new diebetic need some advice

[psilocybin]

hey guys..
new diebetic here, im 21 years old...after a cold virus 3 weeks ago i noticed myself considerably thirsty. i went to the clinic last friday to figure out what is going on... after a urine test, the doctor walks up to me and tells me i have to go to the hospital, your diebetic. my worst fears have came. i went to the hospital and had multiple blood tests . including 1 every hour for 8 hours.I ended up going into the hospital with a gluscose level of 47. after spending 5 days in the hospital they released me. my life has turned into a life of worries and being paranoid since last friday. i am scared during every single glucose test i take and i take 4 a day. I usually do like 6 a day though because i am so scared about all this. i really dont know what to do. after having 2 lows in the passed 2 days (because i neglected protein from my diet by accident) it is extremely hard for me. i was a partier and i just loved to enjoy my life. Big lifestyle change. My eyes are blurry all the time, im missing school, and overall i am just a reck. anytips for dieting or dealing with this guys? are my eyes suppose to be messed up all the time since my body is just getting use to the insulin i have to take 4 times a day? by the way im on sliding scale still.

[duck]

You'll get the hang of it...This disease will be a constant pain in the ***, but it is manageable if you are willing to manage it.

Give us some details...What kind of insulins are you taking?

When are you taking your insulins?

How much are you taking?

Did anyone give you a lesson in carbohydrate counting? Or show you the exchange system?

You have to test a lot initially--I still test a lot, and I am into my 16th year almost of having this ****, knowing what my blood sugars are and seeing trends helps me control this thing.

[psilocybin]

i am on humalin r and humullin n and i take r 5 times a day depending on if i am above 10. befor breakfast, befor lunch, befor supper, befor bedtime snack. n is befor breakfast, and befor supper (twice a day). sliding scale for the humullin r, between 10-12(2 units), between 12-14 (4 units), between 14-16 (6 units), 16-18(8 units), 18-20 (10 units)..over 20 they told me to go to the hospital. and below3.6 they say go to the hospital. i do count my carbs...30 for snacks, between 60-80 for meals they also told me

humullin n i take 10 units in morning...9 units at night

[duck]

i am on humalin r and hummuin h and i take r 5 times a day depending on if i am above 10. befor breakfast, befor lunch, befor supper, befor bedtime snack. h is befor breakfast, and befor supper (twice a day). sliding scale for the humullin r, between 10-12(2 units), between 12-14 (4 units), between 14-16 (6 units), 16-18(8 units), 18-20 (10 units)..over 20 they told me to go to the hospital. and below3.6 they say go to the hospital. i do count my carbs...30 for snacks, between 60-80 for meals they also told me

There is much deprogramming we must cover for your sake...

What is "hummuin h"? I'm assuming that's a typo, but that could be unsafe. Humulin R is an older insulin, you should consider getting on Humalog or Novolog, which act almost immediately (I believe that those have the same name in Canada).

Let's go over some basics. Most diabetics have to take two types of insulins daily: A slow acting insulin to provide what is called a "basal" rate--Basal refers to your bodies basic metabolic needs, and the amount of insulin needed to cover for that metabolism--this varies for all people, so a diabetic's basal insulin needs are generally different person to person. Typically a basal rate is about 1 unit of insulin an hour though, but that can and will vary.

The second type of insulin is fast acting insulin, used to cover meals and to correct for high blood sugars.

So in theory, you should be taking your basal insulin once or twice a day--this is probably the most critical shot(s) you will take. In theory, if you can nail down your basal rate, you take this one or two shots, and you can skip meals and not go low (don't bet on this happening yet, there is much to learn and cover). But most people eat, so at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, you take your fast-acting insulin to cover those meals...If you know how to properly carb-count, you look at the meal, calculate the amount of carbs and take the appropriate amount of insulin to cover that particular meal, not eat to cover your insulin (Does that make any sense?)

If you are carb-counting correctly, and your basal insulin is calculated correctly, then two hours after every meal your blood sugar should be "normal" again. If you are high, you should be able to calculate exactly how much insulin you have to take to bring your sugars back to normal within 4 hours.

Has anyone told you any of this or taught you any of this yet?

[sbuff28@charter]

Dude, we are in the exact same situation.

I was diagnosed Jan 5, 2006 and im and also 21 and an avid partier. Its quite weird to read your story and exactly relate and say "**** man, thats me too".

Four weeks ago, i was in a hospital too and the first thing I noticed an off look on the Doctor and my stomach drops. The doc says to me "Diabetes in the family?". My father and i just stared right back at him. I was speechless and my stomach dropped much farther down. Yes im a guy and i cried then, not only for a day strait, but like for a week. It sucks hardcore, I find myself having a very hard time dealing with it at times, and i know what your feelin man. Im really not trying to be arrogent or anything but my number one problem with the disease is that i realise how frigile i really was. I used to think i was invincible and as long as i maintained good health, i could drink all i wanted. Now i know its not so... Im not going to live forever. This scares the Fing CRAPP OUT OF ME! I know get anxious all the time and the disease is still on my mind 24-7(if i should eat, take insulin, ect). Which also bothers the sh!t outta me. My point is simple... I notice im much better off and feeling 100% more positive about my disease than when i was diagnosed.

The main reason for this amotionally and physically is "If its going to make me feel better, so be it" So just last week i was testing 15+ times a day, recording everything i ate, when, what insulin i took, and if i was doing physical activity. All i was doing was trying to understand how i am reacting to my medication. This is the number one soothe to my number one fears about diabetes complications. And working hard at it and maintaining a 80-130 Blood sugar makes me feel so much better about dealing with the disease. Once you realize how good your going to get at copping with it you'll feel soooooo much better about this crappy situation. I still am sometimes scared that im going to get all fed up with all this and die young. But I decided when i started posting here (a week later) that im going to take one day at a time and attempt my best to deal with it. You and I both brotha was delt a ****tay hand, and lost bigtime! its now time to ante up and get on with life with whatever you got left.

So yeah, dont feel bad about testing 6 a day...haha, i STILL test at leat 11 times a day. (and thats if im busy). Im filling up the excel sheet with my records pretty fast and im printing like 7 pages each to my 3 doctors. AND keep im mind im feeling 100% better after doing this.... I may be wrong since i have no experience really with diabetes, but i've read up on it... Its a Big Help to me. So consider it....



So I hope this helps you out a little...stay tough, I was the last person in the world to think anything like this would happen to me. Its not the end of the world though unless you want it to be. It's definatly possible to live a great life still, just ask anyone on this board and i bet they'll tell you they are doing just fine...but its gonna be effort involved.

-Steve

[psilocybin]

yes all of it except that i just found out i was diebetic last friday. havent learned how to take the proper amount of insulin for different meals yet.humullin n i meant sorry

[duck]

Okay, I used to be on "N", and I hated it. I believe Lantus is available in Canada now...Please get off of the N and get onto Lantus, if you do nothing else, listen to me on that one. You'll probably be fine for a while on N, but after a while it will begin to ruin your life, it's simply unpredictable.

Okay, how much N are you taking before breakfast and dinner?

[psilocybin]

10 units on n in morning, 9 at night

[duck]

sbuff28@charter, I was diagnosed at age 17 in 1990...I just realized today that in about a year I will have spent half my life being diabetic. That kinda makes me mad, I wish I had a little more time to be carefree, LOL.

You were never invincible, you just thought you were. And those who think they are, they're in the worst shape. I was a diabetic all through school, and I knew a three other diabetics while in school as well, and trust me, we partayed. I was never much of a drinker, and when I did I was pretty careful about it, and my buddies all knew and they were actually really cool about checking on the duck to make sure he was being stoopid because of beer and not some stupid sugar problem. So it can be done. But I still think I had more fun at parties when I was sober, but that's just me.

One thing, I dunno if this matters to either of you. When I was younger, I followed the sport of bodybuilding. I still think Arnold is a god. Anyway, Google "Tim Belknap" and then switch to Google Images. He should come up with a few hits. He wasn't ever a dominant bodybuilder, but he looked the part, and was a full-on Type 1 diabetic. There have been NFL football players who are diabetic (I can't think of one right now, but I know a few years ago Jay Leeuwenberg was playing and he was a Type 1 and a mean SOB, too). So this disease does not necessarily hold you back physically.

[duck]

10 units on n in morning, 9 at night

When do you feel low? Actually, when do you test low? And what do you weigh? When I was first diagnosed in 1990, I weight 145 pounds and was taking 12 units NPH morning and 10 night, and looking back I know I was taking too much. I was always getting low at night and CONSTANTLY eating throughout the day to "feed the insulin". It should be the other way around, I think...The insulin should only be necessary to take care of the food I want to eat, which is what I do now.

[sbuff28@charter]

Duck is right man, I was also on NPH(humalin somethin)... and humalog. It's probally a good idea to go tell your doctors you want to be on Humalog and Lantus. I noticed right off that when i swiched it was soooo much easier to control you BS and it gives much more flexability on when you want to eat, which im sure since your in college, i assume... like me, you dont eat regularly.

YOU CAN SLEEP ALL YOU WANT ON LANTUS, also you can skip meals if you disire. BIG ++

MANY people here i think will agree.... so yeah you have to take 1-2 more shots a day, big whoop, its not like you don't have to do it already, whats one more stupid prick.

[Cinnabon]

I second DUck's advice on switching to Better insulins than N & R. I was ont hat before going ona pump. You will be so much better with this.

[duck]

If you can afford it, I recommend buying and reading "Pumping Insulin" by John Walsh...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1884804845/sr=1-1/qid=1139113217/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6440938-9180028?%5Fencoding=UTF8

You don't have to have an insulin pump to benefit from this book (though reading it will probably make you want a pump). He goes over carb counting, basal rates, bolus rates, etc., and how to figure those out. It's a worthy read.

The insulins that you have been put on will keep you alive, especially once you get them "dialed in". The only reason I push the newer insulins is because in general other diabetics have found them to be better for control and quality of life. Don't worry about your confusion with this disease, initially it is A LOT to swallow and deal with...but it gets better.

[stella117]

Your eyes are "messed up" due to the high glucose levels. As your glucose levels normalize, your eyesight will too. I had this happen when I was first diagnosed--it's a pain. But it takes 4-6 weeks and then they should be back to normal.

[valc3]

Being diagnosed with this is a huge shock. Hang in there, visit often and ask all the questions you want. This is a great place for information and support.

Your vision will improve as you bg gets under control.

[psilocybin]

Dude, we are in the exact same situation.

I was diagnosed Jan 5, 2006 and im and also 21 and an avid partier. Its quite weird to read your story and exactly relate and say "**** man, thats me too".

Four weeks ago, i was in a hospital too and the first thing I noticed an off look on the Doctor and my stomach drops. The doc says to me "Diabetes in the family?". My father and i just stared right back at him. I was speechless and my stomach dropped much farther down. Yes im a guy and i cried then, not only for a day strait, but like for a week. It sucks hardcore, I find myself having a very hard time dealing with it at times, and i know what your feelin man. Im really not trying to be arrogent or anything but my number one problem with the disease is that i realise how frigile i really was. I used to think i was invincible and as long as i maintained good health, i could drink all i wanted. Now i know its not so... Im not going to live forever. This scares the Fing CRAPP OUT OF ME! I know get anxious all the time and the disease is still on my mind 24-7(if i should eat, take insulin, ect). Which also bothers the sh!t outta me. My point is simple... I notice im much better off and feeling 100% more positive about my disease than when i was diagnosed.

The main reason for this amotionally and physically is "If its going to make me feel better, so be it" So just last week i was testing 15+ times a day, recording everything i ate, when, what insulin i took, and if i was doing physical activity. All i was doing was trying to understand how i am reacting to my medication. This is the number one soothe to my number one fears about diabetes complications. And working hard at it and maintaining a 80-130 Blood sugar makes me feel so much better about dealing with the disease. Once you realize how good your going to get at copping with it you'll feel soooooo much better about this crappy situation. I still am sometimes scared that im going to get all fed up with all this and die young. But I decided when i started posting here (a week later) that im going to take one day at a time and attempt my best to deal with it. You and I both brotha was delt a ****tay hand, and lost bigtime! its now time to ante up and get on with life with whatever you got left.

So yeah, dont feel bad about testing 6 a day...haha, i STILL test at leat 11 times a day. (and thats if im busy). Im filling up the excel sheet with my records pretty fast and im printing like 7 pages each to my 3 doctors. AND keep im mind im feeling 100% better after doing this.... I may be wrong since i have no experience really with diabetes, but i've read up on it... Its a Big Help to me. So consider it....



So I hope this helps you out a little...stay tough, I was the last person in the world to think anything like this would happen to me. Its not the end of the world though unless you want it to be. It's definatly possible to live a great life still, just ask anyone on this board and i bet they'll tell you they are doing just fine...but its gonna be effort involved.

-Steve

thanks man, it makes me feel alot better knowing someone else is in my situation. its tough, we all stick together in this forum and trust me its a huge help.

[psilocybin]

When do you feel low? Actually, when do you test low? And what do you weigh? When I was first diagnosed in 1990, I weight 145 pounds and was taking 12 units NPH morning and 10 night, and looking back I know I was taking too much. I was always getting low at night and CONSTANTLY eating throughout the day to "feed the insulin". It should be the other way around, I think...The insulin should only be necessary to take care of the food I want to eat, which is what I do now.

i feel low about 30 mins befor lunch, amd sometimes after i eat late at night like 11pm. i weigh 125 pounds (ya i know im scronny) last night i ate in between meal and snack and i didnt get low, ended up 13.5 lol forgot to check if carrots had carbs and i ate like half a bag

[duck]

i feel low about 30 mins befor lunch, amd sometimes after i eat late at night like 11pm. i weigh 125 pounds (ya i know im scronny) last night i ate in between meal and snack and i didnt get low, ended up 13.5 lol forgot to check if carrots had carbs and i ate like half a bag

(I hate to keep sounding like an old man, but...) When I was taking NPH, both carrots and potatos killed my blood sugars, I don't know why? So yeah, carrots can be hard on your sugars, at least until you get the carb-counting down.

If I were you, I would talk to your docs about decreasing your NPH. You have to test a lot while you do it, but if I am reading this right, your NPH is kicking in real hard about four hours after injecting, so if you inject it at 7-8AM, you'll really feel it about 11AM/noon, and if you inject it at dinner time (6PM-7PM), you'll feel it at 10PM/11PM, which is about right, right?

Oh yeah...Lantus. Check it out.

The difference between NPH and Lantus is that Lantus is "peakless". Basically, lantus works for about 20-24 hours...NPH works about 17 hours. But Lantus does not ever peak, so if you injected 24 units at 8 AM, and if it lasts 24 hours, divide 24/24 and you get 1 unit an hour as basal. NPH, on the other hand, does not really begin to work until 4 hours after injected, and then works real hard from hour 4 through hour 10-12, then drops off real fast, so you literally get a "mountain peak" of activity from NPH. Dude, the stuff was researched in the 1970's, you were born in the 1980's, you need to get on some newer insulin...insist on that when you see your doc next.

[Cinnabon]

I ended up going into the hospital with a gluscose level of 47

I though it was a low DX (47), its 847.

[MagsRM23]

Hey, to both of you "new" young guys:

I'm in a similar situation to both of you, in a way. I'm a 20-year-old college student, so I can totally sympathize with what you're going through, trying to balance having a normal student life and taking care of your disease. However, I was diagnosed when I was six, so I've had a lot more practice! Anyways, if you need any advice about anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Like I said, I know how you feel right now, and if you need any help or have any random questions, someone here will be able to answer it. Hang in there; this is not a death-sentence! I know it is a huge lifestyle change, especially after 21 years of being "carefree," but keep at it, you'll be happy you were healthy now when you get to be much older. Good luck to both of you!

-Maggie

[Erin]

psilocybin (& sbuff28, but we've already spoken),

You CAN still be an avid partier and be a responsible diabetic. Believe me, if it's something your doctor told you you couldn't do, I've done it, and figured out how to do it without killing myself slowly (or quickly). If you have questions / need advice, I am always willing to help! (I figure I did it the hard way (trial and error), nobody else should have to)

Yes, I was diagnosed at age 8, and so have had a bit more practice with this, but once you get the hang of it you can live just like any normal student. I was probably a bit MORE of a party kid than my "normal" (non-diabetic) peers. I'm old now tho (lol 23), and have mellowed out a bit in my old age, but I still go out on the town a couple of times a month.

If you're on R and N, are you supposed to have a snack a couple of times a day? I remember that driving me crazy way back in the day. If i missed a snack I'd go low. It was a careful balancing act of pushing yourself high and then waiting to fall, and then eating something real quick to push yourself high again. I hated that whole program. Get yourself on Lantus, get yourself on Lantus NOW. It will make a world of difference.

[psilocybin]

just had nerse come to the house, she said she will not switch my insullins around till i get my levels under controll im still on sliding scale. my bs levels are all over the place still.

[duck]

just had nerse come to the house, she said she will not switch my insullins around till i get my levels under controll im still on sliding scale. my bs levels are all over the place still.

Find another nurse, she's basically asking the cart to lead the horse. You can get under control with your current insulins, but why make it harder on you than it has to be?

[Ailsa]

[" i was a partier and i just loved to enjoy my life."]

You can still Party :thumbsup:
Just a few words of warning.
Alcohol can make your sugar levels drop. Not just at time, but for a while afterwards, even the next morning. ALWAYS make sure to test & eat something before you go to bed after drinking.

Make sure your friends know that if you pass out it may not be because you're out of it.

If you use anything other than alcohol, go easy & stick with things that wear off in a fairly short time. being high & low (so to speak) isn't a good experience. And also make sure to have enough to eat.

[chrisfrostic]

Your eyes are "messed up" due to the high glucose levels. As your glucose levels normalize, your eyesight will too. I had this happen when I was first diagnosed--it's a pain. But it takes 4-6 weeks and then they should be back to normal.
I hope so, that will be great... I did notice that for a short period in the hospital (2 days after diagnosis) my eyes were great, but then got worse than ever after that until now... (3 weeks out).

[chrisfrostic]

I am new to this only 3 weeks since diag, but I was told that It was up to ME how I treat this condition. I told the doctor what I wanted to do and she agreed. One of my doctors wanted me on oral, but after studying it while in hospital I told them to do lantus and slideing scale. This is working great! I belive that it is your life and illness... You should be in control of your treatment since you will be the one to make it work not some goofy nurse who seems to think she knows what will work best for you...

[sbuff28@charter]

the way i look at it is... Who has more experience DEALING WITH diabetes, your non-diabetic nurse, or these people that have dealt with it for years and prolbally know much more just by reading and experiencing it than your nurse...

[psilocybin]

i agree with you, im going to see some people called the diabetes education center on wednesday. i will talk to them about switching. they will be working with me on my scale, bs, diet, amount of insulin, so on

[psilocybin]

I hope so, that will be great... I did notice that for a short period in the hospital (2 days after diagnosis) my eyes were great, but then got worse than ever after that until now... (3 weeks out).

mine were fine in the hospital, than when i got out they were so blurry. and they still are and its been 5 days, who knows how long this will last. i was told this is due to my bs being 846 at time of diagnosis

[Aftiel]

Please ask your Doctor about switching from Humilin to Lantus.

I spent decades on Humilin N and R, and Lantus is a different world (in a great way.)

- Aftiel

[Erin]

High blood sugar makes your eyes go all funny. How long it will last will depend on how long you were that high before you were diagnosed, and how long it takes you to stabilize your sugars.

My eyes get blurry at around 250, and they stay that way for a couple of hours after my sugar levels come down... So, it takes your body a bit of time to right whatever mess the extra sugar made, but don't worry, your vision will get back to normal.

[psilocybin]

**********update********

went to canadian diabetes association and they stopped my sliding scale and put me on a 1:15 insulin to carb ratio. they are also taking my off humulin R and putting me on humulog. wanted to go on lantus but dont have insurance. am trying to get on college insurance and i hope they cover it and my test strips. :D

[Erin]

That's great! Sounds like things are moving in the right direction. Hopefully soon the insurance fairy will smile on you and you'll get yourself all sorted. Keep us updated!

And do you also have a correction bolus ratio? Like mine is 1 unit of insulin brings me down about 40 mg/dl... get one of those things too!

[Cinnabon]

AWESOME news.....

Yes Lantus does have that lil trick, that still to this day, I dont understand. It needs a Rx.

[psilocybin]

AWESOME news.....

Yes Lantus does have that lil trick, that still to this day, I dont understand. It needs a Rx.

sorry but whats Rx?

[duck]

sorry but whats Rx?

RX= prescription

DX=diagnose