Ask a Type 1 anything

[UncleWede]

Type 1, Juvenile, Insulin Dependent, they are all the same.

I've been such for 37 years. If you have a question, I will answer to the best of my ability.

There you go, Lups

From the parental viewpoint, kscarrol might be willing/able to answer some questions.

[Lups]

An epic idea Wade (i first spelled your handle correctly, sorry!)!

Okay, here it goes!

1. What's the most stupid prejudice you've faced?
2. I gathered from my study session a while back (as i mentioned, my friend's kid has this and since the pup spends a lot of time with my family, i did the whole freaking out thing i always do!) greens are the way to feed a diabetic. I'm an avid baker but do you have some low sugar treat suggestions to share?

3. How long did it take you to start managing your disease?

4. We like taking long hikes with the dogs, what would you suggest for me to keep in hand for emergencies (diabetes related!)

5.

[UncleWede]

1. What's the most stupid prejudice you've faced?
I'll ASSume you mean as a diabetic - none. I get a sick kick out of taking my shot right there at the fancy dining table, and then making an exaggerated sigh afterwards.

2. I gathered from my study session a while back (as i mentioned, my friend's kid has this and since the pup spends a lot of time with my family, i did the whole freaking out thing i always do!) greens are the way to feed a diabetic. I'm an avid baker but do you have some low sugar treat suggestions to share?
COMPLEX carbs are the best. Whole grain flour, some of the alternative "sugar" sources like agave. I'm a freaking cookie monster, they can't be in the house or I smell them and eat the whole box. Then I take a bunch of insulin to counteract.

3. How long did it take you to start managing your disease?
About 3 days. I couldn't leave the hospital until I could give myself injections. One very brave nurse allowed me to inject her with saline solution. I was given an orange to practice on when she wasn't around. Back then, even the simple finger-prick blood tests didn't exist yet. We did the periodic urine test, but that only tells you if you are over about 250.

4. We like taking long hikes with the dogs, what would you suggest for me to keep in hand for emergencies (diabetes related!)
Here, there are the little tubes of glucose tablets. I have them stashed EVERYWHERE. Each vehicle has 1-2 tubes in the glove box. All my motorcycle jackets/vests have a tube in a pocket. Sports bags, backpacks all carry a tube as standard fare. The initial investment in the tubes is a little more, but now I buy the glucose tablets in bulk containers, and refill the little tubes as needed.
My go-to to help PREVENT issues while hiking is peanut butter and honey sammiches.

[F30lolz]

Have you ever considered a Chevy Cavalier Type 10 in your lower case g days?

[Lups]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

1. What's the most stupid prejudice you've faced?
I'll ASSume you mean as a diabetic - none. I get a sick kick out of taking my shot right there at the fancy dining table, and then making an exaggerated sigh afterwards.

2. I gathered from my study session a while back (as i mentioned, my friend's kid has this and since the pup spends a lot of time with my family, i did the whole freaking out thing i always do!) greens are the way to feed a diabetic. I'm an avid baker but do you have some low sugar treat suggestions to share?
COMPLEX carbs are the best. Whole grain flour, some of the alternative "sugar" sources like agave. I'm a freaking cookie monster, they can't be in the house or I smell them and eat the whole box. Then I take a bunch of insulin to counteract.

3. How long did it take you to start managing your disease?
About 3 days. I couldn't leave the hospital until I could give myself injections. One very brave nurse allowed me to inject her with saline solution. I was given an orange to practice on when she wasn't around. Back then, even the simple finger-prick blood tests didn't exist yet. We did the periodic urine test, but that only tells you if you are over about 250.

4. We like taking long hikes with the dogs, what would you suggest for me to keep in hand for emergencies (diabetes related!)
Here, there are the little tubes of glucose tablets. I have them stashed EVERYWHERE. Each vehicle has 1-2 tubes in the glove box. All my motorcycle jackets/vests have a tube in a pocket. Sports bags, backpacks all carry a tube as standard fare. The initial investment in the tubes is a little more, but now I buy the glucose tablets in bulk containers, and refill the little tubes as needed.
My go-to to help PREVENT issues while hiking is peanut butter and honey sammiches.

Epic!

With a kid i understood it's harder for a noobie to spot problems, but what would you say is the most easy to spot symptom of trouble, and how dtrict are you with your feeding time rhythm?

Lol it must seem like i come up with these stupid questions just to bother you, but it would feel wrong to exclude their kids from our day trips for this, and i try yo keep them safe (broken bones and sprained limbs don't count).

This is an epic idea for a thread though. A few basic tricks explained can be life savers.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

Have you ever considered a Chevy Cavalier Type 10 in your lower case g days?

Is this some sort of Kama sutra position I'm not familiar with? #whippersnappers.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Lups

Epic!

With a kid i understood it's harder for a noobie to spot problems, but what would you say is the most easy to spot symptom of trouble, and how dtrict are you with your feeding time rhythm?

Lol it must seem like i come up with these stupid questions just to bother you, but it would feel wrong to exclude their kids from our day trips for this, and i try yo keep them safe (broken bones and sprained limbs don't count).

This is an epic idea for a thread though. A few basic tricks explained can be life savers.

The eyes. I have several friends who can just look at my eyes and know I'm not there, and they give me candy/soda/tell me to get something.

The other is you ask me a simple question like "what time is it?" and I answer "The bananas fell out of the tree." If in doubt, give some sugar. If I am high, and not functioning mentally, giving me a bit more sugar isn't going to hurt anything. If I'm low and you hold out, one of us is going to the hospital.

The third, and probably pretty easy during a hike, is lack of motor coordination. I stumble down the hallway in search of a snack, and bounce from wall to wall. Wife/sons head for the fridge to get me a drink.

Rhythm is EVERYTHING for me. The only thing that messes that up more is disruption of sleep. 7-12-6 is perfect timing for me. It drives me crazy, after 20+ years, that my wife still asks me if I want to eat something at 2:30 in the afternoon, or go to "breakfast" at 10. I can vary an hour or so either way, but any more than that leads to the bouncing from high to low.

[larryn]

What's your HbA1c currently and are you in any sort of community program or 1:1 outpatient care management program?

Do you you have an individualized care plan that you are assigned goals (along with your care team) to work towards, and interventions that address your goals?

Is anybody reminding you of regular eye and foot exams, as well as monitoring blood sugars? If so, how?

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by larryn

What's your HbA1c currently and are you in any sort of community program or 1:1 outpatient care management program?

Do you you have an individualized care plan that you are assigned goals (along with your care team) to work towards, and interventions that address your goals?

Is anybody reminding you of regular eye and foot exams, as well as monitoring blood sugars? If so, how?

A1c is running 7.1 - 7.3. I "participate" pretty regularly with my endocrinologist's secondary, drug testing office in trials. During those, I have weekly reviews of my blood sugar diaries. The last few included meters that uploaded all tests to the cloud, where study Dr.s reviewed it for each monthly visit. I need to get back into another of those, since 90 day supply of insulin runs $300 WITH insurance.

Endocrinologist, ophthalmologist, optometrist , and insurance all remind me to get annual dialations. I've had one laser treatment about a dozen years ago to treat micro-aneurism in the right eye. I can still see after-image of those spots when I look at too-bright a light and then blink.

I do self-inspection of my feet. I know my skin heals poorly, so keep a close eye on any flesh wounds.

[larryn]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

A1c is running 7.1 - 7.3. I "participate" pretty regularly with my endocrinologist's secondary, drug testing office in trials. During those, I have weekly reviews of my blood sugar diaries. The last few included meters that uploaded all tests to the cloud, where study Dr.s reviewed it for each monthly visit. I need to get back into another of those, since 90 day supply of insulin runs $300 WITH insurance.

Endocrinologist, ophthalmologist, optometrist , and insurance all remind me to get annual dialations. I've had one laser treatment about a dozen years ago to treat micro-aneurism in the right eye. I can still see after-image of those spots when I look at too-bright a light and then blink.

I do self-inspection of my feet. I know my skin heals poorly, so keep a close eye on any flesh wounds.

Thanks, and glad you appear to be managing! I know it is not easy.

Diabetes is a tough one to manage well. If left unmanaged, frequently leads to comorbidities, like hypertension, heart failure, depression, etc.

This thread might help others. Kudos for starting it!

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by larryn

Thanks, and glad you appear to be managing! I know it is not easy.

Diabetes is a tough one to manage well. If left unmanaged, frequently leads to comorbidities, like hypertension, heart failure, depression, etc.

This thread might help others. Kudos for starting it!

Depression is real. Extreme frustration while sprawled out on the floor during hypo is bad too. Of all the "chronic" diseases out there, this would still be my first choice.

[infinitekidM2C]

How does this affect your beer and alchie drinking?

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by infinitekid2002

How does this affect your beer and alchie drinking?

Don't drink beer very often. Tend to drink alcohol neat, to reduce carb intake. Have developed a "Diabetic Cadillac" for margies: Tequila, Gran Marnier, Ice, Agave. Shaken, not stirred.

Dr keeps telling me that alcohol LOWERS blood sugar levels. I have not experienced such an effect during drinking binges. . .

[kscarrol]

Are you going to out grow the juvenile diabetes?






Can't tell you how of my friends ask this about my son who a type 1.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Are you going to out grow the juvenile diabetes?






Can't tell you how of my friends ask this about my son who a type 1.

I don't want to grow up
I'm a type 1 kid


I remember my roommate in the hospital was about 25. He HATED being told he had juvenile diabetes

We would salivate together over Burger King ads thinking burgers were a thing of the past

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Dr keeps telling me that alcohol LOWERS blood sugar levels. I have not experienced such an effect during drinking binges. . .

It does lower blood sugar levels and the worst part is it can make the glucagon (used in emergencies for diabetics) ineffective. Glucagon is the diabetic's equivalent of the epipen...

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

It does lower blood sugar levels and the worst part is it can make the glucagon (used in emergencies for diabetics) ineffective. Glucagon is the diabetic's equivalent of the epipen...

Live fast die young. I haven't had a glucagon pen in about 20 years and even those rare times when paramedics visited me it was always oral

Damn I was supposed to be dead before I got THIS old

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

I don't want to grow up
I'm a type 1 kid


I remember my roommate in the hospital was about 25. He HATED being told he had juvenile diabetes

We would salivate together over Burger King ads thinking burgers were a thing of the past

I think most doctors would be appalled at my son's diet! But he is a 16 year-old kid. As we were told by our endocrinologist when he was first diagnosed, sometimes you have to let a kid be a kid! But we cook at home at least five days if not all seven.

Pizza is his splurge and thankfully he loves thin crust pizza! I can tell you based on his blood sugar levels, Domino's is the worst shit you can eat.

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Live fast die young. I haven't had a glucagon pen in about 20 years and even those rare times when paramedics visited me it was always oral

Damn I was supposed to be dead before I got THIS old

Ha! Keep showing those old doctors how full of shit they were!!

We have a glucagon pen, almost never carry it. Sugar tablets, liquid glucose shots (not his favorite) and apple juice do the trick for my son. Been eleven years since he was diagnosed and we've never had an emergency situation (knock on wood)!

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

I think most doctors would be appalled at my son's diet! But he is a 16 year-old kid. As we were told by our endocrinologist when he was first diagnosed, sometimes you have to let a kid be a kid! But we cook at home at least five days if not all seven.

Pizza is his splurge and thankfully he love thin crust pizza! I can tell you based on his blood sugar levels, Domino's is the worst shit you can eat.

All my friends wanted to go eat pizza those first couple years as a teen diabetic. I try not to eat it for DINNER. Any other time my post prandials are fine

[ShopVac]

So...I have a fear of needles. So bad, I instantly pass out when I see one. Actually, doesn't even need to be me getting the needle, if I saw you doing this to yourself, I'd be lights out.

If I was diagnosed with type 1...how long do you think I'd live (obviously...not being able to inject myself)?

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by ShopVac

So...I have a fear of needles. So bad, I instantly pass out when I see one. Actually, doesn't even need to be me getting the needle, if I saw you doing this to yourself, I'd be lights out.

If I was diagnosed with type 1...how long do you think I'd live (obviously...not being able to inject myself)?

I nearly passed out the last time a dr DISCUSSED me and an interaction with a needle. Any time I'm asked about allergies I always tell them needles

When I saw my cousin dosing before my diagnosis I felt about like you. 37 years later I'm doing 4-5 a day

You'd probably be a pump person. 1 needle every 10 days or so