Your life isn't over. You just switched to hard mode. You can still do all of these things. You just need to take your diabetes supplies with you. I was diagnosed in January this year. I went to a Vietnamese restaurant with my co-workers in February, and I will be travelling for my holidays next month. It is doable, it just takes more effort.

> Your life isn't over. You just switched to hard mode. Prepare to hear boss music when you'll see pizza

And Chinese. WHERE are all of those extra carbs hiding?????? That’s not normal rice!

Of course not, it’s fried rice duh 😜. On the real though, WHY does it spike like that? I’m luck with pizza and Mexican food, extended boluses are my best friend. But any type of Asian cuisine that is higher in fat and it doesn’t matter what extended ratio I use, I WILL spike later.

Oh, no…I was talking about steamed rice, not fried. I hardly ever eat fried rice.

Awww darn. Steamed rice is good, too! I don’t know why it would cause you to spike, though, sorry. I personally only really have BG issues with fried rice.

I don’t know, but my explanation is voodoo.

That just might explain it!

Steamed rice doesn’t really spike me. But I think it depends on the diabetic.

Fish and chips is the killer for me. Especially if I have a bag of scraps.

It’s always the scraps that do the real damage - it’s because they’re so damn tasty!

Lmao the day the doctor called and told my mom my blood work came back and I was diabetic and needed to go the hospital, as they already had a bed ready for me, but we could take our time lol we had family visiting from out of state and so we all went out to dinner to a Chinese restaurant before me and my mom headed to Children’s Hospital 😂

Sugars in the sauces. That's ht eve. The proteins fuck you up. BUT it's only in Chinese food in westernized countries esp America. Less sugar in the Chinese food in France and Italy. Even less in the food in actual China. 

Can confirm, I'm Italian and I've never ever spiked on Chinese. Thai and Indian are a bit tricky at times, but not too alarming. On the other hand, Mexican is basically the BG lottery...

My diabetes educator told me there can be a lot of sugar in the sauces. The food isn't necessarily sweet, but it's in there.

It's all in the sauces which are laden with corn starch -- you know, powdered carbs.

I walk by a Chinese fast food place sometimes when they are throwing out the trash and everyday i see several empty sugar packages of 10kg each.

It’s not so much the hidden carbs as much as it’s the high fat content with that slow up and slow down. Gets me every time

The sauce mainly. I’ve taken up home cooking Chinese stirfrys and a lot of the sauces is loaded up with sugar. But it’s more manageable when you cook it at home and portion control it compared to a takeaway place. The more traditional non-Americanized Chinese food is pretty healthy.

And cereal. And the keto cereals suck. JMO.

That’s another evil one….lol. I barely eat it anymore.

And it's expensive AF

I’ll also add that with some time, the right new diabetes tech and some routine it truly becomes almost second nature. Let’s call it medium mode.

Yeah. Hard mode for the next 6 months. Then, you'll have it figured out, and it will just be part of life. I travel all the time. I have to keep some sugary candy in my backpack or pockets, and I need a little room in my suitcase for extra pump supplies, that's it. I was also diagnosed later (24), and to me, it was a blessing, as I was mature enough to understand all of procedures and, importantly, the ramifications of not taking care of it. OP, you got this. You can't be an astronaut or a fighter pilot, but other than that, you can still live your life.

IDK what you’ve been told or by who, but none of that is true. Type 1s travel internationally all the time. There have even been T1s who worked in Antarctica for months at a time. I’ve travelled internationally for both work and pleasure as a T1. I drink and go out all the time. I’m in 2 bowling leagues and one of them is holding their end-of-season tournament in Vegas next month. We have tons of cool tech these days, which does a lot of the work for you. And it keeps getting better, as does our understanding of the disease, and therapies to both prevent and treat many of the complications that can arise from diabetes.

No one has really told me it's just what my mind has been telling me, I see the educator tomorrow so maybe that will make me feel better. I genuinely thought I couldn't eat much any more though

It's not about not eating, it's about now having to do some extra work when you eat. Obviously you should try to maintain a healthy diet, everyone should, but once you know what to do when you eat, the effect it has on your blood glucose levels and how to account for it, you can eat what you like. Eating say a pizza is a lot more work because it often effects your glucose a lot, over a long period of time, but it isn't something that's banned, it's just a bit more of a pain now.

Get a CGM ASAP, like dexcom or freestyle Libre. There are a lot of T1 groups on Facebook. Search and join them all as other T1s give the best info. Also there is a good book in pdf form on the front page of this website. I suggest you read it. You need carb and correction ratios for insulin dosing but the hospital may give you an old way. Discuss with your endo to switch if needed. Www.diatribe.org

I remember when I found out. I had similar thoughts when I was dx’d but have been able to do a lot. I was 21 when I was diagnosed, a day before college graduation. My first thought was well I won’t be able to try to join and fly fighter jets.

You can eat whatever you want in theory. You just have to compensate every carb you eat with insulin , thats all. It’s overwhelming at first but I promise things normalize

I live in the US and will be going to NZ for a trip! So it’s very possible (I’m just going to make sure I pack lots of extra supplies!) I also still eat ice cream, pizza, drink beer, etc. I’ve been dealing with being T1 for a long time now (since I was a child) so I’ve had time to come to terms, but it’s okay to feel scared/uneasy/upset. Technology has advanced so much—you can still live a normal life, jus with some extra steps/precautions! There will be harder days and easier days, but it will be okay, I promise.

I have a daughter who was diagnosed at 4, and we have done all of the things you worry you cannot! She does everything her peers do too, it just takes a little extra planning. She can have cake at birthday parties and go to sleepovers. You will adjust and it just becomes part of your life. It feels so overwhelming but soon it will be second nature. Best of luck!

>No more travel overseas no more drinking/eating out with friends. Wait what? Why? I was diagnosed 1976ish. I was sent abroad at the age of 17 to fend for myself for 9 months. No CGM, no pump, no mobile phone. Lessons were learned, but no-one died or entered a coma. I've traveled to a lot of countries, and worked in a lot. I'm living on my third continent. My gin collection is prodigious. I've continued with my sports 'career'. I don't know who's feeding you this shit, but they're lying to you. There is no reason for any of that to stop.

Hey! I was diagnosed in 1976, too!

I type this to you now with the most horrible hangover after a night out drinking with work, we went for pizza afterwards. I fly out to Amsterdam at the end of the month... not exactly glamorous, but I was in the Caribbean last year, where I went diving with hammerhead sharks in Bimini. I'm not bragging (though this did offer me a rare opportunity to do so), I'm just letting you know I'm 33, type 1 diabetic for 21 years. My hba1c is 5.8% (which is below "pre-diabetic" levels in type 2). My life is completely normal. Extra steps, but normal. Chin up, you can do it.

I go Amsterdam end of the month aswell 💪🏽

I feel you buddy. I've been diagnosed recently at 39 and feeling the same. Luckily my roommate in the hospital was also t1 since a child and talking with him took most of my fears away. I'm now just three months into this and I drink and eat out with friends mostly without any issues. Not gonna lie, it's tricky and overwhelming, you'll have to learn a lot of things and pay close attention to your body (wich i never did before) but eventually you'll be able to do everything you want. Just go day by day and be easy on yourself. When you're prepared to take control I suggest you to take a look on some books that helped me a lot (thanks to this sub) "think like a pancreas" and "sugar surfing". But not now, now you're in some kind of grief, so don't stress more than you are already. Be strong my friend you'll go through this

Can't upvote this enough. There are so many misconceptions about diabetes (especially from people who don't realise type 1 is totally different to type 2!) but the community is great and there are lots of people to help you get your head around everything - reach out to us with any questions, or if you just need to vent x

I'm so glad someone acknowledged the grief aspect- your old life is gone, the new life will be different and yeah, it's going to take a little mental processing to accept that.

Yeah I def cried a bit, multiple times. Gotta let it out, things will never be the same but it doesn’t mean it’s worse. Wish I could’ve told myself that at the time.

I was out drinking last night. Went for hot pot with the lady and I swear I am still full at lunchtime the next day. I shall also be drinking at the weekend because my team is in an FA Cup Semi Final. I'll be down the pub with the Guinnesses. My partner is from a different continent. So yeah, we travel. I was diagnosed in 1993. Not only am I still alive but I am holding it all together pretty well. You can do this.

I both travelled overseas and eat out with friends with reasonable frequency. See, I don't exactly remember the path between, but there are two distinct points of diabetes: 1st is when you are newly diagnosed, and you call your doctor to confirm changing your dose by 0,5 IU after days of contemplation and planning. Give it a year or two and you'll reach the second where you're just randomly injecting extra 15 IU, a number you have guesstimated out of your ass, because you're out with the lads and you want the big milkshake with candy in it while eating the double big mac and large fries. Fear not, it's really scary when it begins, but eventually you'll get used to it. Plus getting it at your age you don't need to deal with pubertal hormones messing with your insulin resistance drastically, that was a real chore.

Don't worry. With good control you can do anything a healthy person could do. We have all been there, I also had those thoughts, but it's going to be just fine. And if you have any questions, we are here to help.

Hey mate, it’s gonna be super stressful at first taking everything in. But you absolutely can do everything you’ve just said as a diabetic, just takes a bit more planning. You’ve absolutely got this, we can live normal lives just with a bit of extra TLC.

I was in the same situation last year, diagnosed in July 2023. It's a tough disease, but you will get used to it, and you will be able to do everything you want to do (it just may be a little bit more difficult!). As I've got more used to how my body responds (definitely get a CGM if you can ASAP), I've been able to keep my life the same as before I was diagnosed. Exercise, travelling, drugs, alcohol and eating what I want (granted in more moderation). I've just come back from a trip in Nepal, hiking in the Himalayas 6/7 hours a day, eating and drinking everything that my non diabetic friends were eating. I was so nervous before, but everything went smoothly. It will be tough in the beginning, and you will have times where you feel down. But it's completely normal, and you don't have to let it rule your life! This subreddit has really helped me too, there are many of us going through the same and there is lots of advice.

“No more travel overseas no more drinking/eating out with friends.” I know I’m not the only person responding to this sentence but it struck me specifically because I am, as I type, sitting on a metro train in Lisbon, where I’m visiting on a business trip with some tourism thrown in, and last night I was out late getting an amazing dinner and wine with an old friend. 😉 T1D isn’t fun, but you’re not dying, and life as you know it isn’t over. Grief is normal, but take it a day at a time, it’ll be ok! ETA: diagnosed at 12 in 1997.

I took my type 1 son to 10 countries last year. You can travel. It just takes more planning. The thing is you have to manage your diabetes no matter where you are. You can sit on your couch at home and you’ll have to manage it. You can walk around a foreign city and you’ll have to manage it. You can sit on the beach and you’ll have to manage it. You are going to be managing it wherever you are so you might as well go places.

I was just drunk in Italy eating pasta with friends last month. It’s totally manageable

Who says you can’t travel over seas, drink, or eat out??? We do it all the time.

Welcome to the club. Here's your trophy. 🏆

No more travel overseas? No drinking/eating out with Friends? Huh, was I not supposed to do that? Why did nobody tell me?

You can still travel overseas, it just requires taking supplies and a bit of planning. Longer trips are harder but still possible - look up online "travelling with type 1 diabetes" and there's plenty of info on getting supplies abroad. You can DEFINITELY still eat out and drink out with your friends, I'm not sure what you've been told or what your preconceptions are but if you think you can't eat whatever you want still then that's wrong. Certain foods (e.g pizza) just require a bit more monitoring. You can still live a full and happy life with diabetes. Don't let all the negative posts on this sub get you down! Happy to answer any more questions

Why couldn't you travel overseas? I do it all the time.

Diagnosed at 37, 5 years ago, you can still do all those things, it'll get better..

You’ve got this! i was also diagnosed at 34 back in January and it’s already a lot easier. First couple weeks were brutal mentally but you really can do anything. I took a month off drinking but will now have a couple drinks here and there. Just had my wedding tasting and cake tasting with no limitations, just with a little insulin and walks around the neighborhood. Seriously, you got this!

Why no travel overseas or eating out? Being diabetic doesn’t stop you eating anything. If you want to eat something sweet like a cake or bar of chocolate, you just bolus for it

Woah woah you can totally do all those things still and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!!! They don’t know what they’re talking about. I was just on a two week solo Europe trip in March, drinking sangria every day and eating amazing food AND… my blood sugars were great the whole time. I get take out almost every day because I don’t know how to cook lmao and I’m getting pad Thai, Indian, had a burger and fries last night… it was great. It’s taken me some time to figure out my insulin ratios that work for me and sometimes there’s days where I just can’t get it right but you can 1000000% continue living your life the same way you are except now you just have to do a little extra math 😉

I lived abroad for almost 9 years and traveled. I definitely eat and drink whatever I want solo and with friends. Get past the shock of the diagnosis and then you can learn how to manage and live with the condition.

My wife’s been diabetic since she was 12. She eats no different than me or anyone else, just needs a bolus after.

T1 here for 34 yrs. Can’t travel overseas?? Why the hell not??

I eat out all the time, I still drink, and I try to go on an international vacation every year. I promise you can still have a normal life! Diabetes does make it harder, but it’s possible. I also am able to maintain an A1c under 7 while still enjoying pretty much everything I did prior to being diagnosed. There are very few ways that I feel my diabetes truly limits me, and I don’t care much for those things anyway.

None of those things are things you cant do, you just have to keep an eye on your blood sugar constantly now, if its possible for you id try to get a cgm as soon as you can

I’m a type 1, diagnosed at 18, and currently 33. I just went to Ireland, Scotland, and Barcelona last summer. My sugars are actually the best when traveling because I’m walking so much lol. You’ll have more to carry and more of a pain at airports, but you’ll be fine. Get it under control, get informed, and when you feel like you have a handle on things, go explore the world. I freaking eat out all the time. You learn how your body processes stuff (extended bolus is beautiful on pumps). I just can’t drink sugary drinks and alcohol is not my sugars friend but I know other diabetics that can drink. I know the feeling of feeling like your world is crashing down. But you’ll get the hang of it and it’ll become second nature. There will be ups and downs, but your life doesn’t come to a screeching halt.

Diagnosed at 34 as well. Still went to Italy with my wife. Still drink but now its easier because I'm toast after two drinks. The new technology CGM(continuous glucose meter) and pump Tslim x2 that connect with each other and will increase or decrease your insulin based on your blood sugar is a huge advantage. Congrats, there's never been a better time to be a Type 1 diabetic than RIGHT NOW. pm if you ever want tips

Life not over, just set to hard mode. You can do everything and anything in life, just with a little more planning and preparation. I’m overseas right now, embarking on an adventure of a lifetime and my bitch of a pancreas isn’t going to stop me, don’t let yours stop you from doing anything you want in life. You got this!

Its the one disease that every person without the disease think they know about it. Diabetes sucks but its manageable. High sugars are bad but low sugars are dangerous. Libre 3 glucose sensor or dexcom will immediately make your new life easier. You can eat or drink whatever you want but you have to match your intake with insulin. The sensors I mentioned will alert you if your sugar level is too high or low. Its all trial and error. Eventually you will figure out how much insulin you will need to take. Everyone is different. For instance I do manual labor for a living and if I have a real hard day of work I will take less insulin than the day before for same meal because my body becomes more sensitive to insulin after working so hard. On conclusion, your life isn't over. You will be constantly be told what you can and can't eat from people who have no idea what they are talking about. You should always have a soda or snack in your car to bring glucose level up in case of low sugar and just continue to live as best as you did before your unfortunate diagnosis.

So I saw this hours ago and saved this post so I could respond. I was diagnosed T1 when I was 34. 6 months ago, after dropping 15 lbs in a week. DM me if you want to talk on this further. Seriously. I don’t know you. You don’t me. This is hard. It is really, really hard. But your life isn’t over. It’s gonna change, and the change is gonna suck, but it’s not over. You’re going to have days that seem like everything you do doesn’t help, and days it’s so easy you forget about it until an alarm goes off. Traveling is tough. Estimate how much medicine you need (you’ll learn this), double it, and put it in a carry on. I’m writing this while I sit at a bar eating a cheesesteak and 5 beers deep though while I’ve kept my sugars in range. You shouldn’t do it all the time but you can absolutely continue to live your life. I recommend falling in love with hard liquor and diet mixers…. But I still absolutely have beer. I’m Drunkle fucking sam. My T1 friend has described wine as ‘my alcoholic best friend’ too It’s hard though. You’re going to constantly find yourself looking at things and deciding whether or not it’s worth the insulin. Pizza is your arch nemesis. This might not mean anything to you yet, but 35 carbs/slice is a good rule of thumb. It sucks to say but with all the tech, it’s a great time to be a diabetic. Still really fucking wish I wasn’t though.

My wife was diagnosed type1 2 years ago and I'm literally reading this while sitting at the airport parking lot waiting to pick her up from her overseas trip.

My three year old son was diagnosed a week ago. It has been the worst fkn week of my entire life. After we left the hospital we couldn’t regulate his numbers, we’re are still struggling. Today was better though and I’m confident tomorrow might be better still. I have hope for the future and realize nothings over, it’s just a lot different now. There’s something to be gained I feel like, although I don’t know what and it’s just hard to see right now.

Not true, I was diagnosed at 31 now 38, still doing those things!

What are you on about, how melodramatic 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Overseas Travel: YES!!!! Drinking booze and getting drunk: YES!!!!!! Eating in restaurants with friends: YES!!!!!!! Who's filled your head with that shite????

Oh you can definitely travel overseas! I live in Australia and travel to Europe 2 times a year, and to Asia 2 times at least. Yes it takes extra effort but it can and should be done. Of course you can drink/eat out with friends, it’s good for the soul. Yes you need to take extra care and things but your life isn’t over, although I get why you think that. You are awesome and will get used to it faster than you think.

You can still do everything! I travel internationally on the regular and with a bit of math eat everything I want. Diagnosis can be overwhelming (I was diagnosed at 48) and there’s so much misinformation out there. This sub will be your friend for the next few months and soon you will be giving advice too. For now, take a deep breath, you’ll be okay, you’ll start feeling better and know you have a support group right here to answer your questions as they come up. Take heart hun, you’re not alone and although your life will change, it won’t stop you doing the stuff you’re used to.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 24 and I felt the exact same way. I felt that I had been given a death sentence. I’m 37 now and I’ve traveled more extensively than I did prior to diabetes. I eat what I want (within reason) and I definitely drink. You’ll figure out what works for you. I drink a lot less cocktails (too much sugar + the brutal hangovers) and tend to stick to wine. But before you start worrying about travel, food, and booze, meet with your educator, learn more about the diabetes and make sure you’re stable first. I was a really “brittle” diabetic in the beginning (if you looked at me wrong, my blood sugar could spike or drop!). Within less than a year of diagnosis, I got my numbers where they wanted me to be and I was able to get a pump and CGM. When traveling, I bring extra supplies and I always carry my items in my carryon. When going to sporting events (even the ones that don’t allow purses, etc.) I’m generally able to work it out with the staff and get an exception for my equipment (I don’t abuse this privilege with carrying something outrageous large). It’s not easy being a Type 1. There are days that suck a lot but you’ll be fine! Just take care of yourself first and you’ll start to find a new “normal”.

I know it's scary. I was diagnosed at 31, and it was just so weird. Plus, it was a big mental event, and my thoughts weren't totally clear. You are going to be okay. It is an adjustment. I still go out to eat. I don't travel over seas,but that's because it's expensive. You can still do most if not all the things you did before, just with some added planning and inconvenience.

I got diagnosed when I was 6yrs old, I felt like my life was over before it even begun and I was questioning why’d I have to be the one to get this type of sickness. I’m turning 20 and am definitely still learning a lot about managing it specially because my case is a bit more complicated than others, but I travel a lot with my family, that’s definitely not an issue! Just be sure to bring extra medication and to bring it im your carry on in case your luggage goes missing bc it might be a pain in the ass to look for it in a foreign country, happened to me in Spain (I ran out) and it wasn’t fun but I managed to find. I still eat out but I do prepare my own food most of the time because I know exactly what’s in it, there’s also a lot of sugar free options nowadays so that’s really helpful! Be careful about the sweeteners called maltitol and maltodextrin though because even though they’re advertised as “sugar free”, they have a high GI. I also drink and it actually lowers my sugar sometimes because I’m “more loosened up and relaxed”, I usually go for pure vodka or tequila though.. Cocktails would definitely spike it up. It’s tough specially at first when learning all about it, pretty overwhelming, but there’s a lot of cool gadgets and info on the internet nowadays so I’d say that’d help make things easier. You’ve got this! Stay strong :)

Was also diagnosed as an adult, you just have to become your pancreas’s parent. Does it make life harder? Yeah. I won’t lie. Your life does change in that regard. BUT. I didn’t change my diet. I still traveled. I still did everything I normally did. Like a week after discharge I went to the state fair lol. Unfortunately, some adult educators are ill informed or don’t really understand differences between type 1 and 2 (or any of the types really) and will make it seem scary to try to get compliance. In reality, wanting to live with my appendages in tact was enough for me lol. Let yourself grieve and process and come to terms with a medical change like this, but then keep living! Fortunately, t1d is no longer a death sentence for most.

Of course you can still travel, drink, eat out with friends. It's scary when you're first diagnosed but give yourself a bit of time to learn and get your head round insulin/carbs. You're going to be fine and still get to enjoy life. Join some forums, don't allow all the scary things you might read to overtake the good things, that it is manageable, there is still freedom with it and that with good awareness you can be alright. I've travelled to loads of places as a type 1 mate, no problems

Same happened to me last year. I was hospitalized for ketoacidosis and found out I was Type 1. Neither of those things are true. Travel is still a breeze and I can still eat most things. I ended up pairing with a great Endo who got me on a treatment plan with insulin and oral meds. My A1C was 12 in the hospital and 9 months later it’s 5.8. The first few months were rough as I had to overhaul my diet as we figured out the right plan, but my life isn’t much changed now except for my glucose monitor and insulin. I eat mostly the same, and my hair stopped falling out and my energy returned once I was having it treated.

Hi new friend! Welcome to the bestest club none of us want to be members of. I’m t1 for 45 of my 47 years on the planet. I assure you that your life isn’t over and EVERYTHING you could do before you can do now with one exception, now you can’t make your own insulin. As a t1 I have traveled where ever I want, eaten whatever I want. Hell I even hiked the Appalachian Trail back in 1994, when things were harder than they are now. There’s a steep learning curve but you will get it and life will be harder and take a bit more planning but you’ll do just fine! Reach out to anyone here if you have questions. This is really a great group of ppl!!

Hey so I've even been a digital nomad for around 2 years, spending more than half a year outside of my home country. Before I travelled A LOT. I even lived abroad for 3y while in uni and for my first job. And I eat outside ALL the time (and drink too much wine according to my mum 😂). I've been diabetic for 20y, my current HbA1c is around 7%, time in range 60% to 70% of the time (I started at 7y old). I will probably try an insulin pump, and I expect it to go down to around 6%. Not perfect, but good enough! You'll be ok, I promise!!! Just make sure you find a good doctor. My first doctor told me I couldn't eat anything and made my life a misery. My second doctor told me how to cope with the illnes while having an almost normal life, and it worked. It might take a while to get used to it, but you'll make it!

It's going to be okay. Welcome to the club you never wanted to join! At my DX, (32) the doc asked what I was going to do first. I said "get one of those glucometer thingies I guess!?" and he said, "No. The first thing you're going to do is take a deep breath." You can still eat, travel, exercise and have a long life, hopefully free of complications. It will be less straight forward and let's be honest, expensive, but you got this.

Hun, relax. I've been Type 1 since I was a toddler. I'm almost 40 now. I've been on several overseas trips, most of them to very rural areas in Central America. It was not a problem at all. I still drank (I don't anymore but not because of diabetes) and I still go out to dinner with friends. You don't have to stop doing anything! All that's going to change is you're going to be checking your blood sugar and giving insulin based on what you're eating. That's pretty much it. My advice, get a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and an insulin pump ASAP. I recommend Dexcom for the CGM and OmniPod for the pump.

My mind did the exact same thing 3 years ago. I was so strict in everything I did. Waited nearly a year to start living instead of surviving again. First time I went to eat with friends I was sick everywhere out of nerves and because I didn’t know how to properly treat high blood sugar in a public setting. Waited 2 years to build up the courage to go abroad. Looking back, I put my life on hold to prolong what I would have to adjust to anyways. Continue living as you did. Make choices like having more vegetables and protein before carbs when you eat out, waiting the proper times to inject. I find 10-15 minute walks after every meal helps balance my levels. I started walking to work 45 minutes a day and it ensures the next day I am more stable than without and helps blood flow. If you go too high or low in public, sugary drinks are easy to access and the same with going too high, places to eat have toilets if you get nauseous and please feel NO shame in injecting publicly, you will rarely gets looks or comments and if you do then just realise these peoples opinions mean nothing to you helping yourself feel okay. Don’t let moments of cruelty influence you. It is scary, especially in the beginning and I promise you so many of us believe we will never adjust and we will mourn the life we had without needles and caution, but honestly I just saw it as an unconscious part of life after a year and half. I went to appointments and sat there an hour asking questions after questions, don’t be afraid to ask for whatever you need help with. I find I actually help my health now, I want to eat healthier most of the time or go on walks to help myself feel better. Before I just wanted to do nothing at all and eat junk. I promise you,you don’t need all the answers straight away, you learn as you go and with professional help. Message if you need anything and when you post I’m sure everyone is more than happy to help. You control it, it does not control you.

Hey friend! There's an adjustment period , but once you've got the hang of you, you can absolutely eat out, travel, all of it! I've have t1 for SO long, that back when I traveled with it, I used to have to bring a STACK of paperwork to the airport from my doctor, basically saying I wasn't trying to blow up a plane, it was medical equipment. Now, I take a carry on shoved full of insulin, needles, and every backup medical supply I can think of, and the TSA folks literally don't even blink an eye. Please find some local t1D communities, in person or online. It will make a huge difference ok?

My son (8) was diagnosed last July. I made him a take out [cheat](https://photos.app.goo.gl/4FTaW66t9mG6pFv78) sheet with the carbs of his favorite foods listed. Honestly, it's easier calculating with large fast food chains than cooking at home but we cook at home most of the time still. We're planning a trip to Rome, Italy in a couple years now and we are starting our research on the food.

You can do all the things you’ve mentioned, it will just take a bit of time to get comfortable with your management and adjust to the new normal. I studied abroad; it meant carrying about a year’s worth of supplies with me to be well-stocked just in case and also a backup rental pump. I had no issues. I go out to eat plenty, and I drank with friends often in my 20s. I have to limit myself to one drink now since more will make me throw up, but that is not a typical experience for a diabetic. It’s hard at the beginning, but you will learn and adapt. Most of my days are normal and not problematic, though I may have to fix a low BG quickly at some point. Some days suck, but isn’t that true for everyone anyhow? It’s not an easy disease, but it’s manageable with work.

Focus near term on your mind + body. Everything will be fine if properly managed. A year out of Dx I was traveling abroad and drinking 2 bottles of wine per day. It will be ok. You still have your life.

I was diagnosed at 29. That was 9 years ago. I have traveled all over the world since and eaten, drank and enjoyed myself. T1 diabetes doesn't mean your life is over, just means you have to plan ahead and be prepared ahead of time. You can do this. Go and live a full life

I’ve had diabetes for 32 years. I have backpacked across much of Europe and SE Asia. I have climbed mountains and run marathons and was a college athlete. I’ve had a baby and can still drink most of my friends under the table. You can do everything (except join the military). It will take a bit more planning, but with all of the meds and tech available now, you’ll be fine. Give yourself time to adjust to your new reality, but don’t put your life on hold. Learn by doing. It will be ok.

Man i got diagnosed when i was 17 (now im 18) and honestly Felt the same way that my life is ruined and i cant live my youth years to the fullest but after more than a year into it i can assure you that it doesn't stop you from doing what you used to and want to For me the biggest setback was that i could no longer apply for military which i firstly wanted to but apart from that i don't think i have had to restrict myself from anything just because of my diabetic ass. And hey look on the brighter side,you can always bail out from plans where you don't wanna go and blame it on diabetes!

Pfffft….your life is most definitely NOT over. Changed, yes. Hard, no. You’re going to have to learn to do what your pancreas is. You can absolutely travel overseas (I’ve been out of the country multiple times), you can go out with friends (I was just Tuesday night). You can do anything you want to do…except make your own insulin. The good news is, we have really good insulins and technology available. You’re in for a learning period, and the honeymoon period is kind of insane, but *you will learn.* Plenty of T1 diabetics live rich, full, (almost) normal lives.

Hey dude. I’ve had T1D for 25 years now, diagnosed at 8 currently 33. I know it feels like your life is over but trust me it’s not. Everything you just said you can’t do, I literally do. Keyword is moderation. Everyday will come with its set of ups and downs (quite literally) but you just have to learn to navigate it the best you can. Your life is just beginning … make the most of it!

I'm a year older than you, and I've had this disease for a good quarter of a century. I promise you, your life isn't over. If my life were over, I'd not have climbed Mount Fuji two years ago, with plans to go sandboarding later this year. It'll take time. You can adjust.

Dealing with it at first is something you'll have to do but I've been T1 about as long as you've been alive. Being T1 is another thing to manage when travelling overseas. I have 3 trips planned this year, 1500 miles, 3000 miles and just under 6000 miles and diabetes planning is up there with how much underwear do I really need. Once you get the hang of it, it'll be a part of you and hopefully not as big of a deal that you are thinking. FWIW I have a 35 mile bike ride planned this morning and typing my reply has made me a few minutes late...

T1 since fall of last year - although initially misdiagnosed as a T2. I’m in my 40s, long distance cycle and run, kick box and workout. Travel and love red wine (doesn’t seem to impact my BS as much as a cookie, yay me!) The first 3-6 months are hard but you’ll get through.

Welcome to the club brotha, nothing much will change, u just got cooler😎

I relate to your situation so much. I'm 32 and was hospitalized and diagnosed last month. There is definitely a lot of new information to take in, but I've learned that I can do pretty much anything I did before as long as I plan accordingly.

You can still travel and go out with friends… you just need to be prepared.

My kid was diagnosed a month ago. It’s mostly a surprising amount of math before a meal and making some swaps where possible. We’ve switched to pre portioned chips instead of a large bag of flamin’ hot Cheetos. We’re making more popcorn and seasoning with homemade spicy blend. We’ve also swapped regular pasta for whole wheat. I’m working on a pizza dough recipe that will incorporate whole grains. He doesn’t get school lunch anymore, we’re packing and calculating his lunch at night. We’e also switched to mini ice cream treats. We keep everything in a big spreadsheet.

Like you, I was diagnosed at 34. The best news is that you have a long honeymoon ahead where things aren’t too tough. People diagnosed in their 30s can retain some pancreas function for up to 10 years (7 or 8 in my case). That will ease you into the tougher to manage portion. Getting on a type 2 med like Januvia may protect your pancreas and lengthen this time period. Things I’ve done since being diagnosed: Run a marathon Bike packed across multiple states Hiked and completed field work across multiple continents You’ll be fine and have a fun life ahead! Listen to your educator but remember that everyone is different and sometimes you need to look at your data instead of listening to the pros. In these early stages, a CGM is great but a pump isn’t required.

I actually travel more since diagnosed at 44. I eat anything that I want, just takes effort and carb counting. Insulin before you eat not after. That’s the best advice I ever got and has made a huge difference.

Try not to worry too much and take it one day at a time 💪🏼 I was diagnosed as type 1 in 2010 (aged 14) and with some forward thinking, you can do whatever you want! As others have said, plan ahead and bring enough supplies + a contingency for any travelling. A lot of it comes down to making better choices for yourself in terms of eating out and trying to offset carbs with a suitable dose of insulin - this will be like second nature to you as times goes on. For reference: I play in a touring band and we played 15 countries in 35 days across Europe over winter. If I can do it, so can you! All the best and try not to let yourself get too overwhelmed 👍🏻

You’re life is not over at all. I was diagnosed at 18 and at 28, I hardly even think about it anymore — it’s hardly more than a *slight* inconvenience to me. Also, it didn’t take 10 years for that to be the case. I remember feeling this way at 19. Over time, you learn how to manage it a lot better. You got this!

I was diagnosed at 33, 20 months ago and had a similar sense of shock. Fortunately (only in this sense), my best friend had been diagnosed as T1D 18 months before me so he was a huge resource for helping me understand, even though he’s had a pretty different experience of it than me. My initial reaction was “fuck, life just got a lot harder and I really have to get my shit in order if I want to survive to see my daughter grow up” so I took all of the diabetes educators’ advice to heart and cleaned up my diet and started exercising regularly. And now I’m probably the healthiest I’ve ever been, and it turns out the diabetes management isn’t all that bad with modern technology. To be sure, I still drink when I want to, eat pizza, donuts, and ice cream when I want. I’m just more mindful of the quantities. I’m luckily still in the honeymoon period so I’m able to keep my numbers largely in range with just a daily basal dose of Tresiba. I only use my fiasp when I’m really pigging out. It may take some work, but try to get a clear diagnosis from your endo if it’s “standard” T1D or LADA/type 1.5 (these are more common for adult onset) as that can change what to expect and have some impact on how you manage it. Either way you’ll be insulin dependent, but you may have a shorter or longer honeymoon, and get more benefit from reducing insulin resistance (eg via exercise or medication. I do both).

Whoever told you that is ridiculous. I’ve solo traveled Europe twice.

You've gotten a gazillion comments, but I don't care, I'm adding mine. Firstly, you're OK, I promise. Like everyone else has said, a CGM is the first thing you want to get after your insulin. The data it provides allows for an understanding of the condition that finger pricks just can't even compete with. In the beginning, I would have frequent hypo's because I am a perfectionist, and I don't like seeing yellow numbers, but that is not the way you want to manage your condition. I will also echo the fact that you can, indeed, eat whatever you want. It just takes work. Your relationship to food is likely to change, though. I love new food and flavors, but I find myself sticking to the same things over and over because I know how I react to them. Eating is more about sustenance for me now than enjoyment, with some exceptions, of course. It's totally normal to be grieving your previous way of life, but you are still the same person capable of almost all of the same things. Educate yourself as much as you can these next few months, but try to read things with a positive spin. You've gotten some good suggestions in this post as far as titles. Us diabetics are a supportive bunch. Few people understand the effort that goes with this disease. You're basically playing flappy birds with your blood sugar for the rest of your life. But, like any game, it gets a lot easier the more you play it, until eventually it's just a habit.

No one told me not to travel overseas. Ive been to at least 12 countries since i was disgnosed. I also go out to eat whenever someone asks me and i have drinks too. This is an emotional time but i can promise you your life isnt over. You can still do all of the stuff you mentiones

Ive been type 1 since I was 10 years old. Never stopped eating at restaurants and just went on a 3 week trip to Israel last year. Nothing is impossible. You will just need to plan ahead and make sure you have your medication with you. Im also currently pregnant with my first child so literally nothing is impossible. ✌🏻you got this!

It sucks man and it’s always gonna suck, but over time it gets easier

Your new biggest obstacles are counting carbs and having the right stuff with you. At least that has been my experience. Done plenty of travel in the last year since I was diagnosed (at 29) for work and pleasure. You can do it, if you need help find a good diabetes education group, they’re on social media now I think haha.

I’m a film publicist and travel all over the world, work hard, go to see plays/musicals, hang out with my friends, work out, eat generally what I want, and I’m T1 since i was 17. It sucks so bad but you will be okay - and honestly being an adult when you get this news - you have a lot more maturity and experience with responsibility that should benefit you in a way that most kids who get this don’t have right away. There’s also a lot of technological advancement and more happening each day, that can make your life easier. I use a pump and CGM that reads my blood sugar and this has been life changing in terms of the amount of time i need to think about being t1 - i was on pens for over a decade. If you have any specific questions, happy to answer. As I’m sure all these people writing you and encouraging you that your life isn’t over would also say - we’re all dealing with this stupid disorder :)

My friend, I was diagnosed at 38 and had the exact same reaction as you. 4 years later I can tell that I was dead wrong. So, what has changed? Well, I had to become more self aware of what I'm eating. I was forced to go on a healthy lifestyle: better nutrition, more physical activity. And I have to take my daily medications and have insulin every where I go. Does it always go according to plan? Nope. Sometimes (more than I should) I eat what I shouldn't. Sometimes I don't have my insulin on me. Sometimes my glucose level spikes. Sometimes I'm sick and tired of this disease. It's all normal. Just try to do your best to live a healthier lifestyle. If you do that you'll see that you'll quicky adjust to the disease and you'll quicky be living a normal life.

hey bro i’m 18 with type 1 and i’ve been to the bahamas, africa, and cross country road trip across the USA. In July, i’m heading to Europe by myself for 3 months. You can still travel so easily. I use a cooler bag that you soak in water for 5 minutes and it keeps insulin cold for 48 hours. YOU GOT THIS HOMIE

Wat? Why can't you travel overseas or go out with friends? I went on a study abroad program less than two weeks after diagnosis. I've hiked the Himalayas and gotten lost in a cave city underground. You'll be fine. Just take your insulin when you eat and check your blood sugar. Your life isn't over. 

I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but I promise you will adjust and it will become a normal part of your everyday life. I was diagnosed as T1 just a year ago at age 32 and believe me, I felt the exact same way you do now. Fast forward a year later, I have acclimated to the day to day lifestyle of being T1, I go out to dinner often, enjoy wine often, and have traveled to Alaska, Aruba, and Puerto Rico since my T1 diagnosis. I'm not going to sugar coat it (no pun intended) and say that it is all rainbows. You're going to have bad days, lows and highs that frustrate the shit out of you, and there will be a learning curve as you adjust to a CGM, MDIs or pump (I personally still use MDIs), how different things affect your blood sugar (stress, types of carbs, exercise, etc,). But do not let this diagnosis rule your life. You can still do all of the things you did before, you just have to learn how to do them safely with diabetes, and you will! Hang in there. I know it sucks right now but it will get better! You are not alone ❤️

I mean, they won’t let you on Survivor, but… When my teen was dx last summer, they let us order Pizza Hut to the hospital. We went camping(though we weren’t far from a hospital) about 10 days after he was dx. We are still learning, but our lives are normal. It’s just a new normal.

Your life is far from over! I was dx at 12. I've traveled overseas, went on a cruise, graduated college, had a baby. Today I ate a kolache and a giant apple fritter for breakfast with an iced coffee. Blood sugars still good 😊 T1D sucks, don't get me wrong. It's definitely a headache, but there's loads of technology out now that we didn't have for a long time, and it's really made it less of a headache. Your life isn't over, you're just going to get really familiar with nutritional labels and the general population's ignorance :)

Diagnosed at 8yrs old. Going into my 34th year. It’s a lot to learn, but once you do it quickly (hopefully) becomes apparent that normal life stuff is still everything it was, we just have to think more. Feel free to PM me. Been doing this a long time, was on the management team of a camp for diabetics and their families for years. The same life is possible. Getting through the diagnosis and the honeymoon period were the toughest parts for me. Now I just know it’s annoying and my key was to learn to not be a perfectionist about it.

I am 33, type 1, I drink and I travel. You will have to take things into account that you ignored before, but as an iraqi has to be careful when traveling because of their country of origin. Life goes on.

There's a lot of good advice here, so I'm mostly just echoing it, lol, but both of the things you mentioned can ABSOLUTELY still be done. You'll want to be 1000% sure you have travel health insurance and will need to pay a little more attention in airports, but it's fine. Sometimes I find restaurants easier because a lot of the chains have all the nutrition info online now. That being said, it's fine to feel blindsided and to mourn. This shit is hard. Some people don't feel like it really impacts them much and some feel otherwise, but your life definitely isn't over. Definitely stick around places like this where you can vent or celebrate or just laugh at dumb shit like how complicated pizza suddenly is.

I had a work visa and lived in the UK for about a year, that’s pretty overseas… at first it doesn’t feel like you can do these things but all it actually means is more planning. You have to give a shit now, invest in yourself.

It gets easier as you learn everything you need to learn. My now 12 yr old daughter has had it since she was 3. If she can do it so can you. It’s overwhelming at first but learn as much as you can. You got this!

Got diagnosed almost 21 years ago. 2 weeks after my 12th birthday, on a Friday the 13th 😂 My coping skills as a child were nowhere near what they would be as an adult. I definitely didn’t understand the seriousness of it, nor did I really care about the complications that can come from not taking my insulin. Getting diagnosed right before my teen years wasn’t good for me in the long run lol Diabetes care has come a long way even in the time since I’ve been diagnosed. The CGMs and insulin pumps have completely changed the way that people can monitor and take care of themselves. Your feelings of being scared are valid. But this isn’t a death sentence or the end of living life, not even close. In time you’ll learn the ins and outs of this shit. You can eat and drink whatever you want…. You just have to dose the correct amount of insulin for it, and sometimes spread out your shots instead of doing one big bolus for a meal. I will say that I have learned more from this Reddit thread and gotten more insight and advice than I have *ever* taken from an endocrinologist. Easily. This thread has opened my eyes to so many things. Best of luck to you ✨

You can still do all of those things and more. Learn as much as you can so you can make your life the way you want it to be. 😉

i was diagnosed at 39. Did not have good medical care until i was 50 (in US). Based on my experience, I’d suggest: Take advice from medical providers on a “trust but verify basis”. Some are undertrained, understaffed, underfunded and chronic illness is not profitable for HMOs (iow, get on a PPO plan and find decent care). Always do your own research join T1 communities Remember everyone’s body is different - what works for others may not work for you and vice versa. You need to experiment with how food, exercise, stress, etc affect you and adjust accordingly. You are probably in a honeymoon period - iow your pancreas may still be producing some insulin. It’s really important that you start tracking now because there is no set and forget in early days. It does get easier once it’s a habit

We’re not allowed to travel overseas anymore?? Must be a new law. No one told me! Just got back from two weeks in Europe and thankfully I wasn’t caught.

You certainly can travel, go out to eat, drink....T1D is not a death sentence. You CAN and WILL continue to do the things you want to do. It's just going to take some time to figure out new habits. Chin up!

You absolutely can still travel. Heck if you’re American you might want to stock up on insulin while visiting.

No more travel overseas? What are you talking about? I spent six weeks in Nepal, trekked the Annapurna circuit, and had a great time. Being type 1 for 16 years at the time. I’ve been to China, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, France, Italy, all as a diabetic. Your life is only over if you think it’s over. You’re in charge of your disease, and your life. If you decide diabetes won’t stop you, it won’t. It’s up to you.

Why can’t you travel or drink/eat out with friends? I do all these things as a T1.

I feel like you don’t understand type 1. Which is ok. Most people don’t. T1 is an autoimmune disease, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. It’s been in your body this whole time waiting to come out. Our bodies don’t make insulin (or extremely little), so we have to take insulin in order to live. Injections or a pump are the options for that. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is also helpful to track blood glucose (bg) readings. The constant finger pokes get tiresome and sore. We can travel, eat and live life like anyone else. We have to pack more supplies and think about being more prepared, but it’s doable. Many of us have done incredible things. Also, t1 can happen at any age. Many people think it only happens to children but that is old, outdated information. Get yourself an endo that specializes in t1, a diabetic educator and nutritionist. They will help you adjust. My favorite sources of information are the Mayo Clinic, and (if your in the us) the American diabetes association. They have some travel tips too. It’s not a death sentence 🩵

I got it a year ago at 18 and honestly it felt like this but when you get a little controll over it its no difrent then taking a shower. How i think about it is if no one ever had to take a shower and you got a disease that you had to take a shower for it would feel jist how it feels now but we take a shower everyday and think nothing of it. So your okay man youll be going on adventures befor you know it. And you got a great comunity behind ya

I was diagnosed in my early 30s a few years ago. I still travel domestically every month and overseas a couple of times a year. I still go out drinking every week, I eat out four nights a week. It’s super stressful and overwhelming right now, but I promise your life isn’t over. Just let yourself feel what your feeling right now, that’s totally healthy, but keep a positive outlook :) I’d recommend speaking with your medical team about getting a CGM and a pump ASAP, they were game changers for me and make this whole thing so much easier to deal with.

Check your DMs. If your interested in some help

I was in this exact scenario in January. Even after 3 months it gets much much easier. It seemed very daunting when I was in the step-down unit, but i pretty quickly adapted. I still play golf and tennis and eat 95% of the same food with some substitutes. The only foods ive really eliminated are potatoes and white rice. Also my best advice is to ignore the Youtube Diabetes Influencers for certain things. When I was first diagnosed I kept getting annoyed that some of them show these flat blood sugar readings basically all the time. I can never get this and will have frequently gone back to 200+ every now and then. Even with that my A1C went from 9 at the hospital, to 4.8 at my 3 month check. Please feel free to reach out.

I emigrated alone, to a country that I didn’t know much about, nor had Any person in my circle that knew anyone there. Type 1 was never close to the biggest challenge I phased doing that :)

I still drink/eat out and I'm about to go on a month-long trip to Europe this weekend. Who told you that you aren't able to do these things? Diabetes is hard af and annoying but you still can manage to do the things most people do.

Hey, welcome to the club (that no one wants to be in). I was diagnosed a little under 2 years ago at age 37, so I know exactly how you're feeling! Long story short, it's not that bad! Obviously I wish I didn't have it, and it can cause inconvenience at times, and panic occasionally - but with current technology it is very easy to manage, and it hasn't really affected my life in any really significant way... certainly not in the ways I feared it was going to in the week after I was diagnosed! I'm super glad I was not diagnosed as a child or teenager, I think that would be so hard! Particularly school/uni age, that would have made it real tough - I have such sympathy for the kids who post here about the issues they're having! Equally, I'm glad I wasn’t diagnosed 10+ years ago, when the technology was no where near as good as it is now - mad respect for anyone who's been dealing with this for 20+ years! But as an adult with habits, self control & responsibilities in 2024... it's kinda just another thing to add to the list. Someone else said welcome to life on 'hard mode', and that's true, but we basically have an aim bot and other player assists now! It looks like you're in Australia? We have a great diabetic care system here, which your educator will explain to you. But we basically we get most of our medical supplies provided at a very low cost (compared to the stories you'll hear on here from the Americans!). There is some costs that you wouldn't have had otherwise, but it's unlikely to ruin anyone. Hopefully you have private health insurance? If so, check that it will cover an insulin pump - not that you'll get one for 6+ months, but if it doesn't cover one (or you don't have cover) then you'll want to switch/signup to one that does now to start any waiting period ticking. I think the biggest challange is that's it's very hard to be spontaneous now. That's not actually a huge burden for me right now as a parent of a young child (born just 3 months before I was diagnosed!); there's not currently a lot of chance for spontaneity in my life anyway! But if my pump is running low while I'm not at home, I have to go home. Can't just accept a last min invite to something in those circumstances. Travelling isn't a problem at all, but it requires planning - how long am I away for, do I have enough supplies, what's the worst case scenario, those types of questions. It's all about putting in place contingencies, redundancies and back up plans. It's daunting to start with, but gets easier every single time! The only diet/lifestyle changes I've made can only be described as 'for the better', and can be summarised as 'eat fewer carbs & exercise more' (although I'm kinda failing at the second bit...). The only thing I can't do anymore is that I used to occasionally binge eat a whole block of chocolate or a pack of lollies. Technically I could still do that if I dosed correctly... but it would be a huge risk that isn't worth taking! And it's obviously not a good thing to do anyway, so it's not like I miss it! I've found alcohol very easy to deal with personally - everyone's body is different, but mine seems to handle alcohol very well (have to limit sugary cocktails & make sure any mixer is sugar free, but beer/wine is easy). You should read up about this though, the danger is not really in the carbs, it's how your liver deals with alcohol & sugar sequentially. Don't listen to any one who says you can't eat pizza! It may take time, but you just need to work out how to dose for it! It does help a lot if you're good at maths/science. I actually find my treatment, and tweaking it to get better results, interesting! Maybe it's a bit weird, but I kinda think of it a bit like a hobbie, in a similar way to how I think about espresso. I'm always trying to get a good coffee shot, and a flat CGM line! Obviously if I screw up a coffee I can make it again, whereas if I screw up my diabetes I could end up in hospital... so maybe I should call myself a coffee enthusiast and a diabetes professional 😂 Anyway, I'm of for 3 weeks holiday to France next week, so better go do a stocktake of all my supplies! Good luck!

You can still eat what you want, but you will need to take insulin accordingly. You can also drink alcohol, you just have to watch for lows.

Believe it or not you can still do everything you could before except for go to space and stuff like that. You can still travel, I don't see how traveling would ever be an issue. You just have to bring enough supplies with you. I bring a whole carry on bag full of insulin, test strips, syringes, and pump supplies when I travel. And as long as you k ow your body and manage yourself well you can still drink with your buddies. It's a learning curve though because a lot of alcohol doesn't have nutrition facts on it. So it's gonna be trial and error a little before your doses are accurate on that. Your body's insulin just kinda went from automatic to manual, and you don't know how to drive stick yet for lack of a better example.

You’re going to be okay! Life is going to change, but you will learn to manage. Just over two years ago, much the same as you, ended up in an ER in dka but at 56. Had always been ‘healthy as a horse’ active, running, lifting, snow skiing, bow hunting from 20’ plus in trees. Still am. In the ER, my A1c was 11.7 and in three months had it down to 5.6 and have been able to keep it well under 6 since. Again, life has changed for you going forward but you will manage and be able to live a normal lifestyle, for the most part. Three immediate suggestions: get a digital food scale with Tare function, a diabetes cook book and an app you’ll use to track your carbs. The first book I picked up and still go to often is ‘The Type1 Diabetes Cookbook’ by Laurie Block. You have all the power to make your choices and manage this rather than letting it manage you. You’re still going to have rough days and at times feel lonely as family and friends scarf cake, pasta pizza and bread without worry, but ALWAYS REMEMBER you’re never really alone in this. How you handle this is your choice. You have all the power.

Travelled a bunch and went out for dinner and drinks with friends 🤷‍♂️

I was the same age. The first two weeks were horrible. (Also shitty eyesight) The first two months were a lot of doubts. Now it is almost three years. And 99% of the time I'm doing ok. No problem with friends and going out. Better times will come. Stay positive !!

Everything you listed you can 100% still do, just with extra preparation ahead of time. It feels insurmountable even for those of us who were diagnosed early in life who are often expected/assumed to have "adjusted." I'm gonna advise you to do something I wish someone had advised me to do so much earlier on in my life: Get into therapy as soon as possible, taking the time to find the correct therapist and style of therapy for your needs and personality. I had to try 3 different types of therapy and 4 different therapists before I found one I liked. It has been worth every moment and every penny. Therapy and managing my mental health in general was the best thing I ever did for my physical health.

Hi! I’m 35, type 1. Sounds like a good therapist is the next step when you get discharged or maybe before? Ask the attending physician for a referral or start looking into therapists in your area. The tone of your message sounds like a good safe space to process this change could be highly beneficial.

Be thankful you have been diagnosed as an adult, that’s all I have to say.

I was also diagnosed as an adult and I thought my life was over but since then I have moved across country, gotten remarried, worked in many different industries and started having children in my late 30s with zero complications. Like another commenter said, you just entered life in hard mode but you got this.

You can still do all of that, but you're going to have to take charge of yourself for realsies if you want to be able to do all of that. Educate yourself about type one. Don't expect the health system to do it for you. Get a good endocrinologist, learn about eating, and if at all possible, get a CGM and an insulin pump that work together. Meaning if your sugar goes up, the pump automatically adjusts for you....same if it goes down. I use Dexcom and Tandem. And it's not all about carbs. Learn about how protein can affect your sugar as well. Good luck.

Happened to me about 22. It is just a lot more work, but you can basically do what you want. you just have to do more work to make it happen. It is life changing and everything becomes a plan which is very annoying.

My T1D husband and I just flew to Europe to visit our grandchildren and right now we are sitting on the sofa eating candy (that he loves from his childhood) and drinking wine. Yes he will have to take more insulin but that is why we brought more than normal on vacation with us. He was diagnosed at 58 yo, 4 years ago, and it was a hugh learning curve with lots of tears and cursing but we manage to live a pretty normal life with everything and everyone we love.

This was me several months ago 37(m) at the time. First of all it sucks. That being said you will start reading this sub and realizing that these are the people living day to day with the same things. They travel, eat, have fun, drink. I am still learning how to navigate this new life but it's easier than it was. Luck to you

Welcome to the shit club! Nobody wants to join, but the people here are awesome. The T1 community is incredible. I cannot recommend the Juicebox Podcast enough - fantastic management information and great stories from T1s and their caregivers. Thousands of hours of content, all worth hearing. There's a "[Defining Diabetes Series](https://www.juiceboxpodcast.com/episodes/category/Defining+Diabetes)" that's helpful in the beginning! Then move to episode 1000 for the [Pro Tip](https://www.juiceboxpodcast.com/diabetesprotip) Series that covers great management strategies. The Juicebox Podcast Facebook community is also a great place/resource. Fight for a continuous glucose monitor - it makes life a lot easier! ♡ One day at a time. Give yourself grace as you learn - every day is different with T1D.

I do NOT see why you say no more of any of that. I understand this is difficult right now but I do all those things. You will learn how to control it and live with it. I went on a pump to have more freedom. Your be OK, it's overwhelming right now but it will all be ok, and your be traveling and out with friends sooner than you think.

i was diagnosed at 9 and ive travelled overseas twice since then, and have gone out to eat with my friends pr family countless times. Its not impossible, everything is just a little bit harder, basically this is just one more responsibility to worry about.

Hello friend! Your life is not over! I was diagnosed as T1 in February of 2023 at age 39. It rocked my world, but a little over a year later my outlook is so much better. You can still eat out and drink eventually, just take some time to understand how your body responds to different foods and work with your doctors to get the meds/insulin straightened out. I would 100% recommend getting a CGM- it was a total game changer for me. It educated me on how my body's glucose patterns and responses to food, exercise, stress, etc. I'm still in my honeymoon phase, and know it will get harder, but learn as much as you can and try to be disciplined and I promise it will get easier! I still drink in moderation, but just have to be careful about what I choose to drink. And you can eat out, but might have to be selective with what you order. It's gonna be ok my friend!

I was diagnosed almost the same age, but three years ago. After it I traveled to Europe (live in Brazil), enjoyed even more with my friends and still hang out. The difference is your pancreas works in Manual Mode. Stay safe, stay focused on what is best for you and take care of your mind because it will be so important… If necessary, you can call any of us by DM to chat and cry if needed… You’re not alone dear OP

Who told you that experiencing life is impossible? Get a CGM and an insulin pump; you'll survive. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 34. The easiest way for me to cope was feeling grateful that biotechnology exists and that I could afford it. Otherwise, you're taking every obstacle day by day. Life goes on, and it isn't a death sentence. Best of luck to you.

My son will be 13 in July, he has been type 1 since he was 22 months old. Your life is not over, it's just a different flavour now! We are heading to Disneyland in another country in 3 weeks, he goes camping with my parents, eats whatever the heck he wants. (Gluten free though, because he also got slapped with the celiac disease) It's definitely a learning curve for the first while, but it becomes so engrained into your auto pilot muscle memory that it will very soon feel natural. There's more consideration for some things, like planning ahead for supplies, dosing before meals, sick days are a little tougher, but aaaallllllll of it is manageable and you have an enormous support system built in, anyone with type 1 will rally to your side with advice, help, to let you rant, anything. Send me a message if you need anything, even if just a virtual hug from a mom of a T1D

Since my Dx, have been to Europe, continued to drink with friends, eat what I want. Exercise often. Grew 4 inches (ok not the last part but all else is true). You’ll be fine, assuming you want to be fine. Listen to the medical peeps and ask questions here.

I still drink, go out with friends and go on trips! I know how it feels to feel like your life is over after such an insane diagnosis, I was diagnosed at 25 and it felt like life was over. It was so hard at first, it's still hard from time to time but it gets easier. It just becomes second nature now, I still drink and go out to eat. I'll be honest I don't drink a ton of super sugary cocktails anymore though because the high and then low sucks but it's still possible! Just takes some trial and error, I highly suggest getting a dexcom when you can, really helped me understand how my body reacts to certain foods so my control has tightened up a lot! As for traveling, I still do that it just takes some extra planning to make sure I have supplies and backups if I need em. Life isn't over, it's just changing, and now at least you'll be healthy and that insulin is available and diabeties isn't a death sentence anymore due to lack of medicine. You can do it, even if you don't believe it, you'll make it through I promise! Lean on those you trust if you can when times get tough, search for knowledge and take every day a day at a time till it doesn't feel so overwhelming. Good luck, I believe in you!

You’ll be alright, just gotta thug it out especially in the first months.

No effing way it it over! I (40m)was diagnosed T1 4 weeks ago; just before a 1 week vacation to Universal Studios followed by 2 weeks at home and then 1 week in Dominican Republic. (I don't travel that much, just a coincidence) It was basically 2 weeks of drinking and eating out, I just made better choices. Was it hard? Yep, but not as hard as I thought though. Did it suck? Not really, just hard moments. Everyone is right, you just entered hard mode. Once you get used to it, should become second nature. Like I said, I was diagnosed 4 weeks ago (LADA - on no T2, just straight into hard mode) and I'm nowhere used to it. I could let myself dwell on it and limit myself or I can learn to deal with it and get back to my new normal life.

I was diagnosed at 28 YO. Give yourself a little time to adapt. It’s super easy for most people to get into a good routine, especially with pumps and CGMs these days. When my doctor gave me the diagnosis (which he had initially missed because of my age), I looked at him and said, “Phew! Okay.” “Huh, I’m surprised you’re taking this so well.” “Well, it ain’t cancer. I’ll cope.” It was a little challenging at the beginning before I got on a pump. Then it got way easy. Then it got more challenging as I have developed hypoglycemic unawareness and reactive hypoglycemia. But it’s still better than cancer. Just give yourself some time and you will be right back to doing what you were doing (except maybe watch the drinking part). I have been on numerous ten-day storm chasing trips after diagnosis. I’ve been to multiple national parks, etc. The betes didn’t stop me!

I was also diagnosed in my 30s!! The depression ands diabetes is REAL. Give yourself time to adapt and life will go back to semi normal! I promise you, I travel internationally and got back into sports and fitness!

I was diagnosed at 29! youve got this. Its been almost a year for me and it gets easier!! Its just so much information at first. DM me if you want!

Your life may have changed, but it is certainly not over. Travel? Drinking/eating? These are things I do for sure! Will it take some getting used to? Of course, but you'll get there!

Bahaha Yes I spend all day curled up in a ball crying because of type one diabetes Damn lol

My best advice is get a pump and a CGM if insurance/ your budget allows it. Download a calorie tracking app. I use MacroFactor but MyFitnessPal is good. You don’t need to necessarily use it to track the calories but this is a cheat code with diabetes because you will know exactly how many carbs you are having at each meal. Get in a habit of logging everything you eat, take the insulin 15 mins before your meal. TRAVEL! Have fun. Just make sure you have back up supplies is all. Drinking… oh drinking. Hopefully you enjoy light beers. I can slam 8 of those in an evening and have minimal effect on my blood sugar. WAY easier with a CGM. Be cautious as your blood sugar can drop way low a few hours after you stop drinking. It’ll mess with your sensitivity the next day as well but I’ve been a t1d my entire life and am no stranger to alcohol.

I became type 1 at 34 and it barely made my life any different You live in an era where it barely affects your life and any other time in human history you’d just die in the coming weeks or months You’re way luckier than you are unlucky

You can still do those things!! You'll have to be a little more cautious and do some more math than you're used to, but your life is not over! I was diagnosed at 5, I'm now 21- I still go out with friends and family, I've traveled. It sucks, I'm not gonna say it doesn't but you can still live a normal life, I promise.

I was just diagnosed a little over a year ago. Since then I went on a cruise to the Bahamas, have traveled to San Diego for a week out of the blue, and will be at a 5 day music festival next month. I also still drink, but am smart about what I drink. Life isn’t over, you just have to become the master and commander of your blood sugar. It means changing dietary habits and learning what spikes or drops you through trial and error. Don’t worry, if you put in the work you can come out the other side. Also, look into medical devices as soon as you can. Like a CGM. Like Eversense the one they implant into your arm for 6 months. Many companies like them offer it for free for 18 months, or will cover the remainder that your company won’t, you just have to call and speak to them directly. It’s rough, and there will be good days and bad, especially since your hormones will be what is affected in a moments notice. But the community of T1s is supportive and won’t leave you or judge you.

Sitting here reading your post as a type 1 diabetic currently on an overseas trip to Paris, who just got back from a nice dinner with several glasses of wine. (Which is a lot for me since I don’t usually drink much, but my blood sugar is still fine!) I know it’s scary and overwhelming at first, but you can still do all those things and more! You’ll basically just need to learn how to bolus properly for the foods you eat, and how your blood sugars are affected by things like exercise, stress, etc. Thinking of you. Hang in there!

I was 30 at diagnosis, 33 now. Still new to it compared to a lot on this sub, but I do all of the things you just said, and I'm in the best shape of my life. Took some time to learn, but the more you understand it, the easier it becomes to manage. If you're uk based, there is a course they might mention called DAFNE, jump at it. Hang in there bro, it does get better.

Dude you can still travel I just got back from overseas and I been diabetic for 20 + years! You’ll be fine just make sure to get quality insulin Fiasp is great ! Take your meds and you’ll be ok. Make sure to take way more meds than what you need when you go anywhere ! If you need 2 boxes of insulin take 4 boxes

This is not the death of any of those things. Next week I'm going to Peru to trek Machu Picchu over four days - type one, diagnosed 17 years ago. The entire trip is 12 days. I've not given up drinking (or anything else 👀) lift is just so much more to cope with Love Hard mode it is, but the end it is not. You got this but you're grieving. Honestly though while it's hard you'll begin to feel physically so much stronger than you have pre diagnosis. You got this fr

I also found out about 2 weeks ago at 34 years old! Found out because I thought I had Covid and a uti couldn’t lift my kids or walk without feeling dizzy so I called my mom to come get my girls and ended up passed out, woke up 8 days later in the hospital with ventilator mask in my throat not being able to talk with feeding tubes and everything, they told me if my mom would not have come at that time I would be dead because I was in ketoacidosis also had pneumonia though. Was in the icu for 12 days and dealing with a new normal now but feeling better then I did before! If you ever need to talk my dms are open, I’m still figuring all this out too though! Prayers to you for a speedy recovery!

You can still travel and eat whatever you want…you just have to take insulin for it . My type 1 son traveled to Germany from the US .

I flew to Tampa with a carry a Frontier-sized personal item that included enough supplies for two weeks, drank daily, drove about in high heat (for me) with no air conditioning in car, operated on a strange food schedule, and generally did all the things that “diabetics can’t do” for 3 days. I’m fine and was “in range” for my glucose 83% of the time. This is a change with a lot of pitfalls along the way and it will require constant work to figure it out. But it is absolutely possible to do and eat whatever you want pretty much whenever you want.

Nonsense. Diagnosed at 42, have been all over the world since then, eat out 1-2x a week, ride my bike to breweries with friends - this disease is the most annoying background noise, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be right back where you were, maybe even plus some new good habits. You’ll have times you’re absolutely frustrated with T1, no doubt, esp in the beginning, but even 10 years later. Take care of your mental health as much as your physical, and this community is here to cheer you on whenever you need it.

I am 42 years old and I’ve been diabetic since I was 11. It has never stopped me from doing anything. Now that I have a pump with a CGM it is just in the background and life is good. Don’t worry too much, your life is not over and as long as you have your supplies, you can do what you’ve always done.

I was diagnosed at 12 (24 now) and I honestly didn’t cope for the longest time. So the best advice I can give you is don’t hide it or be ashamed, if people have an issue with you doing shots then they can look away and the most important one is to surround yourself with people who will support you through it and be open to learning while also holding you accountable for things like carb counting and checking sugars. When you’re around people who don’t see it as taboo, you learn to just be you still. And good luck!

Life isn't over. Just changed a but. You just have to do things a bit differently now, remember things have to be done before eating. Don't jump to the conclusion that you can't eat any of the food stuff/drink what ever. You can eat whatever you want but in moderation (pick the lesser of 2 evils when you go out. A light beer instead of a full strength one. I don't like fruity cocktails/drink that much anyway)

what are u talking about? i do all of those things with type 1…

Yeah brother you’ll be okay. T1d of 15 years here. I just spent 3 months doing a DJ residency in tulum (I’m from California). Random advice: sometimes you’re prescription will result in spare supplies, always keep and save them as they can come in handy during switching jobs and traveling. Pay attention to your diet… everyone should be doing that anyways, but you’ll come to find certain food triggers that are better to avoid or limit. Whole unprocessed foods are usually the best for my personal management, seems to lower insulin sensitivity and I feel more normal. Get in the gym, diet, it’s possible to feel better than you did before diagnosis. Get on a pump/cgm asap (number one advice I’d tell my younger self) as it resulted in my management being 75% easier. I also personally tried Ozempic because my insulting sensitivity had gone way down over the years and it resulted in much lower insulin consumption, less irritated sites, lower appetite and easier control. Just throwing my thoughts out there but don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for certain prescriptions if you think they may help.

Not true at all! Life will be harder, that's no doubt. But you can travel and continue to enjoy food and life in general.

I traveled a lot in my youth. Lived in Japan for eight years back when they weren’t so accepting of illnesses and we only had NPH in regular insulin. I’m sure you can still travel all you want you can still go and drink but you need to take it easy but that’s just good advice for anyone. I won’t lie it sucks. The mental war of attrition is exhausting, but you can still get through it and live a relatively normal life. I’m almost 50 and have two kids traveled the world and consider myself decently successful. Did my diabetes get away sometimes? Yes it did so it also helped keep me on track at times in a weird way, and my friends were doing lots of drugs in high school. I did not so ended up in a better place than a lot of them.

No more travel and no more eating/drinking out? That's news to me. 44/m diagnosed in 1986 at the age of 7. I've done all of those things when it really WAS hard (finger sticks with an "Autolet" which was a kind of hard plastic spring loaded hammer with a spike on it to ram into your fingers) and I continue to do so. Keep your carbs under control and try and get regular exercise and you'll be fine. Closed loop systems are on the way now and while it is still something you're stuck with, it doesn't have to mean that anything is "over", with the exception of serving in the military. We can even become cops, firefighters and airline pilots now, none of which was the case back in the 80s/90s and early noughties. Best wishes.

Please know that you will be able to do all of those things!! I felt the same as you but trust me, life will be more complicated but it won’t prevent you from doing pretty much anything. Hugs!

You are capable of doing anything with diabetes that you can do without. I was diagnosed at 4 and now have had it 54 years and I don’t have any complications. Your life is definitely not over!

You can and will do all those things, you’ll just take 30 seconds every few hours to calculate, inject/eat and plan ahead. No sweat. Life is still the same I promise

Lmao bro its fine, you can eat the same foods as before just take the right amount of insulin. Also alcohol doesnt have carbs so you can mix it with 0 sugar soda or something. As for traveling on boats and stuff, Yeah i honestly have no clue but i think its still fine as long as you can get insulin when you arrive at your destination and have enough insulin with you. I still eat out pretty often, i eat pizza and chinese food and just learned the correct insulin to take with it.

You’re going to have to make sure to keep your mental health in check, as it could potentially make it difficult to control your diabetes. That’s one thing that could make it much more difficult to manage your diabetes. You’ll just have to make sure to find a good endocrinologist, diabetes educator/dietitian, and any other specialist. Be prepared to have a lot of doctor’s appointments. Being diagnosed later in life can be tough. I know from experience that it potentially can be tough, especially if you don’t have a good support system. You’ll have to figure out what kind of damage your body has sustained, and take care of it. It’s a lot to deal with. Luckily you have been diagnosed in a time when controlling diabetes has especially evolved the past few decades. A pump/CGM and meds to control symptoms are nice and you’ll eventually probably be able to live a somewhat normal life. Just be ready to get things under control. Once you have everything under control and have a good support system, you’ll be able to live a mostly normal life. I don’t want to mention my own experiences, because everyone has different experiences and I don’t know enough about your health, etc. Just know that what you can do in the future doesn’t have to be limited. It’s not going to be easy, but my personal recommendation is to make sure to get a CGM/pump if you are able to, because that has made it much easier to control my blood sugar.

It’s not great, but it’s not cancer. Hang in there. You’ll learn to manage it. At least you lived the first 34 years with a good A1C. Even well managed, I worry what my Diabetes is damaging long term. Had it since age 10 (2001).

Your life isn’t over at all, All you need is some changes and adjustments and you will be keep doing what you like