# Newly diagnosed T1 age 28 needing education?



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

Hi I was diagnosed probable t1 on February 14th 2016 (happy valentines day) after falling ill with ketones and I am using lantus (6units at night)and novo rapid (1 unit per 20g of carb) and do not really have a family support network..so was wandering if anybody with any input and knowledge on helping with daily life and general dos and don't's would be appreciated bg average since diagnosis 7.3


----------



## Ljc (Apr 27, 2017)

Hi Bettis, Welcome. You have come to the right place for info and cyber support.  The people on here are helpful and knowledgeable. they have helped me a lot since I joined just over a year ago.
Feel free to ask questions we will do our best to help. 
How are you managing with your Diabetes.


----------



## grovesy (Apr 27, 2017)

Welcome.


----------



## Steff (Apr 27, 2017)

Hi and welcome


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 27, 2017)

Welcome to the forum  as Ljc says feel free to shoot questions we are a very friendly bunch here and everyone is helpful: ) x


----------



## Greyhound Gal (Apr 27, 2017)

Hi Bettis and welcome to the gang .


----------



## Ditto (Apr 27, 2017)

Hi Bettis, Welcome. Luv your icon.


----------



## Stitch147 (Apr 27, 2017)

Hi and welcome to the forum.


----------



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

Ljc said:


> Hi Bettis, Welcome. You have come to the right place for info and cyber support.  The people on here are helpful and knowledgeable. they have helped me a lot since I joined just over a year ago.
> Feel free to ask questions we will do our best to help.
> How are you managing with your Diabetes.


Thank you for taking the time to reply to my message..I think I have steady control I'm usually running at about bg 6.2  my body seems to stay their a lot but was wandering why my bg goes so high after breakfast even tho I'm taken my usual insulin to carb dose then well controlled through the day and evening ?


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 27, 2017)

Bettis said:


> Thank you for taking the time to reply to my message..I think I have steady control I'm usually running at about bg 6.2  my body seems to stay their a lot but was wandering why my bg goes so high after breakfast even tho I'm taken my usual insulin to carb dose then well controlled through the day and evening ?


Right you say you are on 1 unit for 20g carbs, so I take it you are carb counting? Let's try and build a picture to work on, what are your levels when you wake are they ok then and only go shooting up after breakfast?, what do you tend to have for breakfast, and how long before your breakfast do you inject? X


----------



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

Kaylz said:


> Right you say you are on 1 unit for 20g carbs, so I take it you are carb counting? Let's try and build a picture to work on, what are your levels when you wake are they ok then and only go shooting up after breakfast?, what do you tend to have for breakfast, and how long before your breakfast do you inject? X


Hiya, yes I I'm carb counting, I am waking up at 5-7 I eat a bowl of shredded wheat containing 60g of carb so take 3 units of novo rapid injected just before I start eating,


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 27, 2017)

Do you have milk or anything with it, oh how much do you up by, have you tried taking your novorapid a while before breakfast to see if that helps, some of us find that we can't tolerate cereal at all x


----------



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

Kaylz said:


> Do you have milk or anything with it, oh how much do you up by, have you tried taking your novorapid a while before breakfast to see if that helps, some of us find that we can't tolerate cereal at all x


Yes I have about 200ml of milk with it but about hour after eating I go from say 6  to 16 m/mol.. how long before breakfast should I take my rapid? Ye maybe it is the cereal that's the only meal where it seems to go crazy X


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 27, 2017)

So I take it your also including the milk in those 60g carbs, I can't say what will work for you as you have to experiment to see but I generally take my rapid about 10 minutes before meals but you would have to test to find out what timing works for you x


----------



## trophywench (Apr 27, 2017)

You might also have a different carb to insulin ratio at brekkie time - none of these things are set in stone!  Try less Weetabix (one and a half) or 1u to 15g on a couple of different mornings and compare the results.

You do have to treat yourself as a scientific experiment - it is the only way you can find out what your own body actually does - and no-one else except us, can do it!   Like being at school again LOL


----------



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

Well som


Kaylz said:


> So I take it your also including the milk in those 60g carbs, I can't say what will work for you as you have to experiment to see but I generally take my rapid about 10 minutes before meals but you would have to test to find out what timing works for you x





Kaylz said:


> So I take it your also including the milk in those 60g carbs, I can't say what will work for you as you have to experiment to see but I generally take my rapid about 10 minutes before meals but you would have to test to find out what timing works for you x


yep I do count the carbs in milk, maybe your right and it's a timing issue, I will adjust my times slightly and hopefully that does the trick, thanks for the input it's appreciated X


----------



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

trophywench said:


> You might also have a different carb to insulin ratio at brekkie time - none of these things are set in stone!  Try less Weetabix (one and a half) or 1u to 15g on a couple of different mornings and compare the results.
> 
> You do have to treat yourself as a scientific experiment - it is the only way you can find out what your own body actually does - and no-one else except us, can do it!   Like being at school again LOL


Thanks for the advice I shall try to change ratio slightly aswell, it's all a bit of mad science isn't it!


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 27, 2017)

if ten minutes before doesn't work try 15 and so on etc, if that doesn't work look at the ratios, if its the cereal in general well lol, I cant tolerate porridge but many of the guys on here can, good luck  x


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 27, 2017)

Nice tats btw  x


----------



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

Kaylz said:


> if ten minutes before doesn't work try 15 and so on etc, if that doesn't work look at the ratios, if its the cereal in general well lol, I cant tolerate porridge but many of the guys on here can, good luck  x


Yes think I'll tweak the timing issue first then hopefully that will resolve it, as it comes back in normal range after food it's just that initial spike ☺ thanks for the info x


----------



## Bettis (Apr 27, 2017)

Kaylz said:


> Nice tats btw  x


Thanks think I'm pretty mutch covered now haha x


----------



## Grannylorraine (Apr 27, 2017)

Welcome


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 27, 2017)

Bettis said:


> Thanks think I'm pretty mutch covered now haha x


Awesome  I'm jealous, I've only got 3 x would you mind if I sent you a message? x


----------



## Stitch147 (Apr 27, 2017)

Bettis said:


> Thanks think I'm pretty mutch covered now haha x


Same here, I had my 33rd one last week.


----------



## Mini-Vicki (Apr 27, 2017)

Welcome to the forum Bettis. 
There's quite a few of us adult onset type 1s here, 
It sounds like you're doing really well at the moment. Have you been offered a diabetes education course by your diabetes team? They are really helpful, and connect you with other people wth diabetes, in your area. If they haven't been discussed with ou, it's definitely worth asking about. 
As for breakfast, many people find they need a higher ratio of insulin at breakfast time. I definitely do, and I also have 'dawn phenomonen' which means my BG rises as my liver dumps glucose in my system to got ready for the days ahead! So, personally I don't have carbohydrates at breakfast time, ive trialled different foods, and found carbohydrates were more unpredictable for me, plus I have to leave the house very early every day, so it's easier for me just to avoid carbs. But, everyone is different, and you will find your ratio


----------



## trophywench (Apr 27, 2017)

You do usually have to wait a few months before you get offered an education course, since you have to be able to interpret stuff PDQ as you go along - so you need to be used to dealing with your diabetes and appreciating the tweaks and snags of doing various things with your basal or your bolus or you corrections.


----------



## Bettis (Apr 28, 2017)

Kaylz said:


> Awesome  I'm jealous, I've only got 3 x would you mind if I sent you a message? x


Yes that's fine send away x


----------



## Bettis (Apr 28, 2017)

Mini-Vicki said:


> Welcome to the forum Bettis.
> There's quite a few of us adult onset type 1s here,
> It sounds like you're doing really well at the moment. Have you been offered a diabetes education course by your diabetes team? They are really helpful, and connect you with other people wth diabetes, in your area. If they haven't been discussed with ou, it's definitely worth asking about.
> As for breakfast, many people find they need a higher ratio of insulin at breakfast time. I definitely do, and I also have 'dawn phenomonen' which means my BG rises as my liver dumps glucose in my system to got ready for the days ahead! So, personally I don't have carbohydrates at breakfast time, ive trialled different foods, and found carbohydrates were more unpredictable for me, plus I have to leave the house very early every day, so it's easier for me just to avoid carbs. But, everyone is different, and you will find your ratio


Well I'm having to learn quickly as you know it's a massive change to life..I am managing OK it's just somethings I tend to find contradictory info on so I'm left scratching My head ye I think it could be I just can't tolerate cards in the morning..any alternative ideas? And that means no rapid right? Well I've been accepted onto a 3 day course so that should be enlightening it's sometimes hard not to feel burnt out with it all but onwards and upwards! Also cereal doesn't effect me that bad when eaten later in the day??


----------



## grovesy (Apr 28, 2017)

it is common for tolerance to carbs to vary according to the time of day.


----------



## Kaylz (Apr 28, 2017)

Generally people who can't manage too many carbs in the morning I believe just have things like bacon and eggs etc x


----------



## Mini-Vicki (Apr 28, 2017)

I have 2 eggs every day for breakfast. Others have bacon etc, but I find 2 eggs enough. I still have to take some bolus insulin, between 1-3 units depending on what my waking level is etc. I have to take a unit for the eggs as they do send my BGs higher, although in many people they don't, and I have to take one unit to combat dawn phenomenon and another unit if I've woken up above 7mmol to bring it to a lower level for the morning. However I've learnt this over many months of trial and error, my current job means I have to leave very early, so I stick with what I know works!


----------



## Bloden (Apr 28, 2017)

Bettis said:


> Also cereal doesn't effect me that bad when eaten later in the day??


Hiya Bettis and welcome. I'm insulin resistant and carb sensitive in the morning (like a lot of us T1s) so I have the lowest of the low-GI breakfast - it's high-fibre fruit, oats, nuts n seeds, plus a small amount of fat - to slow down digestion and I jab 15 minutes before eating. I also do 20 mins on my exercise bike to help the insulin along. Then at lunch I'm the other way round - carb sensitive and insulin resistant - what a larf, so my carbs need a head-start, not my insulin. Phew!  And in the evening it can go either way... Good luck finding out what your particular needs are.


----------



## Bettis (Apr 28, 2017)

Bloden said:


> Hiya Bettis and welcome. I'm insulin resistant and carb sensitive in the morning (like a lot of us T1s) so I have the lowest of the low-GI breakfast - it's high-fibre fruit, oats, nuts n seeds, plus a small amount of fat - to slow down digestion and I jab 15 minutes before eating. I also do 20 mins on my exercise bike to help the insulin along. Then at lunch I'm the other way round - carb sensitive and insulin resistant - what a larf, so my carbs need a head-start, not my insulin. Phew!  And in the evening it can go either way... Good luck finding out what your particular needs are.


Great info seems like I'm just guna knuckle down and see what suits me maybe little amounts of different foods for breakfast for a week and see what happens from their and start tweaking slightly xx


----------



## Bloden (Apr 29, 2017)

Bettis said:


> Great info seems like I'm just guna knuckle down and see what suits me maybe little amounts of different foods for breakfast for a week and see what happens from their and start tweaking slightly xx


Bloomin eck, Bettis, you're a quick learner. Let us know how you get on.


----------



## zx10pilot (May 3, 2017)

Welcome to the forum Bettis.
Yep it's a continual learning curve isn't it... I've found I simply can't do cereals in the morning any more as it sends my levels crazy high and I am seemingly very resistant in the morning 
Toast (using either Nimble or Burgen bread as they are lower carb) is easier to manage for me but is still messy to bolus for.
I have found the best way is simply to not eat carbs until 10ish, and by then my ratio of 1u:20g seems to work... my BG seems to sit at about 7 until then. Unfortunately if I increase my Lantus to reduce my waking level I go too low later in the day so I just live with it. If I try and do a correction then I'm likely to go too low as well as I don't know how resistant I am day to day, and typically 1u will drop my BG by anything from 2 to 5!

Do you have a half unit pen? With the 1:20 ratio I found I often need 1.5 or 2.5 units for a typical meal. It makes control just that little bit easier


----------



## Bettis (May 8, 2017)

Bloden said:


> Bloomin eck, Bettis, you're a quick learner. Let us know how you get on.


Well it seems like cereal is just not for me and through the day I eat pretty much anything and really don't need to bolus for it even with 60g of basmati rice my level returns to below 7mmol really quickly with just the 12 units of basal that's in my system or drops to quickly if I'm taking bolus and get low quickly even reduced dose bolus..it's certainly a challenging job being my own pancreas


----------



## Kaylz (May 8, 2017)

Hmmm it might be a honeymoon phase but it may also suggest that your basal dose is too high, have you ever done basal testing sorry I can't remember if it's been mentioned in the thread already xx


----------



## Bettis (May 8, 2017)

zx10pilot said:


> Welcome to the forum Bettis.
> Yep it's a continual learning curve isn't it... I've found I simply can't do cereals in the morning any more as it sends my levels crazy high and I am seemingly very resistant in the morning
> Toast (using either Nimble or Burgen bread as they are lower carb) is easier to manage for me but is still messy to bolus for.
> I have found the best way is simply to not eat carbs until 10ish, and by then my ratio of 1u:20g seems to work... my BG seems to sit at about 7 until then. Unfortunately if I increase my Lantus to reduce my waking level I go too low later in the day so I just live with it. If I try and do a correction then I'm likely to go too low as well as I don't know how resistant I am day to day, and typically 1u will drop my BG by anything from 2 to 5!
> ...


Na I only got the 1unit minimum pen but has my stress levels have gone down (diagnosed at really stressful point in my life) was running on adrenaline lol my bg seems to be running at between 5-10 mmol consistently my body seems to like 6.2 tho it seems to run at that most the time tho


----------



## Bettis (May 8, 2017)

Kaylz said:


> Hmmm it might be a honeymoon phase but it may also suggest that your basal dose is too high, have you ever done basal testing sorry I can't remember if it's been mentioned in the thread already xx


No Kaylz I have been using the freestyle libre and I don't see any dips or spikes in my bg so that gives me a good picture of how my basal is working and meant 6 units of basal not 12..don't know where I got 12 from lol xx


----------



## mikeyB (May 9, 2017)

That's the true value of the Libre, Bettis, knowing what's happening all the time, not just in snapshots. If your basal is keeping you nice and level, you're getting most things right. This will change, mind, because it almost always does in the first year or so, but I think you're equipped to handle that. Congratulations, you're not a newbie any more.

You will still need questions answered, though. Things always jump out to bite you occasionally, so keep up with the questions and queries, and wander the forum. You might even to be able to help someone else using your experience- that's how all this works


----------



## Copepod (May 9, 2017)

Welcome to the forum Bettis.
Rather than completely excluding cereal or other carbohydrate heavy foods at breakfast, you could reduce portion size instead eg cut down from 3 to 2 or 1 shredded wheat. You still need to feel full, so replace missing wheats with eg natural yogurt or berries, both of which are lower in carbohydrate than shredded wheat. Milk has some sugars not massive levels, but reducing a bit will also help. 
Others have already covered the usual pattern of higher insulin resistance in the morning. Be kind to yourself - it takes a long time to lead.how to manage your diabetes. Most of us still get errant levels occasionally after decades with T1D.


----------



## Bloden (May 9, 2017)

Sounds like you're doing really well, Bettis.


----------

