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Diabetes

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  • 20-03-2008 9:09pm
    #1
    Fiii
    Registered Users Posts: 952 ✭✭✭


    Hi there
    Just posting looking for some advise at the mo.

    My younger sister was diagnosed with Diabetes today.
    She is 21, eats healthy, is a normal weight and is generally the picture of perfect health, but she had been overly thirsy for some weeks now, and seeing as there is history of it in the family (my paternal grandfather was type 1) we thought she should get tested "just incase". Little did we know she would actually have it.
    She got her blood sugar level tested in the doctors today and it was 22! So theres no doubt she has it.
    She has been given tablets for now to see if they work. Does anyone know how long they take to kick in? Should it be immediate?

    I guess I am just looking for peoples experiences with Diabetes. We are all in a bit of a state of shock at the mo, and she is in complete denial poor thing.
    Any advise from people out there? What should I know to help her?

    Thanks,
    Fi


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    #2
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    Hi Fii, and welcome to the club :)

    there are lots of threads around for and about diabeties in general, so take a look around, I'm sure you'll get lots of helpful info. The main thing is not to worry. Speaking for myself, diabetes has been integrated into my life so much so that I don't even think about it anymore - I have more "hassle" than most people, so I'm so used to doing it that it doesn't seem like hassle anymore. Your sister will probably be so relieved she's feeling better, so won't mind the price that has to be paid. It should of course be taken seriously, but basically there's no reason your sister can't have pretty much exactly the same life she had before diagnosis. Hope to see more of ye both around anyway :)


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    #3
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    +1 get her to register here if she isn't a member.

    Mike.


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    #4
    Fiii
    Registered Users Posts: 952 ✭✭✭Fiii


    Thanks for that.
    She's not really the net type, but I may suggest it to her to sign up when she's feeling better.

    Right now she's just so upset. She just wants to crawl into bed and pretend it's not happening.
    Her meds are also making her feel very ill, which isn't helping. Her blood sugar is down to 9 now though, which is great.
    She's just so angry, but it's early days yet, I guess it takes time to accept.

    Do you guys know of any health food shops that do a decent range of diabetic foods?
    We've all made the switch with her, and the house is full of sugar free this and sugar free that! :) We're all on wholegrain bread and low fat milk now too. Never even occured to me that she would have to keep an eye on that too.

    Thanks again, will have a hunt through previous threads

    Fi


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    #5
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Stay away from diabetic foods - they are a con, very expensive and not required. The only thing your sister needs to do is follow a "sensible diet" which is based on the classic food pyramid

    food_pyramid.gif

    If she smokes she'll need to quit and go easy on the booze (drink messes up blood sugers due to the amount of er sugers in the booze)

    Her state of mind is something that'll change as she gets used to the idea and discovers its not the end of the world by a long shot (30 years at this, me!).

    Mike.


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    #6
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    yeah, +1 for what Mike said. I don't bother with the diabetic food, if I want a piece of cake every now and again, I'll have it. I know your sister is going through the whole "Why me" phase now, but that will pass. This is something like trying to learn to write right-handed (or left-handed if you are one of those freaky right-handers) - it's a pain to begin with, but after a while it just becomes the norm.


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    #7
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,094 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    I was diagnosed with type 1 relatively late on as well when I was 23 and put straight onto insulin. It is a lot to take in and can be a bit scary as you learn how your body deals with everything again, but it does then just become part of normal life.
    tbh wrote: »
    I don't bother with the diabetic food, if I want a piece of cake every now and again, I'll have it.
    The "diabetic" chocolate that you might see about is horrible and pointless, don't bother with any of that she can still have all the normal food, just in moderation and dependent dosage of medications once she gets the hang of it all. Although I possibly had a bit too much easter egg this weekend.

    Diabetic food info


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    #8
    Fiii
    Registered Users Posts: 952 ✭✭✭Fiii


    Thanks so much for all the replies.
    I think she will be ok once she realises her whole life doesn't have to change. Once she adjusts she'll be just fine.
    Her blood sugar was 6.6 at lunchtime today, so it's seems the new diet/ tablets are working for now.

    Cheers guys

    Fi


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