Help please - how to deal with people's perceptions

[elaine77]

Like I said Mr. Happy, those are the words of an endocrine consultant and actually, at this moment in time, there ARE only 2 types of diabetes officially recognised by the medical profession. Type 1.5/LADA is well referred to in conversations but doesn't actually exist as an official type in the industry yet. Some people refer to a type 3 diabetes where pancreatitis and removal of the pancreas cause diabetes but the jury is out on whether that can be classed as the same thing because it has nothing to do with a disease and is an organ issue.

Although I agree that there are a lot of variations in the way the disease(type 1) or the condition(type 2) manifests and progresses, technically there IS just auto immune and non auto immune as everyone with diabetes can be categorised as one or the other by testing for the presence of auto antibodies that destroy the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

 

[Mr Happy]

Elaine, I wasn't being critical and understand peoples desire to compartmentalise these things. I am just a firm believer in us all being so utterly different and what works for one will not work for all...

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Isobel94]

Sometimes non-diabetics who even know you for years are so THICK when it comes to the condition. When I asked my boyfriend, how do you think I treat a low, he hazarded that I take insulin. :shock:

INSULIN!

I know that non-diabetics are not really going to sympathise with a diabetic and all the intricate details that are involved in minding diabetes... but sometimes they say things and you just want to bash your head off a brick wall!

Certainly at that point in time I was not going to appoint him as my personal paramedic... that would have been embarrassing.

 

[noblehead]

Certainly at that point in time I was not going to appoint him as my personal paramedic

Definitely not :lol:


Seriously though I've seen the same said in medical dramas :shock:

 

[lukkymik]

Mr Happy i'm right with you although a little less subtle!!! Its usually "when I find a cure for your pig ignorance we can discuss your cure for my Diabetes" its AMAZING how quick they shut up!!! Sunshine ... Stay strong you'll get there!!! Vent your spleen on here whenever needed & we'll help if we can. Above all "Sod Them" just be YOU!!!

 

[Susie1301]

I've been type 1 diabetic for 13 years and overweight for that time and gotten worse since being on insulin. I am very insulin resistant which doesn't help. People are very ignorant and think u should diet u do learn to develop a hard skin xxx

 

[ljwilson]

I've been type 1 diabetic for 13 years and overweight for that time and gotten worse since being on insulin. I am very insulin resistant which doesn't help. People are very ignorant and think u should diet u do learn to develop a hard skin xxx

I hear you! I am desperately trying to lose weight and I too suffer from extreme resistance in the morning, if I were to do a fasting glucose it would be in the 20's by 10am! I am going on a pump in the hope that it will help overcome this

Lorna

 

[ljwilson]

Hi all,

Not sure where uve been the last 20 years then ljwilson? The medical profession have been aware of slow onset type 1 since the 80s-90s where insulin is not needed in the early stages.

I was just about to say that I too am not only fed up of people saying it's reversible but also assuming you can't be type 1 because you are not insulin dependent!

So, in the words of my sons endocrine consultant "THERE ARE ONLY TWO TYPES OF DIABETES AND THEY ARE NOT 'INSULIN DEPENDENT' and 'NON-INSULIN DEPENDENT' THEY ARE AUTO-IMMUNE AND NON-AUTO-IMMUNE DIABETES"

Since many type 2s actually need insulin i am inclined to agree.

Since nobody in the medical profession can or has ever been able to explain what causes auto immune diabetes, nor the rate at which it progresses, basically, if you have auto immune diabetes you are type 1 and if you have non auto immune diabetes you are type 2 regardless of whether you are dependent on insulin or not.

To be honest with you tho sunshine I don't tell them and if they ask I say I'm type 1.5 at the minute as I'm auto immune but not insulin dependent. They generally don't ask me to elaborate. Thankfully.


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 23 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

I have just seen this, in answer to you question, for the last 20 years I have been busy bringing up my 2 daughters and living my life determined not to be defined by my Type 1 diabetes which was diagnosed in 1975 when ! was 10. At that time there was no such thing as the honeymoon period or dawn phenomenon so when I said it was interesting that to see a type 1 who is not on insulin I was genuinely interested.

 

[Dyezeegal]

According to what I gave been told and according to NHS Direct if you are diabetic type 1 you produce no insulin at all and have to have insulin every day for the rest of your life

 

[GranRita]

Don't let it get to you. I mention casually that I am T2, if I am in a situation where food is involved. & if asked about diet I usually reply that I eat a little of everything, but nothing to excess. Which is really how it should be, surely?