Just getting sick of it now....

[Ollie B]

Hello
I'm Ollie. I'm 13 and i was diagnosed two years ago. To be honest im just getting so sick of diabetes.
Always sat in the dining room with a needle in your hand, all the others giving you the look which says "is he some kind of druggie?". And always being the one having to leave the lesson shaking because of a hypo. People who arent my friends think im some sort of freak.

I know all you other diabetics know what im saying. It is hard and at this age it makes me upset.
If anyone can help me or give me some advice i would be greatful.

Thankyou
Ollie B

 

[sorefinger]

Hi .. Ollie..so your sick of diabetes.join the club. but its up to you to make it work as theres no getting away from it. unfortunately .we all have bad days weeks years sometimes..if these people who are not your friends think your a freak.thats up to them..i bet your friends don't. that's why there your friends and as for being called a druggie, well no change there then, 20 years ago they called me that as well :mrgreen: As for sat in the dining room with a needle in your hand. cant you do your injection in the toilets or in one of the teachers offices, if this is causing you problems. but as you get older it will not bother you at all. it might bother other people :wink:

it dose get easier as you get older ,you will get use to it and learn to take it in your stride

 

[Ollie B]

thankyou for the advice it has cheered me up

 

[ZACNEMMA]

Hi Ollie

Sounds like you are having a bad day. Your doing just great and all the feelings you are experiencing are quite normal, it must be really tough sometimes. Love and hugs. You thought about pumping? I am hoping my son will be pumping soon.

Emma xxx

 

[Ollie B]

Thanks. Yes litteraly i think about insulin pumping almost none stop im going on the program soon

 

[Dollyrocker]

Thanks. Yes litteraly i think about insulin pumping almost none stop im going on the program soon

Me too Ollie, I've been diabetic since I was 17, I'm 32 now and determined to get myself on a pump. It does get easier I promise, for me the realisation that it was all down to me was the turning point, I'm sorry to say it took me till I was nearly 30 to realise that but taking the bull by the horns and throwing myself into attaining a better HBA1C was a really positive thing for me.

If you're going hypo a lot then something needs adjusting, demand that you see a specialist again and get control back

Good luck

 

[Curleous]

Keep it up m8. I have a rather ignorant family memeber who does not like me injecting in front of her. I dont see why i should go to another room to keep her happy. I dont ask her to pop her pills in the toilets ...what is the difference, they are both medications.

Cheers

Curleous

 

[andybeet]

hi ollie

on the other side of the fence i'm a teacher who has T1. I often go hypo in lesson or do a glucose test. The kids and other teachers are great with me cos they care about me and they show interest in something unusual. what i'm saying is that it is normal for people to stare at sometinh strange what you need to do is tell the whole school about your condition. either in assembly or via tutors. if you get everyone to understand whats going on rather than treating you like a freak they will treayt you like family and will try to look after to you. how about seeing if your school will have a non uniform day for jdrf you can be the main event!

All the best

andy

 

[SophiaW]

Hi Ollie, I think you've been offered some great advice already.

I just wanted to add that I hope you will get help from teachers, doctors and family to make things feel better for you at school. I also immediately thought of a pump, no more sitting at the table with needle in hand. My daughter also feels uncomfortable about injecting when others are around. Speak to your consultant next time you see him/her and see what steps you can begin taking towards getting a pump, if that's what you'll be happy with. You'll need to think of some reasons to tell your doctor why you think a pump will be better for you and also show him that you're responsible and dedicated to managing a pump. Have a look at the INPUT website for some advice before you approach your consultant (input.me.uk)

I think Andy's suggestion about a JDRF charity day is great. My daughter is younger than you and still at primary school (year 5) but last year her class teacher got a T1 diabetes pack from JDRF and the class took some lessons in diabetes, what it's all about and what it's like living with it. Her classmates have always seen her testing and eating the odd biscuit in class but that really helped them to understand what it was all about. She has so much support from her classmates now, they all look out for her which is wonderful to see. Of course you're a little older than my daughter so I'm not sure if the school's pack they used in Year 4 would be appropriate for your school but there may be something suitable for your school to do. Speak with your diabetes nurse, SENco at school and JDRF to see what they can all come up with. I honestly do believe that if people understand what you have to go through to manage your diabetes there will be more acceptance and that will make you feel more confident about managing your diabetes.

 

[Jen&Khaleb]

Hi there Ollie,

Just wanted to say that I also think that the more people know about diabetes and understand what it is all about the less of a problem it becomes. It is a bit hard if you are the trail-blazer for your school in opening up some eyes but you'll be doing a great service to every other kid that comes through school.

Don't blame you for being sick of diabetes. I've been looking after my son's levels for just over 3 years and I'm sure he'd like a day off as much as me. I suppose I just get on with it.

Keep smiling

 

[Marian-Gold]

Hi Ollie

I was diagnosed when I was 10 - I got sick of it many times and all I could think of was "why can't I just have a week without it and I'd never complain again". It doesn't happen! I had hypos where I was totally confused and talked total rubbish, and hypos where I passed out. I missed a lot of school, my friends moved on, and finally I was educated at home totally alienating me. After 14 unsuccessful job interviews where I explained about my diabetes I decided I would never mention it again - I got the next job I applied for. So I learned about ignorance and discrimination but hiding my diabetes made me feel like a freak. But that was over 50 years ago! When I meet people today who have no idea about Type 1 I give them a quick explanation and even offer them some literature! I ask for their help, I ask them to prompt me to check my glucose level if I appear confused, angry or unreasonable! Most simply say "is your sugar ok?", and this builds an understanding and bond between us. Chin up Ollie, don't let it get you down, be proud to be independent and be able to take good care of yourself no matter what. Don't let diabetes get in the way of what you want out of life, diabetes makes you tough and determined, builds strength of character others wish they had!

 

[Ollie B]

:') thankyou everyone :'D

 

[iHs]

Hello Ollie

I think you should tell your D consultant exactly how you are feeling about being diabetic and having to inject at school.

If it's really making you feel unhappy using bolus/basal regime, then take your parents with you and ask yr consultant to change you to twice daily insulin for a while. You might be one hell of a lot better with less of the teasing from people at school. Your injection can be done at breakfast time and before you eat your evening meal. All you will have to do is look at yr watch and make sure you are able to eat at regular times and of course test yr bg about 4-5 times a day. Twice daily injections are still available and so you should be able to use them.

 

[diabetes51]

Hi there, I am sorry you are going through a difficult time, I have been a diabetic now for 51 years, injecting insulin. Every so often I get one of the episodes you are describing, the worst was when I was 15 when I threw my glass syringe at the wall and broke it. I didn't tell anyone for 2 days and ended up in hospital in a coma, the one and only time I have ever been admitted to hospital due to my diabetes since diagnosis. So I think it is better not to go through this alone, you have started taking the right steps by admitting to what you feel and expressing it. That takes a lot of courage.

A lot of what I would say to you has been said on here already, and I support what all have said. I had the same problems at school way back in the 60's, however things were even more different then. You had to weigh all your food as well - meat, vegetables, bread - everything, that used to get them staring when I got out my little weight scale at lunch times . I got all the problems you talk about until I went to my headmistress and said I thought the school should be taught about diabetes.

Well that really started something - they started talks about different conditions on 1 morning per week, starting with diabetes. They brought in the Diabetic Health Visitor (as they were called then) and a paediatrician who explained the condition. Then they got 2 of us to talk about what it was like to live with it. They also did sessions on epilepsy, being in a wheelchair and asthma that I remember. These other sessions also helped me realise I wasn't the only one with a chronic condition that sometimes got me down. After that the others in the school were just curious rather than saying things behind my back.

If you know kids with other conditions, could you perhaps get together and persuade your school to do something. That way you are not singled out, and it becomes something to help many. Just an idea, however I accept this may not be the sort of thing you would like to do - which is also OK.

 

[tekcom]

Hey Ollie, try not to let it get you down mate. I know things a difficult at the moment, but everyone here is saying the same thing. Keep at it !!!

Unfortunately, it's something that every person here has to live with. The big thing is to not let it control your life.

When I first started on insulin, I felt really uncomfortable aout injecting with other people around, so I used to pop into a loo somewhere.

In the end, I got fed up with that, and just started injecting discretely under the table.
The other guys here are right though, it's usually the people around you who have the problem, not you.

Either way, if you are still feeling rubbish about things, come back and talk to us. We're all here to help each other, you'll always find someone who's been through the same thing.

Take care buddy.

 

[Spearmint]

My daughter is the same at the moment

She was really down Sunday evening and said that she is fed up being diabetic and it's not fair.

She was changed from premix to basal/bolus 3 weeks ago and i think she is struggling with the change, she is not liking having to do 5 injections a day rather than 2

 

[squishee]

Hi Ollie,

I know exactly how you feel - I went through the same thing from when I was about 16 to, er... about 26 (I'm nearly 29 now!)
I just wanted to say that no matter how sucky it feels, try your best not to let it get on top of you.
I didn't. I tried my best to ignore the diabetes instead - I spent 2 weeks of my first year in uni in Intensive Care after collapsing with ketoacidosis, and have recently completed a course of laser treatment for the beginning stages of retinopathy.
Please don't make the same mistakes I did!! If I knew then what I know now, I would have been so much more careful in my younger days.
And don't beat yourself up if you have a rubbish food or blood sugar day - we all get them, one or two blips in and out isn't the end of the world! But letting the blips become your way of life... not good!!

Hope you're feeling a bit better about things (sorry if this post was a bit doom & gloom!)
Good luck with everything!!