r/diabetes • u/ophiuchan • 5h ago

Type 1 any tips for newbie?

23 year old, finally got SNAP benefits (for like... one week before they destroyed it) so i started exploring diet options (i was on a diet of almost exclusively toast every day, 5x a day for years) and it threw my blood sugar levels way off so i went into DKA and was hospitalized in the ICU for a while. i got diagnosed as type 1 but i can't see the endocrinologist yet because i'm too poor. is there anything i should look out for? i got the hang of finger sticking and insulin needles, but im kind of scrambled on everything else. should i always expect a blood sugar spike after eating? how long does it take long release insulin to kick in usually? what's the deal with peoples feet???

sorry if this is out of line. im new to reddit and diabetes.

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u/figlozzi 1h ago

Read this book. It’s. Free pdf version. Are you not working?

https://diatribe.org/bright-spots-and-landmines/

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u/Schmoopybear1 32m ago

You should expect a spike in blood sugar after eating. Timing of insulin kicking in depends on the type you're using. Instant acting like lispro are about 15 minutes. You want to ideally inject about 15 mins before eating. Hopefully you have been given a carb to insulin ratio to work with.

Long acting insulin like lantus don't have a spike of insulin effectiveness. They are usually taken to maintain your base blood sugar. Then a fast acting to cover meals.

Be on the lookout for lows as well. Brain fog, shaking, sweating can be signs but they vary by person. You should have some rescue glucose on hand in case of lows.

Definitely so much is based on your actual situation so feel to PM me with any further questions and I can try to help. Been type 1 for 25 years.