Loosing control..need some advise!
 

hey, im 17 and i was diagnosed with type 1 at the beginning of the year, my family and nurses were all really shocked at how i instantly adjusted to all of the changes and seemed to be in total control of it within a a week. but now that some time has gone i'm beginning to loose control and dont know why, it all seemed easier in the beginning? i dont want to let my family know because theyve only just stopped obsessing and i dont want them to start again. need some advise.:confused:

Hi Ophelia,

I feel for you. It's always disconcerting when what has been working, then does not. Hey, great for you that you "rolled" with all the changes and adjusted so well at the time of your DX. I was DXd two years ago, adjusted very well initially, and have then gone through many iterations of my MDI regimen - having some tough times a year after DX. Hang in there, you will master this and eventually learn, managing T1 is constantly learning and adjusting. The more you do it, the better you get at it. :)

The best advice I can give you, generally, is to go here - ADA Forum:
http://bit.ly/dikRGF

Sign up and create an account so you can post. There are many wise, experienced T1s who would love to help. That being said, I would need to know more about the following to offer any input:

1: MDI or Pump?
2: Is your basal set correctly?
3: What are your I:C and correction ratios?
4: What do you eat?
5: What is your exercise regimen like?
6: What have your a1cs been like the last year?
7: What lab tests are you having done, yearly and quarterly?
8: How do you know you are a T1; did you have the GAD antibody tests done?

As well, I would highly recommend reading the following books:

1: Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars
2: Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin -

You will find that the best medical advice often does not come from the medical establishment. I highly recommend seeking out a T1 support group in your area, so you are not alone with this. T1s have the best info - because they have the disease. There is a lot of differing opinion about how best to manage T1. You will have to experiment and find what works for you.

You may being going through the end of a 'honeymoon" period, whereas your pancreas is producing less insulin than at DX. This is very common, though it seems a bit soon for your DX date. PM me if I can be of any further help. I know how it feels at the beginning, the folks at the ADA forum were of SO MUCH help for me at the beginning, and continue to be one of my main resources. ( I'm 2.5 years into my "D career" ) I, personally, get much better info from the experienced T1s than my CDEs and Endo. Doesn't mean that this will be the case for you. Take it all in and evaluate what makes the most sense. You are in charge of this, not the Drs.

Best,
Josh

hi Josh
thanks for replying
i'm not really familiar with all the words your using so i will answer what i can :)
im currently on the insulin pens using lantus and novo rapid, havnt yet thought about using the pump do you think it's the better option?
i have cut out alot of foods from my diet however there are times when i say i dont care and go on what i would call a binge eating session. the hardest thing which is starting to become difficult is the fact that i can't jusp pick up anything when i am peckish and do get hungry between meal times
my blood sugars wer in a good range (6-12 mmol/L) until about a month ago, now they seem to stay between 14 and 25 mmol/L and have even gone as high as 31
my lab tests are yearly i think
i became ill around last christmas and waited about 3 weeks before going to the hospital where they diagnosed me as type 1 and kept me in for a week ive also had to go back a few times for blood tests.
im worried about being taken into hospital again as i feel like im goin down the same road with the wieght loss,fatigue and constant thirst..

Hi Ophelia,

Don't worry about not understanding the "diabetic lingo" it's good that you're starting to get exposed to it, as it will be beneficial to know it. I'll specifically address your questions and explain the language later. For now, since you are worried about the state of your health I would strongly suggest the following:

1. See the Drs. whose care you are under and honestly discuss your situation.
2. Put aside your concern about worrying your family.
3. The most important issue is taking proper care of yourself.

• Your Drs. are your best bet in the short term to getting you on the proper course

I would urge you strongly to communicate with them. T1 is nothing to mess around with and proper communication with your Drs. and family is essential, espcially at your young age.

So that is my basic "Macro/General" advice. Onto some specifics:

1. What country do you live in? I'm not familiar with the mmol/L numbers. In the US we have a different system, so I don't know if your numbers are problamatic.
2. Have you checked out the ADA board I linked in my first post? I would go there right away. You will get a ton of, sensitive and intelligent advice on how best to proceed.

Terms/language definitions:
-I:C ratio = Insulin to carb ratio. You have to establish this, so you know how much insulin to take for your meals
-Basal, is the "long acting insulin and amount of "Lantus" you are taking
-MDI= multiple daily injections, meaning the system you are on of taking
Lantus for your basline, or basal needs, and novolog, or "rapid" for your meals.

You need to understand what these two insulins do, when to take them and how much to take.

You start by establishing your "basal" or Lantus amount. Right underneath this thread, there is a thread called " Basal Testing: Get your Basal Amt. Set Correctly" with complete instructions on how to "basal" test. Print out these instructions and take them to your Dr. to discuss how to do the basal test and discuss all the language I'm defining here.

-Correction ratio= how much "Novo rapid" to take if your blood sugars are high 2-3 hours after eating, or high in general. You are "correcting" your blood sugar, this is why it's called a "correction ratio".
-MDI ( multiple daily injections-what you are doing now ) or pump is a personal preference. Stay with MDI until you fully learn all that I'm talking about. Pumps require more knowledge and skill to master. You really need to know what you are doing to be on a pump. Again, I would urge you to discuss all this with your Drs. If your Drs. don't know what I'm talking about, you might want to find more knowledgeable Drs. I don't know what's available in the country you live in.
-CDE= "certified diabetic educator" this is a US classification/term for nurses who are specificaly trained in diabetes care.
a1c= is a test that most feel is the best indication of how you are managing your blood sugar levels. This test should be done every 3 months.

Let's not overload you with any more at the moment. The GAD antibody tests, yearly tests we can get to later.

The most important thing is to start you on the path to educating yourself of all the components needed for your care. It's seems like a lot at first, but it becomes easy knowing all you have to do after learning about it initially.

I learned from the two books I mentioned in my first post.

So, write me back and let me know:

1. What you understand and what you don't.
2. When you can see your Drs?
3. What country you live in?
4. If you've gone to the ADA forum and posted your issues?
5. If your Drs. and you understatnd MDI, Basal testing and amounts, I:C and Correction ratios. These are the basics.

Not to worry, you'll get all this down. We just need to get you to the right educational and healthcare sources.

Best,
Josh

Ophelia,

Here are the basal test instructions. You have to get your "basal" or Lantus amounts set correctly. This is one of the first things to work on.


I got the below instructions for settings one's daily basal amounts from the 'old timers' on the ADA board. I've really found experienced T1s to have some of the best systems management information out there.

Hope this is of some help to everyone. It takes a little bit of discipline, but is worth it. Remember, hyperinsulimia is one of the key degenerative states we need to guard against, or be on the lookout for; though you may not get that from your Endo. lol.

Best, Josh

Basal Test Starts Below
-And there is an attached file at bottom of the post you can simply download. It's in .txt format ( Plain Text )


First, I would highly recommend basal testing. This testing is to figure out if that one injection of Lantus is giving you 24 hour coverage because that's the whole point of a background insulin like Lantus or Levemir. Here are my favorite, very basic instructions on basal testing from integrateddiabetes.com:

Rules for performing basal tests:

1. No Food Being Digested
• You may not eat for at least 4 hours preceding the basal test.
• The meal/snack preceding the basal test should be low in fat.
• Do not eat during the basal test, unless your blood glucose is below 70*.
• You may have water or diet beverages during the test
• No caffeinated beverages during the basal test.
2. No Bolus Insulin Working During the Basal Test
• Do not bolus for at least 4 hours preceding the basal test.
• Do not bolus during the test, unless your blood glucose is above 250**.
3. No Changes in the Body's Normal Glucose Output
• No hypoglycemic episodes for at least 6 hours preceding the basal test.
• No illnesses during the testing (fever, infection, virus)
• No steroid medications being used
• Avoid testing during major stages of menstrual cycle if blood glucose changes are usually noted
4. Allow Basal Insulin to be Delivered Uninterrupted
• Do not put the pump into suspend
• Do not disconnect from the pump.
5. Maintain low-moderate activity level
• Do not exercise starting 4 hours after last meal/snack.
• You may perform light/moderate exercise soon after last meal/snack if it is your normal time to do so.
• Perform usual daily activities during basal test.
6. Monitor blood glucose levels
• Start testing at least 4 hours after last meal/snack/bolus.
• Use the same blood glucose meter throughout the testing.
• Check blood glucose level every 2 hours.
• Testing may be performed for 4-12 hours.
* For readings below 70, take carbohydrate and stop the basal test.
** For any readings above 250, stop the basal test and check for ketones.

So that's the first step. Next start testing your insulin to carb ratio or I:C. Start with the premise that you need one unit of insulin for 15 grams of carbs. 5 units doesn't have to be "a lot" as long as it's matching the action of the carbs.

Im from the UK.....mmol/L - the doctors told me that it shud stay between 6-10 which is normal anything above is too high.. i looked it up and it said to multiply by 18 to find out the method that you use ,so for example if my sugar level is 20 then in your terms its 360 i think.

the 24 hour acting lantus pen i am currently on 14 units a day
novo rapid is 3 times a day with meals or basicly whenever im eating anything with carbs, the I:C is 1 unit of insulin to every 10 grams of carbs

i havnt been told the correction ratio so im never sure how much to take when my blood sugar is too high.. lately ive been guessing and have either taken to much causing me to hypo on a bus (hypos are the scariest feeling i have ever experienced in my life) or too little.

i have got a diabetes nurse who i went to see every week for the first few months but havnt seen in about a month or two.

im due to go hospital in august so im guessing that might be for the a1c test

i understand the insulins and what they do but cant measure exactly how much to take as foods i never thought were high in carbs or sugar appear to be very high.. especially fruit juices.. i enjoyed juices before diagnosed but now cant seem to find one that is low in sugar so i just stay away from them

.... also i dont inject if im eating out or grabbing a quick bite while out... cant seem to get comfortable with whipping out the injection kit in public or resturant bathrooms..i feel like people who see will look at me like some sort of drug addict (even though in some aspects i guess i am) and public bathrooms hygiene does not seem the place for something as important as this

Great, now I know more about what you know:

• I'm so glad to hear you have your I:C ratio started, keep in mind it can change.
• Your not "given" the correction ratio, like all things D, I want to strongly urge you to take charge and utilize your Drs. and "diabetes nurses' " knowledge to figure it out. For example, establish your target mmol/L: ( these are just suggestions, please talk with your Drs. and nurse to create the proper targets for yourself. )
• 6 mmol/L for before and
• 10 mmol/L for after meals.
  
• When you find yourself high try a correction, let's say 1 unit of Nov/rapid for every 2 mmol/L points you are over target.
• Check bg every hour to see what that correction does. It's all experimentation. It is very helpful to log all "events". For example I log, every day every shot, every before/after bg reading, every meal in carbs. It can be a pain in the a^&, but you have to do it at the beginning to learn how your body reacts to the food you eat and the insulin you take. We can discuss the easiest ways to log. For ex. I have an iPhone, I use the app from this website. I'm going to assume you have an iPhone or you wouldn't be on this forum. GB is my main tool. I could not live without it.
• Remember - it's your health and YOU are in CHARGE. At 17, you have a long life ahead of you, one that will be healthy if you advocate for your diabetes management.
  
• It is wise to know how much carbs are in everything you eat. Again, not easy to figure, but it is possible.
• Every diabetic I know, estimates all carbs, everytime they eat.
• There are many books that will give you a complete view of the carbs. Now, they're not all exact but it's a good place to start so you are not "guessing in the dark".
• I use this book: http://amzn.to/b5pe6P
• There are many others.
• You need to always have sugar with you for hypos. I carry raisins with me at all times and use apple juice to correct at home.
• What ever you decide on, juice, glucose tablets - whatever.
• Use the same thing "sugar" to correct hypos everytime so you get to know it.
• Correct hypos with 15g of carbs at a time, if below 3mmol/L correct with 30g of carb.
• Check every 15 minutes until you are above 4 mmol/L
• ( these are rough approximates, based on your conversion of 1 mmol/L=18 mg/dl - my measurement unit. I haven't checked your math )
  I'm just using some safe numbers as suggestions. Please check on these numbers with your nurse or Dr. I would not wait to see them. I would advocate for yourself to learn all you can. I would also suggest strongly to buy the books I mentioned.
  
  You sound like you've learned a lot of the basics. Keep going, worry not about being a bother, and learn all you need to learn to take best care of yourself.
  
  As well, in public, if you don't like "doing the do" in front of the people you eat with, move to another part of the restaurant. Forget about what people are going to think. Bathrooms are not a good place to "do the do".
  
  You'll get it all down. It takes a while, but don't stop know and please see your health professionals if your numbers are consistently above 11 mmol/L. I'd like to see you keep it under 11 as a first goal. Eventually, you can shoot for targets that make the most sense for you.
  
  Let me know if I can be of any further service.
  
  Best,
  Josh

Hi I have had type1 diabetes for 31 years, I have had the insulin pump for nearly a year now, I do like it but find it hard sometimes, blood sugars a bit crazy at the moment, and feel very low any suggestions how to get back on track. Any advice appreciated, I live in Scotland

Hi dental, not really enough info from your side to make any great suggestions. I would suggest you go here:

http://connect.diabetes.org/forums/Forum3830-1.aspx

And post more details about what's going on with you. There are a lot of very experienced T1s on the above linked board, that will be a huge help and respond right away. You would have to detail things like:

• "...going crazy at the moment" means.
• What your pump regimen is like, what exactly is happening when
• What your I:C and correction ratios are,
• What has changed recently in your behaviour etc.

Though two general things do come to mind:

1. If you can get with your pump Dr. or Nurses and go over your regimen
2. Test more frequently, every hour if necessary, and back down how much insulin the pump is dispensing every hour.

I feel for you, I've been having a very difficult time lately, it really can make life difficult. Chin up - you'll get through it. Feel free to PM me or ask any other questions that might come to mind. I really suggest going to the ADA board, linked above. I've learned more there from experienced T1s than from my doctors/diabetic nurses here in the US.

I have the pump I was haveing problems just like yours and before I was on the pump I was on the pen but how ever the pump is alot better j am under control now and I am felling way better so

Wow just realized that I was going through the same thing... I have had diabetes for 3 years now and was going fine up until about a year ago. It has only been from today since I have seen my endocronologist and realized just how out of control it has been. I'm going to get back on track now and plan to keep everything under control so that I'm not effected by diabetes... I think my biggest problem has been alcohol which I have to make sure I handle appropriately. Does anyone have any good tips?

Hey Ophelia! I am also 17 and just got diagnosed with type 1 aswell in january. It sucks, like for me it just came out of nowhere. I pretty much ignored my symptoms until i got diagnosed. I am in the same boat as you, I feel like its getting harder, even though I have lots of support around. Don't lose hope! There are so many people that are willing to help.

Hi ophelia,
I was diagnosed at 12 and am now 27. My family still obsesses, theyre family so they always will. I went through what you are going trough. At first it was new and you were focused, now life has gone on and back to normal and youve probaby learned to fit diabetes into your normal routine. Once i did that i got comfy and actually made it not control my life so much so tjat i began forgettin to take my meds. I had to take a step back and say ok no you wont be healthy if you keep forgetting. It is hard at your age i remember juggling school, friends, boys, stress of college apps and all thay but you can only live a normal life if you take care of yourself each day. I am getting married in 4 months and am making sure i take extra special care of myself so that i will be able to have children. I had chose the pump at 15 but it wasnt right for me at that age so i went back to the pen but then a few years bacj at 23 i chose the pump again and have stayed on it ever since and it is great for me now. Try using an alarm on ur watch or cell phone. Set it to go off every few hours to remind you to check your sugar and that will help you stay in control because you will be seeing what it is and adjusting if need be. I hope this advice helps ive been there and totally know what youre feeling. Dont run your life around diabetes but by staying in good contr you wont let it take you ovet either. Good luck!

I've been diabetic for 7 years now I'm also 17 I know what you mean it does take a lot but you have to stay focused I haven't checked my blood auger in 8 months and now i have kidney problems just try to keep up with it I wish I would of

I got it when I was 9 and I was really good at keeping it under control until a month ago and I found away to keep it under control by getting tested three time a day it was essay to do that because I set three alarms to get tested at 9:00 11:00 and 2:00 and it helped me get back in control again

Hi my names Aaron and im 17 and have had type 1 diabetes since i was 2 years old. I was going well until about 2 months ago. My HBA1C is 12%. Im averaging around 21mmol/L. Any tips on how to get back on track?

Thanks.

Hi Aaron. It's amazing how many of us fall off track mate. I'm 34 and was diagnosed at 14. For the 1st 6 years I was well controlled....for the next 14 I was shocking! I hardly ever attended hospital appointments, I veryyy rarely checked my BG etc. The fact you realise that there is a problem is excellent - I NEVER realised! I'm assuming your from the UK? If so, I suggest visiting some UK forums where you'll find others of a similar age experiencing the same problems. Type "diabetes forum UK" into google - there are a couple in particular (the biggest ones) that I think you'll find useful. Good luck!!!

Hi all, im a newbie on this site.

I was diagnosed 15yrs ago with Type 1 when I was 7. Only found out I had it when I collapsed in a coma. Was only given a 50/50 chance of pulling thru. For the past few year I haven't really been taking care. A few weeks ago I was at the point were I couldn't care less about living. That changed last week when I was at work. I'm a 1st Aider and I got a call about a Diabetic who was having a serious Hypo. Ended up having to call an Ambulance. Really gave me a fright, all I could think on was that could have been me. I've seen that as a wake up call and have now started testing my blood around 8 times a day and I'm also going to start Carb Counting.

Sometimes you do just get sick of it but talk about it. I have 2 fantastic nurses that I can just drop in on in the mornings and talk about it and also my mum who has helped me alot.

Hi Ophelia- I've been a diabetic for 12 years. What may be happening is that your " honey moon" period is over. In the beginning the insulin is really effective cuz your body has been without it for awhile. Now your body has adjusted to it. You should talk to your doctor about it. You may need to change your doses.

hey your on the exact same insulin as me novorapid and lantus, im 20 n i was diagnosed with type1 when i was 12 for the fırst few years i was perfect at controlling suga levels and taking my insulin. my HbA1c were always comin up with perfect 6's but then when i hit the age of about 17 - 18 i started to 'get bored of it' and not care about myself as much as i shud have. Its the age where your hormones go crazy so you just have to keep up with the good work n not give up. but iv had times when ill feel really motivated to keep good control n then ill give up after a few days or weeks wateveer. but what im saying is that will always happen then one day ull really be motivated to keep in good control, but really we dont have a choice cos we have to do it to prevent future complications. iv recently been doing very detailed tests on myself and monitoring myself very closely and from research iv discovered a few things that really help control of the blood sugar so if you wana know more or just wana ask for advice take it from me someone whos not so old but knows what hes going on bout ;) my email is darren_izgi@hotmail.com wish you all the best of luck and health

What you are experiencing is not unusual. It happened to me also. It is often refered to as the "Honeymoon" period. When you first get T1 diabetes there may be a small percentage of your pancreas cells that are still producing some insulin. Eventually these cells die off. When they do the amount of insulin that kept you under control in the past will not be sufficient. You no doubt need to increase your insulin dosage ti an amount that keeps you under control. No amount if dieting or exercise will help if you are not taking enough insulin. Talk ti your doctor about this "Honeymoon" phenominon and get your insulin doseges adjusted accordingly.

Hey! I didn't understand everything they wrote either, and i got My diabetes 1998 :) But I'm from Sweden. Anyway, you Will have periods with high bs and periods with exellent bs, they wont have you in the hospital for that :) it's a tricky disease, and you wont allways know why youtube bs is high or low, But it gets vetter with time :)

I just found out I was type one and am 19. I understand crazy obsessive parents and am still in that stage where the advice is not seeming like advice it's more like badgering about my lifestyle and it does hurt to see how my condition seems to be affecting my family as well as my general life...

I have lived with diabetes 1 for 36 years. The secret has been keeping the diabetes under control. Do not worrie. You have the keys.

just did a quick read through but didn't see anyone mention depression or diabetes burnout.

these are very real things and I experienced both of them when I was diagnosed at 17 as well. I was great for the first few months, and then I went to college and spun wildly out of control and fell into a denial stage for many months following, landing me in the hospital again.

I did this many times for 3+ years before I was finally able to realize what I was doing to my body and my health.

bottom line, people can talk to you until they're blue in the face, but YOU have to be ready to take care of yourself. it's okay to have some days where you just don't want to deal with it - we all have those. but you have to just acknowledge it and move on. there's no such thing as a "bad" or "good" diabetic - they're just numbers on a meter. especially with T1s - we have the ability to have our blood sugars go from 30 to 300 within an hour! this stuff is hard! take a deep breath and realize that this is a lifelong thing - you don't have to learn everything overnight, take your time with it and take care of yourself when you're ready - nobody can do this but you.

Some Advice That I Think Might Help....A Lot
 

So you were diagnosed two years ago at age 17? I can definitely offer you some good advice due to the fact that I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 11, in 1970, 42 years ago.

The first thing that I will tell you is that throughout your lifetime, there will just simply be times that although it seems that you've done everything right, or as best as humanly possible, sometimes things just don't work, and you just have to ride it out. The good news is that there are so very many things available now that didn't exist when I was diagnosed that really will help you a lot. I am listing a few of them below:

The first thing that is available to you now, that was not when I was diagnosed in 1970 is the insulin pump. If you are on insulin injections, please, please, please consider going onto an insulin pump. It will make all of the difference in the world. I was on insulin injections for 29 years and could never get my A1C below 8.9. When I went onto an insulin pump, within 90 days, I had lowered my A1C from 8.9 to 5.7. This really is an absolute miracle. A couple of things to consider about a pump is that you really can eat just about anything that you want to eat whenever you want to eat it. You just have to have a basic idea of how much insulin to give yourself for what you are about to eat, but they do train you how to do that, and it really is pretty simple.

The next thing that is available now is what is called a Dexcom. The Dexcom is a continuous glucose monitoring system. It checks your bloodsugar every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day and shows you what your bloodsugar is, and what direction that it is moving all of the time. It really is a fantastic way of keeping your bloodsugar in check virtually all of the time.

The last bit of advice that I will offer you is to encourage you to check your bloodsugar at lot. I check my blood sugar 8 to 10 times a day, and it really is no big deal. It take me less than a minute, and I can be in a crowd of people and usually do it without anyone even noticing. The more you can stay on top of your bloodsugar, the better you will feel, and the better off you will be toward leading a very happy and productive life, despite having type 1 diabetes. I hope that you will find all of this information helpful. I can tell you that if you will do just the little things every day, like checking your blood sugar, and exercising a lot, and eating a healthy diet, you will be healthier than people who are not diabetic.

T1 has a honeymoon in the beginning where your insulin production picks up from injections then later dies from adding external insulin. I guess youre almost there.

Here are my tips:

1. IF intermittent fasting, used by bodybuilders, athletes and alike to burn bodyfat, build and retain muscles, stay sharp and focused and have better life quality. If you mention this to your doctor they will lock you up since youre a T1, but the fact is that it is the single most effective thing you can do to control your sugar.

Less bodyfat and more muscles means more insulin sensitivity = less insulin needed. The fasting itself will also improve sensitivity. Check out www.leangains.com which has a lot facts and tips. Fasting means abstinence from food but you should always ingest fluids. If you eat more than a teaspoon or two with milk your body goes into the fed state and starts storing energy and shuts down the fat burning process along with hormone secretion and the release of your natural "focus enhancing" chemicals. This may sound like crock but its really the opposite. Don't listen to your doctors when they say you should 5-6 times per day. They get their "info" from the pharmaceutical- and foodcompanies which are not your friends. The want make sure you need their shit!

You can consume all your calories in one sitting, easily. The biggest benefit of this is that when you break the fast (breakfast) your insulin sensitivity is the greatest and you will need less insulin to counter the carbs. Its also easier to control your sugar and have a healthy Hba1c if you concentrate your BG checks around this fed state.

I work with moving boxes and furniture up and down the stairs all day and im faster and stronger than all my work mates even though i break the fast after i come home from work. You can do i too.

2. Find and set your basal. Levemir has the most even curve of all basal insulin and i suggest you take it twice per day to overlap the imperfect effect curve. When you can hoover at 4-5 for 8hrs without adding bolus or carbs then youre pretty much there. Carbs store in muscles and the liver and the liver releases a slow steady stream of sugar to the brain and organs during the day and the basal is there to counter this. Think of your basal as a scale, on one side you have the sugar from the liver and on the other you have the basal. Its much better to be too low on BG cause if youre at 2,5-3 you can eat a minimal amount of sugar to bring you up to 4 again without breaking the fast whereas if youre to high and jab a splash of bolus you do break it.

3. Drink lots and lots of water. During the fast this is your only intake unless youre crashing. It will clean all the crap out of your system. I drink lots of tea as well, without milk and sugar of course. And stay the f*** away from artificial sweeteners. The are nasty and actually decreases your insulin sensitivity.

4. Lift weights. Free weights. And heavy. Women who train like men look like godesses.

5. No processed anything. Carbs, meat, veg, oil and such. Actually, if you CAN handle it, go vegan. The human body is tuned over millions of years to a raw vegan diet. Unless you think god made us a while back and made us for eating ben and jerrys, charred meat, coca cola and other equally tasty but nasty stuff!

6. Set alarms. 2x for basal (levemir) and 8 for checking BG. Check BG when you wake up, then have 3-4hr intervals during the fast. Then every 1,5-2hrs inthe fed state. stabilize your BG well before bedtime (no eating 2-3hrs prior shuteye) and be at 4-5. You have the same BG when you wake up when everything is tuned. This could take months depending on your dedication. You will fail, but f*** that, get up again. Do it again. Einstein said that and expert is considered someone who has made every mistake possible within a limited domain. That could be you.

7. Don't be scared of crashing. I have been under 2 a few times just to get used to the feeling. You never know when you might have stay positive and find sugar because youre dying. You could be on your own. Toughen up.

8. Set targets. Easy ones. Achieve them. Set new ones. Progress.

9. Reward/ disgust yourself. When youve hit a target, fast all day and buy exactly what youve been missing out on. Pig out. Leave nothing uneaten. Go to bed and feel that poison enter your system while you wish you hadnt just done that. Rethink. Set new goals. Tomorrow is a new day.

10. Stay positive. Lots of people are beating their T1 every day. You can too. Put up a note on your house that says "f*** you sugar!" That will motivate you.

Look up Dr. Richard Bernstein and the ketogenic diet. It has totally turned around my blood sugar. He has vids on YouTube and a couple books and info to read on several websites.

Wow girl I'm 18 and just got diagnosed this week! I understand that though bc I'm adjusting now and trying to be tough but I can imagine I'm gonna lose control soon. We just have to stay strong and look for the support from people who aren't gonna baby us and keep on going. We got this!

Hi Ophelia! I am also 17 and was just diagnosed last Monday! I know exactly what you're going threw. Some days are better than others but on certain days, I just want to crawl up in a ball and cry. I have been staying strong in front of my friends and family but deep down I'm hurting. Everybody tells me that it does get easier though :)

Look into chromium. omega 3. As well as potassium. N alpha lipionic acid supplements And I absolutely recommend you ride your doctor n make them adjust what needs adjusted

I can relate. In the beginning it's seems like a walk on the park, but truthfully it's not at all. Obsessive parents/family don't make it any easier. I know they only care but we need our space. I have had many issues even though my management has been a bit rocky at the moment, you have to have hope and strength to gain control as good management is so important! Much love x

Yes. I'm 16 and was diagnosed when I was eight, it was way easier In the beginning. I pretty much took control of it by myself when I turned 10 and it was good for about a month then I started having issues. After I started on my pump it was way easier. If you don't have one I would highly encourage you look into it. Your pretty early along so I would ask for some help, call your endo and discuss options. In time you will learn what works for your body and what doesn't. Best of luck!