# Hi, I'm a newbie



## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi everyone,

I am new to the site and just wanted to introduce myself and say hey.

My husband was diagnosed with Type 1 yesterday so this is all very new to me and there is so much to take in. 

I have found a number of threads on here already to be really useful so thank you to those who take the time out of their day to offer the support and help to those of us who feel a little in the dark.


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## Pete H (Mar 11, 2015)

Welcome Jess, the guys on here are bang on just ask away


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## Northerner (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi Jess, welcome to the forum  Very sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis - how did he come to be diagnosed? You are right - there is a lot to take in, but do try not to become overwhelmed and take things day by day to begin with. What insulin regime has your husband been given? I would highly recommend getting a copy of Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young People by Ragnar Hanas. This covers all aspects of Type 1 and is a very useful reference, often referred to as the Type 1 'bible'. And it is suitable for all ages, so don't be put off by the title 

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. There are lots of friendly, knowledgeable people here, as well as people who are just recently in the same position as your husband and yourself, so you will have a lot in common


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## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi guys, thank you for the welcome 

Over the last 2 or 3 weeks he has lost around a stone in weight, been visiting the loo a lot more frequently and been feeling thirsty all of the time so a visit to his GP confirmed our suspicions. It has come as quite a shock as he has a very good diet and visits the gym 4 times a week but I understand that it can happen to anyone at any time.

I'm not fully au fait with the terminology yet but he has been given a long acting insulin (8mmols) to take before bed and then short acting (4 mmols) to have three times a day before meals. I will definitely check out the book recommendation, thanks.

My husband does weight training to keep fit so I have posted a few questions in the sport section but I will be sure to ask any other questions as they arise. Thanks again


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## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

I think one of them is Levemir - but I can't remember which and I am at work so can't look at his notes...


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## Northerner (Mar 11, 2015)

Jess810 said:


> ...It has come as quite a shock as he has a very good diet and visits the gym 4 times a week but I understand that it can happen to anyone at any time....



It certainly can - I was due to run a marathon the week I was diagnosed!  The good news though is that I was back running within a couple of months and ran the Great South Run 4 months after diagnosis. No reason he should gie up what he enjoys, you just need to learn what you need to do to stay safe and healthy, and do a bit more planning ahead 

Does he drive? If so, then he will need to reapply for his license now he is on insulin. I'm not a driver myself, but I believe the following is helpful:

http://diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=29604


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## Northerner (Mar 11, 2015)

Jess810 said:


> I think one of them is Levemir - but I can't remember which and I am at work so can't look at his notes...



Probably novorapid. This is a good regime and he will learn how to make it more flexible to suit his lifestyle and eating habits as time progresses. Some regimes can be very restrictive, but this is not one of them


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## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

That's a relief to hear that you managed to get back into what you enjoy so quickly, he has been to the gym already today - would you recommend holding off for a while until he has a better handle on his insulin?

He does drive but not long distances, thankfully, we are informing the DVLA today and he knows to test his levels before driving but I didn't realise he would have to reapply. I will look into that, thanks!

Yes, it is Novorapid! I couldn't remember exactly what it was called. It's reassuring to read that it is a good regime and not one of the restrictive ones.

I think I made a mistake in my last post...do mmols refer to the blood glucose levels and not the units of insulin?


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## Northerner (Mar 11, 2015)

Yes, mmol/l are the blood glucose measurements - insulin is just units. Perhaps he doesn't have to reapply - as I said, I'm not a driver so not entirely sure of the ins and outs, but there are lots of people here who know all the correct procedures 

Sounds like they caught things early if he was in and out of hospital (I was in for 8 days). He just needs to be careful to begin with. Currently, he is on fixed doses of insulin which may not 'match up' with the carbohydrates in his meals, so his levels may be more unpredictable as a result. When things are more settled he should be offered a 'carb counting' course so he can tailor his doses to match his food more closely


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## Redkite (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi Jess, yes mmol/l are the blood glucose measurement, and insulin is measured in units, e.g. 8U.

Welcome to the forum, I would highly recommend the Ragnar Hanas book that Northerner mentioned.

Driving - you definitely have to inform the DVLA when you go on insulin, and they normally issue a 3-year licence to be renewed regularly.


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## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi Redkite and thank you for the welcome 

Thanks for the information on the difference between mmol and units too - that could have caused some confusion!

We did wonder if they would admit him but they didn't. We were seen by an expert diabetic nurse and a consultant (who were both brilliant) and were there for over 2 hours going through the basics and we are to go back on Friday for a follow up appointment. I'm sorry to hear you were in hospital for 8 days Northerner, I imagine that was quite scary but I am very glad that you are now managing very well 

The carb counting was mentioned to us yesterday but only briefly, they didn't want to bombard us with too much information to begin with.

I am definitely going to invest in the book, I've just been reading the contents pages on Amazon - it is full of really useful information, unfortunately it is out of stock so I will have a look around and see if anywhere else stocks it.


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## Bloden (Mar 11, 2015)

Hiya Jess and welcome. Sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. It sounds like you've got a good medical team. There's a lot to take in at first, so fire away with any questions.


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## Copepod (Mar 11, 2015)

Redkite said:


> Hi Jess, yes mmol/l are the blood glucose measurement, and insulin is measured in units, e.g. 8U.
> 
> Welcome to the forum, I would highly recommend the Ragnar Hanas book that Northerner mentioned.
> 
> Driving - you definitely have to inform the DVLA when you go on insulin, and they normally issue a 3-year licence to be renewed regularly.



Strictly speaking, insulin is measured in International Units, and should always be written "units" in full, not IU or U, as that can be misread, especially when handwritten. A U can look like a 0 zero, which would mean 10x intended dose. It's a convention developed by doctors, pharmacists, nurses etc to try to reduce the chance of insulin overdosing, particularly when informing nurses what dose to administer to patients in hospitals. Obviously, less important on this forum, but worth knowing. Nearly all other medicines are prescribed as mg or ml.


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## KookyCat (Mar 11, 2015)

Welcome Jess
There are a few of us late blooming type 1 flowers on here, I was one, blooming at the ripe old age of 40, fit, active and generally very healthy until my immune system decided to have a chew on the old pancreas.  It's quite a shocker but like others have said looks like it was caught early which helps.  Anyway welcome aboard and I hope you find it useful and hubby is feeling much better very soon


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## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

Thanks for the clarification Copepod.

Hi Bloden and KookyCat 

I have some questions if that's ok...apologies if these are already covered in other threads.

My husband likes to drink lattes and tends to have sweetener in them and sometimes sugar. Would he be better switching to having sweetener all of the time?

Do you have to leave a set amount of time between injections. We sometimes like to have a sleep in on a weekend, would that be a problem for his first injection? As in, should we be making the effort to wake up early to ensure he has his first/breakfast injection at the same time each day? 

I've read a number of websites and articles that highlight the doom and gloom side of having diabetes, I'm trying to stay upbeat for both of our sakes but I have had a few "down" moments...how do you all cope with knowing the possible negative complications of diabetes?


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## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

Sorry, just thought of another thing...my mind is working overtime today!

Does anyone have any tips on getting blood for the reader? My husband has to have 4 or 5 attempts with the pen before he can get enough blood for a reading.

Thank you.


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## Northerner (Mar 11, 2015)

Hi Jess, don't worry about asking questions - many of us are still asking them years after diagnosis! 

Regarding the lattés - if he fnds them palatable enough with sweetener, then I would stick with them. I don't sweeten my tea, but I do have a Sweetex in my coffee.

I normally like to leave 5 hours between injections - for me this is the 'lifespan' of the injected insulin, and I know that, after 5 hours I will not have to take int account anything from my previous injection when having my subsequent one. If you inject in between meals this is known as 'stacking' the insulin, and can make things a bit more unpredictable, particularly when you start carb counting. There are some meters on the market that can help with this, so it's not an insurmountable problem. On his insulin regime (which is known as 'basal/bolus' - basal=long-acting insulin, bolus= fast-acting, or MDI - Multiple Daily Injections) it is perfectly fine to inject whenever you eat, or miss out an injection of the novorapid if you want to skip a meal 

As for doom and gloom, it's true that diabetes is a very serious condition that can have some very unpleasant complications. However, there is a saying, 'Well-controlled diabetes is the major cause of....absolutely nothing!' If he looks after himself and treats the condition with respect, the risks of developing any complications can be significantly reduced. Luck does play a part, but that's true of life anyway. In nearly 7 years I have developed a small problem with my eyes, but nothing that can't be easily treated and doesn't affect my sight. Regular checks on all the necessary bits ensure that if anything is going wrong, it can be dealt with at the earliest opportunity. I recently posted an article about a man who has just celebrated 80 years of Type 1 - and this is from being diagnosed in 1935 when none of the modern treatments and devices were available, so it is possible to live a long and healthy life with diabetes!

http://diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=51906

In some ways, I think I am even healthier than I was prior to diagnosis, since I understand more and take a closer interest in my general health, plus I'm getting all those regular checks too!

Regarding the finger pricker - does it have different depth settings? If so, try different ones. Also, make sure the finger to be tested is warm, if possible, clean and dry. Test to the side of the pad, not the centre, as there are fewer nerve endings at the sides, so it should hurt less. Dangling the arm down beforehand can also help improve the blood flow to the fingertip, and you can squeeze gently to encourage more out. I would also recommend jabbing the finger, then waiting a couple of seconds before squeezing - the finger reacts to the jab by trying to close the hole you just made, but after a couple of seconds it relaxes and makes it easier to get the blood.

I think that's everything!


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## delb t (Mar 11, 2015)

Welcome to the forum Jess- yes try canderel in the Lattes- Your team may suggest the lattes just after a meal - and other sweet things too  eg dinner and pudding together- so to speak - as for the finger pricker which device do you have ? some are kinder than others!- there are different settings too . - cant check ours as son away at the moment- think its the lowest setting


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## trophywench (Mar 11, 2015)

Hiya! - early days indeed!

Thing is, and most people don't fully understand this (why would they?) we need insulin CONSTANTLY.  Nothing works without it!  ie your brain doesn't work, your heart doesn't beat, your lungs don't breath, your digestive system doesn't digest etc etc etc.  So in a non-diabetic, the pancreas releases little amounts of insulin virtually all the while, just to keep you alive and ticking over.

Then when you eat something, if the something contains any carbohydrate (and even lettuce contains an absolutely teeny weeny bit of carb) you need extra insulin to deal with it and get the glucose that the food turns into in the digestive system, into the body's cells (insulin is the key that opens to cell doors, to admit the glucose - which is what every cell needs in order to function)  So - we need a 'longer acting' insulin to do the background job of just keeping us ticking over (ie ALIVE LOL) and a 'faster acting' insulin to deal with the food, when we eat it.

So the Levemir is the one that does all the basic stuff (the 'Basal' insulin) and the Novorapid is the one with food (the 'Bolus' insulin)

I dunno obviously how much you know about food - but you will both need to be able to identify basically the three main food groups - carbohydrates, proteins and fats - since the aim is to count the carbs in each meal, and adjust those '4u' premeal jabs accordingly.  So eg if you have a plate of steak and kidney pudding with mash and carrots - you'd need many times more insulin than you would for a plate of tuna salad with a crispbread.  But although it sounds complicated, it ain't rocket science and there are various books and Apps that will help you with this.  One thing that can REALLY help and is extremely useful, is a decent set of kitchen scales with  an 'add and weigh' function.  A really good investment if you don't already have such a thing.  eg  http://www.lakeland.co.uk/13147/Salter-Aquatronic-Kitchen-Scales


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## Jess810 (Mar 11, 2015)

I don't think he minds sweetener so that's half the battle already. I will have to remember to add it to the shopping list!

I wasn't aware of 'stacking' so I'm pleased I asked. At the moment, which I know is very early days, he has an injection at 8am, 11:30am and 3:30pm - the nurse mentioned a 4 hour gap between injections but he is only currently taking 4 units before each meal, I will ask for further clarification when we return to the clinic on Friday. It's good to know that we can still have our lie ins and skip breakfast if we feel like it 

Thanks so much for the reassurance Northerner, I like that saying and I shall adopt it from now on  My thought process at the moment is that there are far worse things to have and treatment has clearly come on a long way in recent years so hopefully there are more positive developments to come. That's a very impressive example of someone who has lived with Type 1 for so long - something for everyone with Type 1 to aspire to and more 

Hi delb t, I will be sure to mention the lattes/sweeteners to the nurse when we meet again on Friday to see if there is a better time to have them.

I'm not sure of the name of the finger pricker that he has, it does have different settings on and he had it on the highest setting (5) last night when he was having difficulties.

I will suggest your tips to him Northerner, they all seem very logical now but at the time we were getting a bit anxious and thinking it would be this difficult every time but it obviously takes practice!

Hi Jenny  thanks for the explanation, you make it easy to understand. We will invest in some scales to make things simpler for us while we get the hang of carb counting.

Thanks so much for all of your advice and help, I really appreciate it.


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## Copepod (Mar 11, 2015)

For regular times when he has coffee, then sweetener is fine. On rare occasions eg after a long period of exercise, he mighy prefer to have sugar, especially if he likes brown sugar, as sweetener doesn't taste as nice as brown sugar to me. Personally, after a long day in the hills, a cup of coffee with real brown sugar is a treat I can look forward to. Not that I'm too low, just to take some carbohydrate on board before I have to put up tent and before temperature begins to dropetc.


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## banjo (Mar 11, 2015)

welcome to the forum


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