So many interesting questions raised in this thread. It seems like practically everyone on this board who is Type 1 LADA was initially misdiagnosed. It makes me wonder how many more Type 1 LADAs there are out there who are currently diagnosed as type 2, and are therefore being poorly treated.
High blood sugar is very easy to see - it will jump out of a standard panel. But determining the cause and thus the treatment is problematic these days.
eta: based on the definition above, I am also Type 1 LADA, although I had never encountered that term before seeing it on this board. At Joslin clinic, I am just Type 1. I don’t know if they even code me as “late onset.” Just a regular old type 1.
This is really interesting. I have wondered if I had been diagnosed somewhere less “cutting edge” than University of Michigan, if I would have been seen as a type 2 at diagnosis? I was 20 years old (and looked, truly, like I was about 14!) and didn’t fit the stereotypical type 2 profile, but 30 years ago the age thing would probably have been a significant driver for diagnosis? They simply tested my blood sugar and said, “you have type 1 diabetes.”
I’ve created a video about my misdiagnoses experience in hope of spreading the word about LADA Diabetes. I think my story is all too common. Please share! https://youtu.be/JAzkbz56oxU?si=x07KMNQMG3RpB84Y
It’s been almost two years since I originally started this thread. My insulin needs are climbing a bit despite exercise and low carb diet, so nothing ever stays the same… My insulin pump has been doing very well in keeping me in range with somewhat minimal effort. Well, I’m very careful about what and when I eat, but at least with the pump it’s very convenient to do a bolus. I was afraid of insulin pumps at one point but now I’m the biggest fan of this technology. It’s never easy to face that you have a very serious medical condition, but the tech keeps improving and it’s possible to live a full life.
