Type 1 diabetes

Hi, I am doing exactly what you have just joined to do! I started about a month ago. I've found myfitnesspal really useful to monitor closely my carb intake, I've also used it to record and motivate me to exercise more. So far I've reduced my novo rapid after meals off the back of a reduced carb intake, and reduced my lantus too. I am experiencing more hypos :-( as I try and master the changes needed to my insulin levels. All looking good so far though!, Have you been on DAFNE?

47 year old female here. I also joined as a way to better track carbohydrates as part of my Type 1 diabetes management. I have been Type 1 (actually, my endocrinologist calls me "Type 1 & a half") for about 7 years following pancreatic surgery (partial Whipple procedure - 30% of my pancreas removed due to benign pancreatic tumor). I am currently on Lantus and Humalog but am actively pursuing moving to an insulin pump. In order for me to do that, I need to get my numbers under better control. My A1C would often be 9+, but my last A1C was 8.0. By no means good, but at least I'm moving in the right direction!

My father is a diabetic and has lost 20 some lbs in the last month simply doing healthy protein shakes for breakfast and lunch ..then eating a fairly healthy meal! The doctor has cut back on alot of his medications (insulin,etc) and was encouraged by the results he's having from using them!

I can also attest.. im not diabetic but i was 235 lbs in april and using shakes as well .. along with doing some standard exercise( treadmill plus play volleyball) i am now at 185(50 lbs) .. and feel amazing!

Anybody can add me.. ill be happy to talk to you more about which products i used and exactly what i did.. but i just wanted to share my dad's story since it fit the post..

@Kittyiris, definitely can relate. Logging is my biggest issue. It is a daily battle to make a point bec the help I get improves the diabetes management if the team knows what is going on, and if I don't, due to my disliking diabetes altogether, then who wins?

Sorry all for my delay in replying.

ealr1: I initially had the same reaction you did about getting on the pump for better control vs. getting my numbers down before getting on the pump. But in order to utilize the pump most efficiently, I need to know my insulin-to-carb ratio and correction factor (so that the pump is correctly programmed with this information), and the only way to know those items is to manage my numbers better before getting on the pump.

Why a pump? I’m constantly out of the house at work, dining out and doing sports, so I want to avoid having to give myself insulin injections by yanking out my Lantus (yes, I’m on Lantus) and Humalog in public. With the pump, I just have to test my blood (and the number from my meter is sent wirelessly to my pump) and then enter the number of carbs I’m eating (if any), and the pump does the rest of the work calculating how much bolus insulin is recommended at that moment. And all of the insulin from the pump is short-acting. No more long-acting (which I also split into two smaller doses since I used to wake up high in the morning). The pump automatically gives a small basal amount every hour. And the pump can give more precise units of insulin.

And the good news is: I started on the pump last Thursday! And so far, so good. It has only been pumping saline so far (while I get used to it, learn to use the buttons, etc.), but it goes live with insulin tomorrow! I will be adding a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) in a few weeks (once I get used to the pump) which will test the liquid that surrounds the body’s cells - rather than blood – every five minutes) so that I can see if/when I’m trending high or low. I will still need to test my blood, but the CGM will give me continuous insight on where I’m at.

Chandra_W: I’m sorry to hear your feelings about being a diabetic. When I was first told seven years ago that I would have to give myself insulin injections for the rest of my life, I was ticked off. Big time. Why me? But then I watched two of my friends lose their battles with cancer, and another friend become paralyzed from the waist down following a car accident, and I adopted the attitude that at least my disease is treatable. And it forces me to be more attentive to my food intake (which is actually a good thing). So the attitude I have adopted is that everyone has their crosses to bear, and mine is diabetes, which isn’t so bad in the grand scheme of things.

Sorry for the epicly long message...

Type 2 diabetic here & I understand how awfully tough we are facing with this lifelong illness. I was diagnosed as full blown type 2 diabetic last 2009 when I was at my heaviest weight. Even though I'm no longer fat, I'm using this site more on tracking my macros esp carbs.

I dunno if it works for type 1 also but in my case strength training help me a lot in controlling blood sugar since our muscles need the glucose to repair itself after a weight lifting session & also to maintain itself. Since I started getting serious on lifting heavy, I feel much better plus my blood sugar went down from 200+ to an average of 140.

Hi everyone so glad I found this post! I'm 25 type 1 diabetic since 3 years of age. Since changing from cloudy insulins about 7 years ago I was put on novo rapid and lev emir through injections, no pump. Going to be completely honest here I didn't give a **** about my diabetes would have days without my insulin and just think I could survive that way... Till I found out I was pregnant! What a reality check I got finding out I was pregnant with a hba1c of 13+! The day I found out was the day things changed and miraculously I got my hba1c down to 5-6% and thankfully and gratefully ended up with a healthy baby. But this was the turning point in my life for my diabetes I now had a child to look after and she was relying on me so from then on started carb counting and got on top of my diabetes and feel so much happier and healthier for it. After putting on a stone though about 6 months ago roughly I decided enough was enough I couldn't bear not fitting in my clothes and looking like I did. Been using mfp and lost a stone now and as we'll as my weight it's made me realise them little bits of food and chocolate I nibble on through the day are having a big impact on my diabetes. I choose healthier foods for my meals and if I have a hypo I use this as an excuse to treat myself with something sweet. I do record it on my app though just so I'm aware of my calories and to get an honest reflection of them rather than ignoring them.

Hey ktd1987, I used to be just like that! I was diagnosed at 13 though so already in the teenage rebellion stage, haha. I would skip insulin as much as I could when I realised it was making me gain weight. Discovered a few years after doing that, that it's actually an eating disorder, diabulimia. That made me realise what an idiot I was being... I thought I was being clever beating the system...

Was glad to hear you had a healthy baby! That bit scares the **** out of me! Especially as I'm at the age where I've got to start doing it or not have them at all :-/ How did you get your HbA1c down to 5-6%? Mine's never dropped below 9% even after trying to be sensible :-( Although now I've got a pump I'm hoping it'll be 7-8%, one month more of good control before the blood test :-)

Just wondering, has any other type 1s here had ketoacidosis (DKA)? I've had it quite a few times as a result of my stupidness (hospitalised 5 times with it, self treated at home about 10 times), and I felt even more stupid when I discovered that only 1 other diabetic on my carb counting course has had it and that was only when they were diagnosed. I was honestly surprised when I realised it wasn't a common thing. Just wondered if it's the same for any of you?

Hi piggynugget,
A good way to monitor your ketones is to get a blood ketone monitor. I have Precision Xtra blood glucose and ketone monitoring system. It lets you know if you have ketones in your blood rather than checking ketones in your urine. I do not use it to check my blood glucose since I have another brand of meter for that. I hope this information helps you out.