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Avatar universal

type 1 ?

hi, my name is Sara and i'm only 20 yrs old and i've been recently diagnosed with diabetes. i was just wondering if i was type 1 or type 2. when i first found out my blood sugar level was 485.  now it's a little bit lower cuz i'm just eating greens.  so, i heard from my doctor that i will most likely be type 1 because i'm not overweight and plus i'm young.  i just wanted more information on who is most likely to have type 1.

can u also give me some recommendations on which diabetes books i should get. and for starters which cook book is good, i never tried cooking before so by just looking at the reciepes i don't know how edible my food is going to be.

and one more question, i'm going to live on my own starting december something. i'm actually transferring to berkeley as a art history and art practice major. so, i was wondering how severe it is for a diabetic to stay up all night, u know for studying. will it dramatically raise my sugar level if i go all nighters like 3 or 4 days in a row?

well, thank u for ur time and i hope to hear from u soon. :)

  





















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Avatar universal
Hey Dalki.  I'm 26 and was also recently diagnosed w/type 1, after going to the Dr. for a totally unrelated check up, my B.S. was at 400+.   Anywho, it's definitely weird to think about having diabetes at first, but after a while it's really all good.  Having Type 1 isn't as much of a pain in the @ss as I thought it would be.  Like someone said above, you can eat whatever you want as long as you're doing some good carb counting and you're using enough fast-acting insulin to keep your B.S. down.   With some time, it will be like second nature. Good luck and keep us updated  :)
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Avatar universal
I want to start off by saying that i have had type 1 diabetes for  7 years. When I was first diagonsed no one ever came out and told me what type I was for 3 days. Since i was only 11 it didnt really affect me but i know my parents were kind of frustrated until they finally asked and they said  "1" of course sorry no one told you we just assumed you knew.

I might just start off by asking your Doc!

Also as far as books there is one that is geared more for type 1 but it is kind of a little kids book but it is plain and simple and not hard to understand at all.

it is called "Taking diabetes to School" by Barbara Mitchell. I typed the title in as a search engine and got lots of places where you can buy it. Just a suggestion!!

Hope this helps
Pumpgirl03
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Avatar universal
Hi Dalki,
Yes, in time your doctor will likely know for sure which type of diabetes you have.  In addition to Type 1 and Type 2, there seems to be a type 1.5 ... tho' there's some thought that 1.5s are just in the early stages of Type 1.  We DMers (folks with diabetes mellitis) and our docs often call that a honeymoon phase.

I hope you're feeling better now that your bloodsugar has begun to come down.  Things may remain volatile for a while, so try to be patient with yourself.

Do you have an endocrinologist or are you currently working with a General practitioner.  I'm not a medical doctor, but I highly recommend that you get a referral to an endocrinologist or diabetologist -- both of whom are medical doctors specializing in the care of folks like us.  In addition, it'd be great to work with a CDE (certified diabetes educator).  Those folks are well-steeped in the food, nutrition, insulin- covering practices and a good one will help you plan a healthy college lifestyle.

I hope someone else posts with a good cookbook recommendation, because I don't have any specifically for diabetics.  I use regular ones and, as you will over time, I've learned to use them for ideas & to adjust ingredients as needed to be more DM-friendly.

Are you doing plenty of finger-sticks on a regular basis.  While it's not the most pleasant thing to do, those readings are our key to managing & balancing our blood sugars.  I was in college before there were home finger-sticks available (!! hard to believe, 'eh?!) but pullin' all nighters isn't the best thing for DMers ... or even nonDMers.  I'd encourage you to plan a course schedule that allows you to ease into your home life without extraordinary stress.  You're young .. and probably eager to finish this stage of your education ... but I'd encoruage you to pace yourself.  College is a marathon, not a sprint ;-)  (I'm a college prof now)

Your field of study sounds very interesting! and I wish you continuing success.  I'm sure you'll hear from others on some of your specific questions, too.  Hope you'll check in again to see 'em.
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Avatar universal
Well, From what i know, Most people get type 1 if they are under the age of 30. Type 2 is mainly gotten if your 30 and above, and overweight(tho not always)

your doctor should of told you if your type 1 or type 2, lol, but if he didnt here is one big difference

Are you taking inslin? if so, your type 1, if not, your most likley type 2.

As for books, I cant name any specific one's, but the hospitals usually sell some good books. :)

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Avatar universal
Well - when I was diagnosed, my sugars were in the upper 600s (reason they rushed right from the doctor's office to the hospital) .... the name Juvenile Diabetes is deceptive, since I didn't fall in the 20-something range.  For 2 weeks the jury was out on me being Type 1 or Type 2 .... I was really hoping to be a Type 2 so I could avoid injections but after my tests came back, I was a Type 1.  C'est la vie.  Making insulin - but not enough.  I guess I'm one of those 1.5s enjoying a honeymoon phase right now which I hope never ends.

I've found for me, that all-nighters or "late night to wee hours in the morning" parties are usually not possible in my life anymore.  Around midnight, 2 hours after my last shot of the day which is a long-acting Lantus insulin injection, I start to get tired even when my sugars are in my normal 90-110 range.  The only people who I know who have successfully been able to do the all-nighter, 2 to 3 in a row thing without getting sick or complications are those who are on the insulin pumps.  They have better control.

As far as cooking - you can still basically eat what you normally have always eaten - except for the super sugary things and you have to do it in moderation.  Learn how to count carbs as soon as possible - I never paid much attention to the nutrition info on the food packages, now that's the first thing I look for.  I eat regular meals that aren't anything special or required a special cookbook or ingrediants.  

I've found most of the ADA cookbooks or Diabetes cookbooks found on Amazon.com to be kinda un-appetizing (I guess some people will eat almost anything) .... and a wee overpriced by the ADA.  However - get the book "Calories, Fats and Carbohydrates" by Allan Borushek.  It's a big help in restraunts when you kind of have to guess at what you're getting.  Substitute sugar for Splenda, go for 2% milk, DIET RITE soft drinks (Diet Dr. Pepper tastes good) .....

Important thing to remember - just because it's sugar free doesn't mean it's fat free, low sodium, or vice versa.  When they take out one thing, they usually use another bad thing for us to fill it with.  If the product is over 15 carbs - it has to be counted in your meals - that's life.

Be sure to sit down with a Dietician to talk about meals and Exchanges.  Like I said - you can eat what you probably have always ate, just with a little more care.
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Avatar universal
Hi Sara!  Looks like the comments posted have probably answered most of your questions concerning thetype of diabetes you have.  An important thing to remember is to ASK questions of your endocrinologist ~ make sure you leave the dr.'s office fully understanding  what they've instructed you to do or not do.  Don't be afraid to tell them you don't understand something ~ they'd much rather (hopefully!) take the little extra time to explain something to you face to face than try to explain it to  you in a phone conversation later.

As to your cookbook questions, Tony Almeida is right, you can eat pretty much anything, as long as you know or can guess its carb content.  So, do you need to buy a cookbook specifically for diabetics, NO!  Look for a cookbook, though, that includes the dietary content for all their recipes.   There are various websites where you can type in recipes where the dietary information isn't known or available, and they will compute that for you.  Two good ones are:  www.nutritiondata.com and www.calorieking.com     At these sites you can put in family recipes and know how to offset them with your insulin dose.

Hope all this helps .  .  .  and that you'll come back to the site and let us know how you're doing!
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