Newly Diabetic (Type 1)

Wow, that’s a lot to deal with. I understand why she’s overwhelmed. It gets better with practice, but it’s never easy. I am a longtime type 1 and even after over 20 years I get frustrated at times. When I first got diagnosed I started having panic attacks. I sought treatment and they went away. I’ll provide a few suggestions that might help.

Foster a good working relationship with an Endocrinologist and Certified Diabetes Educator. Contact by email is crucial if you need help between visits. A nutritionist is also helpful.

Wear a CGM and when comfortable transition to an insulin pump. It’ll do a lot of the work for you.

Join online diabetes communities. And attend online and in person conferences. Check out website TCOYD. It’s led by 2 endos who are type 1. They offer much info, videos, support, entertainment and humor. Their annual conference is in August if she’s near San Diego. Being around others who share is invaluable. These people are incredible. Check out their music videos!

Always keep a sugar source nearby. Check for ketones if blood sugar is unusually high. Don’t let others discourage you with negative stories about diabetes.

Good luck to your sister. Please post how she’s doing.

@celia16 Thank you for your kind and supportive thoughts and suggestions. They are much appreciated, and I will both look into them for my own understanding, then pass them on to my sister. This diagnosis was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back for her and only added to her deep depression and high anxiety levels. Thankfully, she lives with her husband, who's been an incredible caregiver and support, but he's also human. My siblings and I are trying to help support from the outside, which is why I reached out here. I am trying to get my sister to learn to live with diabetes, as opposed to it being more of a hopeless/death-sentence kind of thing for her. Unfortunately, so many I know have diabetes, but on the positive side, they are managing it successfully, as they continue to live their lives to the fullest. Again, my heartfelt thanks to you!

Hi, That is a double whammy your sister is hit with. Good she has support from her family. I test as pre=diabetic and am wanting to avoid diabetes. I read alot about it. I came across this book in particular that is very good written by a Type 1 diabetic. Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars. Another good book, I think, Is Blood Sugar 101: What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes
by Jenny Ruhl . Her book is online. What I have learned is when you eat a carb always eat some fat or protein with it. And eat small meals and space them. Good luck.

@vjs003 thank you for your response and suggestions. i will look into the books you mentioned, since i've been doing my own independent research on reputable sites, such as the ADA (Amer Diabetes Assoc), etc. i'm 70 and just this year my A1C was just beyond the high of normal range, so now i'm considered "pre-diabetic" as well. Diabetes runs in my family, largely on my Dad's side (him, his brother, his mother were full blown diabetics and insulin dependent). my other sibs are also in that pre-diabetic category, so no surprise. since my change (and prior to my sister's cancer diagnosis, and subsequent diabetes), i've been committed to staying where i'm at. my doctor encouraged me to pay attention to the carbs and sugars, and keep up on the exercising. weight is no factor for me, as i'm trim and active. anyway, my sister's condition has spurred me even further to better educate myself and try to help her too.

Hello mizzdeb48 ,I am a little older and when I had a stent put in my heart artery 2 years
ago I went on a low dose of Crestor and low dose of Metoprolol. Both these
medicines increase the odds of getting diabetes, especially if
prediabetic. Medicare will pay for A1c testing twice a year if
prediabetic. It is frustrating because eating for the heart and eating for
diabetes, the diets are complete opposite. It is hard to find middle
ground. This is a good book for someone who is insulin dependent - Think
Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin
By Gary Scheiner and Gary Scheiner MS CDCES. Thrift books sells it as well as Amazon.
I snack on alot of different nuts. I don't eat bread, or noodles, or rice, or cakes, or cookies, or pies.
A lotof veggies. Fish I eat and chicken I will eat once in a while. Eggs, yogurt
and cottage cheese are good. Meat is not. Some plant based protein powders
to get protein. If I eat too much I don't feel well. Meals stay small. It
definitely is an adjustment. And google only reliable websites. Best to us
both, and your sister,too, yes.

erased the duplicate

I've been reading people's responses to your sister's situation.
Dhe definitely needs to find a strong endocrinologist ... will help you navigate type 1 diabetes
you'll need to get an insulin pump to help deal with the blood sugar swings as she eats.
I think she'll need to get a Dexcom system to read her blood sugar movements every 5 minutes to her phone.
This will help sensitize her to the impact of the different foods she eats & the impact on her blood sugars. It is a life saver ... helps you feel more in control.
I would suggest her to get a physical therapist & exercise program (start out slow and strengthen it over time).
I recommend getting a food-service program for diabetes for Monday thru Friday & get a feel for the types of food you can eat & the portion size. They aren't too expensive & they'll ease you into a daily mode.
I would take away all of the anxiety & move forward with her life. I think Diabetes is a curve ball especially being type 1 diabetic. My endricinologist calls me a type 1.5 diabetic (my body kills some of the insulin my body manufactures. I have a compromised immune system.
Best of luck to your sister. She shouldn't focus on the evils of diabetes; she needs to start taking control of the things she can control.

@davidyapp Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. This is so new right now, and she's heard of some of the things you've mentioned, like the Dexcom system, which she will be looking into. While she's always been one to exercise, she's limited right now because of the after effects of 20 aggressive chemo treatments. As those ease, she'll get back to doing more exercise. What makes her situation particularly difficult is her level of anxiety since she's bi-polar, and has been in a state of deep depression (under psychiatric care) since her cancer diagnosis last November. In her case, the struggle is real. Mental illness such as hers is a chemical imbalance that is out of her control. Sadly, it's been a collision course with everything happening at once. I'm encouraging her as you said, to do the things she CAN control.

@vjs003 Wow...your situation definitely presents more challenges, with trying to follow two very different food guidelines. I appreciate the book recommendation and will check it out on Amazon. I totally agree with you on reliable websites. Too much mis-information out there. Plus, one size doesn't fit all! Good luck to you in your journey with this, and thank you again for your response!

@mizzdeb48 Hi, Thank you much for your well wishes. The same for you and your sister. ( A good website, if you have not already found it, is drugs. com, which has an interaction checker for medicines, good to ask the pharmacists also what can and cannot be taken with the medicines. )