Diabetes affecting daily life

From my angle it seems to soak up time in ones life, in various ways. Then there are potential compatibility issues with family. My wife has no idea about how it should be approached, at the moment anyway.

A work colleague of mine has had Type 1 since a girl. She is in her forties now. She seems to manage her condition very well. An “old hand” at it. Her / our employer is accommodating which helps.

Other than having to check blood sugars and inject, the only changes as I can see forced on me are common sense ones I should have been doing anyway, improving diet, exercising more and so on.

I'm retired, so I can't comment on the work side of it, but I don't find myself at the GP's any more often than I did before.

I think that there's no blame to be laid specifically because the problem is diabetes... ignorance and so on lie in all walks of life and often what is seen as prejudice is more likely to be due to this. As for the government, I wouldn't hold my breath, as, until we get one that's honest, not just looking to be re-elected, and knows about worth rather than price, we'll constantly go backwards in all walks of life... just my opinion.

Speaking from the perspective of someone with T2, my Diabetes affects me only as much as I allow it to.

There's no point in playing the blame game but a lot of us do this almost immediately after diagnosis. It is part and parcel of getting your head around what should be turning a page and starting a new chapter in one's life. There is inevitably a period of adjustment which includes anger and frustration but the energy wasted on trying to place blame would be better spent, for the recently diagnosed, on the application of learning about how we as individuals find the best way to achieve the most improvement in our prognoses. I no longer blame anyone or any institution (I have never blamed myself) for my diagnosis, it is what it is.

I am almost two years from diagnosis, I am less fearful now than I used to be but I keep my beady eyes on this condition because it can throw a fire cracker in your face if you ignore it.

I've been diabetic for ~18 years, from the age of 8. Teenage years were a bit bumpy as I guess I was just ill informed. I've never thought I can't do something because I'm diabetic, yes I have to monitor my levels several times a day and inject (being type 1), but I've gone through college, excelled at university (completed a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering - top 5% in the faculty) and have been working as an engineer for several years now. Being diabetic hasn't stopped me in any way in achieving my goals. Yes it requires some dedication and commitment, but the hardest part is learning about it, understanding it and then the implementation sort of flows it self.

My only worry on a day-today basis is low glucose levels but I have something available wherever I go. I think the hardest thing about being diabetic isn't that it will affect you, but its more about the perception of others thinking it has to affect your life. I went through most of my life without people (even some of my closest friends) knowing I was diabetic, people can't believe it when I tell them. Its a manageable condition, yes it requires effort, but it is in no way a show stopper for any goals.

Like @jackois I have not experienced a negative impact on my life due to diabetes unless you count the need to carry my diabetes paraphenalia around with me all the time makes it difficult to leave the house without a bag (my phone, credit card and keys fit in my pocket but testing kit and hypos treatment do not) and the annoyance of having to find clothes that do not emphasise my insulin pump (because I am vain).

However, having diabetes has made me more determined. Perhaps it was the first comment from my diabetes nurse: "Diabetes should not stop you doing what you want": that has pushed me to prove her right.

I recently watched a small video of a woman who was a refugee at the end of the Second World War. She said something along the lines of "if the UK was willing to save my life, I felt I better make my life one worth saving."
I feel something like that about my diabetes care: if the NHS are willing to spend so much money on my health care, I better make sure it is not wasted money and live a full life.

helensaramay said:

Like @jackois I have not experienced a negative impact on my life due to diabetes unless you count the need to carry my diabetes paraphenalia around with me all the time makes it difficult to leave the house without a bag (my phone, credit card and keys fit in my pocket but testing kit and hypos treatment do not) and the annoyance of having to find clothes that do not emphasise my insulin pump (because I am vain).

However, having diabetes has made me more determined. Perhaps it was the first comment from my diabetes nurse: "Diabetes should not stop you doing what you want": that has pushed me to prove her right.

I recently watched a small video of a woman who was a refugee at the end of the Second World War. She said something along the lines of "if the UK was willing to save my life, I felt I better make my life one worth saving."
I feel something like that about my diabetes care: if the NHS are willing to spend so much money on my health care, I better make sure it is not wasted money and live a full life.

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Exactly, not that I wouldn't swap diabetes in a heart beat if I could. But having the condition has led me to learn so much more about diet, nutrition and how it all affects the body. Which I most likely would not have gone into the depth I have without diabetes...

Personally it really does not impact on my every day life much at all I just keep the carbs lower and get on with I always feel well do not feel any different now to what I did before I was diagnosed with T2 three years ago and I only found that out through my annual blood test I never had any symptoms not even overweight. I am almost 80 and my husband is 86 and also T2 his was thought to be steroid induced. He has mobility problems and a couple of medical conditions now so we don't go out much these day so that is really the only difference in our lives now and it is not caused by the diabetes. I do not think anyone's family or friends really understand diabetes unless they have it their self and I do not expect them to so I rarely talk about it

Type-2-Havent-A-Clue said:

How has diabetes affected your day to day activities?

Has it exacerbated or bought on new health problems for you?

I see a lot of things from Neuropathy to Glaucoma to social anxiety affecting people with the condition. But when it comes to the day to day things such as going to work/to the shops or just general household chores does it affect you more doing certain things than others?

Socially for me is a very big issue as I feel as if I’m burdening others being at the back of the pack or I can’t really enjoy what everyone else is doing.

I once had a very interesting conversation with a DN who said barriers to enjoying and fulfilling every day life was in fact a mental block rather than a physical one. I personally don’t think that’s true. I’m of the opinion that unless you’ve lived with the condition and it’s side effects you will never truly grasp its downside. I even include family and friends in this who live along aside us and see the struggles because there is only so much explanation for it and it’s clear research is lacking/information is sketchy to some degree.

I know of people who have been turned down for employment or even let go from current jobs because employers didn’t have any plans in place or couldn’t risk long term absence for appointments etc.


I lie the blame at the feet of Government for not discussing the matter more. Not making more of an effort to promote the condition or better still funding research and development into tackling it or preventative measures.

Where do you think the blame lies?

I once asked this question and the responses I got were simple “lose weight”

Isn’t it stereotypical for people to assume all diabetics are overweight/obese?

People are ignorant towards diabetes and assume it’s always about eating too much!

Why?!

I know some may disagree with my opinion but it’s just how I see things.

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Oof, that's a lot to consider... I'm already limited in the things I can do due to mental issues I've already told you about (not to mention the rheumatism, hypothyroid and what have you). I don't have a job because of that, don't leave the house without someone I trust to get me out of situations fast (Love being married to a tall man who can steer me to exits I can't see myself, in a hurry!). So far as that goes, T2's never been an issue, because it didn't come up. Considering I have that part of my life well under control, I don't think T2 would stop me from anything now... It did when I just got started though. Thought I'd never travel again either, but after a while you learn to adjust menu's to suit, making being away from home and ones own kitchen much more doable... Before I got my bloodsugars under control I was a mess, and didn't leave the house without my meter. (I have 4). It took some doing to get family gatherings sorted out, like Christmas, but now I have a hand in what's served more often than not, and there are low-carb/keto options on the table. At birthday parties -which I usually manage to avoid, but when that's not possible- I'm the photographer. I don't eat the cake, I just take pictures of it, objectifying food. That, and make a visual record of the kids demolishing their cake until the whipped cream's behind their ears. (Well taking care of any appetite I may have had, haha) Normally I fast through that sort of thing, unless they happen to have walnuts or cheese for me, then I munch with the rest of 'em. The hardest thing about the last party I went to, was being there with a slim T2... She doesn't "believe in carbs" and is thus on insulin. Doesn't understand why her bloodsugars skyrocket when eating a cupcake. (And I don't know how you can possibly bolus insulin for a meal, if you don't know what you're bolussing for, but okay, whatever...) But anyway, she always makes fun of me, and my weight. Still believing the myth that it's the weight that caused the diabetes rather than the other way around, and feeling superior because "she didn't do it to herself", where in her mind, I did. Now, the weight's come down quite a lot, I've dropped about a third of a person, but the last time we met she said, that the hard part of a diet was keeping it up, with that smirk that said "and you won't be able to". No, it isn't hard, really... I enjoy what I eat, that helps, and I've become a little braver about asking for adjustments in restaurants; I know what I'm doing now... But right now I'm gaining weight due to temporary medication, and that smirk... I felt like such a faillure, while I'm retaining water for 3 months. (Just one more month to go, then I'm going to be dropping weight again, thank heavens. At least my bloodsugars are fine, so I know it's going to be okay.). But yeah, even for someone who avoids people like the plague, it's hard to not encounter any prejudice, even from fellow diabetics.

There's just a whole lot of ignorance out there, and part of it is due to the media, part to the established medical community that won't hear of new research or discoveries in the field, stuck in their ways and holding fast to the EatWell Plate, the governments of T2-epidemic countries for letting the ball drop... I dunno. It's just... A mess.

Its affected my life in that, being Autistic, I already ate quite a narrow range of foods and being diabetic has narrowed that range of foods even further.

Much of the "good" stuff eg nuts and seeds I cannot cope with for sensory reasons.

Sure, it affects my life all the time.
It influences every mouthful of my food and drink choices, my activity levels, my concentration, my interests, and my social life. It is unending and sometimes tiresome.
But there are other health issues which influence all of those things in myself and others, and some people get it FAR FAR worse.

The way in which my body handles my blood glucose dysregulation means that I have a different career path, social life and shopping lists, than if I had been 'normal' since childhood. Most of those choices were established long before I had a test meter or any diagnosis at all. My 'normal' is limited in some ways, and totally unrestricted in others. Same as for most of us, whether we have D or not. I have had these issues for approx 47 years.

I still have a very full enjoyable life, and I have never needed to identify as 'normal'. My health and my personal preferences are so intertwined, that I couldn't possibly untangle them (the thought of going on a fitness kick repels me, where as I get great pleasure from activities which fascinate and entertain me far more).

I actively dislike and resist assigning blame.
And I think that the only person I have responsibility for, is myself.

When I was first diagnosed last November yes I admit I was scared shocked . Had no idea what this was. The DN have been very supportive and fabulous. Without their help and guidance I would be where I am now

Do on 4 months and managing to get my sugar levels within scope I still do the same ... Walking. Yes was scared at first because of the hypos but handling them now.

Yes I have to take out with me my needles and meters to test but it's becoming normal now.

Food wise I have made a few tweaks and to be honest I am eating more healthier now. No chocolates sweets buns cakes pizzas. Instead it's more fruit and loving popcorn now.

Everything is on a spreadsheet so I can see trends.

Upside is before I was diagnosed I did t realise how I'll I was ... Now I feel alot better health wise.

It's with me for life so have to make it work with me. It is manageable and I refuse to sit here feeling depressed and moaning.

Type-2-Havent-A-Clue said:

Socially for me is a very big issue as I feel as if I’m burdening others being at the back of the pack or I can’t really enjoy what everyone else is doing.

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Why can't you? Don't understand why having diabetes should stop you enjoying yourself, or doing anything that others are doing.
It is of course perhaps different for a type 1/type 2 insulin user I guess?, but as a type 2 for 16 years (diagnosed 2010, but company medical records show I was diabetic in 2003) it doesn't affect me one bit. Also, I probably have a better life expectancy now than before I was diagnosed; as a result of diabetes, my diet has caused me to lose 3 stone and 4 inches round my waist. I now have a BMI of 22 and a waist of 34 inches. I was never overweight, but pre-diagnosis I had a BMI of 25 and a waist of 38 inches. Also, my blood pressure, which was previously borderline high, is now normal. So, every cloud has a silver lining!
Fact is, it doesn't matter whose fault it is, it is what it is, don't dwell on that. Sort the diet/lifestyle and determine to enjoy yourself.

Sorry - me again

I wanted to highlight the article @Sue192 spotted (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-...e-1-diabetes-like-england-rugbys-henry-slade/) about the double England try scorer in the 6 nations who has type 1 diabetes.

I loved this quote from him which illustrates my thoughts so well: "It’s not something that makes you run slower, or be able to lift less weight. Don’t ever think, oh, I’ve got diabetes – I can’t run this race, I can’t lift this weight, play that match. It shouldn’t affect your physical capabilities."

It affects me in that I have to think about food choices and cooking more than I did. A bit of testing. Otherwise not really. I choose to do a lot of reading about it and spend time on here for example but as I say that’s a choice not forced on me.

I don’t understand what you mean by how you feel you are burdening others, or what pack you think you are at the back of or why it means you can’t enjoy stuff now as a result of diabetes.

Yep. I now know what I probably should have been eating my whole life. I’m informed on proper nutrition and biology instead of mainstream fiction. Far happier and healthier than I’ve ever been. Honestly I’m glad I got it.

However, in the midst of complications and unspeakable neuropathy pain at night, I’d have given a very different answer which would undoubtedly have contained an F.

These two cartoons always make me smile.

Nope, I've never felt that being diagnosed with diabetes was my fault and I certainly don't feel diabetes has stopped me from enjoying myself.

Yes, I've made changes to what I eat but that has mostly been a very positive experience. Luckily I have a very supportive husband who treats the whole diabetes / keto diet thing as being normal which, of course, it is in our lives.

It does rather sound as though you are depressed and are focussing on the diabetes.

We've had quite a few of these threads and a lot of us have found that being diagnosed T2 has meant that we have had a huge improvement in both our health and quality of life. I still view it as overall one of the most positive things that has happened to me. Also meant I get to spend time gassing with you lot too! Win - win (for the most part!).