yvonneees said:
Thank you for your comments. I think all us diabetics should stand together and ask the government WHY? can't we claim disability, do we all have to wait until our legs drop off.It is a disabling disease and not like drug addicts and alcoholics we did not bring on diabetes ourselves. No offense meant to drug addicts and alcoholics, we all have our cross to bear.
Why shouldn't diabetics get disability? Simply because the vast majority of us aren't disabled!
Yes, we have to manage a condition, but if we manage it successfully, we should be relatively healthy, or try to be. The problems come when diabetes is not managed successfully, often due to no fault of the person concerned, but sometimes it has to be said, because the patient won't take responsibility for their own condition.....trying to keep your BG within the guidelines for instance.
However that's when troubles may start - nerve damage, eye problems etc, and if someone is genuinely unable to get around without huge difficulty, then is when the state should be asked to help out.
It's not easy to always be able to manage your diabetes and I imagine that no diabetic of any type will disagree with that.
I have a form of arthritis and other medical issues which causes me to have flare ups every now and then. During a flare-up I am in great pain, may not be able to get out of bed easily, totally unable to get out of the bath, and can only walk a short distance. Add this to the overwhelming fatigue and other associated problems I have, and life is not easy for that space of time - however I do NOT consider myself disabled.
I will eventually get through the worst of the flare-up albeit it with a vast concoction of drugs and painkillers and try and live as normal a life as possible. I live with pain every single minute of every day, but in comparison to my friend who has been in a wheelchair all her life, I consider myself realatively lucky.
There are people suffering out there with a true disabilty and to put the vast majority of diabetics in that category is doing the sick and disabled a huge disservice in my opinion.
What we need is more help and information to manage our condition as best we can, both from our GP's and nurses, and also for those who want them and cannot afford to buy them themselves, test strips on prescription.
Surely, and I don't mean this an a callous way at all, so forgive me if my post seems like it is harsh, you can arrange to always keep a small snack in your handbag in case of need? That would save you the cost of a snack. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise and very helpful in lowering blood sugars too, so a small walk can only be beneficial too.
I do agree with others in that perhaps if you are getting numerous hypos, you may need to have a look at your diet and small changes may make a big difference in the way you feel. I do hope so.
I do understand where you are coming from as it often appears that those who seem to have brought illness and dependency upon themselves, ie alcoholics and drug users, seem to get more help than us diabetics.
However, public finances are limited, and many people really struggle in getting help with their very real physical and mental disabilities, and to try and add merely a diagnosis of diabetes as a disability is unwarranted, unless of course there are also other complications.
Also, I do hope you are getting everything you are entitled to as a pensioner. I worry about people like myself who will have to be 67 before we might or might not even get a pension to see us through our senior years.