Hi there!

Just found this forum and wanted to say "Hi" and introduce myself. I am a 28 year old male with type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago on 9/11/03. What a day to pick huh? My father died from  complications of diabetes when he was 27. He was type 1 since childhood. I was only 6 weeks old at the time. Obviously I was quite scared when I learned I had it. I was also a little shocked to learn I had diabetes at my age. I have since learned that age really has nothing to do with type 1.

I am happy to say that I am now living quite happily with my condition. I don't even think of myself as even having a disease, I'm just a little different. I am currently taking Humulog with each meal and Lantus at bedtime. My A1c's are averaging about 5.2 and my average blood sugar is about 110!!! I do miss some foods but my diet is pretty flexible.

My exercise routine is fun and I really enjoy the people I work out with. I have been training mixed martial arts for about two years now. I have also been competetively competing in sport submission grappling. I am a two time silver medalist in the Southwest Submission Grappling Challenge. I am also an avid disc golfer. It's a lot of fun and great exercise too. How many times can you say you walked 4 miles and had fun doing it?

Well, there's a little about me. I'd love to hear from you guys and get to know you. I only know one other person with type 1.

[JDRF-Team-SS]

Hello huckypuck,
I am one of the volunteers here.  I am not a medical professional...I am a mother of a child who has type 1 diabetes.  My son was diagnosed 6-1/2 yrs. ago at the age of 3.  My sister, like you, was diagnosed as an adult.  She has type 1, as well and was diagnosed 8 yrs. ago at the age of 24.  

My sis is on the same insulin as you are...humalog for corrections and to cover food, as well as lantus at bedtime.

My son just started on the insulin pump a little over 2 months ago.  We really like it!

I am glad that you stumbled upon our forum.  This is a great place to come if you have a particular situation going on pertaining to diabetes and you want some input.  Some of our volunteers are people who are living with diabetes and others are like me...possibly a mother of a child living with diabetes or a child who is now an adult or they have another family member who has diabetes.

I welcome you to this wonderful forum and applaud you for the great care you are taking of yourself and that you are on a regular exercise routine.  

I am sorry about your father.  My husband's father was also living with type 1 diabetes and passed away in his 30's.  According to my husband, he did not take very good care of himself.  (this was his particular situation....I am not saying this is the case for your father or anyone else)

Please come back and feel free to ask questions and / or make comments on other postings:)

Take care!!

[Markie]

Sounds like you have your condition under really good control. Keep up the good work! I have had T1 since I was 20 (I am now 47). My control has been generally good and I don't have any complications. But my HBA1c started creeping up a few years ago. I don't know of age and/or time being a diabetic has anything to do with it.

I started taking action when the HBA1c reached 8.8 and an eye exam revealed the first microaneurism. By switching to from NPH to Lantus (which I use with Novolog), starting a regular exercise program, and reducing carbohydrates in my diet, I have got the HBA1c down to 6.2. My objective is to get it down to 5.5.

I have 27 years of being T1 behind me. And I am highly motivated to maintain excellent control by the desire to avoid complications and leave a normal life for at least the next 27 years.

Cheers,

Mark

[vprrchk]

P.S.  I am sorry about your father.  My father also died from complications of his diabetes.  He was diagnosed when he was 3 years old, and passed away 4 years ago, at the age of 46.

[vprrchk]

Hi!

I am 20 and I have had T1 for just one month shy of 10 years now.  I actually got hospitalized and diagnosed with T1 on December 21.  The girl next to me was biting her breathing tube every 2 minutes to set off the alarm, so basically that was the most incredibly longest night I have ever experienced in my life, lol.  My first 9 years were hard, but now that I've gotten out of the puberty stage, it looks like smooth sailing (for now at least).  I was started on an insulin pump 2 1/2 years ago because my endocrinologist said I was a "challenge" and I needed to be on it.  Actually, every doctor I have seen has said I am a "challenge," it's fun!  My recent HA1c was 6.2.  For the past year my HA1cs have been around 7.0, but prior to that (when I didn't care and when hormones were ruining it) I was running 9.0-10.0.  Bad, I know.  Anyway, welcome to the site!  And thanks for making a board like this, now all of us T1ers can see what everyone else has been through.  
~vprrchk

[Huckypuck]

Vprrchk, my condolences. I lost my mother to cancer when I was 15 so I know what it feels like to lose a parent while you're a teen. You guys are super tough! I can't imagine dealing with T1 as a teen. Prolly have to grow up fast huh. Glad to see you have gotten your numbers down. Keep up the good work.

[Huckypuck]

Hey Helen. Nice to meet you. Good to hear you've kicked the gak. I had many friends that were cranksters. I was more of a pothead, just liked sleep to much :  ) I've kicked the weed and cigarettes but still love my beer. Having kids will sure change your life. I have a 16 month old little girl and wouldn't know what to do without her. Sounds like you have pretty good control. I have never heard of anyone maintaining without daily testing. More power to ya.

The first day I noticed "the thirst" was the day my daughter was born. We were at the hospital from 3AM to 8PM before she was born. I just couldn't drink enough water! I went on for several weeks drinking like crazy, still being thirsty, and going to the bathroom every 30 minutes. I started to get VERY weak. I had lost 50lbs in about two months and couldn't do the simplest of things without getting tired. Imagine trying to wrestle! I was getting owned in practice. I suffered for two months before I finally figured it out. When my GP finally checked my sugar it was like 500. Then he started me off on Metformin and just about poisened me. I was bedridden for about a week before my mother-in-law stormed into the Diabetes center and demanded they see me. It took an endo about five minutes to figure out I was type 1. They gave me some insulin and I felt 100% in about two hours.

[Degenersly]

Hey everybody!
My name's Helen and I am 22 years old and have been a type 1 diabetic for about 13 years.  I found out I was diabetic the day after thanksgiving.  What a day! I still remember drinking 2 gallons of milk, a gallon of apple cider, a gallon of orange juice and who knows how much water that thanksgiving! Jeez, how time flys.  I'm starting to get more scared since I've been getting older.  I have a two year old daughter who has changed my life from five years of meth (tweek) to being Mrs. Mommy, who would've thought! I have experienced a lot in my few years with this disease.  I am still quite the rebel towards this disease but I do try to organize myself once in a while.  I know that I have more to live for than myself now but yet I still manage my diabetes with no testing but rather by feeling what my bloodsugar is at.  And for all of you that don't believe that's possible, talk to my doctor! I have a A1C of 6.5, so there! :) Anyway, I look forward to yapping my mouth to all of you soon.  Thanks for listening to my whining! :)

[Mr_Gatorade]

Hi Huckypuck.  Super nice to hear from you!!!

My name's Adam.  I've been Type 1 DM'er for a dozen years now.  Like you, I got DKA as an adult--age 31 and a half.  That was a dozen years ago.  I have been running for 27 years, 3 times a week, an hour at a time.  

Nice job on your very excellent A1c!  Way to go!  Keep up the good work, and you'll never have the complications of diabetes.

My A1c this summer was 6.3.  That was a wakeup call for me to attain better glycemic control.  I like to keep it not greater than about 5.  In September, I learned some new things and adopted some new practices into my life to better my glycemic control.

I am on the same regimen as you, bedtime Lantus and Humalog to cover carbohydrates consumed.

What is disc golfing?  I started enjoying a form of social running last year.  It's called hashing.  I gotta tell you, that was the first time I ever had fun running--apart from the "runner's high" that you get after an hour of hard running.  We go out weekly in a mixed group and spend an hour and a half to two hours running.

I don't really know any other Type 1's either.  So perhaps I will get to know you.  I hope so.

Later,
Adam

[Huckypuck]

Hey Adam, nice to meet you. Disc golf is played like regular golf except with special frisbees. They are a bit different than your normal frisbees. These things are much heavier and can go up to 100yds or more if thrown correctly. You also have driver discs, mid range discs, and putters too. Instead of holes you try to get your frisbee into these metal or plastic baskets with chains on them. You keep score exactly like regular golf (birdie, par, bogey). There are many city parks with these disc golf courses in them. You can find a lot of information on the net about it.