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Diabetes is more common than I thought

Tweetypie

Well-Known Member
Messages
570
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Spiders, control freaks, untidiness, ignorance.
When I was first diagnosed, it felt like I was a real odd one out, I felt like I had done something really wrong to get it, or that there was something really wrong with me other than the diabetes. Now, this is really strange and I don't know if it is down to being more aware or that these situations present themselves for a reason, but I find myself noticing so many people that are diabetic. I saw someone inject themselves in an IKEA café and another person at the pub having a meal. I recently heard a teenager say to his friend, I'm not allowed that because of my high blood sugar. I actually met someone by chance recently who is type 1 diabetic. Now, while I'm not glad there are people who have diabetes, I have found it helpful to know that there are others dealing with this condition and being open about controlling it, it gives me a lot of confidence to overcome my own hurdles.

I'm sure this is more down to fate than coincidence, but I am supersticious like that!
 
Tweetypie said:
I'm sure this is more down to fate than coincidence, but I am supersticious like that!
Click to expand...

If it's down to fate, then I'm pretty sure I fall under the realms of Cream:

"Born under a bad sign... I've been down since I began to crawl.
If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all"

For 23 years as a T1, I'd never met another T1 except at a BDA (now DUK) diabetic camp... it took another 13 years before I'd met another.

Since 2012 I've met four!
 
There's 3.2 million people in the UK with diabetes and possibly another 800,000 walking around undiagnosed according to the latest figures.

Certainly meeting and talking about diabetes does help with your confidence and I can fully understand where your coming from Tweetypie, I suppose just being a member of a diabetes forum like this goes a long way in overcoming hurdles for us all.

I've met a few but mainly in the hospital diabetes clinics, the most surreal moment for me was sitting at a dining table with 8 other people with type 1 all testing their bg and injecting insulin, this was the case when I did the DAFNE course a few years back
 
Considering there are so many diabetics in the UK I find it weird that in the whole of my 66 years I have only ever known 2 (mother and son), and currently know of no others (in real life)
 
If I was a gambling man I'd bet at some point in your life you wore bell bottom trousers and listened to Country Joe and the Fish .....
 
All I was trying to say was that before I became diabetic, I never noticed these things, now I do. I have just found it useful as it has reassured me that you can be open about it. It's one thing being open on a forum and knowing that millions of people are diabetic, but it is quite another to actually meet or see people who are diabetic and who are able to deal with their condition publically. As someone who has found the idea of this very difficult, especially when I was on insulin, it has helped me a great deal, tis all..........
 
I've only met one person in two years ... type one.
 
it does help to know others are in the same boat and where this forum helps too. people getting together, sharing ideas and a joke.
as you said, we would come across other diabetics unknowingly every day and your example of people testing and getting on with it, is reassuring.
 
There are 4 of us type 2 in my office of 31 plus a pre-diabetic that are "public"
 
I have known 3 type1's and 2 type 2's but I'm not in contact with any of them anymore.
 
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I have a friend who is type 2 and has been for few years now, My plasterer is some variant of type 1 ( late onset I think as she is in her 30s) and when my neighbour asked if I'd lost weight, she ended up telling me she was prediabetic. Interestingly, I meet up with some uni friends a few times a year and I guess we are all if that age now when we are pre something or other - most of us have undesirable cholesterol levels according to NHS wisdom even the very slim, athletic lad who has the so called healthy plate for years.
 
There are three diabetics in this close of 4 bungalows and 2 houses, and 3 prediabetics too, small world.
 

This is one of the reasons why I do test and inject in public instead of " shooting up" in a grubby public toilet I have nothing to hide, and it's an educational opportunity for many people, who are curious, ask questions, and I am happy to answer them

I wouldn't go as far as to call it Diabetic Pride , but it comes close At one event it lead to me chatting with a girl who had never had the chance to talk to another Type 1 in all the years she had been one. We are still good friends several years on


Signy
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Considering there are so many diabetics in the UK I find it weird that in the whole of my 66 years I have only ever known 2 (mother and son), and currently know of no others (in real life)
Click to expand...
In my working life ...many ..
In my private life 3
 
When I worked with students, I worked 1 to 1 with two type 1s.
My parents know two type 2s (and so do I, of course)
In my last job there were 2 type 1s and one type 2 (and me) in an office of 40.
In this job there are 4 type 2s (and me) in an office of about 80. And one who really should be tested!

They're everywhere!
Now, I just need to work out which of the b*ggers infected me! and it'll be PAYBACK!
 
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