help me live my life
August 4, 2008 8:04 PM Subscribe
Can you give me your tips, tricks and valuable information for living with type one diabetes?
I have had type one diabetes for 15 years. I am looking for information from Mefites on how they deal with this disease. I'm looking for websites, blogs or books that you find to help you live with the disease. Personal stories and success stories would be greatly encouraging. Also, information on successful weight-loss for type one diabetics would be appreciated.
Note: I am currently seeing an amazing endocrinologist. He is my first and primary source of information when it comes to treating my disease. YANMD, but please any information is greatly valued.
I have had type one diabetes for 15 years. I am looking for information from Mefites on how they deal with this disease. I'm looking for websites, blogs or books that you find to help you live with the disease. Personal stories and success stories would be greatly encouraging. Also, information on successful weight-loss for type one diabetics would be appreciated.
Note: I am currently seeing an amazing endocrinologist. He is my first and primary source of information when it comes to treating my disease. YANMD, but please any information is greatly valued.
Best answer: My sister is real happy she decided to get an insulin pump.
posted by maloon at 10:01 PM on August 4, 2008
posted by maloon at 10:01 PM on August 4, 2008
Nthing a pump if money is available. The Deltec Cosmo works quite well.
Also, from seeing others change from injection to pump, they are usually extremely satisfied.
posted by bradly at 11:32 PM on August 4, 2008
Also, from seeing others change from injection to pump, they are usually extremely satisfied.
posted by bradly at 11:32 PM on August 4, 2008
Best answer: My husband has type one. He has opted to test his blood sugar often (several times a day) and inject insulin as needed (pretty much whenever he eats) rather than going with the pump. According to his endocrinologist- this is the best way to tightly manage blood sugar and have greater dietary/ lifestyle freedom. He has been doing it this way for 12 years and has no eye or extremity damage to speak of.
Whether you choose the pump or to manage your blood sugar yourself really depends on your lifestyle choices and how involved you want to be moment to moment with your blood sugar management. If you are okay with a dietary regimen, then the pump can work very well for you (as long as you don't mind having it attached). If you are more likely to eat when you want to eat/ what you want to eat- then testing and injecting often might be the way to go.
As you begin to pursue a weight loss program- you will want to learn how to adjust your insulin intake accordingly depending on how/ when you are reducing carbs in your diet and how much you are exercising daily. If my husband exercises more than usual on a given day, he will tend towards low blood sugar if he has not adjusted his insulin intake to factor in the extra calorie (carb) burn.
I am in no way anti-pump but I would have to say that I think my husband has benefited greatly from the approach he has taken- I think it's been better for his overall health and mindset about the disease for him to take a lot of personal control over it. It sounds like a lot at first- all this testing and pricking and injecting- but it has become second nature to him almost unconscious. And I think he feels a lot more freedom and empowerment being able to monitor his own blood sugar. He understands his body and its cycles really well.
You will also want others close to you to know the signs of low blood sugar so they can be supportive- not running around looking for orange juice, but calmly asking you to drink a glass of milk (carbs buffered by fat and protein won't flood your system as rapidly as with OJ).
Feel free to email me if you want to discuss more.
posted by mistsandrain at 6:24 AM on August 5, 2008
Whether you choose the pump or to manage your blood sugar yourself really depends on your lifestyle choices and how involved you want to be moment to moment with your blood sugar management. If you are okay with a dietary regimen, then the pump can work very well for you (as long as you don't mind having it attached). If you are more likely to eat when you want to eat/ what you want to eat- then testing and injecting often might be the way to go.
As you begin to pursue a weight loss program- you will want to learn how to adjust your insulin intake accordingly depending on how/ when you are reducing carbs in your diet and how much you are exercising daily. If my husband exercises more than usual on a given day, he will tend towards low blood sugar if he has not adjusted his insulin intake to factor in the extra calorie (carb) burn.
I am in no way anti-pump but I would have to say that I think my husband has benefited greatly from the approach he has taken- I think it's been better for his overall health and mindset about the disease for him to take a lot of personal control over it. It sounds like a lot at first- all this testing and pricking and injecting- but it has become second nature to him almost unconscious. And I think he feels a lot more freedom and empowerment being able to monitor his own blood sugar. He understands his body and its cycles really well.
You will also want others close to you to know the signs of low blood sugar so they can be supportive- not running around looking for orange juice, but calmly asking you to drink a glass of milk (carbs buffered by fat and protein won't flood your system as rapidly as with OJ).
Feel free to email me if you want to discuss more.
posted by mistsandrain at 6:24 AM on August 5, 2008
Best answer: Kameron of Brutal Women recently got a pump and has been blogging about her opinion of it. She is in her late 20s and was just diagnosed with Type I last year, so she also blogs a lot about chronic disease changing how she thinks about herself and her life, including managing her weight.
posted by hydropsyche at 10:39 AM on August 5, 2008
posted by hydropsyche at 10:39 AM on August 5, 2008
Best answer: My partner has Type 1 diabetes, has had it since age 12 and he is now 50. The tips he follows are probably ones you already have, but here goes.
-- Test often
-- Keep o.j. in the fridge, keep candy (or glucose tablets) by the bed and in the car
-- Know what you're eating and be aware.. Whether you give yourself insulin shots (he does, with a pen) or use the pump (he did, for awhile, but switched back) you still need to know how many carbs you're consuming.
All the best to you.
posted by Robert Angelo at 3:13 PM on August 5, 2008
-- Test often
-- Keep o.j. in the fridge, keep candy (or glucose tablets) by the bed and in the car
-- Know what you're eating and be aware.. Whether you give yourself insulin shots (he does, with a pen) or use the pump (he did, for awhile, but switched back) you still need to know how many carbs you're consuming.
All the best to you.
posted by Robert Angelo at 3:13 PM on August 5, 2008
I thought of a couple more things:
-- If you are having surgery or some other medical procedure which requires fasting, ask to have it scheduled first on the schedule. Understanding that you are a Type 1 diabetic, they will let you have your procedure early on (e.g. 7am) so that you do not have to go throughout the day trying to manage your blood sugar without eating.
-- If you are having general anesthesia, be sure to talk with the anesthesiologist to make sure s/he is aware of it and will manage your blood sugar as needed. (One time my partner had a problem with this)
posted by Robert Angelo at 8:04 PM on August 5, 2008
-- If you are having surgery or some other medical procedure which requires fasting, ask to have it scheduled first on the schedule. Understanding that you are a Type 1 diabetic, they will let you have your procedure early on (e.g. 7am) so that you do not have to go throughout the day trying to manage your blood sugar without eating.
-- If you are having general anesthesia, be sure to talk with the anesthesiologist to make sure s/he is aware of it and will manage your blood sugar as needed. (One time my partner had a problem with this)
posted by Robert Angelo at 8:04 PM on August 5, 2008
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Your profile says you're a student, so I'm assuming you're a teenager or young adult. Have you been to diabetes camp (as a camper and/or a volunteer)? That would be my biggest tip for you. My 19-year-old daughter has had Type I diabetes since age 4, so she's had it for 15 years also. Diabetes camp was about the only thing that she found to be truly encouraging because she met people who were going through exactly what she was, physically and emotionally. She got to spend a whole week in a place where she wasn't "different." Definitely look into it, even if you're not young enough to go as a camper, being a volunteer is just as rewarding and fun.
If you live in an area that has a big enough population to have a support group geared just for Type I diabetics (i.e. not lumping them in with Type II), then I'd encourage you to join it. Just having a place to talk about the emotional aspects of dealing with the disease, with other people who know what you're talking about, will be a huge benefit to you. One of the frustrating things that I've noticed, on the web and in real life, is that Type II diabetes has become so common and so many people assume that Type II diabetes is just another "version" of Type I, and they think they know what you're going through when they most certainly don't, so if you're lucky enough to have a Type I support group, jump on in.
As far as websites and blogs, my daughter is extremely turned off by "inspirational" stories, so I don't have any examples to offer you. She went through a rough period of rebellion against her diabetes in her mid teens when she wasn't taking care of herself, and it took her a long time to get back on track (she's still not as compliant as she should be), but the one thing that did encourage her was meeting and/or reading about very old people with Type I diabetes who had been living with it since they were children. We had been told that diabetics in previous generations had very short lifespans, so it was a nice surprise to hear about senior citizens still living healthy lives after living with the disease for more than 50 years.
It's great that you have a good endocrinologist, especially since you mentioned that you're looking for weight management tips. Only your endocrinologist can help you with that, because everyone's regimen is different. Your ability to lose weight will depend on your routine, your diet, the type of insulin you're using, etc. But, the good news is that all of that can be adjusted to facilitate a goal-weight you can be happy with.
Sorry I don't have anything more concrete to offer you, but I'll be checking back with interest to see what other people have suggested. Hang in there and take good care of yourself, bobber!
posted by amyms at 8:50 PM on August 4, 2008