Positives of having Diabetes

[Delphinum]

Free eye tests. Free glasses. Free prescriptions. Having a good excuse to get out of P.E. at school - okay that's probably not a good thing but at the time I was on 2 injections a day and had no idea how to exercise without hypo'ing so my asthmatic friend and I would spend an hour walking the 1500m course instead of jogging. Made me happy at the time!

The diabetes knowledge helped me with my Standard Grade and Higher Biology exams. Having more knowledge about food has helped immensely as I'd live on chips and crisps given half the chance and knowing how bad this is for you stops me. I seem to get asked all the time about nutritional values in food and whilst I'm not an expert, at least I do have some kind of idea about carbs, absorption, etc. so I can help my family with it.

I like this topic, it's nice to have people say positive things instead of negatives all the time.

 

[cally]

I would still rather not be diabetic. Ok its good that I take more care of what I eat and try to excercise but I think that is also about getting older in general! As all my non diabetic friends seem to be doing the same thing!

I have been type 1 for 42 years so cannot really remember that much about not having it. I went through my teens and early adulthood without really taking a lot of notice of my diabetes and somehow got away without developing complications. I now have a pump and pretty tight control.

I will always wish I didn't have it! So no I cant really think of any positives as it affects my life on a daily basis and is not going to go away anytime soon

 

[CherryKerry]

The one positive of myself having type 1 diabetes is that I can help my 14 year old brother with his diabetes (he was diagnosed a year ago). I can relate to him and him to me. Because ive had it for 10 years I've learnt a lot and feel he listens to me more than our mum because I actually have the condition. Also we tend to have competitions on who can have the best results and it can be quite fun.

 

[Sloan973]

Similar story
Diagnosed last march
Lost nearly 6 stone
Joined fell walking group
Go to gym
Whole family eat better
Building up new wardrobe
Lots of new admirers(lol)
Feel 10 years younger

Eddie

 

[anna29]

The one positive of myself having type 1 diabetes is that I can help my 14 year old brother with his diabetes (he was diagnosed a year ago). I can relate to him and him to me. Because ive had it for 10 years I've learnt a lot and feel he listens to me more than our mum because I actually have the condition. Also we tend to have competitions on who can have the best results and it can be quite fun.

I like this - its about turning the negative into a 'fun' positive :thumbup:
At the same time you can keep an eye on eachothers levels each knowing
when to prompt the other into being more careful .
Great point of kinship - mentioned with you sense he listens to you more than your mum .
He will feel you will know 'how' he can feel and this will give him more trust and confidence in 'you' ...
He is very lucky to have a sister just like 'you' . x
Great post CherryKerry :clap:

 

[Robinredbreast]

I would still rather not be diabetic. Ok its good that I take more care of what I eat and try to excercise but I think that is also about getting older in general! As all my non diabetic friends seem to be doing the same thing!

I have been type 1 for 42 years so cannot really remember that much about not having it. I went through my teens and early adulthood without really taking a lot of notice of my diabetes and somehow got away without developing complications. I now have a pump and pretty tight control.

I will always wish I didn't have it! So no I cant really think of any positives as it affects my life on a daily basis and is not going to go away anytime soon

Hi all,hope you are all keeping well and healthy

I have been thinking about this post for quite a few days now. I can agree with some of what cally has written, because I am a fellow type 1. I really dont have positives about diabetes. I have always been very active, 8 1/2 st ( still am now and in my middle 50's :shock I love all types of foods, fruit, veg etc. Having diabetes a long time now, over 20 years and recently 2 more medical conditions related to diabetes, not including eye laser treatment. I, like cally, wish I didn't have it and some of the complications that go with it, especially when children are diagnosed, its heartbreaking, especially the little ones, who, without a forseeable cure, will have it until the day they die, which could be 60,70, 80, or even 90 years

When my Coeliac dietican said to me in November 2012, that' because I have type 1 diabetes at least I wont have to pay for the gluten free perscriptions' I thought to myself, oh thats just great :? It is good to see people changing their lifestyles and giving them a wake up call and that is positive. There are so many people out there with awful medical conditions and there is always someone worseoff than yourself, but unfortunately, for me, I cant see a postive. God willing, there WILL be a cure, one day.

Best wishes RRB

 

[Virgo123]

The best thing about having D is;

You give up everything YOU like and start
eating everything your BODY likes.

It works for me!

 

[anna29]

Hi All.

Diabetes once diagnosed is 'permanent' yes - but cancer can be 'terminal' in some cases .
There is always some one - somewhere 'far' worse off .

Anna.

 

[Phoebe2004]

I am along the same lines as Cally in not finding the positives in my diabetes (29 years down the line!), but I have always said that I am pleased I do not have to pay for any prescriptions!! I think that is a fantastic positive when you look at the price of each prescription that people have to pay.
I am not thankful for my diabetes but it does give me that!! I am thankful for small mercies!!

 

[joycegill]

I found I became more aware of other peoples problems with their health especially those who had invisible difficulties. I ended up being a tutor for the Expert Patients programme who deal with self management of various health issues. I also helped with setting up a local Xpert Diabetes programme (as mentioned by a member above). I don't mean to sound a 'goodie goodie' but it gave me enormous pleasure to give something especially when we had good feedback.

 

[tom58]

Male, born 1939. T1 since 1964. Well controlled with pump (av 5.7% last year). No complications.

Diabetes taught me self-discipline. Was completely irresponsible in my teens and early twenties. Rebelled against my diabetes at the start but fairly soon learnt that this was the road to physical disaster. Eventually transferred that lesson to other aspects of my life, with good results.

I truly think diabetes saved me from myself.

Tom

 

[peterlemer]

I've lost weight, eat much more healthily, exercise much more, feel younger, and all thanks to T2D

pete

 

[mo1905]

Really good to see a positive thread like this. I'm quite recently diagnosed but lost weight, better diet, feel great. Best thing for me is my whole family eating better now ! Big up the diabetes lol !


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[ewelina]

I truly think diabetes saved me from myself.

Haha i really like this one Tom. I really understand what you mean

 

[Riversidegirl]

Free alcohol! :wave: Don't forget the free alcohol.
Trouble is it's only rubbed on your arm before blood tests and flu jabs.

Still getting used to the idea of having T2 here but I know I'm not a chocoholic anymore; I would have killed some-one to get at chocolate at one time. Hoping to lose weight now because I HAVE to...It's no longer a choice.

Being able to have another excuse to turn down invitations to events you don't want to go to. "Not feeling too good" :wink:

 

[Monty1967]

I can honestly say that being diagnosed is in fact one of the most positive things that has happened to me!

2 yrs ago I was an overweight (15stone) heavy drinker feeling constanlty tired and stressed which I put down to my demanding job as a Director in construction. Unbeknownst to me I had very high blood sugar and was suffering from T2, at diagnosis my HbA1c was above 14 and I was spiking after meals to 24+! OMG and when I researched these levels it frightened me to death and I must admit I had a while where I felt lost, frightened and was unable to see a way out.

Now for the positive stuff! I guess I may have had an extreme reaction but I vowed that this would not beat me and set out to research and find out, firstly how to manage my condition and secondly how to beat it into submission! I was lucky to have a superb GP and Diabetes Nurse which helped me increadibly in the first few weeks, from conversations with other people at work I know that this is not always the case!

Initially I was taking high doses of Glicklazide and Metformin with the usual and sometimes comic side effects, falling over whilst having a hypo (Glicklazide) or falling over and "letting rip" at the same time (Metformin) :lol:

I can also highly reccomend "Diabetes Revolution" as a good book that explains diet and the link between carbs and insulin production and the feed-back loop that reults in Insulin resistance, in any event it helped me to undersatnd and then start to manage my nutrition.

To cut a long story short I am now 12st 6lb, have a resting heart rate of 50 bpm, my cholesterol is superb, my blood pressure is superb and I am targeting a 2hr 45min finish time for an Olympic distance Triathlon in May this year. In addition I now take 1 Metformin tablet a day and aim to be drug free by September this year. I am fitter, happier and likely to live a much longer healthier life as a result of my diagnosis. All these great results do not just happen and it has taken me time, effort and commitment to get here and in order to stay here I need to continue to do the same!

Whilst I cut out alcohol for a while now that I am fit I have begun to enjoy my whisky again, in moderation!

I have told my story for a simple reason, I want people to understand that Diabetes doesnt go away with a few pills and a shift in diet, neither does it go away with extreme excercise and all those things, but I am living proof that it can be put in its place! and if I can do it! then you can also do it!

 

[Ausra]

I find it so difficult finding a positive thing about being diabetic. I'm still jelous for all the healthy people not needing to be worried about what they eat. Although in my mind i am saying ' you've got no clue what that chocolate will do to your body over next 3 hours' but they are lucky..they don't need to think about it.
I have educated myself a lot about food and how it affects me since i got diabetic. Because of that i got paranoia and now cant stop thinking of what i will put to my mouth. And feeling guilty for every piece of sweet thing or fast food.
Gosh..sorry i forgot i need to talk positive :think: i got better with the doctors! i learned to make my own decisions and adjusting to myself anything they say..other words:working together with the doctor and educating doctor as much as he educates me
I stopped running around at work selflessly. I don't let myself and others to put me in stress and no matter how much they want to push me or rush me i will do it accordingly to how i feel about my sugar at that moment. My boss still wants to tell me 'but hey you've got drugs for that'. It's hard when people don't understand what you are going through but i learned to accept it and keep positive just about everything!!haha

 

[BethR]

my doctors diagnosed me with symptoms of anemia when I was 17, when I was 20, I was diagnosed with type 1 with exactly the same symptoms I was Having for over 2

Kerry, I also had anemia when i was 16/17 and diagnosed with type 1 when i was 19. Although i have always been conscious of what i eat, i am now alot healthier with what i eat, instead of just eating low calorie foods in order to be skinny.

 

[alikatski]

My favourite positive, apart from learning a huge amount about myself and the way my body works, is the fact i have a fuel guage - my glucose meter!

 

[lozfb]

I HAVE HAD TYPE 1 DIABETES FOR OVER 29 YEARS AND TRUST ME, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO POSITIVES TO HAVING DIABETES. I APPLAUD YOUR EFFORT TO BE POSITIVE BUT SERIOUSLY, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD DIABETES OVER 10 TIMES LONGER THAN YOU, THERE ARE NO POSITIVES. OF COURSE IF YOU MANAGE YOUR DIABETES WELL YOU CAN LIVE A LONG HEALTHY LIFE BUT SERIOUSLY, THERE ARE TOO MANY NEGATIVES TO LIST