# Brand new type 1 diabetic here...



## toffee (Feb 23, 2019)

...hello, I was diagnosed with type 1 (DKA) on Thursday after a visit to the doctors and a urine test ended up with me on five drips and having a whole host of new words thrown at me in hospital. 
I'd been having the usual symptoms for months and a previous visit to a blood clinic last October resulted in them "losing" my samples so I never heard back from the doctor and presumed I was just ill with something less worrying than diabetes.
Anyway, after my visit last week to the doctors I have had a couple of overwhelming days being poked and prodded, and I'm now back home without a clue of how I'm going to adapt...but adapt I will.

I feel daft asking this because I may have been told but can't recall, the little Lancet things that prick your fingers...I was given ten in a small bag, I'll run out by tomorrow at the rate I'm checking...should I have been given more or do you use the same one multiple times?

Thanks in advance


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## merrymunky (Feb 23, 2019)

Hi and welcome to the forum. I’ve only been here a few weeks myself but there is endless support from very experienced members. 

Everything I have read on medical websites say to change it after every single finger prick. I started blood testing this week and my nurse said it can be used for the whole day so I actually only change it once per day. Apparently they can warp or get blunt to it is suggested to change it so it reduces pain of the prick itself. 

I think there are some people who don’t even change theirs daily.


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## SB2015 (Feb 23, 2019)

Hi @toffee  and welcome to the forum.  I am glad that you have found us.

There is a lot to take in very quickly at the start and it is no wonder that you will not have remembered everything you were told.  No problem, just ask any questions that you have, and someone will come along with an answer.

As for the lancets for the finger pricks, they say that we should use them once but I certainly don’t change mine more than once a week, and only thenif it is hurting by then.  Not good practice, but as you are running short you could use them more than once rather than run out.  For the test strips on which you put your blood there is no choice as they will only work once.

What insulin’s regime have they put you on?  I know that it seems hard to believe at present but all that we have to do will just become part of you ur new ‘normal’ life, and I liken it to learning to drive.  I remember at the start it seemed complicated to look in the mirror, change gear, ...  Now all that is just automatic.  And so it will be for your Diabetes management.

No questions are considered silly on here so just ask.


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## trophywench (Feb 24, 2019)

Get yourself back to your GP in the morning to get your future supplies organised - the lancets for finger bodging are supplied in boxes of either 100 or a lot of brands are in 200s now.  Make sure you take your new meter with you so the GP can prescribe the correct lancets and strips, plus whatever insulin you've been put on, plus pen needles.  The surgery also has to apply for your medical Prescription Exemption card - otherwise if you don't do this when you find you are in dire need of further supplies and ask for a scrip - you'll have to pay for every ruddy item and I don't think you can claim it back these days if that happens, so don't let it!

Yes - everything is exceedingly confusing at the moment - cos it just is - but good for you telling yourself you WILL cope!  The truth is - you will - but it takes a while to get your head round it, because it's a) ruddy complicated and b) it's a right smack in the gob, frankly.  Hence - if or rather, when you suddenly find yourself in floods of tears even though you know that can't help the facts and isn't going to change anything - in fact you are being completely normal - cos we all did it.  Fact is - being diagnosed with a chronic condition is comparable to a bereavement - and absolutely nobody would think you were odd doing that if you'd had an actual bereavement, would they?

A couple more things can be of great help to you - both need reading.  First is advice on the best way to bodge your fingers to avoid unnecessary damage - http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/painless-pricks.html
Second is a book you can order from Amazon, entitled 'Type 1 diabetes in babies, children and teenagers' by Ragnar Hanas.  In fact it's very useful for any type 1 of whatever age.  Make sure you get the latest edition as it has been revised several times and the cheaper second hand versions could well be an outdated version.

Good luck!


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## toffee (Feb 24, 2019)

Thank you so much for your prompt replies, it's much appreciated.
I used my lancet six times this morning before I managed a decent "stab" of my finger so at least I know I can re-use them now, thank you Merrymonkey.
SB - They gave me two pen things, one called LANTUS which I stick in myself once in the morning, thats 10 units, and another on called NovoRapid I use 4 times a day with a shot of 4 units each time. It's all so overwhelming at the moment, hopefully because I have generaaly had a good diet regime I will be able to cope....scary stuff though to take in all at once.
Trophywench, thank you, book ordered plus a couple of others. I did feel a little alone yesterday, I actually live by myself apart from my three kids who I see when work/life dictates so finding this site was great, I will probably be asking a few more questions in the coming days, it's reassuring to know I have a resource like this to call upon.


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## SueEK (Feb 24, 2019)

Hello toffee and welcome to this great site. As a type 2 and not 1 I cannot give you any advice but want to say that you seem to have a great attitude to your new diagnosis and the forum will be such a benefit to you. There are so many experienced people on here who were once in your exact position so they will really help you. I wish you well in your new journey xx


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## toffee (Feb 24, 2019)

Thanks Sue - It's a whole new way to travel, I'm all ears so to speak even if my little pea brain is struggling to comprehend it all


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## stephknits (Feb 24, 2019)

Welcome toffee, it certainly is a shock and a lot to take in, but we are all here for you


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## KARNAK (Feb 24, 2019)

Welcome to the forum @toffee. You certainly have the right attitude well done, lots of knowledge to gain but gain it you will. Do as TW says off to Doc`s tomorrow and get meds/lancets sorted, come back anytime there`s always someone up and about.


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## SueEK (Feb 24, 2019)

toffee said:


> Thanks Sue - It's a whole new way to travel, I'm all ears so to speak even if my little pea brain is struggling to comprehend it all


I was only diagnosed 8 wks ago as type 2 and that was confusing and scary, there is a lot to learn and change. Already I have learnt loads and have accepted that I need to change lots. You will have more to learn and change but everything is possible. Keep us updated of your progress, we are all rooting for you x


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## toffee (Feb 24, 2019)

Thanks everyone, feel better already...latest reading was 25.6 though and a little icon appeared (KET). Took the NovoRapid 4 units and will check again in a bit.


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## ukjohn (Feb 24, 2019)

Welcome Toffee
sometimes we get so much information thrown at us at the start that it can sometimes be confusing trying to take it all in at once, take it slowly one day at a time and it will all fit into place as you progress.
You have some great support here from many members ready to answer your questions
Good luck
John.​


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## trophywench (Feb 24, 2019)

The icon KET means 'check for ketones' Toffee - meaning your BG is too high for comfort if it stays there for very long.

If it doesn't come down to a more manageable level in 90 minutes time - get on the phone to your diabetes nurse PDQ.

And drink plenty of plain water to try and flush some ketones out of your bloodstream into your pee to eliminate them.

Was it lower than that when you tested it first thing?  What about immediately before bed last night?


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## toffee (Feb 24, 2019)

Thanks John.


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## toffee (Feb 24, 2019)

It was 11.1 before my breakfast Trophy, I had hot cross buns, small bowl of cornflakes and a coffee.


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## toffee (Feb 24, 2019)

....oh, and I don't have a diabetes nurse yet, probably happen in the next few weeks I assume?


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## Flower (Feb 24, 2019)

Hello and welcome @toffee, glad you've found us sorry you had to find us!

It is a huge shock to be given the running of your own insulin supply but little by little things do start to fit back together into a new normal. 

There's a wealth of experience and support on this forum so please let us know how things go for you. Best Wishes


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## Robin (Feb 24, 2019)

toffee said:


> It was 11.1 before my breakfast Trophy, I had hot cross buns, small bowl of cornflakes and a coffee.


Ah, what probably happened was that the carbohydrates in your cornflakes and buns, being easily absorbed, turned to glucose in your bloodstream before the insulin could get there to mop it up. When you take your Novorapid, it lasts about four hours, starting gradually, then reaching a peak of activity around the two hour mark, because it was designed to cope with a general 'meat and two veg' meal, which your body digests more slowly.
No worries, your blood sugar should start to fall as the insulin kicks in, and later on you’ll be sent on a course to teach you how to work out doses of insulin to match the carb content of what you’re eating, and timings of injections, to keep your readings steadier.
Welcome to the club, btw, I was 51 at diagnosis, there are quite a few of us 'late developers' on here!


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## toffee (Feb 24, 2019)

Thank you Robin, thats made me feel a lot better x


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## Lucy Honeychurch (Feb 24, 2019)

Hello and welcome 
It's an absolute head wreck when you're first diagnosed, especially as (generally) you've been feeling so ill and you need time to recover from that alone. You will get there, it will take time. You need to ring your hospital specialist diabetes nurse team tomorrow and insist they assign you someone. All the best.


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## trophywench (Feb 24, 2019)

OK - so you chose a high carb breakfast - ONE Hot X bun is approx. 30g carb and that's the cheap ones without shedloads of dried fruit and without a sticky topping, then a small bowl of cereal is at least another 30g. 10g carb sends my BG up by 3.0 so 60g will increase it by 18.0 !  I'd also need 6 units of Novorapid to  counteract it - so your 4u that someone guessed for you sounds like it wasn't enough.

So - what was your BG before bed and on rising?  We don't know what your BG was before brekkie, so can't actually definitely state that the 4u wasn't enough to 'cover' the meal, can we?   If your BG was 5.0 before you ate then No it isn't - but if it was already 22.0 - then it might be too much.

Have you been told you'll get an appointment with the specialist team 'soon' or what?

Surely to God you haven't just been discharged and left on your own to cope with no follow up?


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## Matt Cycle (Feb 25, 2019)

Hi Toffee and welcome to the forum.   Hopefully things should get a bit clearer in time.  As regards the fixed doses you're on at the moment then you need to find the right amount of carbs to suit your doses.  i.e. if you find your breakfast works well with two slices of toast then you can't have just a boiled egg the next day or you'll be hypo and equally bowls of cereal and hot cross buns you'll be sky high as you've already found.  

I'm assuming in time you'll be taught to carb count - matching insulin doses to the carbs you're eating.  Try and speak to your nurse/diabetic team about this as the sooner it's explained the easier things will be for you although in the early stages after diagnosis things can be a bit up and down anyway.

Also if you drive you'll need to inform the DVLA and you'll be issued with a 3 year licence.


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## HOBIE (Feb 25, 2019)

toffee said:


> ...hello, I was diagnosed with type 1 (DKA) on Thursday after a visit to the doctors and a urine test ended up with me on five drips and having a whole host of new words thrown at me in hospital.
> I'd been having the usual symptoms for months and a previous visit to a blood clinic last October resulted in them "losing" my samples so I never heard back from the doctor and presumed I was just ill with something less worrying than diabetes.
> Anyway, after my visit last week to the doctors I have had a couple of overwhelming days being poked and prodded, and I'm now back home without a clue of how I'm going to adapt...but adapt I will.
> 
> ...


Welcome toffee. Good luck with the work. you Will feel better in a week or two


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## toffee (Feb 25, 2019)

I went to the doctors this morning, asked for more lancets and I managed to book an appointment with a specialist nurse tomorrow at the hospital I was taken to last week.
It's all a lot to take in, Trophy, my count yesterday morning before breakfast was 9.8....I am not with it as far as the carb counts go yet, bought a book off Amazon its arrived so hopefully things will start to settle down when I'm on the ball. 
I'm four days a diagnosed diabetic, the amount to take in is absolutely mind blowing I have to say, all that information whilst still trying to function on a day to day basis with work, kids etc is tough. You lot are superheroes managing it, and very kind offloading your advice and encouragement, thank you.


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## SB2015 (Feb 26, 2019)

toffee said:


> I went to the doctors this morning, asked for more lancets and I managed to book an appointment with a specialist nurse tomorrow at the hospital I was taken to last week.
> It's all a lot to take in, Trophy, my count yesterday morning before breakfast was 9.8....I am not with it as far as the carb counts go yet, bought a book off Amazon its arrived so hopefully things will start to settle down when I'm on the ball.
> I'm four days a diagnosed diabetic, the amount to take in is absolutely mind blowing I have to say, all that information whilst still trying to function on a day to day basis with work, kids etc is tough. You lot are superheroes managing it, and very kind offloading your advice and encouragement, thank you.



Welcome Toffee, and well done on beginning to get your head round things.  There is loads to learn very quickly but plenty of help available on here.  I was 53 at diagnosis and have learnt so much from people on here who are managing this day to day.

Four days in and you are already injecting, testing and beginning to ask questions.  The info about your BG alongside the amount of carbs you are eating will help the DSN work with you to sort out appropriate amounts of insulin for you.  It takes some time to bring down your levels at the start and your body needs a bit of time to get used to the reduction so don’t worry too much at the start if you are not getting readings that you want.  Keep a watch on your carbs (it takes a bit of working out and maybe weighing but there is useful info on an App called Carbs and Cals) and if you find you are a bit high a couple of hours after a meal, try eating a bit less next time.  

Soon your DSN will work with you in carb counting and then adjusting your doses at meals to match.  As @Matt Cycle has said with the fixed doses, you will need to adjust your meals to suit those doses for now.

Loads to learn, loads of support available, and IT DOES GET EASIER.  Do you remember learning to drive.  It all seemed complicated at the start but it becomes automatic.  Managing your Diabetes will be the same.
Just ask any questions that you have.  No questions are considered silly on here.  We have been there and know how small things matter.  Just ask, and someone will be along soon.


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## Minnie0008 (Mar 3, 2019)

Hi Toffee,

I am also very newly diagnosed and haven't been sent on any courses yet either, its so overwhelming isn't it! One thing i have learnt so far though (and i think this will help you too) is that if you have fat or protein with your carbs, the carbs release much slower and your BS will not spike as much. I started off eating cereals (high in fibre of course ) and my diabetes nurse told me that cereal probably isn't the best choice as there is not much to slow the release of carbs down. I now have something like a bacon sandwich, or egg on toast (much tastier anyway!).. this has really helped keep my BS a bit steadier. Hope this helps you.


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## SB2015 (Mar 4, 2019)

Minnie0008 said:


> Hi Toffee,
> 
> I am also very newly diagnosed and haven't been sent on any courses yet either, its so overwhelming isn't it! One thing i have learnt so far though (and i think this will help you too) is that if you have fat or protein with your carbs, the carbs release much slower and your BS will not spike as much. I started off eating cereals (high in fibre of course ) and my diabetes nurse told me that cereal probably isn't the best choice as there is not much to slow the release of carbs down. I now have something like a bacon sandwich, or egg on toast (much tastier anyway!).. this has really helped keep my BS a bit steadier. Hope this helps you.


Well done Minnie
For such a recent Newbie, you are picking up things very quickly.  At the start for me I was just content with managing to get jabs done, and certainly wasn’t focused on proteins and fats as I am now.  Good to hear your DSN is good as well.


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## toffee (Mar 5, 2019)

Hello all, I thought I would just pop in to say a big thank you to everyone. I can't believe how fast I have got to grips with this condition, understanding what to eat with regards to releasing carbs and at what rate has been a steep learning curve, but one I have embraced. I love my distnace running so managing my insulin versus distance/carb intake will be interesting, I just used to carb load without a thought before a long run/race but a bit more planning required from now on.
Hello Minnie by the way, I learnt the hard way about slow release of carbs with certain food early on, thought I'd be fine after my bran Flakes to do a bit of excercise, I'm so much more informed after a week or so though, bought some books (Carbs & Cals) and used online tools to get up to speed with it all.
Had some conflicting advice from my DSN's and the doctor, I was given a different blood glucose monitor today and the doctor seemed to suggest it was not the best idea.....I like it more than my previous one and got the impression it was a nuisance for him to change my prescription.
Met an old school friend from nearly 40 years ago who works at the doctors so that was nice, I'm still getting used to protocols at the GP surgery as up until my diagnosis I had not seen a doctor for over 25 years, they have posh screens now to check yourself in and everything 
I feel like I'm getting there anyway, when I posted initially I did not have a clue how I was going to cope, it's not become second nature yet injecting etc but because I'm disciplined and listening to the experts (including you lot on here), I feel much better with regards to my self management of my type 1 condition.


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## SB2015 (Mar 5, 2019)

toffee said:


> Hello all, I thought I would just pop in to say a big thank you to everyone. I can't believe how fast I have got to grips with this condition, understanding what to eat with regards to releasing carbs and at what rate has been a steep learning curve, but one I have embraced. I love my distnace running so managing my insulin versus distance/carb intake will be interesting, I just used to carb load without a thought before a long run/race but a bit more planning required from now on.
> Hello Minnie by the way, I learnt the hard way about slow release of carbs with certain food early on, thought I'd be fine after my bran Flakes to do a bit of excercise, I'm so much more informed after a week or so though, bought some books (Carbs & Cals) and used online tools to get up to speed with it all.
> Had some conflicting advice from my DSN's and the doctor, I was given a different blood glucose monitor today and the doctor seemed to suggest it was not the best idea.....I like it more than my previous one and got the impression it was a nuisance for him to change my prescription.
> Met an old school friend from nearly 40 years ago who works at the doctors so that was nice, I'm still getting used to protocols at the GP surgery as up until my diagnosis I had not seen a doctor for over 25 years, they have posh screens now to check yourself in and everything
> I feel like I'm getting there anyway, when I posted initially I did not have a clue how I was going to cope, it's not become second nature yet injecting etc but because I'm disciplined and listening to the experts (including you lot on here), I feel much better with regards to my self management of my type 1 condition.


Well done Toffee for getting to grips with things.  I was like you at diagnosis and rarely saw a doctor.  I still remember him saying ‘we will be seeing a lot more of each other’.  
Glad that you have found info on here helpful.  Keep asking ANY questions that you have.  Someone will always come along with an answer.


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## TheClockworkDodo (Mar 6, 2019)

Hello @toffee and a slightly belated welcome to the forum 

You will probably find that when you get conflicting advice from your DSN and your doctor about diabetes, it's your DSN who knows what s/he's talking about! - they are the experts, while a normal GP will very rarely see someone with type 1 diabetes and is unlikely to know much about it.


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