Hi, and firstly so glad I found this forum.
I'm not a diabetes sufferer myself, but my partner is Type 1 and I'm looking forward to learning everything there is about it. I'm sure as I read the forums I'll find myself nodding in agreement at much of what is said.
I'm relatively new to this, but I see diabetes as something that most friends & family of sufferers barely understand, many GPs don't either. With some diseases there are very visible signs you are ill. People can see that, they rally round. Partly because people see you're "ill" and they want you to get better. To me with Type 1 (and apologies it's what I have most (little) experience of) when you're diagnosed everyone is sorry and says they'll help but a a few months in, a year in they've forgotten - to put it bluntly the novelty wears off. Other diseases however cruel are ones that may be cured. Diabetes though is with you for the rest of your life. That's what I find most difficult.
I am very keen to hear what other Type 1 & 2 sufferers say, but I guess my personal angle is seeing what other partners / carers / friends of Type 1 sufferers have to say. as well. Are there any that have been the driver of helping their partner to get to grips and make changes? How did they do that? What challenges did they face in terms of getting help, and of pressures on their relationship?
I'm keen to understand from sufferers about how you manage your diabetes when real-life gets in the way - children, work, other stresses. How do you make sure that when every time you go to check bloods a child grabs you, the phone rings, or someone distracts you; that in that moment you've forgotten and onto the next thing. Thirty minutes, an hour later realising a low / high is hitting you and realising why.
How did you make those lifestyle changes? Did you manage to bring down your HbA1c levels after them rising year after year? Where you someone who didn't think that anything you did would ever make a difference? Used to bury your head in the sand?
As an "outsider" I think all the above are things I know are tough, and wonder actually if they're pretty common to Type 1. I think as much as we may all know we need to change XYZ we're all human, it's never easy.
Apologies it's a long post full of questions. Looking to find even just some of the answers here. To read some sad stories that I am sure will resonate, as much as the ones of inspiration that will make me smile and give hope.
To all of you with Type 1 & 2 - from someone that doesn't have it, I think you're all bloody incredible!
J
I'm not a diabetes sufferer myself, but my partner is Type 1 and I'm looking forward to learning everything there is about it. I'm sure as I read the forums I'll find myself nodding in agreement at much of what is said.
I'm relatively new to this, but I see diabetes as something that most friends & family of sufferers barely understand, many GPs don't either. With some diseases there are very visible signs you are ill. People can see that, they rally round. Partly because people see you're "ill" and they want you to get better. To me with Type 1 (and apologies it's what I have most (little) experience of) when you're diagnosed everyone is sorry and says they'll help but a a few months in, a year in they've forgotten - to put it bluntly the novelty wears off. Other diseases however cruel are ones that may be cured. Diabetes though is with you for the rest of your life. That's what I find most difficult.
I am very keen to hear what other Type 1 & 2 sufferers say, but I guess my personal angle is seeing what other partners / carers / friends of Type 1 sufferers have to say. as well. Are there any that have been the driver of helping their partner to get to grips and make changes? How did they do that? What challenges did they face in terms of getting help, and of pressures on their relationship?
I'm keen to understand from sufferers about how you manage your diabetes when real-life gets in the way - children, work, other stresses. How do you make sure that when every time you go to check bloods a child grabs you, the phone rings, or someone distracts you; that in that moment you've forgotten and onto the next thing. Thirty minutes, an hour later realising a low / high is hitting you and realising why.
How did you make those lifestyle changes? Did you manage to bring down your HbA1c levels after them rising year after year? Where you someone who didn't think that anything you did would ever make a difference? Used to bury your head in the sand?
As an "outsider" I think all the above are things I know are tough, and wonder actually if they're pretty common to Type 1. I think as much as we may all know we need to change XYZ we're all human, it's never easy.
Apologies it's a long post full of questions. Looking to find even just some of the answers here. To read some sad stories that I am sure will resonate, as much as the ones of inspiration that will make me smile and give hope.
To all of you with Type 1 & 2 - from someone that doesn't have it, I think you're all bloody incredible!
J