Are you Diabetic or diabetic? Work with me on this one...!

[SunnyExpat]

I wonder what the control is like of those who claim to be Diabetics versus diabetics ?

All bloods in the normal range.

 

[fene48]

Easy question but so hard to answer. If my blood sugar levels are below 4 then I think I'm Diabetic, between 4 and 10 then I'm diabetic anything over 10 I'm just p**sed off.

Just love your answer!!!! Great attitude.

 

[RoseofSharon]

Hmmm I'd like to put myself into the diabetic side, BUT I am off about eating the right things and keeping my figures correct. Does it rule my life? No more than having fibromyalgia, migraines, labarynthitis, depression, crps or any of my other health conditions (inc pregnancy). In fact I think. I've made more changing due to pregnancy than I have the big D (probs because I'd already changed my diet for the other health problems lol). So on balance for me I think I got into the diabetic category (we recently had a potluck picnic as although we had all put in there was plants for me to eat and mostly I just ate the same as everyone else).

 

[Mary_Briggs]

I have diabetes, not I'm diabetic.

Same for me.

 

[Actaeon70]

I would say diabetic, in the same way that I'm schizophrenic (with lower case) but I have Asperger's syndrome (with upper case) as it's named after a person.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I'm dIAbEtIC.

 

[amdram]

Yes, Robbity, it may sound picky, but I agree, I too am A diabetic I'm not diabetic. I don't post often, but I do enjoy reading all the comments and realising it's not just me with some of the problems.

 

[MikePea]

Interesting. I'm just me. (Even that is lower case. )

 

[anderson3000]

I am a Diabetic with a capital D because I do not have it under control, I hope with control it will become a small d or no d at all!

 

[Dicky1]

I am a diabetic but then we all have to di of something? Keep smiling --every day above ground is a good day.

 

[Notwithstanding]

I am diabetic. It has no effect on my life - as far as I know. I treat it by eating a Michael Mosley diet, maintaining my lost weight & rigorous exercise. I have no medical symptoms (I have never had any, except a slight case of thrush - which got me diagnosed in the first place). Basically, I never really think deeply about it as my life continues as normal. I hope that I am not being complacent !

 

[tim2000s]

What's been fascinating about this question is that the majority of commenters so far have been T2s (in a kind of referendum way - 52%). And the overwhelming response has been diabetic (or person with diabetes, a diabetic, etc.) rather than Diabetic (and all its other connotations).

If I break this out from the comments, what I get is that 87.5% of the T2s consider themselves diabetic while only 57.1% of the T1s that commented consider themselves to be diabetic.

It leads on to the question, is it that for the most part, T1D requires a great deal more micro-management than T2D and therefore people find it intrudes in their life a great deal more?

 

[RuthW]

Yes, it definitely does. I read a study the other day that said tracking a T1's blood sugars while they are in hospital (for any reason) takes 2 nursing hours per day. I considered it and concluded that I do in fact spend more than two waking hours per day on my diabetes. You need to include testing, recording, analyzing, adjusting doses and corrections, even going to the chemist, communications with your endo/DN, looking up food values, weighing and measuring, even those extra bits on the exercise bike to work off a rise in bs. Then there's the regular testing/review of basal rates and ratios (when your job/body composition/weight changes). Sometimes it's like having an extra part-time job!
Certainly you can help yourself by turning a lot of stuff into a habit. And certainly some T2s test, record, adjust diet and tablets. T2s can let us know.
Also the majority of T1s get it pretty young so they have to deal with school, work, starting a family etc at the same time. A lot (yes, not all) T2s are older, their lives are more established and many are retired.
I don't think that T2 is easier than T1. Ease is a different concept and has a strong psychological component. But my impression is that T1 takes up more time.
(My grandfather, dad, aunt, and great uncle were all T2, so I have seen it up close and personal.)


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[Chas C]

Interesting responses, I've been IDD for some time, there are times when I've been Diabetic (and not in the right place in myself), and times where I've been diabetic and much happier, as I am now and have been for some time.

As mentioned by others - I would class myself as someone who has diabetes not someone who is diabetic, I do not let it hold me back, however I do need to manage it to stay where I want to be but do not let it take control so that its managing me, if that makes any sense.

 

[RoseofSharon]

@tim2000s the answer to your analytical question although initially a simple one has a lot to be considered.

First how does the person reading the question perceive the whole issue of whether it takes over their life? As an example: Hubs and I both viewed the same thing differently. Hubs thinks it does takes over my life as I have changed my diet and I test regularly. I on the other hand shrug and say no it's just another facet of brewing healthy and caring for myself and my family, if we're out the I just do the best I can and I continue doing the things I love and seeing the friends and family that mean something to me. So the whole issue is at what point is something taking over your life?

Secondly: The posters all come into different age brackets, and will be at different points in their personal journey. Therefore a person who younger is more likely to feel that it takes their life over as they find many of the things their friends do without thinking causes them headaches, a person who is older has already settled that they don't care what their friends can or cannot do and that its about who they are.

Third: at what point in diagnosis is the person answering- those who are newly diagnosed or who have complications are more likely to feel that their lives have been taken over simply because they're getting used to all the changes that have to be made, and likely are making More changes than later in their journey.

I'm sure there are also personality issues that affect this question I.e. Is the person one who likes to control every facet of their life? Does the person have a good self image and therefore can shrug away diagnosis and say well it's just another part of what makes me who I am? Does the person have other long term conditions?

The factors are endless and were we to truly analyse the results there are many factors that we could focus on to see why the answers have come in the way they have. Although it would be fascinating to look at them lol.

 

[tim2000s]

You need to include testing, recording, analyzing, adjusting doses and corrections, even going to the chemist, communications with your endo/DN, looking up food values, weighing and measuring, even those extra bits on the exercise bike to work off a rise in bs. Then there's the regular testing/review of basal rates and ratios (when your job/body composition/weight changes). Sometimes it's like having an extra part-time job!

It's interesting, isn't it. If I look at what you've listed here, I don't consider this "something else I have to do" rather "something that's part of life" and as someone who has been doing it since a young age, it's not something extraordinary.

What is fascinating is that I hardly step out to test or record anything now. It's all done off CGM and stored in the cloud, which takes that away to a great extent. Analysis can then be done at a glance and I don't regularly test and review basal rates and ratios. It's typically obvious that something is wrong, and I'll then adjust when the observation happens again. Again, CGM makes all of this significantly simpler and management is in the now.

I probably spend more time working on technology that makes this stuff easier than I do the diabetes, as I've found that the technology is a real enabler!

 

[Chas C]

I probably spend more time working on technology that makes this stuff easier than I do the diabetes, as I've found that the technology is a real enabler!

I would second that.

 

[RuthW]

Yes, but the majority of T1s do not have access to all that technology yet. It's quite a privilege.


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[tim2000s]

Yes, but the majority of T1s do not have access to all that technology yet. It's quite a privilege.


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No, I know. It's amazing stuff and the only way to make it nearly affordable is to do the build it yourself aspect.

 

[amdram]

Yes, it definitely does. I read a study the other day that said tracking a T1's blood sugars while they are in hospital (for any reason) takes 2 nursing hours per day. I considered it and concluded that I do in fact spend more than two waking hours per day on my diabetes. You need to include testing, recording, analyzing, adjusting doses and corrections, even going to the chemist, communications with your endo/DN, looking up food values, weighing and measuring, even those extra bits on the exercise bike to work off a rise in bs. Then there's the regular testing/review of basal rates and ratios (when your job/body composition/weight changes). Sometimes it's like having an extra part-time job!
Certainly you can help yourself by turning a lot of stuff into a habit. And certainly some T2s test, record, adjust diet and tablets. T2s can let us know.
Also the majority of T1s get it pretty young so they have to deal with school, work, starting a family etc at the same time. A lot (yes, not all) T2s are older, their lives are more established and many are retired.
I don't think that T2 is easier than T1. Ease is a different concept and has a strong psychological component. But my impression is that T1 takes up more time.
(My grandfather, dad, aunt, and great uncle were all T2, so I have seen it up close and personal.)


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