Marmite-lover
Active Member
I have only recently joined the forum, but I've already found it incredibly useful, insightful and most of all supportive 
. I wish I had discovered it before!
I think there are often many issues of guilt surrounding diabetes. I myself was diagnosed at the age of 13 and over the years have had a bit of a rough time. Back then the focus was more on controling sugar intake rather than carbohydrates as a whole. I remember being somewhat confused and sometimes if my blood sugar was high I would eat a handful of oats because I thought this would 'soak up the sugar'!! Now when I look back, it seems like such a ridiculous thing to do, but I was educated that such foods as oats/fibre stabalise blood sugars, I think I got the wrong end of the stick..!
It can be pretty tough when your friends are tucking into chocolate, cake and ice cream without a care in the world, but you have been told these foods are forbidden. I either felt deprived or would eat something 'naughty' and then feel terribly guilty. Even having an extra piece of toast because I was hungry-not even as an indulgence made me feel like a bad person when later blood sugars ended up higher than they should be.
Every time I was due a Hba1c result was an incredibly stressful event. I did not view a Hba1c as a way to monitor my diabetes to keep me as healthy as possible, but as a test of how good or bad I'd been! I particulary remember a clinic visit when my result was about 5 and I was told this was probably a bit low, I thought-I can't win, it's either too high or two low!
I did find when I was changed from Human Mixtard,to Lantus and Novorapid in my 20s that the new flexibility this regime gave me was a breath of fresh air. It did take me a while to get used to being able to eat more what I wanted as long as I carb counted. However to this day I still often get comments that I shouldn't be eating certain things as I am diabetic- nothing remotely sweet or indulgent should pass my lips!
I think I will always find it a bit difficult to shake feelings of guilt surrounding diabetes, especially because I do have complications. I have spent a fair amount of time wondering if only things could have been different. However, I've realised that there is not point on dwelling on the past. i had a turbulent time, but then sometimes life just pans out that way.
In the last few years I have been confronting my 'demons' and I am very lucky to now have a very supportive diabetes team to help me. The feeling of dread surrounding clinic visits has been rapidly dissolving and I no longer feel so judged when receiving a Hba1c result (although still a bit anxious!)
The thing to remember is that none of us asked to have diabetes. For those of us with complications, I think the important thing is to try to make the most of what you still have and keep yourself as healthy as you can to try to stop any further problems.
I'm just glad for the continuing advances in diabetes management to allow more flexibility in people's lives and I hope diabetes will increasingly have less of a hold over people.
. I wish I had discovered it before!I think there are often many issues of guilt surrounding diabetes. I myself was diagnosed at the age of 13 and over the years have had a bit of a rough time. Back then the focus was more on controling sugar intake rather than carbohydrates as a whole. I remember being somewhat confused and sometimes if my blood sugar was high I would eat a handful of oats because I thought this would 'soak up the sugar'!! Now when I look back, it seems like such a ridiculous thing to do, but I was educated that such foods as oats/fibre stabalise blood sugars, I think I got the wrong end of the stick..!
It can be pretty tough when your friends are tucking into chocolate, cake and ice cream without a care in the world, but you have been told these foods are forbidden. I either felt deprived or would eat something 'naughty' and then feel terribly guilty. Even having an extra piece of toast because I was hungry-not even as an indulgence made me feel like a bad person when later blood sugars ended up higher than they should be.
Every time I was due a Hba1c result was an incredibly stressful event. I did not view a Hba1c as a way to monitor my diabetes to keep me as healthy as possible, but as a test of how good or bad I'd been! I particulary remember a clinic visit when my result was about 5 and I was told this was probably a bit low, I thought-I can't win, it's either too high or two low!
I did find when I was changed from Human Mixtard,to Lantus and Novorapid in my 20s that the new flexibility this regime gave me was a breath of fresh air. It did take me a while to get used to being able to eat more what I wanted as long as I carb counted. However to this day I still often get comments that I shouldn't be eating certain things as I am diabetic- nothing remotely sweet or indulgent should pass my lips!
I think I will always find it a bit difficult to shake feelings of guilt surrounding diabetes, especially because I do have complications. I have spent a fair amount of time wondering if only things could have been different. However, I've realised that there is not point on dwelling on the past. i had a turbulent time, but then sometimes life just pans out that way.
In the last few years I have been confronting my 'demons' and I am very lucky to now have a very supportive diabetes team to help me. The feeling of dread surrounding clinic visits has been rapidly dissolving and I no longer feel so judged when receiving a Hba1c result (although still a bit anxious!)
The thing to remember is that none of us asked to have diabetes. For those of us with complications, I think the important thing is to try to make the most of what you still have and keep yourself as healthy as you can to try to stop any further problems.
I'm just glad for the continuing advances in diabetes management to allow more flexibility in people's lives and I hope diabetes will increasingly have less of a hold over people.
It's amazing how Diabetes education has developed and changed over the years as you have said. I remember being told to eat loads of carbs ,starchy foods ect...phew how that can be misinterpreted :wink: 