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New to all this

Motherof1

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Parent
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Newly diagnosed T1's parent here.
Have found this forum very informative at times.
Really hard to take the diagnosis in, and mine is an adult, so feel deeply for all the parents of kids...................
So many questions that there are no answers to out there
- and believe me I 've been looking everywhere.
But one red flag runs thru all the stuff in the media and on-line just now:
why is there a hate campaign against diabetics?

If stuff was put out about e.g. pregnant mums, cancer patients or blind people like is spouted about diabetics
(cost to the NHS, contributory negligence, all their own fault for being greedy pigs, obese etc blah blah)
there would be public ructions against the bigotry. So why do diabetics tolerate being pilloried?

And even so why are T1s included in the hate campaign?
I am appalled that so many medics, nurses, (yes, from personal experience!) and everyday laymen know so little about T1 but think they have the right to pontificate.
Even, sorry to say, the main diabetes charity, which often conflates the two types when preaching in the media. They don't distinguish, and fail to mention that
T1s are much fewer that T2s, have zero control over getting their basic condition and are not to blame.

It adds insult to injury when people get lairy and say stuff such as its their own fault for getting fat - T1s I know of are more like stick insects.
T1s everywhere: stand up for yourselves and put an end to the ignorant brigade's hate campaign.
Not in any way to diss T2s - full respect and tolerance due; but this has to be said.

Sorry for ranting but I had to get that off my chest. Fully agree this might be substituting for my inability to alter the diagnosis but I really have found that
the public/media/online attitude to diabetes is out of order. and needs sorted.
 
but
Hi it can be difficult I know, as type 1 are only about 10 % of the diabetic population. Diabetes seems to hit left, right and centre, I recently had to visit hospital and had to give my medical history, i said I was diabetic and the nurse asked if I was type 2 ? she should of said 'what type are you? So been there myself, but it's wasn't a big deal, as I had more important things to contend with.. I would like Type 1 to be recognised more and not, as it would appear to be pushed a little into the background. My little granddaughter was diagnosed at 2 1/2, and coping well, she even asked me what type I was and I asked her what she thought I was( her dad was telling her about type 1 and 2) and I could see her mind ticking away and she said type 1 same as her. its the young people and children I really feel for, but still hoping for that future cure . I was 31 when diagnosed.
I do hope you find the forum a helpful and supportive one, it's for all types of diabetes, and we do try to help each other out, whatever type including the parent's and carer's. RRB
 
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Many of the t2 diabetics on here are as skinny as a rake, and through accident or illness have been diagnosed diabetic, your rant though understandable is just prolonging the hate campaign you say you hate, diabetes doesn't care about colour size or creed if you are susceptible to it, it will bite,
 
Did you know that there's only so much you can do to prevent type 2 anyway? Being obese often does not help, but there's also a strong genetic component too. I was recently told that with my family history, the odds of me being type 2 within my lifetime were something ridiculous like 85%, even if I wasn't overweight. Unfortunately, because doctors and the media push the weight thing, lay people assume it's like 98% of the cause and i's simply not true. As I said, weight does increase your risk factor, but so does shift working, stress, not sleeping properly, working night, genetics etc. Whilst type 1 and type 2 share a common name (ie diabetes) they will always be lumped together, but unless talking about treatment protocols, many goals are similar and many of the problems encountered are also similar. On forums like this, we can rise above the rest of the rubbish that's being spouted "out there" and actually help each other (regardless of type) navigate the health system, fight for what they need and offer a friendly ear when times are difficult.

Stigma happens to both type 1 and type 2 diabetics and, you can attempt to place blame at any arbitrary place you like, but at the end of the day NOBODY chooses to be diabetic.
 
Really? Well I must be the exception to that rule.

As mentioned before in other posts, out of over 100 living relatives, I am the only one to be diagnosed diabetic, although since my diagnosis one elderly aunt was also diagnosed T2 two years ago.

I am not, nor never have been obese, and with a knowledge of nutrition have always eaten healthily and carefully and exercised in some form, either with a personal trainer (more recently) or the more gentle daily dog walking and daily early morning swims). I've never worked shifts, nor had a poor sleep pattern. Since diagnosis 7 years ago, I've managed my condition successfully with sensible diet and daily exercise until several life events appear to have triggered a sudden decline and medication was eventually required.

I feel very concerned about the message we are giving to the original poster who as a new member has reached out to us with genuine concerns
 
I am not fat BUT have a thyroid condition which I have had many years so maybe the glands has something to do with it all.....Who knows but when we got it its there and we have to do the best we can....I used to listen to people with diabetes saying they could not lose weight ....and if on Insulin I can now understand it because i tried it and put on weight.... but better a little weight than having high levels Don't you think??
 
That's precisely the point I was trying to make, you can be the kind of person who exercises and eats healthy and still become diabetic because there are now thought to be many factors that influence whether or not you become type 2. Shift working, night working etc have all been mooted as possible causes. I know this, because when I blamed myself for being on the cusp of type 2, I was told that recent studies are suggesting there's much more to it that what we eat/drink and how much we move. I think it will be a while longer before anything is conclusively proven, but personally I find it all very interesting that there may be so many causes - some of which we have no control over, such as genetics. Like any illness, you can be the first in your family to get that illness. I'm thinking things like CF, I happen to know 2 families whose kids were the first in their known family history.

I'm not saying the OP doesn't have valid concerns, I'm giving my opinion on the situation, which may differ from somebody else's and that's fine. We don't have to agree.
 
dianagrace said:
Really? Well I must be the exception to that rule.

As mentioned before in other posts, out of over 100 living relatives, I am the only one to be diagnosed diabetic, although since my diagnosis one elderly aunt was also diagnosed T2 two years ago.
Click to expand...
Not sure if you thought I was implying YOUR risk was also as high as that. I was told mine was very high based on the fact I have LOTS of close relatives who are (or were, since they're not all alive now) T2 and developed it when they were young and/or a healthy weight and lifestyle.
 
Sorry to all if you thought I was having a go at T2s. I thought I explained I wasn't. I was just talking about T1s as they are the issue I've encountered and researched. The only T2s I know are much older and themselves have said that they think it is lifestyle -in their case. But I haven't looked further at T2 issues so can't discuss.

Thing is - T1s are so few that little seems to have been done about their issues in comparison. And it seems, but I may be wrong, that once your beta cells are destroyed there is no option for you but daily monitoring and injections. Err a bit on the cautious side so's not to have hypos and you risk horrible long term illnesses. Err on the other side to try for a safer future and you risk hypos and brain damage.
Lose-lose. A daily detailed battle for the rest of your life. With no respite, or road map for your body's failure to co-operate with dosing estimation.

Or am I being unduly downhearted? I would love to know.

E.g how many and how severe do hypos have to be to cause damage? Is the 'below 4' rule a statistical average that means some can get away with lower readings but no damage? Or do many 'little' hypos cause long term cognitive impairment? And while high readings of over 10 are discouraged at what point do many of them cause long term damage to become a certainty?
What good is the averaging that the monitors provide; v/v the Hba1c check done by the clinic?

Or, my worst fear, is there no answer to these questions because everyone is so different and there are so few long term T1 survivors that no adequate studies have been done? Which brings me full circle really. I've seen lots of press items saying there is hope for diabetics but when you examine the details its for T2s, and T1s are again left out.
 
Diabetes is Diabetes take away the type its not important, we all struggle to keep our numbers within safe levels, whether by diet or pills or jabs, its all the same, testing testing testing becomes our mantra, adjusting diet and meds to stay healthy for as long as we can, there is no definitive answer because we are all so different, my diet wouldn't suit others theirs doesn't suit me, so we do our best each and every day, some day's its harder than others, some days we feel like giving up the chase, then we have a good day and we soldier on, we know the risks of being stupid and most of us will strive to overcome the bad days when it would be easier to stuff ourselves stupid, but there has to be times when a little treat is allowed, so we meander along this road taking one day at a time, rejoicing in our successes and offering a helping hand when we fall
 

The media does not distinguish very often and although the biggest proportion of diabetics is Type 2 there is plenty of research being done for all types. Below is a list of research relevant to Type1's from DUK.

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Research/Our-research-projects/?p=2&query=

Rather than trying to divide a community of diabetics it works better if we all stick together.
Some Type2s will agree that they brought it in themselves but the majority of us are not in that bracket.
Unless you have greater understanding of all types then blame is a word that has little meaning and we on this forum do not subscribe to the blame game.
Of course is is heartbreaking to see young children being diagnosed with Type1 but until the public is offered education about all chronic conditions then the stereotyping, perpetuated by the media, will continue.
 

Love it.
Thanks @satindoll you've summed up the forum and managing diabetes with this post
 
I don't know about studies, and would be wary of them myself, but there's quite a few "surviving" long term Type 1's on this forum :-

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...ith-type-1-and-how-long-do-you-have-it.55115/

It's hard as a parent, and often all the worst case scenarios are trotted out, but every complication mentioned doesn't happen to all , or everyone

Generally, attention is paid to the negative while the positive stories are less often heard. Very depressing for the newly diagnosed, but not the full picture

Signy
 
Well thanks to all who have offered a view. Food for thought.
I think DiabetiCat above says it all really. DiaboliCat more like.

Heathenlass said: "Generally, attention is paid to the negative while the positive stories are less often heard. Very depressing for the newly diagnosed, but not the full picture"

So i'll take heart from that. because its not me. I have to keep +ve and supportive for someone else.
Thank G for this forum then.
 
And have just read the thread
How old were you when you first diagnosed with type 1?? And how long do you have it??
Yay: real boost - all you grown ups out there who've had it for decades beavering away quietly. Medals all round

Thank you thank you Heathenlass.

Next up - what about all these different meds???????
Here's us ignoramuses thinking - if you're diabetic eat less and/or take insulin.

Who knew........?

So the question I'm going to research now is: what are all the different Insulins;
why;
and why has my T1 been given what has been given and is it the best in the circs.
and eg what have plant sterols got to do with it?
 
When it comes to diabetes and diet I am not convinced that the bulk of us are different. There are some with other diet complications and different levels of diabetes and of course age.

But the common denominator is diabetes. Diabetes type 1 and type 2 are different by primary cause but after that the symptoms converge.

We like to think we are different but we still log in here to see what the others are doing.

The only real thing that is different is we have diabetes and that makes us different from "normal".

Most of our so called difference is personal preference, and unfortunately diabetes does not care.
 
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