I have only told my mother and my husband. I am still a bit shocked (I didn't have the usual symptoms) and I feel a bit ashamed as there seems to be a mentality that T2 is something you bring on yourself. In retrospect, I probably got on the first steps of this path as a skinny teenager who semi starved herself. I remember my first experience of 'the shakes' was at aged 16.
I can really relate to what you said here Peridot. I quit having any sugar in drinks when I was 17 as I was getting these sorts of symptoms. I was checked a bunch of times for diabetes. I have always been hugely fit walking at least an hour a day, then age 37 my doctor checked me again as she noticed I had broken quite a silly amount of bones. I was at 40 on the monthly average thing, which if you are 40 or over you are diabetic. So I already in effect had good diabetic control, I was and am doing everything 'right'. It makes me very angry when the bull comes out about how you 'get diabetes by being fat and lazy'. I have always eaten better and exercised better then anyone I know. I have it because of genetics. My mother has it, so I have it. If I had eaten badly and been lazy I would have had a lot higher levels then I do as my body clearly doesn't respond properly to sugar and never has.
Because I was already eating and exercising so well I just changed my behaviour mildly - If there's a plate of cakes at work I won't have 5, but I may have 1 depending on what else I ate that day etc etc (quick mental sugar maths) I got a lot of 'oh you shouldn't be eating that'. I did an hour of weight training before work and my blood sugar is 4.5 so know what? I'm gonna have a ****ing cake cheers ;-) I agree with the carb comments, I am lucky I actually don't like carbs so I think its great I can refuse boring pasta and rice actually, but it causes complete purplexment.
I had a meeting at work a while back which was about workplace health issues and about the way workplaces can help encourage exercise and healthy eating in employees and phrases were used about how it could help stop people getting overweight and getting type 2 diabetes. It made me feel a bit upset that people might regard me as a little piggy, I know there's no harm meant by it it was an abstract conversation it wasn't like they pointed to me and went 'like this fat cow' lol.
I found sometimes other diabetics in my family and friends can derail me a bit. I know 3 and their diabetic control isn't as good - 2 love to drink and one follows the nhs advice and won't hear otherwise. One will make insensitive comments about how 'the trend in people living so long will end because people are getting things like diabetes earlier because of obesity', or 'Oh well we won't live to be old so might as well have a drink eh' oh thanks I got it at 38 so I'm gonna die now am I. It's almost a bit like a jealousy like ah, you'll learn, you're ok now but just wait...... I would never do it the other way round, turn and say, god none of you do any exercise you are gonna die.
The other end of the scale I had a friend who would actually bring sugary cola to my house in 2 litre bottles (like I say we never have it in the house), he would chug them in an hour, he ate horrendously and was very overweight. He was diagnosed with diabetes and cos his sugar of course therefore was terrible compared to mine suddenly I was getting 'oh your diabetes isn't very bad though is it' er, it's the SAME I just have some actual self control!!! But it's like 'oh well it's easy for you as your diabetes isn't so bad'. Hand me the sugary cola love and see how fast I could get a reading over 9 if I ate like you mush.
I'm realising a lot of these comments come back to lack of knowledge don't they, which comes from the NHS still prescribing leeches really. But Peridot don't feel guilt, feel a little anger, and use that anger to prove a point by being really really healthy. It wouldn't ever be seen to be ok to tell someone with cancer, ah well it's your fault cos you ate badly and didn't exercise, that would be horrendous so why should people do it to us.
I am lucky my man is hugely supportive, he's a wonderful cook and home cooks everything for me which is brilliant it helps so much with your levels. He lost a grandparent to type 2, who prior to that had both legs amputated because of it. I imagine this makes him feel fear for me but instead of being a panicker or nagging me he just helps and shows love with making sure I always have a nice meal
I do worry he has a high genetic chance of it too, as does his lovely child so in our home it is very oriented that we ALL eat a low sugar low carb diet and talk about the importance of food balance, looking after your feet, eating regularly. Type 2 can be genetic and no amount of good behaviour in the world can necessarily stop it, so this way like me if they are diagnosed they be so on a well controlled level which hopefully will help them live a long time as I intend to. Even with the odd cream bun ;-)
