When did it hit you that you've got a serious illness?

[alhubb]

I've only been diagnosed for ~2 months and I don't think it's really hit me yet. When did it hit you that "s**t I'm type 1 diabetic and this is pretty serious!"?

 

[Juicyj]

I've only been diagnosed for ~2 months and I don't think it's really hit me yet. When did it hit you that "s**t I'm type 1 diabetic and this is pretty serious!"?

To be honest as soon as the doctor told me when I first went to my GP, I spent most of that day in tears. It was when I queried my medical exemption card a year or so ago when I naively asked the pharmacist why I got my prescriptions free and she said 'it's because you need medication to stay alive' at that point i'd become pretty blase about it.

 

[Shine311]

As soon as I left the hospital, they kept me in there for a week when I was diagnosed at age 24. 14 years later it kinda comes on in waves. Most of the time I just get on with life and manage my disease the best I can but then there are moments where it still hits me hard. I travel a lot and when I find myself in less civilised locations I think shoot, I'm a diabetic, I have a serious disease, do they even know what diabetes is here? I guess the most important thing is to not let it get in the way of you living the life you want. I'm from Australia and I am so thankful that I came across this site, there is so much information and support on here. Good luck to you!

 

[AndyS]

Probably about the time my Dr told me. She then rammed that home by handing me a letter and telling me to go direct to A&E.

Not exactly eased into it gently but I'm a practical sort so just got on with it as best I could.

A

 

[himtoo]

it was the day I was diagnosed...............beyond the relief of having insulin injected into me and ( not peeing every 15 minutes )
it was the serious way in which I was treated in hospital that frightened the living daylights out of me.
as @Shine311 said just above -- it hits me from time to time in waves now-- but generally I just get on with living .

 

[db89]

Probably the first time I got some alone time after leaving the hospital the gravity of something I would have to monitor and treat for life hit me a bit. I was very bewildered at diagnosis and didn't quite believe it at first (not helped by presenting as mostly asymptomatic).

 

[Soplewis12]

It really hit home for me after a black out hypo and I thought oh my god this isn't just about managing high BG, seriously low BG's are just as terrifying. I remember thinking insulin can be a very dangerous medication. But hey ho, still here and standing and coping.

 

[azure]

When I was diagnosed - the doctor phoned an ambulance and it arrived 3 minutes later! That scared me a lot!

 

[Robinredbreast]

As soon as I left the hospital, they kept me in there for a week when I was diagnosed at age 24. 14 years later it kinda comes on in waves. Most of the time I just get on with life and manage my disease the best I can but then there are moments where it still hits me hard. I travel a lot and when I find myself in less civilised locations I think shoot, I'm a diabetic, I have a serious disease, do they even know what diabetes is here? I guess the most important thing is to not let it get in the way of you living the life you want. I'm from Australia and I am so thankful that I came across this site, there is so much information and support on here. Good luck to you!

Same here, I was in a hospital for a week, but hundreds of miles away from home, missing my two children and a single parent for months, so an anxious time, but still here and fighting the 'diabetes beast' . Sharing our medical condition to like minded people is a big help, good luck to you too

 

[Robinredbreast]

I've only been diagnosed for ~2 months and I don't think it's really hit me yet. When did it hit you that "s**t I'm type 1 diabetic and this is pretty serious!"?

I actually did say 'oh s**t' when the doctor told me

 

[MelissaC]

When I was first diagnosed it was obviously very upsetting, so I was in tears with my mum and was told to go straight to A&E. It was a big shock. Like others have said I think its seriousness comes in waves - I'll just 'get on with it' because it's part of my life, but then I'll have days where it just hits me that I've got this illness.

As much as I knew diabetes is a serious illness, I wasn't aware of certain issues until I started working where I do now 2.5 years ago. There's another type 1 diabetic lady here and of course you talk about it. A few things depress me about it to be honest, but then I am lucky to have treatment (insulin) which I am extremely grateful for!

As I said before, you've just gotta get on with it

 

[therower]

Don't intend to sound arrogant but after 27yrs I still don't feel that I have a serious illness.
Diabetes is a pain in the **** but it has focused my life and made me a better, stronger person.
I fully understand a lot of diabetics probably struggle with my attitude to diabetes and I feel for everyone who finds it hard to cope.

 

[jazzyone]

After being diagnosed 40 years ago aged 10 its only now I feel I've got a serious illness. It hasn't stopped me doing anything I've wanted including having 2 healthy kids but recently I've been finding myself struggling to lose weight,get fit and it takes me longer to get over a hypo..I also worry about bp even though mine is fine

 

[pearceam]

I was diagnosed 6 years ago, my mum was diagnosed of Friday and I don't think it was until I watched her learn to test/inject it really sunk in what I've managed to coped with.

 

[Mark14400]

When I Googled "Type 1 Diabetes" about an hour after the MDU let me go home......

 

[miszu]

When someone gets sick at home mom is all worried, looks up all medications, tries to fix everything alone and wont sleep for days... Shes taking care of me and my 2 sisters alone, tho we r big girls now (me and my twin r 18 next month, my elder sister is 20) but we still need her many times. When i got in hospital bcoz of high BG she of course freaked out, she bought tons of diabetic food and others and brought it in the hospital. She spent entire days searching about diabetes on the internet, talking to doctors etc. I would say she freaked out my part as well, so i just accepted this new disease as a fact, like its normal. Tho i didnt like it when i first got insulin at the hospital but theres worse, and its to keep me healthy, keeping that in mind helps. Also finding this community was a blessing, knowing that im not alone makes me stronger.

 

[miszu]

@mahola ...um... baby mice. i actually feed them to my geckos.......

 

[miszu]

lol hahha. yea i gotta feed them with smt... i mostly give them insects, i dont like seeing them eating these babies.

 

[ScottyWalks]

For me, the problem was accepting that I had a problem. It came on very rapidly. One day I was just incredibly thirsty, within a few days I was drinking 8 litres of water a day. I knew there was a problem but I didn't want to go to the doctor in case it was diabetes. Within a couple of weeks I had eczema all over my hands but I still couldn't accept it. Within the next couple of weeks I was randomly vomiting and it was only then that I caved in and went to the doctor. I was admitted to hospital straight away with blood glucose of 37 mmol/l and ketones c.6. They told me there and then that it was diabetes and most likely type 1.

It was such a relief, I couldn't believe I'd been stupid enough to put off seeing the doctor.

I was diagnosed on 1st December last year. By Christmas my blood sugars were within the normal range and have been fine ever since. I have no worries about the diabetes and think that all the testing and injections are a small price to pay to feel well. I just wished that I'd accepted I had a problem sooner.

 

[bjones1927]

Cried all day when I was diagnosed aged 13 but tbh I didn't really have a clue what it was you just think it's an injection and checking your blood sugar. Only later on you find out about the complications