Type 1 diabetes?

[JENILU]

I am really curious. Are there any other type 1 diabteics on here- and have you been successful with the whole bloodsugars/diet/fitness/weight combo? i need personal heklp in these areas. Just a side note that I also have thyroid disease and lung/stamina problems. I want to hear in this thread about success- especially with the diabetes and exercise- but would like somebody to PM me or e-mail me if they have had success with certain types/times of eating-exercise and certain types of diet. i hope I'm making sense. I have been having a horrible time with my blood sugars due to stress. I have to do a lot of self care becouse I have to use a gov't hospital and can't see them regularly.
i just want to hear anything abouthow you deal, handle it, succeed, etc...

Thankyou!!
Jen

[KathAL79]

Jen, if you haven't come across this before, here is a thread celebrating the amazing accomplishments of one of our members with type 1 diabetes. Hope that inspires you while you're waiting to hear from others.

[JENILU]

Thankyou so much!! I was beginning to wonder if there were any others on here.

[pumptmuscle]

I don't happen to have it myself but diabetes runs in both sides of my family. My mother was one of five children and my father one of four. Everyone on my father's side has/had it and he was the last to get it (type 2) when he was 65 (he'll be 78 on the 17th). His only surviving sibling's 4 children all have it (either type 1 or 2). His only son almost died when he was around 15 because they didn't know he had it. I believe it was severe cardiac shock that hospitalized him for weeks but he turned out fine (he has a severe case of type 1).

On my mother's side, her eldest sister died from complications due to diabetes and she had type one. Her younger sister had type 2 and went blind about 4 or 5 years before she died in 2003. Fortunately, my mom is the only one on either side of my family who has completely normal blood sugar (her only surviving brother is borderline). It's kind of ironic because my mother loves sugary food but she's perfectly fine.

Both my mother and father's youngest sibling, both women, died when they were around 60 or 61. They both tended to cheat with their diets and were the first to die in their respective families from it. Neither exercised and, as is common for diabetics, had difficulty keeping their weight down. Excluding my mother's brother who died of a heart attack at 58, my two aunts mentioned above were the youngest to die in their respective families and they passed at least 10 years before their diabetic siblings did. Nobody can say for sure but if they regulated their diabetes more properly, things may have turned out differently for them.

It's such a debilitating illness and it's really affected so many of my relatives. If it helps, in some ways, my father learning (contracting?) diabetes when he did was a bit of a blessing in disguise. He began seeing a nutritionist and he began exercising for the first time in decades. He lost a lot of weight and felt much better (my mother is very good at fixing him safe, healthy meals he likes so that helps a lot). It shows that, by regulating it as best you can, you go a long way in reducing it's effects. Exercise and proper diet are vital in how well a diabetic does with coping with it and allowing them to live as long of a healthy life as possible.

[JENILU]

I have been trying to incorporate more exercise over the last several years- one of those 2 steps forward, one step back kinda things. But i am slowly getting it. I am having a lot of trouble with the eating though and my blood sugars are staying all over the place- but critically high at times (400-600). i have no family whatsoever with diabEtes. Some of them have the thyroid problems, but thats it. Mine seems to be an autoimmune thing? Anyways, thankyou for telling me about your family- your fathers improvements are very encouraging for me.

[pumptmuscle]

My pleasure Jenilu and hang in there. You can have a long, healthy life as a diabetic. The key is to do what you need to do and understand you have a lot of help. My father's also been a smoker for at least 50 years and he also has a heart condition that's prevented him from exercising for several years. He's still going strong at almost 78 despite his multiple health conditions.

I definitely hope he (and others) can help inspire you. Know that exercising is doing you so much good in more ways than one.

[JENILU]

I thankfully quit smoking about 3 years ago- still want one tho!
Sometimes it seems like I work so hard at it for nothing- and the diabetes and thyroid stuff seem to fight each other, and I have to come here and vent or get some support for whatever reason- I am so thankful to be able to do that.
That is amazing that he is still kicking at 78 with those challenges!!!! I rarely ever hear good news like that!!

[Susan G.]

Can I put in a mention here for the wonderful breakthrough that could benefit those who were diagnosed with type I before six months of age. Researchers have found a small population to have monogenic diabetes, which actually can be treated with pills. One of the first recipients of this treatment is my second cousin Lilly Jaffe.

The screening is easy (they just need saliva) and U of Chicago has successfully treated adults as well as children, if they are candidates.

http://www.monogenicdiabetes.org/who-should-be-tested

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...starts-insulin

[RedPanda]

Originally Posted by JENILU

I thankfully quit smoking about 3 years ago- still want one tho!

Hang in there. I quit smoking when I was 25 and it took me five years to stop craving them. The cravings should ease off eventually.

[JENILU]

Originally Posted by Susan G.

Can I put in a mention here for the wonderful breakthrough that could benefit those who were diagnosed with type I before six months of age. Researchers have found a small population to have monogenic diabetes, which actually can be treated with pills. One of the first recipients of this treatment is my second cousin Lilly Jaffe.

The screening is easy (they just need saliva) and U of Chicago has successfully treated adults as well as children, if they are candidates.

http://www.monogenicdiabetes.org/who-should-be-tested

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...starts-insulin

That is wonderful!! i was diagnosed at 12, so I don't think I qualify, but thats a blessing for those who do!!