Cathy,

The first time I injected was when I was 18. I had a very patient nurse! He sat with me for a long time while I held the syringe and just stared at my leg! It's funny now, but it was a major turning point for me.

There isn't a thing wrong with you dear Cathy! Would it help if someone else did it for you the first time?

Be kind to yourself by feeding your body with something it's craving -- get it done tonight!

fgummett

07-16-2008, 06:11 AM

Sorry to hear it did not go well your first time injecting yourself

OK... now re-read what I just wrote...

What in your past life ever prepared you for sticking a needle into anybody, let alone your own body :eek:

I'm not in the least bit surprised it did not go well and I am mad as heck at your health care providers (and I use the term loosely) for putting you in that situation.

Can you go back to the clinic or to your family Doctor's office and explain to them that they really need to show you how this is done :)

It will get better but it takes time to get used to all this... it's pretty much overwhelming at first :o

princesslinda

07-16-2008, 06:18 AM

Cathy, i'm sorry you had a bad experience last night...tonight will be easier, tomorrow even more easier. I'm sure anyone who has ever had to inject themselves will always remember that first time and how scared they were.

As Frank says, its not natural to have to stick a needle in your body...and of course you're scared. I was the same way the first time I injected...even the first time I had to stick my finger for a blood test. Now, i'd rather inject that stick my finger...as it hurts less to inject.

Hang in there!!!! YOU WILL BE FINE!

I'd encourage you tonight when you go to inject, to stick the needle in quickly before you lose your nerve and just hold it there for a few seconds (so you can realize the injection itself wasn't painful)...THEN press the top of your pen and inject.

It will get easier, I promise. Every T1 (and even some T2s here) have all had to get past those first few injections and are pulling for you!

<<<<Hugs>>>>

lorkatz2004

07-16-2008, 06:38 AM

I forgot to say that along with lantus, he has me on three pills a day that I am supposed to take 30 minutes before meals to help control the sugar.........the pills are call prandin.

Thanks everyone for all your help and support.

Cathy

fgummett

07-16-2008, 06:47 AM

A tip I found worked on me... rather than stabbing myself with the needle, was to gently hold the syringe (pen or whatever) on its side at about 45 degrees with the point of the needle just touching my leg, and then tip it over to the vertical and apply a gentle downward pressure. You can practice the movement with a pen. The needles are so fine these days that it should just slide in. Don't hold your breath and consciously un-tense (?) your muscles. Think happy thoughts and go slowly... don't rush it and remember to breathe out :)

As Linda mentioned, you usually feel the needle much less than the finger sticks :D

lorkatz2004

07-16-2008, 07:06 AM

fgummett

07-16-2008, 07:28 AM

Excuse me... they are going to show you how to do self-injections TWO WEEKS AFTER you have already started :eek: I can't believe that.

I believe there are various other sites, but I always found my belly and the top of my thigh the easiest to get at comfortably.

There are no stupid questions here :)

Scratch

07-16-2008, 07:32 AM

One stupid question,please.........

Is there some other place to inject instead of around the belly? The endo was showing me quickly and just grabbed a "roll", said you inject here and left. I have an appointment in 2 weeks at the medical center with the diabetic RN who is to show me properly how to do this.

Thanks
Cathy
It's not a stupid question, it's a common question that anyone who has never had to self-inject before is likely going to ask.

Any area that you can reach and has a layer of subcutaneous fat can be used for injections. Popular areas for use include the belly, thighs, and back of the arms (you can roll up an area of fat by using your knee for the back of the arm). If you can reach your butt, you can use your butt.

Try to avoid injecting repeatedly in the same area, repeated injections into the same spot can cause fatty sorts of tumors to form.

gettingby

07-16-2008, 07:51 AM

Hi Cathy and Welcome to DF.
I know that a diagnosis of diabetes is tough to handle. You took the first step by joining us here. There are extremely knowledgable and more compassionate people here. We are here for you. You are not alone in this.:)
And don't worry about last night. It has happened to all of us on shots. Just take a deep breath and relax. The lancets you use to test your bg hurt far more than the pen needles. I've never tried this but I have heard that ice applied to the injection site will numb the area sufficiently so you do not even feel the needle. I've never tried it myself but I hear it works.
Remember that we are always here for you. And remember, the only stupid question is a question not asked.:)
As to the endo yelling at you, there have been quite a few times that my endo should have yelled at me but he never has.
Hang in there and you'll get the hang of it all soon.:D

sprzepiora

07-16-2008, 10:01 AM

I would keep it simple to start, use your belly, get used to using the spot on your left of your belly button. Move around a bit like an inch each time. Just stay there until you see your nurse, she will be able to show you how and where to use in the future. You do not want to inject in the wrong spot.

Important tips:
Keep the needle pointed so that it goes straight in, you do not want to go into any angle into the skin.

"Poke" around, you will soon find spots that hurt less just by placing the needle on your skin.

IF you use an alcohol wipe, make sure it is completely dry before injecting.

Make sure the Lantus is at room temperature before injecting. When its cold is stings like ****.

If you have to take a lot of Lantus this can cause stinging too. I personally have found I can shove it in fast for the most part and not have a problem, but I have gotten my lantus dose down quite a bit, you may have a lot to inject so you will want to go slow with it or it will sting like ****.

You will want to rotate around a bit, try going about an inch away from your last shot.

Try ice to numb the skin.

Try to understand besides the stinging burn that lantus can cause sometimes it does hurt, you just hit a bad spot. I have found when I hit a bad spot that it is much better to pull out and find another as putting the lantus there will really hurt like ****.

Good luck, and remember, you can come and ask any question on this forum, no question is dumb. Well, I guess if you ask to ask a question, that's dumb, but certainly not others :)

fgummett

07-16-2008, 10:49 AM

...no question is dumb. Well, I guess if you ask to ask a question, that's dumb, but certainly not others :)You mean it is not just me..?!? My ex-wife always used to preface a question with, "Can I ask you a question..?" or before a statement she'd say, "Do you know that <insert obvious statement here>"... drove me barmy :D

mortis505

07-16-2008, 10:55 AM

Cathy, welcome to DF. I would like to say that the first injection is always the hardest, but if you can get through it, it will become much easier.

Secondly, please find yourself a new doctor/endo because the one you have sounds like a complete idiot. Prandin, according to the manufacturer, is for Type 2 NOT Type 1. It works by having your body release insulin. A T1 doesn't produce insulin. So you see the issue here. Please find a new doctor today that will give you the proper training, and the proper meds, and that actually has a "bedside manner".

Janlaton

07-16-2008, 10:56 AM

Cathy, I think we all went thru the tears and fears at the beginning. You made a big step by admitting you are afraid. Welcome to the site. Tell us more about yourself, like how old are you? What is your family statys? At least you are with an endo and usually they help you with a lot of your questions. Keep reading the posts, count the carbs(Be honest with yourself) exercise and drink plenty of water!

UpNorth

07-16-2008, 02:09 PM

Welcome to the forums :)

Take a deep breath and relax! And when you've done that, get off those pills and get a nice rapid acting insulin for your meals instead.
It's ok to be afraid, and chicken out in the beginning. I guess most people do when they all of a sudden have to poke themselves with needles. I was somewhat prepared when i was diagnosed because i took animal care in high school and learned some basic injection techniques there and even injected both cats and cattle during that time, both IM and subcutanous... So when i had to do it to myself, it was no biggie really... It did however take a while to do the fingersticks without hesitation... And still now, nearly 4 years in, i can sometimes sit with the fingerpoker and not wanting to press that little button because i know it might hurt even though it mostly doesn't...

Ask any questions that comes into your mind. And don't be afraid of the injections... It will just get easier each time you do them, and insulin is your best friend :)

lorkatz2004

07-17-2008, 09:21 AM

Good Morning All and thanks for all the encouragement......

last night was not such a disaster..........I actually did it!! Usually when I wake up, my sugar is around 140-150 and today it was 95! It's working...........

The endo has not quite made up his mind if I am a type 1 or Type 1.5...........he is leaning towards the 1.5 because he said I have a little bit of insulin working yet.......it is not completely gone.........and I am not a Type 2. I am thin, around 110 pounds, and am fairly active and he is thinking i am fitting in the 1.5 type. In the next couple of weeks, after he gets back all the tests, including a c-peptide?? he will know more.

The only thing I knew was that no diet was helping me.........no matter how little I ate, when I ate it, my figures kept going up. It was really frustrating, but I think the shock came that I never anticipated a Type 1 or 1.5........I was thinking I was prediabetic and had time to work on this.

The endo said if I needed the insulin, I would know in a matter of a day or two...............and for the first time in many, many years, I actually feel good today. I am not bone weary all the time nor am I sick today.............it is a good feeling!!

Now I will take one day at a time and with all your help, will get by this.

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart...........no one will ever realize how scared I was. To have a doctor quickly give you this stuff, say where to give it to you, and basically said good luck and see you in 2 weeks.............I was just frantic.

I used that trick that someone said earlier to use............to hold it at a 45% angle on your skin and just sort of plop it over, and it worked for me. And last night I was actually able to hold the injection there for the entire 10 seconds and I got the correct dosage!!

Many Hugs to all of you
Cathy

princesslinda

07-17-2008, 09:35 AM

Good job Cathy!! I knew you could do it! Glad to know you're seeing good results and feeling better. I didn't realize how badly I felt with the higher #s until they normalized and I felt better.

See, you're much stronger than you thought you were! And I was right ;) , you will be fine!

Funnygrl

07-17-2008, 10:03 AM

Good job with the first injection.

I think I would be tempted to get a new endo. It's not right for him to decide you're type 1 with no real evidence backing it up yet (thin people can get type 2 too, it's less common, but possible). Further, it's not right for him to put a "type 1" on just Lantus- you should be on shots with every meal and no pills if you are indeed type 1. And further, it sounds like he threw you to the wolves without evening assuring you know how to inject.