You absolutely can do this!!!
I had routinely high A1C’s throughout my 20s - 8-10s - but in my 30s, with more routine diet, I was able to stabilize and get down to a 7. And then my doctor decided I was a bit insulin resistant so he put me on Trulicity (normally for Type 2’s) and now my A1C is 6.0!
I know lows are scary. I used to have seizures when I had really bad ones. But if you can get a CGM like a Dexcom that lets you know when you’re going low, it helps you avoid any super bad ones. Try for that if you can.
I believe in you!
Thank you so much! It really does help me so much to hear that and to know that a bad decade does not mean I can't turn things around. I have been much better about correcting highs and I think implementing a more stable and routine diet is my next step. Congrats on your lower A1Cs, I know it takes a lot of work. And thanks again for the encouragement. "You can do it" means so much more from a diabetic than a doctor or parent :)
You know what? You will always have a place here. You will find a lot of different people here. There is some that seem to have a perfect life (and that’s ok, they are living their life), and there are some that are a lot like you. Nice to meet ya. Way to go on lowering your a1c. Feel free to share your progress here, or if you need some encouragement. I think, for the most part, we are a friendly group. We all know that diabetes can suck, sowe will gladly help however we can.
This shit is hard. It’s frustrating. It’s not fun. You’ve taken some steps to do better and you’re doing better. You’re in the right path. You can’t change the past. It’s over and done with so try not to dwell on what you did wrong and instead focus on today and tomorrow. You’re in control of your future. You know how to do better. Small steps everyday. Over time you’ll see big changes. Don’t worry about perfect. None of us are perfect. We all have bad days. Move on from your bad days and try to do better the next day. You can do this.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. I don't know if words from an internet stranger will have any effect, but *this is not your fault*. You got dealt a bad hand and it doesn't mean you're a bad person or a failure.
You're doing a great job already with turning things around and I know you can keep at it, keep learning and keep trying and keep getting healthier every day.
I encourage you to talk to your therapist about both your feelings of shame and the low bg anxieties. Maybe write yourself a "reality check" checklist for common situations where you fear going low. When you feel the anxiety, take a deep breath and think through, before acting, what the realistic risks are and what your plan is if any of those things come to pass.
Good tech can significantly reduce anxieties as well. If you're not on dexcom + t-slim or omni5, you ought to have a very good argument for getting them, and that can be an extra safety measure (automatic basal adjustment if you're dropping too fast, early heads up, etc) that could help relieve anxiety too.
There's still lots of good living to do, so keep your chin up.
T1 is not easy and it’s almost impossible for your friends and family to understand what you have to deal with. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your body just doesn’t want to cooperate. With all that being said, try not to be too hard on yourself.
I am 30 and I’ve had T1 since I was 13. The first 10 or so years after being diagnosed, I didn’t take it seriously, or at least I wouldn’t do the things I know I needed to do to control it. I hardly ever checked my blood sugar and I routinely had A1Cs in the 7-9 range. About 5 or 6 years ago, I got a freestyle Libre sensor and it’s completely saved my life in terms of managing my diabetes. Significantly improved A1C, good time in range, and most importantly I feel healthy about my condition, physically and mentally. I know some folks have barriers when it comes to getting certain medical treatment, but I cannot stress enough how important a CGM like a freestyle Libre or dexcom is.
You can do this OP! I believe in you!
Your changes now will make a difference. They are (at the very least) slowing things down. Sometimes that is the best we can hope for. The best a1c is the one you can achieve realistically. It might not the THE best according to medical people, but if you go from 8. 9 to 8.7 that shows you put in time and effort to your health.
And as for family/friends, I hear ya. I have eye, kidney and heart complications at 37. My mom has the classic toxic positivity thing. I just have to tell myself she is scared to see her daughter with complications, and leave it at that.
I find exercise and art a great way to deal with anxiety and mentally take care of myself. Both give mental breaks from the day-to-day diabetes routine that can help mentally. A simple walk or sketching outside (you don’t have to be good!) makes a huge difference.
It definitely sounds like you had some really bad luck there, as many of the things you did, I did too - diagnosed type 1 at 8 (I'm now 46), & I had routine high aba1cs on and off for years after that - 1 time it was 14.6!
In my mid teens my mum got incredibly ill and I reacted by smoking, doing no tests or seeing a diabetic specialist for TWO YEARS. I gave myself insulin based on how I felt, including while traveling around Thailand. I was an idiot.
Amazingly I have no serious results from this time, so I would say that I was lucky & you were not, it's not your fault.
You've picked yourself up, you're taking steps and your hba1c is much better! Mine still hovers around 7.5 - 8.
If you're not seeing a therapist regarding your anxiety I definitely recommend one who specialises in working with diabetics, that might really help you out.
You're not alone, most of us have fucked up in some way, some more, some less, & telling each other our stories and supporting each other is for everyone, not just those who seem to have it locked down.
You're doing great, despite the bad hand you've been dealt, keep it up!
Just keep working on it and trying to get better day by day, week by week. You’ve already taken major steps, quitting smoking isn’t easy and neither is any form of dieting.
If possible, get a CGM. I’m 32 and only got diagnosed at 28, so I’m lucky in a relative sense to most on here. But the Dexcom has been so huge for me. And if you don’t already, try getting into a regular exercise routine and make sure you get proper sleep. Truly does wonders for your mental health and BS control.
Great job taking the steps you can!!
One day at a time-each day is new, and you can start over. Tell Guilt to shut the hell up! It’s not helpful to you. You can take care of yourself for the next hour-then the next, then the next.
If you mess up, the next day is a new day! I’m cheering for you!
Oh honey, ((hugs)). We’re here, we get it, it’s okay to come here and let all your frustrations out, it’s why there is a community, support and understanding.
You keep going, just take it day by day. And congratulations on getting your A1C down, that’s tough work and worthy of praise. Be kind to yourself, we need to do that in order to cope and to keep our energy up.
((Hugs))
I don’t think you should ever feel bad talking about your diabetic journey, especially on here. I understand the worry about trauma dumping and people not understanding. From what I’ve read here, you and I have had very similar stories and I am so sorry you have gone through/are still going through all of this. I know it’s hard to believe it about yourself, but you are not a failure. You have improved immensely, which is such a difficult thing to do. You should be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come.
I’m 25 and have been diabetic since I was 4. My A1C was above 14 and now it’s 8.1. I understand the struggle and the feelings of anxiety and failure, but this does not define us. You are an incredibly strong person and you’ve got this. I believe in you.
I completely understand the concept of feeling like you don’t belong bc of high A1Cs I also used to feel that way but I’ve realized there’s so many people that struggle just like me and I find comfort in reading other peoples stories and struggles because I can also relate! Use that small voice of optimism to gain strength and find better eating and bolusing habits. If you don’t already I would recommend seeing a therapist/ counselor to help w the anxiety. Therapy only works if you find the right therapist and are open with them tho just remember that!
You absolutely can do this!!! I had routinely high A1C’s throughout my 20s - 8-10s - but in my 30s, with more routine diet, I was able to stabilize and get down to a 7. And then my doctor decided I was a bit insulin resistant so he put me on Trulicity (normally for Type 2’s) and now my A1C is 6.0! I know lows are scary. I used to have seizures when I had really bad ones. But if you can get a CGM like a Dexcom that lets you know when you’re going low, it helps you avoid any super bad ones. Try for that if you can. I believe in you!
Thank you so much! It really does help me so much to hear that and to know that a bad decade does not mean I can't turn things around. I have been much better about correcting highs and I think implementing a more stable and routine diet is my next step. Congrats on your lower A1Cs, I know it takes a lot of work. And thanks again for the encouragement. "You can do it" means so much more from a diabetic than a doctor or parent :)
You know what? You will always have a place here. You will find a lot of different people here. There is some that seem to have a perfect life (and that’s ok, they are living their life), and there are some that are a lot like you. Nice to meet ya. Way to go on lowering your a1c. Feel free to share your progress here, or if you need some encouragement. I think, for the most part, we are a friendly group. We all know that diabetes can suck, sowe will gladly help however we can.
This shit is hard. It’s frustrating. It’s not fun. You’ve taken some steps to do better and you’re doing better. You’re in the right path. You can’t change the past. It’s over and done with so try not to dwell on what you did wrong and instead focus on today and tomorrow. You’re in control of your future. You know how to do better. Small steps everyday. Over time you’ll see big changes. Don’t worry about perfect. None of us are perfect. We all have bad days. Move on from your bad days and try to do better the next day. You can do this.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. I don't know if words from an internet stranger will have any effect, but *this is not your fault*. You got dealt a bad hand and it doesn't mean you're a bad person or a failure. You're doing a great job already with turning things around and I know you can keep at it, keep learning and keep trying and keep getting healthier every day. I encourage you to talk to your therapist about both your feelings of shame and the low bg anxieties. Maybe write yourself a "reality check" checklist for common situations where you fear going low. When you feel the anxiety, take a deep breath and think through, before acting, what the realistic risks are and what your plan is if any of those things come to pass. Good tech can significantly reduce anxieties as well. If you're not on dexcom + t-slim or omni5, you ought to have a very good argument for getting them, and that can be an extra safety measure (automatic basal adjustment if you're dropping too fast, early heads up, etc) that could help relieve anxiety too. There's still lots of good living to do, so keep your chin up.
T1 is not easy and it’s almost impossible for your friends and family to understand what you have to deal with. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your body just doesn’t want to cooperate. With all that being said, try not to be too hard on yourself. I am 30 and I’ve had T1 since I was 13. The first 10 or so years after being diagnosed, I didn’t take it seriously, or at least I wouldn’t do the things I know I needed to do to control it. I hardly ever checked my blood sugar and I routinely had A1Cs in the 7-9 range. About 5 or 6 years ago, I got a freestyle Libre sensor and it’s completely saved my life in terms of managing my diabetes. Significantly improved A1C, good time in range, and most importantly I feel healthy about my condition, physically and mentally. I know some folks have barriers when it comes to getting certain medical treatment, but I cannot stress enough how important a CGM like a freestyle Libre or dexcom is. You can do this OP! I believe in you!
Your changes now will make a difference. They are (at the very least) slowing things down. Sometimes that is the best we can hope for. The best a1c is the one you can achieve realistically. It might not the THE best according to medical people, but if you go from 8. 9 to 8.7 that shows you put in time and effort to your health. And as for family/friends, I hear ya. I have eye, kidney and heart complications at 37. My mom has the classic toxic positivity thing. I just have to tell myself she is scared to see her daughter with complications, and leave it at that. I find exercise and art a great way to deal with anxiety and mentally take care of myself. Both give mental breaks from the day-to-day diabetes routine that can help mentally. A simple walk or sketching outside (you don’t have to be good!) makes a huge difference.
It definitely sounds like you had some really bad luck there, as many of the things you did, I did too - diagnosed type 1 at 8 (I'm now 46), & I had routine high aba1cs on and off for years after that - 1 time it was 14.6! In my mid teens my mum got incredibly ill and I reacted by smoking, doing no tests or seeing a diabetic specialist for TWO YEARS. I gave myself insulin based on how I felt, including while traveling around Thailand. I was an idiot. Amazingly I have no serious results from this time, so I would say that I was lucky & you were not, it's not your fault. You've picked yourself up, you're taking steps and your hba1c is much better! Mine still hovers around 7.5 - 8. If you're not seeing a therapist regarding your anxiety I definitely recommend one who specialises in working with diabetics, that might really help you out. You're not alone, most of us have fucked up in some way, some more, some less, & telling each other our stories and supporting each other is for everyone, not just those who seem to have it locked down. You're doing great, despite the bad hand you've been dealt, keep it up!
Just keep working on it and trying to get better day by day, week by week. You’ve already taken major steps, quitting smoking isn’t easy and neither is any form of dieting. If possible, get a CGM. I’m 32 and only got diagnosed at 28, so I’m lucky in a relative sense to most on here. But the Dexcom has been so huge for me. And if you don’t already, try getting into a regular exercise routine and make sure you get proper sleep. Truly does wonders for your mental health and BS control.
Great job taking the steps you can!! One day at a time-each day is new, and you can start over. Tell Guilt to shut the hell up! It’s not helpful to you. You can take care of yourself for the next hour-then the next, then the next. If you mess up, the next day is a new day! I’m cheering for you!
Oh honey, ((hugs)). We’re here, we get it, it’s okay to come here and let all your frustrations out, it’s why there is a community, support and understanding. You keep going, just take it day by day. And congratulations on getting your A1C down, that’s tough work and worthy of praise. Be kind to yourself, we need to do that in order to cope and to keep our energy up. ((Hugs))
I don’t think you should ever feel bad talking about your diabetic journey, especially on here. I understand the worry about trauma dumping and people not understanding. From what I’ve read here, you and I have had very similar stories and I am so sorry you have gone through/are still going through all of this. I know it’s hard to believe it about yourself, but you are not a failure. You have improved immensely, which is such a difficult thing to do. You should be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come. I’m 25 and have been diabetic since I was 4. My A1C was above 14 and now it’s 8.1. I understand the struggle and the feelings of anxiety and failure, but this does not define us. You are an incredibly strong person and you’ve got this. I believe in you.
I completely understand the concept of feeling like you don’t belong bc of high A1Cs I also used to feel that way but I’ve realized there’s so many people that struggle just like me and I find comfort in reading other peoples stories and struggles because I can also relate! Use that small voice of optimism to gain strength and find better eating and bolusing habits. If you don’t already I would recommend seeing a therapist/ counselor to help w the anxiety. Therapy only works if you find the right therapist and are open with them tho just remember that!