any diabetics in the house?
Discussion
Hi all
The other half was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last week. Not one to do things by halfs she went down the. colapsed, blue light run to Hospital, 5 days in intensive care" method of diagnosis.
Anyway we're now at home getting to grips with all this blood tests and insulin malarkey.
The concerning thing is her first blood test in the morning is rather high, looking mid to high teens where as during the day they've been between 6 and 9.
I'm thinking this is because she's not had any insulin for 8 hours or so and because she's not doing much other than sleeping.
So is this normal for a diabetic?
The other half was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last week. Not one to do things by halfs she went down the. colapsed, blue light run to Hospital, 5 days in intensive care" method of diagnosis.
Anyway we're now at home getting to grips with all this blood tests and insulin malarkey.
The concerning thing is her first blood test in the morning is rather high, looking mid to high teens where as during the day they've been between 6 and 9.
I'm thinking this is because she's not had any insulin for 8 hours or so and because she's not doing much other than sleeping.
So is this normal for a diabetic?
I have had type 2 Diabetes for 28 years. In my case it s reasonably well controlled. Type 1 is a very much more serious concern and must be treated as such. The symptoms you are describing are certainly not normal. I would seriously recommend getting immediate appointments at your hospital and with your GP and immediately getting onto the specialist in Diabetes at your GP practice. This is most certainly not something to fail to react to in the most effective possible ways immediately.
I have retained several diabetic type I and type 2 acquaintances i met over the years in business and my oldest type I friend is now 70 years old and has controlled his condition successfully since childhood. But Diabetes requires controlling and even the brief comments you have made are certainly a matter of concern for your wife and her health. Sugar levels that high suggest that the condition is not yet controlled and I would not rest until further tests and assessments have been made. I have no doubt this can be controlled but I do think a fair bit of assessment and evaluation is needed.
In time I have no doubt that your wife's diabetes can be controlled as are the conditions of millions of diabetics. But I really do suggest action as soon as possible given the symptoms you have described.. We must all be thankful for the fact that modern medicine has made such controls possible. I do wish you both the very best of luck with a condition that requires controlling.
I have retained several diabetic type I and type 2 acquaintances i met over the years in business and my oldest type I friend is now 70 years old and has controlled his condition successfully since childhood. But Diabetes requires controlling and even the brief comments you have made are certainly a matter of concern for your wife and her health. Sugar levels that high suggest that the condition is not yet controlled and I would not rest until further tests and assessments have been made. I have no doubt this can be controlled but I do think a fair bit of assessment and evaluation is needed.
In time I have no doubt that your wife's diabetes can be controlled as are the conditions of millions of diabetics. But I really do suggest action as soon as possible given the symptoms you have described.. We must all be thankful for the fact that modern medicine has made such controls possible. I do wish you both the very best of luck with a condition that requires controlling.
Type 1 diabetic here, 12 years now.
There are a lot of factors involved and I would suggest not getting worried about results falling outside the normal range. She does not want to get obsessive about her blood sugars and let it control her life. At the same time, it's a steep learning curve, and things will take a while to settle down as your wife builds into her regime.
Is her blood sugar rising between going to bed and waking up in the morning? If so this indicates that her basal (background) insulin is not high enough, as the body (liver) is releasing more sugar into the blood (which it does all the time) than the insulin can control. This is easily fixed although can take a few days to find the right level - but I would suggest seeing/phoning/emailing your specialist nurse first as there will be other factors to think about such as diet, exercise, general wellbeing, sensitivity, etc, as well as having to reduce bolus doses as the basal will be acting more strongly.
Until the basal insulin level is sorted you will find results are a bit unpredictable. Don't worry about it, running slightly high in the short term will not cause any problems. The people who get problems with their eyes, heart, kidneys, circulation, etc are generally the ones who have had poor control for decades, or have other risk factors that have actually caused the diabetes to develop in the first place (in the case of some type 2 diabetics).
There are a lot of factors involved and I would suggest not getting worried about results falling outside the normal range. She does not want to get obsessive about her blood sugars and let it control her life. At the same time, it's a steep learning curve, and things will take a while to settle down as your wife builds into her regime.
Is her blood sugar rising between going to bed and waking up in the morning? If so this indicates that her basal (background) insulin is not high enough, as the body (liver) is releasing more sugar into the blood (which it does all the time) than the insulin can control. This is easily fixed although can take a few days to find the right level - but I would suggest seeing/phoning/emailing your specialist nurse first as there will be other factors to think about such as diet, exercise, general wellbeing, sensitivity, etc, as well as having to reduce bolus doses as the basal will be acting more strongly.
Until the basal insulin level is sorted you will find results are a bit unpredictable. Don't worry about it, running slightly high in the short term will not cause any problems. The people who get problems with their eyes, heart, kidneys, circulation, etc are generally the ones who have had poor control for decades, or have other risk factors that have actually caused the diabetes to develop in the first place (in the case of some type 2 diabetics).
Edited by zeduffman on Saturday 20th September 20:13
Edited by zeduffman on Saturday 20th September 20:14
Edited by zeduffman on Saturday 20th September 20:16
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff