Diabetes Type 1 Support Group

Hi Will

Diabetes is scary. How do you get along with your doctors? I find it is good to write down any worries I have and ask the doctor when I next see them, or maybe phone them if it's urgent. Also you can ask questions in places like this. But be careful online, this site is great but some others are a bit dodgy. And even here each of us ahs our own way of doing things and what works for one person may or may not work for another. Anyway, there should be a counsellor or psychologist attached to your diabetes clinic so maybe it would be a good idea to ask about them. Welcome and hope you ike the group.

I was 30 years old when I was diagnosed with type 1. I had just started a new job, and was in the middle of moving my family from the Midwest to CA. I started getting night cramps and was tired all the time. I thought every symptom was a result of stress.

I decided that I was not going to allow diabetes to alter my life. For the first couple of years, I tried to eat and drink all the things I was accustomed to eating and drinking. Gradually, I got my medication, diet, and exercise balanced out. To this day, I believe each of those three routines are equally important.

My advice is “don’t sweat the details”. Once you establish your routine, and get a good Dr., you will find diabetes is something YOU can control. It is never perfect, but it is manageable.

I was diagnosed Type 1 at 24. Boy was that a shock and in some ways life changing but for the better. I like you didn't want to drive or leave the house in case I had a hypo but common sense prevailed eventually. At first it all seems too much for a person to cope with on top of a busy daily life as well. However, like A1Carbman says don't fixate entirely on the little details but getting a good liveable/workable routine for you and a good Endo is the key. The hardest thing is like Lizzie says what works for one person won't work for another. It takes trial and error sometimes to work out what works best for you. Best thing is this site so ask any questions you have.

Hey, there! I, too, was 34 when I was diagnosed four years ago. Don't worry...as the others said, things get easier. You may be feeling overwhelmed right now with all the information being thrown at you not to mention feeling off-kilter. For me, what helped was to stick to a diet that was pretty even in terms of carb intake (no big fluctuations), checking my blood sugar often and making notes on everything I ate, how I felt and what my sugars were the next 2-4 hours after eating, etc. I also made sure to not eat out much and just stick to a balanced diet (fruits, veggies, some protein) within a narrow spectrum of foods that I liked. Often times, I would eat the same things every day but mix it up for each meal. This is good in helping to find a baseline and see how your body reacts. Then, as things stabilize, you can introduce other foods. Just what worked for me! Hang in there!! Everything is going to be fine!

Hey there,I was 35 when dxd with type 1.....oooooooohhh it was scary! I think the hardest bit is the HUGE learning curve but that does get easier.I thought carb counting was similar to an alien language at first...used to take forever...these days I can look at a plate of food and guesstimate fairly accurately (ok so it took me 8 years lol)I'm a single mum and my kids were 12,6 and 3 when I found out.....hard work!! you will get there! Study,read,question,question,question!! Welcome xx

I was dx;d as a type 1 at the age of 30 (I'm 57 now). You can live a perfectly normal life just like everyone else. The one piece of advice I have is for you to take control of your type 1, don't let it control you. Learn more abut it than even your doctors know! Maintain good blood sugars and exercise to ward off any detrimental long term effects. In the 80's I got into weight lifting. Later, I got into bicycle racing. Afterward, I got into inline and ice speed skating. All sports that work the arms and legs in particular.

I lived great and enjoyed a great career without type 1 having any negative effect on me whatsoever. I never used it as an excuse or hindrance to do whatever I wanted to do. Be positive in your attitude and take control!

I'm on disability now, but not because of type1. I got hit with MS back in October, 2007. I'm still in the learning process with MS, but my attitude is the same. Neither type 1 or MS controls me, I control them!

Hello,
Okay I have had diabetes since I was little but I am 22 now and I was diagnosed at 2. So, 20 years of experience now. It is rocky at the beginning for everyone. If you have nay questions, please feel free to ask me.
I don't know you whereabouts but there is usually support groups for diabetics of both types in most cities. Try researching it, you may find it inspiring and comforting. I do. It helps me get through. I was really reluctant to attend at first, but it has really helped me in the passed couple of years because it's not going away no matter how much I wish for it to. Please. If you need anything ask me. I am a book with years of knowledge about this. Good luck! And stay healthy.

My bf was hospitalized and diagnosed at 26 on my sons due date :( it was really scary but we got through it and hes pretty adjusted now! He can still do absolutely everything he did before it just requires a little bit of effort

Hi there. I am 33 yearold female just diagnosed 2 weeks ago. Quite the rollercoaster it has been for the past 10 days. and just when I think I'm having a good day, sugar levels go back up.

Hello! I was only 15 when I was diagnosed, but I think I got some really good advice: You can have diabetes, or it can have you. You have to choose. I have found that the more regular my schedule is, the easier time I have. When I was 16 I was in a summer job program and had the exact same schedule every weekday. I ended up eating the same things for almost every breakfast and lunch those days too, just because it was easy and I liked it. Not the best foods (3-4 mini doughnuts and juice for breakfast, and a kid's meal at Chik-fil-a for lunch), but since they were always the same I had absolutely awesome BS levels, and very few lows. It was just so predicable. I don't still do that, of course, but it made me see what could happen. One other piece of advice that I am still learning: LIKE your doctor! I've hated most of mine and it caused a lot of trouble. I only went when I absolutely HAD to, didn't ask questions, and sometimes didn't trust what they said. Sometimes I didn't trust them for good reason too. So, make sure you like them and trust them.