Looking For Diabetic Buddies?

Hey all, I'm Caitlin, I'm twenty four and I've been a type one diabetic fifteen years this September.
I haven't really tried online communities for diabetes before, never put much thought in it, though I grew up with my youth pastor a type one and my was grandfather a type two so I've always had someone that can at least relate to in my youth when my brief time in public schools with it proved to not mix so well.

Anyway, I've never been that good at introducing or talking about myself to others unprompted, just thought it was worth a try to see what other contacts I can get.

Jaylee said:

Hi Caitlin,

Welcome to the forum.

Strangely, I knew a T1 pastor/minister who also was a fishmonger.. I got to know the guy, ("fish dude") as he supplied our fish?
Retired now, but a keen sportsman.. Rowing & out running with his son.

I notice from your profile you use a pump? Tagging in @Juicyj @Diakat & pumper to be @Mel dCP to say hello.

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Wow, that's interesting. It was nice to have someone who had been diagnosed at the same age as me. We tended just to share horror stories or our loathing of what a low blood sugar feels like.

Yes, I've been on a pump off and on for twelve years.

Juicyj said:

Hi @Banrion na Beir Welcome to the forum

It's always good to know other diabetics, helps with support and learning, also to not feel so alone as this condition can be alot to deal with at times. What sort of insulin regime are you on ? I'm 6.5 years diagnosed and on a pump

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It is, it's nice to have a little community. My time in regular schools I was the only diabtetic they had so there were some issues with that.
I'm on an insulin pump (have been off and on for 11 years), I'm actually on my first cgm too, which I've been trying to get on for some years.

Mel dCP said:

Hello!

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Hello

Mel dCP said:

Sorry for my earlier one word post, didn’t want to not respond to @Jaylee ’s tag

Welcome to the forum, I was first diagnosed when I was your age, been twenty years now and I still don’t know any T1s in meatspace, so the forum has been a massive help - I only joined a few months ago as I’ve spent two decades ignoring the whole thing and hoping it’d go away... it didn’t! Wish I’d have realised just how valuable peer support was sooner - I’ve been floundering for years.

What pump do you use? I’m getting Omnipod in two days, so a little nervous!

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Aha, no worries.
I went my first couple years without anyone actually diabetic, although my dad and closest friend both started eating the same way I did, which was pretty neat. It was a couple years later my grandpa was diagnosed with type two, and same with my youth pastor, I didn't meet him until I was twelve, and mostly with both of them........we were bad diabetics together that bonded through scoldings and my talent for making super low carb desserts for holiday dinners. I've always worn my pump out in the open, favoring my arm because I'm tall and on my stomach I get snagged by door knobs, so most of my interactions, until yesterday when my brother in law was diagnosed, have been people stopping me to talk about it, and in the cases of children, it's usually mom or dad that stay behind to thank me for being open because their child was scared of their friends knowing.

I'm in the same boat with ignoring it, I was awful at it, I don't know how many times I've been in DKA, and could write a book on how not to be a good diabetic. I was taking really good care of myself for about a year and then I slipped back in to my old habits of being horrible. Now we just celebrate those little steps, like I just hit three months without slacking or missing anything that's needed.

I'm on Medtronic's Minimed 630 right now. I really like it, I was on their guardian before, and then I was on an Animas pump, I want to say like an IR220? I don't remember, but that was the one I'd had from about 11 years old to 19. I really like being on an insulin pump. I've been enjoying being on a cgm a lot as well, especially used together with my pump. The more that catches my attention, the better care I'm taking. I'm far too obsessed with watching that little graph to not check myself, haha.