In a lot of ways I feel fortunate to have been diagnosed aged three. Diabetes is a part of my life, and I can't imagine life without it. This is how I deal with mine:
As a teenager my control was not good. My DSN knew I was not trying, and said to me 'this is not a game.' In recent years, I have come to disagree with that statement. I feel like I am playing a game, with diabetes as my opponent. I get my score when I test my blood sugars. Obviously the aim is to avoid a high score (or too low a score). To win the game, I inject and eat as healthily as I can.
Type 1 Diabetes is a game that has a lot of parallels with other games we play in life. For instance the game of finances. You try to keep your bank balance at a healthy level. Bills are like insulin: they lower your levels. Work is like food: they push your levels up. Most of us manage to maintain some modicum of balance here, not overworking to the point of heart attacks, and not having too many bills to be riddled with debt. If you can win with finances, you are already achieving a task similar to winning with diabetes.
The main thing to do is to take pride in your diabetes results. If your HBA1C is higher than you would like, see this as a goal to work on. Be thrilled every time you see an improvement. Every time your blood sugars are within healthy levels, you have just won the game. Keep a record of your results, so you can spot trends. Your diabetes doesn't want you to know this, but you are in control. The more you read up and learn about it, the better you can keep it tamed. I would suggest getting a copy of the book carbs and cals, which is a very useful tool for measuring the carbohydrate and protein content of meals. Dr Bernstein's complete diabetes solution has also been of huge use to me.
If you can achieve a balance with diabetes, you may well end up healthier than a non diabetic. We have more medical tests done than the general population, so we can more easily see what we need to work on to stay healthy. You can do this. It's not always easy, but if we put in the effort, we can win the game that is diabetes, and winning this particular game is a feeling that's hard to beat.
I too have periods of time when I can't get my head around "being diabetic" quite offten I just sit a sob for a bit. It doesn't go away but it does pass, 'til next time. As with a lot of depresive situations having someting to distract you helps, as yet I haven't need medical help, this site is REALLY good for me I can rant to my hearts content & post it if I feel like it or I'm brave enough!
I think that's just how my life will be for now but at least I'm still here- nearly died in May last year from necrotic pancreatitis, hence diabetes- secondary type 1, I always have to be ...lol .
Same thing with me all last year (diagnosed jan 2013 ) I was perfectly fine but then this year I started getting really upset and sometimes crying my self to sleep
Hello nice to meet you,
Yes it is awful I agree with you , a lot of different days of either feeling well or unwell to cope with, what ever type of diabetes you have ....
You really are not alone , great to come here for a chat lots of people have times when they find it hard to cope.
Try and stay positive and set small goals when large goals are just to hard to achieve ....
Share your feelings anytime .....a much better way forward because you will get support .....take care ....Kat
Bless you <3 please try and stay strong, we all in it together and sometimes it does take it's toll, I personally find it's the other autoimmune disease's that go with it hard, so yet more pressure .Also finding that 'special' person who will take it all the medical conditions on board and want to be with you, no matter what. But never give up and fight the good fight, I think some serious diabetes butt kicking would be in order.get it out of your system once a week, a stern talking to or take it out on an old pillow or those rubbery stress balls. Keep your chin up and take care x
Hi, as everyone else has said you most definitely aren't alone in feeling down about diabetes. It's a full time, ever changing, challenging condition and at times it really gets to you.
I used to hate having it and did battle with it all the while but I was always the loser. The longer I have lived with it the more I see it as my life long companion, some days we get along just fine, other days it seriously annoys me and I am ready to bang my head in frustration. I've learnt that it never takes the hint to leave me alone so I've worked out the best way to co- exist. I do everything I can to keep good control and I'm a lot happier for it.
I hope you get support from family and from your diabetes team, you don't have to do it all on your own.
Set little goals to achieve each day and don't beat yourself up over it. All the best.
Your doing fine , we will always support each other ....it really helpsThankyou so much for your response. I am so overwhelmed that people have taken the time to reply to me, with such beautiful things! YOur words have really comforted me, so thankyou very much Kat. I agree, coming here is great for a chat! Please message me if there's anything I can offer you. All the best x
Some great advice.
Everyone has times like this Insulinaddict, it's just part of our coping mechanism to question why we have diabetes and how things could be different, the rigmarole of daily injections, testing and counting food can get tedious but it's our only way of managing diabetes until such times that a cure is found, I honestly think in the not-so-distant future the way in which we treat and manage our diabetes will change, so stay focused.
As said already on the thread try not to let things get you down and if they do then you should seek help from your HCP's, and please don't think that nobody cares as they don't ask, see it as a positive that you look well and manage without interference, I really can't remember the last time (except HCP's) someone asked how I was coping with diabetes, but as I say that's not to say they don't care.
Hope posting on the forum has helped in some way
I cant cope.
I understand your feelings.
I went from.professional job, to unemployed within 9 days of diagnosis.
Finished as a human being; no support, no help from.my ex-colleagues.
T1D is not a good diagnosis or life.
I wish you the best of luck my friend.
Ahhhhh, try and keep your chin up, we're all here for each other with some help, support and practical advice x Take care x
No problem at all, happy to shareThankyou so much for this beautiful response. It's overwhelming that you replied at all to me, but to have such a beautifuly written piece of writing which you've obviously put a lot of effort into is very special to me. So, thankyou very much! Please message me if I can offer you any support in any way at all. All the best x
yes definitely, i agree. I'm sure we can all support eachother xI hope that each of us can find a way out of this, find medical and mental healthcare, support and hopefully some friendships too.
We are losing helpful & skilled members of society to illness & ignorance.
Sounds very hard but many occupations are off limits to Type 1s, fairly or not. Maybe start a new thread?I hope that each of us can find a way out of this, find medical and mental healthcare, support and hopefully some friendships too.
We are losing helpful & skilled members of society to illness & ignorance.
wow, thankyou so much! This is amazing! Thankyou for taking the time to write and offer me support. Your words are very powerful and have helped me a lot! So thankyou, truly xU will get great support here.. Some brilliant virtual friendships...
However, you do have to find a balance to get happier living...with your diabetes which is actually your best friend... No matter what you do or say or feel.. Its always with you!!!-lol!!!
So you can cry yourself to sleep and feel down and feeling s**t with your thoughts....Or you can be proud of yourself with coping, I mean TRULY proud... And turn those down thoughts around... Think:-
1) I'm still good and ABLE to enjoy myself thanks to a dog;
2) I'm not as bad as Schumacher, andmy brain is still good and functioning.. And I'm not laying in bed like a cabbage;
3) I have huge support from people that have had these thoughts... And heck.. They lived with it for up to 50 years.. (I am 30+ years and no complications).. And blimey they can do everything and anything besides flying a passenger aeroplane!
You can sit or lie horizontally and wish you were a non diabetic.. But actually... No reason on earth would make me wish now to be a non T1... I get best healthcare and checks that non diabetics don't...i have reason to look after myself that the majority of non diabetics don't give a dam about.
It is truly possible to be happy. A few injections a day does not have to stop fun and laughter!! Life is what you make it...
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