It's entirely too late, but....

[DedMorozh]

So, hello and all that.

Just thought i would do the cliche thing and have a little introduction.

i was diagnosed with diabetes 12-30-04. my dr. didn't know which type, so started me on actos(i think that's what it was) and checking my sugar 4 times a day. on new years eve, my meter showed me at over 600...so i took a long walk and 2 hours later i was still over 600, called the dr. and was told to head to the ER... where they tested me and showed my sugar to only be around 400(when the dr diagnosed me it was 457, so being high wasn't anything new), but they said i was rather dehydrated and admitted me and hooked me up to a couple IV drips of saline and ran an A1c(?) or whatnot and said they were going to check insulin levels. the next day i was told the A1c was 13.45 and the insulin was 0.8. also known as happy new year, you're type one. so i spent new years in the hospital, alone...my father came to see me, hadn't seen him in about 3 or 4 years, not counting the odd funeral.

anywho, they kept me an extra day so that someone could show me how to inject myself, or rather, show me the instructions to do so and make sure i could read them. i'm now on 20 units of Lantus and a sliding scale for Humulin before each meal

100-150 = 5 units and an additional 5 units for every extra 50 points of sugar

it's been rough this first month, been getting real low at work after lunch. the first week as T1 i noticed swelling in my legs below the knees(will be mentioning that to the dr when i go in on 02-03, i have my first diabetic class on 02-01 to see a dietician and a diabetic educator

*shrugs*

all in all i'm not sure i'm taking it very well, i'm following the instructions that i've been given...but i just don't feel like i am "dealing" with being diabetic, and i am pretty frightened about the swelling in my legs.

i don't know what else to say at this point, so.......

[Belinda]

Wecome to the forums.

First sorry you had such a terrible New Year gift but you can do this. First off, take all the diabetic classes you can, call your doctor for any questions (is he/her and endocronologist?), post questions here but get all the knowledge you can. Follow doctors orders and do what is ask of you. It is VERY overwhelming at first and you may "fall" off the wagon but there are several here that have me included (I've been T1 since 1977). You need to take care of yourself and take baby steps to head you in the right direction. Good luck and keep us posted.

[nantomsuethom]

DedMorozh

Welcome to the forums. This is a wonderful site with a lot of great supportive people. If you have any questions, concerns or just want to vent or chat this forum is the place to be.

I am sure you are still in shock, since you have only been diagnosed a month ago. It is a difficult disease to "get used to" but you must. Especially if you have been healthy all of your life.

It took us a few months before the shock wore off when Thomas was diagnosed. It is now just a part of his life that he will live with forever and now just "deals" with it. He checks his sugar, eats and goes on with whatever he is doing. He will still say occassionally "my life is so rough", usually when his sister is on her 3rd bowl of ice cream :cool: , but he gets over it quickly.

It will get a little better soon. Keep posting here, you will never be alone! :)

[LauRa Lu]

Hi there :)

Like you I was diagnosed on new year, but a year ago now.

Everything will be fine for you, it's hard at first and you haven't had long to get used to it yet mentally or physically, so it will get easier in time. It will take a while for you to get the right amounts of insulin you need to sute you. The amounts I use have changed a lot since I was first diagnosed and I’ve only just got the perfect doses after my year of trying.

There's a whole load of people on this site with diabetes and we are all great people from all over the place, it affects us all in different ways and for me this is a great place to vent because I don't know any diabetics away from the net, so family and friends never quite understand like people here.

Its a good plan to get your legs checked, but after i was diagnosed my arms and hands decided to swell up and it just disappeared after a few days... was nothing to worry about so I’m sure your legs r ok, but check it out anyway.


Welcome :thumbsup: and stay positive :1eye:

[am1977]

Welcome!

Wow, what a way to bring in the New Year. :eek: That sucks, it really does. But If you visit this board and see how many members there are, you will see that you are far from alone. Most likely whatever you are going through, someone here has gone through too at some point as well.

It's never too late to get back on track. Don't think that you are doomed to being ill and unwell. Like Belinda said, you need to make baby steps. This happens to people all the time, and many do improve and change things to get back on the right path. It's frustrating and difficult at times, but you cannot just give up...the only place that will lead you is down the road to complications and other health issues.

I know that you are fairly newly diagnosed as a type 1, but I would suggest that you pick up a book called "Diabetes Burnout" . It is a very good book for people who are struggling living with this disease everyday. I just got a copy at Christmas and am in the process of reading it. It's very well-writtern :thumbsup: .

In the meantime, I hope you feel free to post or vent here anytime. We'll try to help you if we can.

Welcome again ;)

[mark-TN]

DedMorozh-

Welome… I certainly wish it was under better circumstances. Never the less you have come to a great place for support and information. Many here know exactly what you are going through. I think it is great that you are taking an active role in searching for answers. That is half the battle. I went over 28 years with Type 1 before I had the courage to seek knowledge about this disease, so trust me it is never too late, but at the same time the sooner the better...

From: http://www.umassmed.edu/diabeteshandbook/chap08.htm
“Insulin Edema (swelling) may develop when you start insulin therapy. It is usually not severe. You may notice swelling in your legs, ankles, feet, hands, or face. This will go away in a few weeks.” This sounds like what you are experiencing, so it should not be too much of a concern but be sure to follow through with your doctor.

Again, welcome to the boards. We look forward to getting to know you and helping you find as many answers as we can.

Take care.

[Clint]

First off, welcome!

When I was first dxd 6yrs ago... I was depressed, angry, and in denial. I had a VERY hard time adjusting to this disease. My grandmother had it and I had seen her take shots and stuff, but I didn't know much else. Both of my mothers parents died from this disease or at least complications from it... so needless to say, I was scared. My first child was only a few months old, and I had LOTS of stress on top of this.

When I found this site over a year ago, I was thrilled... I didn't use it as much as I do now, but it has made a HUGE impact in my life. No one else in my family or friends is diabetic so they don't quite understand what I go through.

I found a dr last year that has really helped me and now I am finally on a pump. This is the best thing i have done since being diabetic. I feel so much better and no more injections!

Feel free to PM me or email me anytime as I remeber feeling the same way you do now when I found out I was diabetic.

[HeatherP]

Welcome! Everyone before me has covered anything I could say. Thought I'd add my support and encourage you to hang in there and that what you are feeling is very normal.

I spent pretty much the fist month after diagnosis in hysterics. My mother had Diabetes and didn't manage it well at all. She was the only example I ever had. Here I am, 13 years later, in good control and in good health. It can be managed - it's just hard at first.

Your "class" will help you a lot, and I hope that you will also be able to meet personally with the dietician. We're all here for you, so drop by often to learn and find support. I'm sure you'll make some new friends along the way!

Nice to meet you,
HeatherP

[Dewey]

Just wanted to join in and welcome you to the group. This truly is a great place to come and share thoughts, vent, ask questions, or say (almost lol ;) :- ) anything else that comes to mind. As LauraLu said, there are people here from all over the world...Hope you find many useful tidbits and make lots of new friends here! :thumbsup: :)

[DedMorozh]

From: http://www.umassmed.edu/diabeteshandbook/chap08.htm
“Insulin Edema (swelling) may develop when you start insulin therapy. It is usually not severe. You may notice swelling in your legs, ankles, feet, hands, or face. This will go away in a few weeks.” This sounds like what you are experiencing, so it should not be too much of a concern but be sure to follow through with your doctor.


Thanks for that mark-TN, I had Googled the edema and allergic reaction and insulin, but found nothing. and when you search for edema and diabetes, all you find is heart, kidneys and liver damage (oh, my!)

do have to admit i was feeling pretty down last night, thanks to everyone for the warm welcome

[gettingby]

Hi. Hope my welcome isn't too late. Type 1 here for 20 years (21 in Sept.). It's an every day struggle but you will get through it. We all have our good days and bad but that's why we are here together. To share everyone's triumphs and share their problems. We are glad that you have decided to join us. Enjoy your stay and ask any questions. Chances are, we've all experienced everything at one time or another.

[MegaGirl42]

Hello and welcome! I too myself am newley diagnosed. I had been feeling the signs of diabetes since Oct. of 2004 but was diagnosed in Dec. 2004. It has and still is very hard for me to handle but luckly I found this site. The people here REALLY do help and care!! The people here have answered my questions and supported me tremendously. I was shocked to find out that I was a T2 diabetic. I had a lot of questions and had no one to turn to( that understood what I was going through). There are tons of people here who will listen and help in any way that they can. Me myself I cant give much advise but I will support you and help with anything I know. I really understand the emotions your going through right now, since we were diagnosed around the same time. I am a young mom and finding out that I have Dibetes is still very hard for me to handle. But I need to learn how manage my surar levels for him. I dont know much about this disease but Im learning. I wnat to see my son grow up so Im doing everything I can to live a long life. So, Im glad you found this site and I hope you get all the help you need. Take care of yourself and I hope to here from you soon. Im here almost everyday so I wiil check back with you often.

[Tweety]

Welcome to the Diabetes Forums. Your story sounds like mine, was diagnosed four years ago with T2. My A1c was a number 11 and I didn't know anything about it. I never had any symptoms except a rash and I was always tired. I passed out while driving and it took doctors 2 years to find out what I had. My bg was 250 fasting, I thought it was to late for me too. Now 4 years later I feel much better, the rash is gone, my A1C ist 5.6 and my bg runs between 120 to 130. I am on Metformin 500mg per day. So don't give up hope, it takes time to get things under control, it isn't easy. By the way I changed doctors and my new doctor takes an interest in my health. Good luck.
Tweety :)

[MegaGirl42]

Thanks Tweety, I cant tell you how much it means to me to have your support. This place is the only place that I can get the support and understanding I need. I have been testing my bs for two weeks now and have just recived my test results. My kidney and liver are good but my HDL cholesterol was low and my LDL cholesterol was high. My A1c was very high too 12.9. Im confused and not sure what ot do to improve those numbers. My fasting was high aswell 230mg. Im taking metformin 500 mg once a day. My fasting has not come down much but my bs 2 hr. after each meal is alittle better. I need to get my sugar levels down. When I exersize I dont see any difference in my numbers. I eat about 30 carbs each meal but my bs are still high. Today my doctor uped my dosage to 1000mg a day( 500 with breakfast and 500 with dinner). I hope this will help lower my sugar levels. But my doctor and I are worried that I might go too low over night. But I need to really bring my fasting numbers down. I hate having to take so many pills and test myself 4 times a day. I find myself getting fed up with this stupid diease. Im quite depressed with all this **** I go through everyday. This fourm helps but its really hard to keep my head up. I dont understand much but trying to learn. I have always been pretty healthy and active. I (like you) have passed out before but never knew why. I have passed out many times over the years and luckly someone has been there everytime. But it has scared the **** out of my brother. I happy I have him in my life, even though he dose not understand what Im going through now. I hope I can manage my bs, I know it will take time but I dont want to wait forever to get better. Im following all the rules but aren't seeing the results. I though if I ate right and tookmthe meds, I would be ok. I guess we will see what happens in the future. Thank again for everything !!! :)