How did you react when you were first diagnosed?

I was diagnosed in July and it felr like the bottom had fallen out of my world.
My reaction shocked me in fact as it felt so much bigger than I had expected to
Diabetes is rife throughout my family so I had an inkling that one day I would receive
a diagnosis bit it was such a shock!!!! it felt like I had been hit by a bus totally
stopping me in my tracks. Then the grieving of my 'old' life began which was a strain
but with the help of time and this forum I began to get over and begine again to feel
positive.

It is a rough period but this forum is here to help and support. I found the interactions
with the doctor and diabetic nurse gave me motivation in the fact that they just made me angry
with the lack of info and help. Each day does get better.

well mine is a new diagnosis - I got type 1 for christmas :lol: :roll:

However BEFORE I was diagnosed I had spotted the symptoms, and bought a blood testing kit.... then I googled and googled, and found this place. So before anything was confirmed I had already put in a post here :shock: . After diagnosis I was admitted to hospital for the day (not sure what for actually - I just bluddy sat there all day :thumbdown: ) and eventually came home with my first set of insulin and a crash course in injecting. Since then I have seen my DSN twice, and will eventually be seeing a consultant in the near future... however this is the place I come with questions and queries.

Only twice have I been tearful, the first after reading about the shortened life expectancy for type 1's, and the 2nd when the frustration of not being able to blinking see (fat lenses due to high sugars - which take a while to subside - wearing some fetching reading glasses right now, another suggestion from the lovely people here). I have a history of depression (post natal and ptsd after son was born at 26 wks), so I am keeping a VERY close eye on my moods and am ready to start shouting for help if/when I need it.

As for how I actually feel.... well like i say, i expected it... but its still a HUGE shock and I dont think its actually sunk in yet. At the moment my life is a rollercoaster of information intake and learning to control my condition.

I imagine my low point will come in a few months, when things have "settled" and I find myself in this monotony of injections and testing day in day out...having learned the basic tricks of the trade, whats left is the routine.... thats when it will be my turn to crumble (if I do).

Hi Mrs G1

Well done on researching so much to help your husband it will be a great help to him when he is ready to talk.

I was feeling rough for quite a while before I went to the Doctors and I had pretty much decided myself that I was diabetic but that didn't make it any easier when it was made official. But at least I knew what was making me feel bad.
I came home and told my better half and promptly burst into tears in his arms. The next day or two were hard work as I felt very tearful a lot of the time although I held it all together ok at work as soon as I was at home I felt a bit of a wreck.
My biggest issue was that I was no longer a fully functioning person - my body was broken and wouldn't work right again. Bizarre I know but that was how it felt and that I was now a burden on my better half that he would have to put up with for the rest of my life if that's what he wanted. It didn't help in my crazy state of mind that his ex-wife was a type 1 from childhood so he'd had to put up with all that before and he now to put up with 'another one'!!
I know all this is not politically correct or none of it is an issue if you really love someone but that is how I felt.
Once I got all the upset, shock, resentment, anger etc out of my system over the first few days I got settled down to learning how to deal and conquer the condition and my partner has been the most helpful, loving helpmate I could ever have wished for so I had no cause for the concern.

As long as you let him know you still love him and will help him through all the issues he will be fine. If he knows you are researching about it just mention occasionally what you have found to see if he feels ready to talk, but don't force him. Men traditionally in this country aren't 'meant' to cry, so maybe he feels if he doesn't talk he won't get upset and show how upset or uncertain he really feels, or maybe he is just a private person that doesn't discuss his medical issues.

Good luck and keep supporting him, he will love you for it.
Angie

When I suspected that I may have type 2, my wife reminded me of all the people we know who also have it. They're still around in their 70s and fitter than I was without diabetes at the time. In fact, I'm getting fitter and more active now that I have it. I also eat better. The main thing is to make time to carefully buy foods and cook meals and go for strolls and, if the weather improves, longer walks. Improve the quality of life, less rush, less junk, less stress. It does wonders.

Like twinkle 1980.. I got D for Christmas but actually waited to go to gp till jan 6th... 27+ years ago.
My gp sent me straight to hospital where they got me to inject myself in my leg within the first 15 mins of being there... I asked for the skin to be numbed.. And got told not to be so stupid.....
I was in hospital 5 days.. They dont do that anymore...and went back to work straight away.

I cried myself to sleep every night for 6 weeks because I was told I would get complications, people hot awarded medals if they survived 25 years... And basically had the fear of god put into me..

After 6 weeks I realised that they had put me on such a tight control diet that I couldn't cope so I learnt to moderate and my parents would make me diabetic fructose cakes/biscuits.

Not one of my friends or work colleagues treated me any differently at all. Nor my husband... And there certainly wasnt any internet forums, help was from the health team that had put the fear of god into me!!

Here I am now... Without one single complication so far.. Everything intact, no retinopathy, no loss os sight, no amputation.... That was what I was told the complications would be... Premature induced babies and an early death...

Diagnosis awful. First 6 weeks awful. I remember my dad curting out newspaper articles for anything good happening with research, and at his funeral askinf for all donations to go to diabetes research... As it was the last thing he could do for me....he would tell me there would be a cure in my lifetime... I wish... Its the only thing I feel let down on from my dad.. That there still isnt a cure.. I so wanted him to be right. My dad nought me my first blood meter the size of a shoe box and over £100 and insisted he bought me the best oair of speedy duck flat bottomed, lace up shoes that we could afford. It took me 26 years before I bought a staggeringly high pair of 3" heels!

In some ways I wish my sort of harsh diagnosis was still given to diabetics, it was horrible, made me very very down.... But **** determined it was not going to do the things described to me....I will never forget those first 6 weeks of crying myself to sleep and wondering 'why me?'

MrsG1 said:

I keep on bursting into tears when looking at things on google and some of the websites paint quite a grim picture.

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It's always worth remembering that the gloomy statistics are skewed by people who have been diagnosed with diabetes but can't or won't do anything about it or start off with good intentions but relapse into their bad old ways. In addition there are large numbers of people who have it but are not diagnosed and when they end up with complications, they too get added to the statistics. I am not aware of any large scale set of statistics based on people who, once diagnosed said, crumbs, better cut down on the deep fried mars bars. Yet you see many people here posting their results from successful efforts to watch what they eat. Looking after yourself works wonders. My wife, who is a biomedical scientist working in haematology and biochemistry tells me that one problem is that, because people get pills, they think they can carry on as before. That's a common reason for things gradually deteriorating.

I got diagnosed on Friday the 13th a few years back, talk about a sign lol. After I left the GP's I got a bit teary eyed, but ever since I've just got on with it. There is nothing we can do about a T1 dianosis, sure it's not a nice thing to be put through, but I'm so thankful I was diagnosed when I was, I think a few more weeks and I would have been in a much worse state.

It's how well you deal with things in your life that define you as a person!

I was diagnosed Oct 2012. Went into shock phase for three weeks expecting to wake up and it be all a nasty dream. Suprised at my reaction as it's a genetic condition in my family and realising like the other poster, I actually knew diddly squat. :shock:

Then I had a whole day's meltdown and sobbed for Britain. I worried my DN and work colleagues but I knew I needed this outlet.

I have just bought a monitor et al and I'm angry that they won't be supplied on the NHS as the strips and lancettes are so costly.

BUT...I have had other times in my life when I've been dealt a rubbish deal and I have learnt to pick myself up, dust myself down and see what I can make of this challenge. These times have proved to have given me experiences to help others along the way and teach me that there is always a plan 'B' in life

I'll be kind to myself and give myself time to get used to my forced re-invention. :idea:

Hello everyone.
I got diagnosed just before Christmas, I already have brittle asthma but doc decided I got another 5 things wrong with me including type 2 diabetes. My initial reaction which still continues is '**** happens' deal with it, but there seems to be an awful lot more information and support on this subject than the brittle asthma, then they kinda patted me on the head and said sorry but there is not that much we can do, now I am getting sent on a day course about diabetes so that should be very helpful, my only query is, if it has an exam and I fail, will I be an unqualified diabetic?

apothecarry said:

I am getting sent on a day course about diabetes so that should be very helpful, my only query is, if it has an exam and I fail, will I be an unqualified diabetic?

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LOL, very good.

Yorksman said:

When I suspected that I may have type 2, my wife reminded me of all the people we know who also have it. They're still around in their 70s and fitter than I was without diabetes at the time. In fact, I'm getting fitter and more active now that I have it. I also eat better. The main thing is to make time to carefully buy foods and cook meals and go for strolls and, if the weather improves, longer walks. Improve the quality of life, less rush, less junk, less stress. It does wonders.

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Well said, when you think of it, it does make you manage your life better (better eating especially). I have never been more active then I have when I was diagnosed nearly 3 years ago. That makes me feel better - thanks!!

Hi everyone. I was diagnosed last week (10th Jan) with type 2, sounds like some Japanese plane or Submarine doesn't it. To be honest I can't really say how I felt, my dad has had type 2 for over 20 years so at least I can ask him some questions, mainly about what I should eat and suchlike. The thing is I am on antidepressants and antipsychotics so my emotional state is rather :| though the other day I felt like crying just because things are getting a little on top of me with one thing and another. I'm only really upset as it is another thing to tackle. Has anyone else had experience of this?

Also I am told to exercise, this again is a little difficult as I do have trouble in certain situations and a gym does not seem a friendly place to go. Motivation to do things isn't exactly a picnic either. I'm glad my partner found this forum for me, I was thinking of just muddling on though now I know there is somewhere I can ask dumb blonde questions :lol:

A couple of decades ago I used to go to a very small and friendly gym but thesedays they are more like supermarkets and, for me, not much fun at all. I have a bit of osteoarthritis in my ankle so walking is painful and I started to exercise at home. There are a great number of exercises to chose from and anything that makes you puff and pant a bit is helping. Big thing though, it's free. Discipline is a problem so I like to listen to the radio and always exercise listening to the Archers, a nice regular 15 min daily routine. Corny but it works for me.

I know I went into denial knew it was coming and one week felt really ill had seen gp however really wanted to go out on sat night as we had all planned a night out so saw out of hours doctor to get a jab to stop me being sick however when the nurse tool my bg level and doctor saw it he rang the hospital a&e to ensure I would be admitted straight away. However I didn't want to go in so went to friends got ready and went clubbing for the night didn't drink anything and then went back to my parents at 2am and they took me to a&e. got a big telling off by hospital doctors for going out with dangerous levels and ketones.

I knew the risks etc as work within a healthcare setting but did not want to admit it. Taken nearly a year to come to terms with as hated needles not keen on them still but need them. It takes a while to get your head around it all.

I had teary eyes when they told me.Will never forget that hospital bed and the doctor with few students behind him. i dont think they should bring students when they gonna give someone such bad news. Three days later, still in hospital, i had a breakdown. Lots of tears in front of consultant. She was very nice and really tried to make me feel better. Later i discovered she was a student. Poor girl i gave her really tough experience