Hello out there. I am told I am quite unique, being diagnosed Type 1 at this age. Anyone out there who can relate?

Like2Golf, I was dx'd when I was 12, but I didn't want you to think you were being ignored, although diagnosis at 50 is rare and it may take awhile to get anyone who is in the same boat. My boss was diagnosed when he was in his 40's. Hope things are going well for you. Deidre

You can see why they don't call it juvenile diabetes any more. What would they have called it if you had been diagnosed at age 90? Senility onset diabetes? LOL

Anyway,. I'm sorry to welcome you to the club. The good news is that you can continue to live a long and wonderful life, even with D.

Cora

Thanks for replying... In some sense I guess it's good to be more "mature" and have to manage the insulin routine. Turns out there is a history in the family. I found out after crashing on my mountain bike and having follow up blood work done. Well I guess better to find out in early stages. Have a great day everyone!

I was 40 when I was diagosed. Doctor first insisted that I was T2 because of my age (regardless of my VERY low weight and ketones). I went through a whole year being treated as T2 and finally was referred to an Endo who said I never had T2....I always had T1 from the start. So here I am at 45 and using this wonderful insulin pump.

Yes, we are a unique bunch but it is becomming more and more common. By the way, some call us T1.5 or 1 1/2.

I was also treated a while for T2. Not as long as a year (I am only about a year and half into this new adventure). I had a very young and enthusiastic intern at my primary care provider's office who cracked the code. After referral to the endo, started insulin therapy... not doing the pump thing yet - the sliding scale short acting plan. I get pretty frustrated because I enjoy activity and find the adjustment tough. I think the control is getting better, but it's illusive because the doctor says I am still making some insulin. So I have to tinker with the therapy to get the balance right. Still wake up at night sometimes with a little hypo thing going on and during the day a little anxious because I'm afraid of using too much short acting insulin (fell out once already because I didn't get it right. I guess its part of the process. How's the pump thing working out?... I read a lot about it being a more stable option. At this point my endo doesn't recommend, nor discourage that option.

The endo I was referred to just totally refused to put me on the pump until I got my A1C down! I knew then that he was not the endo for me because this just showed his lack of education on pump therapy. My A1C at that time was still at 10 point something with manual injections. I learned later that none of the endos in this small town knows much about pumps and are afraid of them.

Any way, I learned of an endo who is extremely pro-pump and who is teaching the hospitols about them. Within 4 months of my initial visit with him I was a happy pumper! Got my A1C out of the clouds down to the mid 7s.

Not only are my A1Cs so much better, but the pump is so much more convienient. Eating out is a breeze and I no longer am the last one eating. I no longer have to calculate the correction and carbs. The pump is already set by my endo to factor in carb ratio and correction sensitivity. (I still must COUNT the carbs, but I tell the pump how many I will be consuming and it makes all the neccessary deliveries). It also tells me how many units of Humalog is still left unused in my body so I can have a good idea if I'm gonna go low or not. I gotta tell you....this thing is a God-send for me! I've actually gotten my A1C down to as low as a 6.5 once!

Perhaps another round or two with the endo before I make the pump jump. Right now the highest A1C I've had, since diagnosis, is 8.4 and the suggestion is to be more aggressive with the Humalog. I was backing of the sliding scale due to the thought of another nose dive. It seems logical that there is still some insulin production going on. Between the Humalog and Lantis, I am at about 30-35 units per day. My endo says the body needs 50-60 units in total... I assume the difference is coming from somewhere. I'm testing much more frequently now and the indicators are reasonable after meals. I guess another 3 months will tell for sure. Congrats on the tight control! Too bad about the increased lack of energy. I guess there are good days and not-so-good days. Ultimately I think the pump is the way to go. Thanks for the dialog.

That there is no set dosage. You may currently be on the total amount of insulin that you need. I was on a pump and took on average about 20 units per day (and that included boluses for carbs). So don't worry about "normal" amounts. Use the amount that is right to keep your blood sugars normal and stable.

BTW, until my transplant, I loved my pump. I was a pumper for 5 years.

Cora

...does a doctor determine if you are Type I or type 2?

Seems like guess work after reading some of these posts.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 at age 58. I was originally diagnosed 3 years ago with Type 2 and then the endocrinologist took the Type 1 islet test. I am now on tablet a day of metformin, but know that insulin is in my future.

Dont get a minimed... terrible service. But much freedom on the pump. You would feel so much better, have better A1C tests, and be able to eat, exercise and everything any time you want. Also, you can not eat if you don't want to.. Not only that, you can turn your insulin intake up or down every hour instead of waiting for some wierd peak when you can eat. It is a beautiful thing..... But remember, don't get a minimed. Terrible.

Animus is Waterproof.... Accu-Chek sends you a spare pump.

You probably have LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) or type 1.5. That is usually what it is when developed late in life. Most often it is thought to be type 2, only thing is that oral meds do not work. Insulin is a must.
I have been type 1 for 55 years, being DXed 8/16/54. It hasn't bothered me ever. I have had 2 healthy children and it has never kept me from doing anything that I have ever wanted to do. I have been on an insulin pump since 1997. They are simply awesome!

You probably have LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) or type 1.5. That is usually what it is when developed late in life. Most often it is thought to be type 2, only thing is that oral meds do not work. Insulin is a must.
I have been type 1 for 55 years, being DXed 8/16/54. It hasn't bothered me ever. I have had 2 healthy children and it has never kept me from doing anything that I have ever wanted to do. I have been on an insulin pump since 1997. They are simply awesome!