What’s your hardest struggle with diabetes?

[luv2spin]

Share your answer

 

[Guzzler]

I was diagnosed a year ago. I have struggled with different things at different times since then. Overall it has become easier to address problems simply because I have (and still am) learning the right questions to ask.

 

[Deleted Account]

Struggle may be a bit strong but the diabetes thing that I consider most (as opposed to just being part of my life) is getting the balance right.
I could eat the same thing every day, do exactly the same amount of exercise, inject the same amount of insulin, hope I don’t get ill and live a long life with low risk of complications. But I would be bored: this is not the life I want to live.
So instead I try to manage my diabetes as much as possible without it taking over my life. I eat what I want but test a lot; I exercise quite a bit but carry gluctabs with me all the time, i try not to let hypos affect me at work but I still need to treat them ...
So, the biggest worry/struggle/concern is balancing the life I want to live with minimising the risk of complications.

 

[ickihun]

Weight gain.

 

[Ann1982]

Dawn phenomenon which has recently raised its ugly head!

 

[Rachox]

Coffee shops not stocking any low carb snacks! Prèt a Manger is the exception to the rule here though, lovely range of low carb foods and good nutritional info available.

 

[Daibell]

Getting the BS balance right and forgetting to inject for a high carb snack that needs it.

 

[Grumpy ole thing]

My hardest struggle is COB, Chronic Obstructive Bureaucracy...

 

[Robbity]

Not really diabetes itself, but other issues which can and often do have an impact on my glucose levels.

Robbity

 

[archersuz]

@luv2spin Sorry but I'm finding all your threads to be a bit negative about diabetes! Please come up with a positive one next....... There are many positive things going on in my life and certainly in other forums - don't focus on the negative all the time.

 

[rab5]

My DN!

 

[dbr10]

My DN!

Mine too. Seems to work against my interests rather than helping.

 

[phdiabetic]

Exercise!!! Makes my blood sugar drop like crazy. I seem to be extremely sensitive to insulin when exercising, far more so than other diabetics I've talked to about this issue. Like I can't even get dressed without it dropping. It's so difficult to do everyday tasks and keep my blood sugar at a good level. I'm sick of having juice and lollies all the time.

 

[flexi06]

Well I’m with @phdiabetic for me it’s exercise- but for different reasons. I’m so tired that any exercise is killing me. All I can manage is walking and I just want to be laying down all the time. I think it’s more to do with menopause hormones not balanced correctly- which I hope to get sorted ONE DAY - but having to be active to keep the numbers down is exhausting and demoralising as I keep thinking “surely this will get easier, the fitter I get, the more weight I lose-and maybe it will - but it has not happened yet. It’s still ridiculously hard and I feel about 85 instead of 49.

 

[LooperCat]

@luv2spin Sorry but I'm finding all your threads to be a bit negative about diabetes! Please come up with a positive one next....... There are many positive things going on in my life and certainly in other forums - don't focus on the negative all the time.

Are you saying we can’t discuss the negative aspects of this cr*ppy all pervading condition here? Because sometimes it’s necessary to discuss that with people in the same situation. It’s hard on your mental health to deal with this day in and day out. Frustrating, psychologically exhausting and sometimes we rightfully get angry at it. Having a place like this forum where we can share not just the ups but the downs as well is so, so important. If you don’t like a thread because you feel it’s too negative, maybe just scroll past and let the people who need to vent do so?

My hardest thing with it is just never getting any respite from having to make sometimes quite complicated clinical dosing decisions multiple times a day - using a potentially lethal drug. Even doctors get a day off.

 

[Circuspony]

I really wish we would let people post about their problems and how tough it is without shooting them down! No one HAS to contribute to a thread - if you don't like a topic then move on!

For me it's also exercise. I can drop from 14 to hypo within a hour (& that was just walking) if I have even a touch of novorapid on board. It's now affecting my weight as I cut back on food at lunch to reduce my insulin - so I've lost even more since Dka last year.

The other frustration is the inconsistency. Same breakfast, same routine = completely different BG levels. & if one more Dr or DN says "it's all about carb counting" then I'll scream!!

 

[db89]

Exercise!!! Makes my blood sugar drop like crazy. I seem to be extremely sensitive to insulin when exercising, far more so than other diabetics I've talked to about this issue. Like I can't even get dressed without it dropping. It's so difficult to do everyday tasks and keep my blood sugar at a good level. I'm sick of having juice and lollies all the time.

I'm fairly sensitive but, wow, I can change into another set of clothes without needing a Glucotab.

No patterns that can be identified of feeding your insulin a little bit?

 

[phdiabetic]

I really wish we would let people post about their problems and how tough it is without shooting them down! No one HAS to contribute to a thread - if you don't like a topic then move on!

For me it's also exercise. I can drop from 14 to hypo within a hour (& that was just walking) if I have even a touch of novorapid on board. It's now affecting my weight as I cut back on food at lunch to reduce my insulin - so I've lost even more since Dka last year.

The other frustration is the inconsistency. Same breakfast, same routine = completely different BG levels. & if one more Dr or DN says "it's all about carb counting" then I'll scream!!

Ugh I totally get what you're saying about breakfast. For me, it's people online pushing stupid low carb on me, it's not the carbs I can eat them fine it's my stupid honeymoon period so just let me eat my **** carbs!! My blood sugar is like 11 right now because I tried to have a shower (I didn't even eat any carbs for ages) and I am extremely grumpy!

Edited by moderator for language

 

[phdiabetic]

I'm fairly sensitive but, wow, I can change into another set of clothes without needing a Glucotab.

No patterns that can be identified of feeding your insulin a little bit?

It is absolutely the incidental exercise causing the problems, I can sit at my desk and have perfect flat numbers but if I brush my teeth or something I will be dropping. One night I sat still, next night I got ready for bed, both were at the same time no major differences between the days and first night I was great, next night I dropped. Since realising this fact I have managed to prevent a lot of lows, but it makes my day extremely difficult. I've talked to my doctors, of course nobody else in the universe is anywhere close to this insulin sensitive so they haven't experienced it in other patients, they just tell me to keep doing what I am doing and maybe try some intense exercise to get my blood sugar up. Sorry for the rant my blood sugar is high right now and I am not even thinking straight.

 

[Mr_Pot]

Finding something suitable to eat for lunch when not at home, so no real struggle at all. Those having a hard time, especially on Insulin, have my full sympathy.