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Feel like I'm making it all up.....

J

Jellyb

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Some members of my friends and family sound very disbelieving when I describe some of my symptoms. Today I told my dad about how I had leg cramps and sore feet and he looked at me and said 'Well, I've never heard of that before!'
I went out to lunch with him and his partner and I felt like I was making a fuss because I asked for salad instead of chips and asked for soda water and lime. I'm also trying to lose weight.
Some days when my BS is high I feel really irritable and other days I feel really sleepy and like brain fog is setting in. Dad's partner said that her ex-husband eats what he likes and just avoids the sweet stuff.
I'm slowly getting my head around all this stuff but it feels so difficult at times...
 
i found it hard when i was first diagnosed, and telling family what i can and cannot eat was hard as they thought i could eat anything with diabetic meds
ask as many questions as you like and we will help you
 
Find the same thing. My wife thinks I'm a hypercondriact (struggling to spell that) when I say what I'm feeling, my mother-in-law thinks diabetes is all in my head and I shouldn't take medication for anything. She takes the p#$$ out of me if I go to the doctors!
 
I was told by the father in law I was spoiling Christmas for everyone by not eating potatoes etc

Lol

No one in my world gets it, that's why I'm here
 
I got told at home it was in my head ... After tests with doc and blood sugar monitor when feeling bad I'm being referred to endocrinology with low blood sugar episodes and in still being made to be felt like it's in my head and just to get on with it.. Saying that for the same person when it's them they think the world should stop for them! Gets to you at times!
 
My husband bought me about about 5 boxes of chocolates last Christmas, this Christmas will be much the same.

You are not alone in being misunderstood.

Cara
 
Oh and the 'you can eat these they are special diabetic chocolates' Oh yeh, sure, containing laxatives. I like to share those with everyone else.
 
Andy12345 said:
I was told by the father in law I was spoiling Christmas for everyone by not eating potatoes etc

Lol

No one in my world gets it, that's why I'm here
Click to expand...
Andy - that's a little bit how I'm feeling at the moment. OH and DS are super supportive so I hope they wont feel bad when they are tucking into chocs.
 
I have had some real battles to get where I am now, with family disbelief!
"What do you mean by not eating carbs, you have to eat spuds!"

"You can't have hypos your T2!"
You get my meaning, you just have talk them into your decisions and the reasoning behind it!
My answer these days are I am allergic to carbs and sugars. That seems to get their attention and their understanding!
 
Being on this forum makes me realise how lucky I am, my family are far more curious about my condition, symptoms and how I treat it rather than having the disbelief that a lot seem to suffer. It might be that most of my family are medically minded and my Mother particularly is interested in how things have changed since she was a nurse. They also have a diabetic cat so we can end up discussing the similarities and differences between diabetes in different animals. My OH has quite happily accepted my new eating regieme and is very supportive of my weight loss. There are one or two ready meals that I used to love but spike me too much so we have just decided to only buy those for him and I will have one that doesn't send me high, fortunately I have found some that only peak me at 1.5 - 2 points afterwards.

We were in Thorntons at the weekend (Christmas shopping) and I decided to try their diabetic mint truffles as fondants and truffles are the chocolates I really miss. We both ended up trying one each, I guess as long as I don't eat the bag in one go they shouldn't be a problem and I am likely to only end up with half the bag anyway as we do tend to share.
 
It is not our family not understanding that is our problem they are fine with it .It is other people that have the weird comments about it They always know someone who has T2 who still eats chocolate puddings biscuits and cakes etc because they take tablets for diabetes so it's ok.... we just don't take any notice
 
Yes @AnnieC I find that annoying. I have a relative who says "Can't you ask for insulin?" Well if It comes to a time when I need insulin of course I will have it, but I won't be asking for it so that I can eat chocolate biscuits! I find it quite difficult though, maybe because I'm the only one in my family.
 
When I am a guest at other family's houses I am usually offered some meter-melter-meal.
 
With so many diabetics under the unfortunate illusion that provided they take their tablets and watch their sugar intake a bit, they can pretty much eat anything, why should we expect non diabetics to know any better!

The percentage of diabetics in the UK that currently achieve good control of their sugars (hba1c of 47) is only about 20 per cent, which is a truly shockingly small proportion.
 

Hi Jellyb, If you follow what everybody is doing on this forum you will get your sugars under control and start to feel better than you have felt. It will take a little work and a little patience but I can assure you it will happen you will have a few high & lows, (mentally) but believe me it will all start to make sense soon and you will get the control you want.

Don't give up just keep looking round the forum and ask as many questions as you need to, there are lots of people like yourself here just waiting to help you.

Neil
 
Stick around.
This forum will arm you with every argument you need to counter every one of their uninformed nonsense comments.

I try, I REALLY try, not to shoot from the hip, but when I encounter levels of such ignorance, sometimes is can't help myself.

I totally understand that non diabetics don't have the knowledge to comment intelligently.
It's not their fault, poor things.
Its just a pity they don't have the common sense to keep their mouths shut.

My colleagues at work are being forcibly educated , because I keep them informed of my latest battles in the Carb War.
  • They get offered squares of 70% choc, sometimes 85% (which they are told to suck, not chew to allow the natural sweetness to blossom).
  • They get to taste my green smoothies and bulletproof coffee (mixed reception, some cowardice, some enthusiasm)
  • They get my low carb biscuits (two are bakers, and I expect constructive criticism, and usually get it)
  • They get to yawn as I celebrate my fantastic blood sugar readings after a steak the size of a sombrero
  • They compliment me on my weight loss
  • They gasp in awe at my spooning mayo onto my lunch, and double cream on my berries
But I find the saddest encounters are with fellow type 2s.
The extent of their denial, ignorance and blind worship of orthodox 'eat carbs, take drugs, avoid fat and expect to be on insulin within 10 years' is heartbreaking.
 
I'm getting tired but feel a RANT coming on...the pure ignorance out there beggars belief.
 
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