Hi
@maitai and
@gemmap,
Whilst I am diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, we diabetics have all acquired health conditions (one of the types of diabetes) which is often not well understood by the public and, in my 51 year experience of it, even by some health professionals.
In contrast to my diagnosis at age 13, way back when, at least
the public is more aware of diabetes these days, health and health professional education is better, very helpful patient forums like this one now exist, and treatment and understanding of diabetes has come a long, long way.
And in the 1979 I graduated as a doctor and so came to be able to view things from both sides of the desk as it were.
Now retired, (and so my writing here is from my own experience and not as medical advice or opinion), I look back and see those
health professionals who did and still do their best to understand people with diabetes as human beings who, through no fault of their own, developed their condition and have to cope and make the most of things.
You both, and everyone with diabetes deserves admiration for taking on their health condition(s).
Try and find nurses and doctors and other health professionals who
treat you as a human being, who
do not interrupt you at the beginning and steer you off into a short, unsatisfactory encounter, and leave you uninformed, feeling like a number in the system and unsupported. Yes,
time pressure makes for less than ideal circumstances at times so make a
list of questions, ask the most important ones to you first, allow for the fact that not all might to covered at the one appointment, also be aware that
if the doctor cannot cover them your nurse may be able to help also. In fact your nurse maybe your main point of contact.
Educate yourselves and this forum is a great way to do so. Use the knowledge gained here to discuss diet or whatever with your nurse and/or dietician.
Cultivate supports, e.g. friends, family, local groups arranged by Diabetes organisations, this forum.
Develop humour and self-humour: for fun I used to work out the number of carbs in a piece of food and compare it to a less healthy-for -me food: Eating an orange was equivalent say to half a paddle-pop; a diabetic friend of mine says her husband and son have a 'bet' on what her before dinner BSL will be, and the 'loser' of the bet does the washing up !
Best Wishes to you both on your journeys !