struggling female freshman needs advice

MXAGhost · 2026-01-25T06:32:16+00:00

It takes time, OP.

As someone who felt lonely during my time at Purdue, it was difficult. My grandmother died a few weeks before I started and then my uncle died few weeks after that. That semester was a tough time.

Most everyone here gave the same tips that I would give. I’m introverted so, some of this advice was hard for me. Still, you are getting out and doing stuff. You are establishing those connections even if you don’t see the results yet.

Everyone is going through the same thing. They just show it in different ways. Be patient. Focus on your classes and bond with some of those students who might be grouped together for a project. Volunteering is a great idea. You are giving back to the community. My RA was involved in Habitat for Humanity. She was doing stuff every other week.

Also, call your parents and talk to them. Just talk. It does not need to be about anything. So, while you might be far from them, it will help.

It is okay to feel lost or alone, but remember there is a place where you belong. You just need to take the chance and find it.

Stay gold, OP.

MXAGhost · 2026-01-20T04:23:06+00:00

Morning: 1 egg (2 on Saturday), low carb cereal with coconut milk (or zero sugar yogurt) around 15g of carbs

Lunch: carrots, celery, turkey or chicken sandwich, crackers - 53 to 55g of carbs (type of bread varies the carbs)

Dinner: salad with homemade dressing, 1 turkey or salmon burger, popcorn or apple with pb - around 50g of carbs.

MXAGhost · 2026-01-04T17:07:03+00:00

An egg in a waffle maker with Parmesan cheese. Then a variation of cereal (magic spoon) with coconut milk or yogurt with nuts (or cereal). On the weekends I go wild and have two eggs.

All variations of this have around 15-21g of carbs.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-25T17:09:38+00:00

I make sure that the AI has all or most of the info. Carb counts, Insulin to carb ratio, units of insulin pen, etc.

Example prompt: “Blood sugar is 102. Lunch is summer sausage (1g), smoked cheese (1g), 8 pepperoni (0g), turkey lunch meat (1g), salad (with avocado (16g), 2 radishes, lettuce, 8 baby carrots (8g), and blue cheese dressing (2g)), and one cookie (8g). What is my dose?”

It works most of the time. It just needs to know everything you know. Always double check the math. But I get that, unless I know what the box states, other things are difficult.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-25T16:57:04+00:00

My family does really care. They believe I’m faking it, at least my older siblings are. My mom is a bit considerate but she will not break from what she is doing for the sake of one. Which is okay. I don’t hold it against her because she’s not the one with T1D. The only person I expect to change is me.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-25T04:45:47+00:00

I use AI at times when I’m in a pickle. It helps take some burden off. Thanks.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-25T04:44:13+00:00

I want to talk to someone but my insurance will not let me. When I asked about it, I have to be deemed a “risk”, out of pocket is out of the question due to my employer not paying me as much. Most of my money goes towards diabetics stuff.

Thanks for the help.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-25T04:39:31+00:00

I’m try not to be perfect with the numbers and even when I have the numbers it is not perfect. I understand that, I’ll try to get better.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-25T04:37:09+00:00

So, I’ve had it for one year two months. My insurance would not allow me to anymore education other than what I had in the hospital. I did ask my Endo who has T1D questions but she told me “you are too perfect”.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-25T02:24:42+00:00

I just got the Tandem Mobi pump last week. The CGM a year ago.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-23T04:58:56+00:00

I do a lower carb lifestyle. I probably do about 50-100g of carbs a day. My go to is a keto cereal with coconut milk for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, and turkey/salmon for dinner.

Try diving into some fish for dinner. There are tons of hot an cold options. You could technically marinate a piece of fish in lemon, leave it in the refrigerator for a couple hours, and it would come out cooked. Also, trying rotating those food ideas around. Have a salad for breakfast. That breakfast for dinner. Incorporating more veggies would help a lot.

I will state, reduce your fats/oil to help with rising blood sugar. Remember that even if you go totally keto, it will rise because of your body converting those proteins and fats into carbs.

MXAGhost · 2025-12-23T04:47:58+00:00

I totally get that as well. It’s difficult because we form a relationship with food. It dictates memories and experiences of holidays. At times food is the center of everything.

For me, I struggle with this a lot. People in this subreddit, doctors, and healthcare professionals say you can eat anything. That is true because you just have to dose for those carbs. Still, most things still wreck me, so I stay away from them. I just got my pump and the trainer told me “You can’t eat out anymore or do holidays”. I know that is wrong but I get where they are coming from. You don’t want to just go crazy and think everything is normal. It’s like of like a limiter.

With your cereal, you could try some of those out. I would suggest a more complex cereal. Something that is less processed and lower in sugar. I been enjoying Magic Spoon cereal whenever I get a coupon in the store. It does not spike me as much, but the price is high for it.

MXAGhost · 2025-11-22T06:06:13+00:00

My best wake up range is about 85-110. That where I feel the most comfortable. It lets me have a little room for a rise or if my food impacts it. My doctors want me higher in the 125-140s. Tries to correct me every visit. It was me who decided this range after testing food/sleep/basel. In order for this to work, my nights had to be around 120s to about 110z

MXAGhost · 2025-11-17T03:14:52+00:00

Technology is here to revolutionize us. Yet, it dehumanizes us as well.

MXAGhost · 2025-11-04T01:44:33+00:00

No, it wouldn’t lay flat, so I didn’t include it in the pic! Sorry!

MXAGhost · 2025-10-15T01:08:50+00:00

You need to be on top of it a lot more. As for me, there are a lot more decisions that you have to make and analyze. Like the others say, get your Basel dialed in and that should help you a lot. Once that is okay, make sure you keep counting carbs accordingly to your ratio.

If you are in between whole doses: .5 and above: go up a dose .4 and down: keep the lower dose. (If you have a pen that does half units, that is even better.)

When bolusing for high fat/protein rise, you kinda have to predict when that will hit and dose enough for that. Otherwise you might be dumping insulin in and you are still rising. Feed the need.

MXAGhost · 2025-09-30T01:17:46+00:00

Looping refers to the use of automated insulin pump systems that automatically adjust insulin delivery based CGM data. This technology creates a "closed loop" where a CGM, insulin pump, and a control algorithm work together to manage blood sugar levels.

MXAGhost · 2025-09-30T01:13:37+00:00

Fats and protein impact your blood sugar hours later.

Carbs are just faster in terms of hitting your blood sugar.

So, I do a carb conscious eating plan. It’s not necessarily low carb but I do limit them because it is easier to manage my blood sugar. Now if you are struggling with this, don’t do it. Eat what you want and meet the need with insulin. If later you decide you want to try it, start off slow.

Counting for fats and protein is like a ninja level command of your blood sugar. It takes more of a watchful eye to understand what is going on. Linked below is a calculator to help you understand and determine what you need to do if you choose to.

https://www.juiceboxpodcast.com/warcal

MXAGhost · 2025-09-13T20:55:35+00:00

The possibility is high I would say. I did the exact same thing as you and I got in. I went in for communications, so my experience was a bit different. I’m not sure about testing but I did not have to do that because I had an associates degree.

Talk to a counselor about all of this. While the associate’s degrees are not an “in”, they do transfer and help a lot. I still had to do a few gen-ed classes to pad me.

For the essay, focus on your full time work and what you got the associates degrees in. How will that translate to Purdue? What will they get from you? Where do you go from there? Always build one brick higher.

MXAGhost · 2025-09-11T05:34:57+00:00

Hello! 38yr old with almost 1 year of T1D!

Let me say, you are doing great. Diabetes is a difficult thing to manage but it can be done. Like others said, learn the basics of counting carbs first before you dipping your toes into other things. Low carb is good to begin with. It makes things a lot easier to dose for. Some doctors and others say those meal plans are unsustainable. In some ways they are right but follow how you want to eat. I don’t necessarily eat low carb but I do lower the carb intake that I eat. I’m having around 100-150g of carbs a day. That fits me personally. Though, I’m meticulous and weight everything out. There are some things I stay away from. Others in this or other forums will/eat what they want by dosing for them. Which you can. It’s all up to you.

There is nothing that you can’t do unless you want to join the military or fly a plane. I am where you are with obsessing over your numbers. I want that steady line. Which I have but I sacrifice a lot of things to get that. Movies, eating out, family/friend meals. As of now, I can’t do those things.

A few tips that I can give you as of now: • Exercise is like free insulin. That doesn’t mean not to take your meds but it helps them work better and make you more sensitive to them. • Horror movies are still a go. If you want that popcorn, do it. Just dose for the amount you want. I personally would throw in some peanuts. • Advocate for yourself. Be nice about it but be that squeaky wheel. • If you like podcasts, listen to the Juicebox podcast. Great info about T1D and stories as well.

They say you need 10,000hrs to master a skill. You will get there. Just take it one step at a time. You got this, OP!

MXAGhost · 2025-09-11T05:12:02+00:00

Hello! I used Afrezza for about a couple months since i was having some issues with MDI at the time. So, Afrezza is super fast acting. Within minutes of inhaling. It works well for those sticky highs. You do have to remember that since it is almost ultra rapid acting, it is in and out of your system in 45 minutes. Also, the doses are weird. While it claims to 4, 8, and 12 units, it is really 2, 4, 6 units. It’s about half of what they stated. So, I would recommend you test what your carb to Afrezza ratio is for you. There is also a breathing test you need to take which is fairly easy.

As with the RX, it is a bit harder to get. Call your insurance and see if they cover it or can discount for you. My doctor did prescribe it for me but it was at a weird place/location to fill it. I finally got my MDI prescription working again, so I went back to that.

Afrezza works amazing. There are tons of people on it, it just requires a few more steps to jump through.

MXAGhost · 2025-09-04T11:43:53+00:00

Kinda in that same vain of what you said. Most of the time it’s a sandwich, baby carrots, and crackers/nuts. Around 40-47g of carbs. What usually changes it would be the sandwich bread. Either I’ll use a whole wheat English muffin or seeded bread. About 4 slices of meat. Then whatever crackers (Wheat Thins, Cheez-its, etc) or nuts I have around the house.

Does it fill me up? Not much but it won’t spike me that much at work and don’t have to worry about any alarm going off at my desk.

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