Pancreas Reactivation... possible??

[Globus-Prime]

Greetings all,
My name's Alexei, I'm 16.5 years old and was diagnosed about a month and a half ago, last night I had over-indulged in more carbs that I should've do to the fact that was stoned(something i regret i'm afraid). Anyways please dont leave this posting just because of that. After i ate this food at which time i was supposed to take 7 units of rapid acting insulin, i did not. About an hour later when my blood sugar should have been fairly high due to the fact that I hadn't taken my insulin, I checked my blood sugar and it was 5.0. Which is pretty good considering i hadn't taken any insulin at all and was eating a fair ammount of carbs. Is there such thing as pancreas reactivation??? Or does this normally happen. PLEASE RESPOND SOMEONE. Thankyou and good day

[shanil]

Myself madhav 28 yers ols last week came to know i am person with diabetic and pls advice any solution to reactivate Pancreas or any treatment for that?

[JDRF-Team-gg]

Alexei,
I am glad that I could help.  It is very important that your diabetes care is followed by an endocrinologist as they specialize in diabetes and they can determine which type you have with a blood test.  Please make an appointment with him/her to discuss what we have talked about this week-end.  Good luck kiddo!

[JDRF-Team-gg]

Alexei,
I am not quite sure what your question is.  There are definite differences between type 1 diabetes and type 2.  You can't be "probably" either of them.  You are either type 1 or type 2.  You need to speak with your endocrinologist and find out which one you are.  With type 1, your pancreas (once over the honeymoon phase that I spoke of earlier) stops producing insulin completely and you need to provide your body with insulin either by injection or the insulin pump.  With type 2, your body cannot use the insulin that your pancreas produces efficiently enough, and you need medications to boost it's effectivness.  It is very important, no matter which type you have, to take good care of your body and live a healthy lifestyle as stated in my original answer.  
If you find that you have type 1 diabetes, I'd like to suggest that you visit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) web page @ www.jdrf.org.  They have a specific section that deals with newly diagnosed patients such as yourself.  I am sure that you will find excellent information there that can help you in educating yourself about diabetes.  I remember feeling that our lives would never be normal again after Hannah was diagnosed, but after educating myself about diabetes, I realized that we would be OK and that we just had a new "normal", and a more healthy life with diabetes.  Good luck to you!

[Globus-Prime]

I'll check that site out. I'd like to thank you very much, you've been a real help, i'm more informed than i was before. The doctors told me it could take a year to determine what type of diabetes I have. Is this not correct??

[Globus-Prime]

Hmmm, the Doctors told me like 3 weeks after i started on insulin and my numbers were kind of high, that they expected my pancreas to be helping me out more, but it wasnt. My father was talking to someone with diabetes that lives down the street. He has type 2, and the doctors tell me i probably have type 2, we are both on insulin, but he chooses to do it because he has more freedom with the meals he eats. What do you suggest??

[JDRF-Team-gg]

Hi Alexei!  What a beautiful name!  I want to start off by explaining the reasons why your blood sugar may have been within a normal range despite not taking your insulin last night.  What you are experiencing is called the "honeymoon phase".  For a short period of time after diagnosis, the insulin-producing beta cells in your pancreas may still be functioning.  I would say that you were very, very lucky last night that you didn't have a serious problem.  I am glad to see that you realize that getting stoned wasn't such a good idea.  Your blood glucose readings will be affected by drugs or alcohol and can produce short term spiking of your blood sugars and if you inject to cover the high reading, you can bottom out and go into convultions if you get too low.    
     As a mom of a beautiful girl named Hannah who has had diabetes for the last 14 years of her life (she is your age now), I can't let the rest of your e-mail go without giving you some "motherly" advice.  Hannah has learned about the importance of living a lifestyle that will give her the best possible chance of warding off the horrible complications of this disease.  This lifestyle includes good eating habits, plenty of exercise and staying away from alcohol and drugs.  All of these together help you maintain good blood glucose control, which is the key in remaining complication free.  Do your friends understand what you're going through?  Maybe if they knew what could happen to you, they would support your effort to have a good time without smoking or drinking.  Please speak to your endocrinologist or pediatrician openly about getting help. I hope that I have helped you and I wish you the very best in your effort to live a healthy life.  Please keep us posted on how you're doing.