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<blockquote data-quote="kitedoc" data-source="post: 1831258" data-attributes="member: 468714"><p>Hi [USER=472067]@isu[/USER],</p><p>I have a tale to tell and ask your indulgence. </p><p>I did uni from 1972 to 1978. Diagnosed TID at age 13, no pumps, meters etc. Meters came in about 1980 to Australia.</p><p>I did have <strong>supportive parents</strong> but I developed the <strong>desire early on to be as independent as possible</strong>. And with that came a <strong>distinct feeling of being different to others</strong>. That was a big thing - <strong>f<em>eeling isolated, nobody knew what it was like and hypos</em></strong>, how embarrassing, "is he drunk?, the numbness and dumbness feeling. Life was <strong>more about avoiding hypos than normal blood sugars</strong>. And back then doctors' aims were to have their diabetic patients all with good blood sugars (when all there was was short and sort of longer acting insulin and urine testing) and it was a personal affront to them if I did not conform to their expectations !!</p><p>But I <strong>exercised</strong>, <strong>watched what I ate</strong>, because I<strong> feel sick if I did not</strong>. Got <strong>teased at school</strong> back when teachers sprang you for eating in class and didn't understand your excuse)</p><p><strong>Exercise made life easier and dispelled some of the gloom.</strong></p><p>There were no <strong>diabetes camps</strong> I was aware of then but there are now. I have participated as a <strong>volunteer</strong> over the years and I <strong>highly recommend them</strong>. For the friends, contacts made, the team work and the between camp times.</p><p> I did Cubs, Scouts and Seniors which gave me <strong>interests and experience in how to plan ahead</strong> - and did 7 day long canoe trips through wilderness ( the sort of thing you say and then advise, do not do this at home).</p><p><strong><em>Why am I telling you this?</em></strong> You are not alone. Yes it is still painful, mentally and physically but there is a light along the tunnel.</p><p>And after uni, beginning work as a doctor, family, children etc I <strong>experienced depression</strong>. Not something I looked for or welcomed, but it ran in the family. What I realised was that I had been battling depression in some form since teenage years.</p><p>That <strong>ingrained independence theme kept me in denial and made it very difficult to accept help</strong>. I had survived diabetes for years, was a doctor - <strong><em>how could I admit to being depressed</em></strong>.? Swallowing pride is a huge lump to get down.</p><p>Just as it was later to accept that an insulin pump was the best way to manage my diabetes. Sounds daft ? Any threats to my independence and my pulling myself up by my own bootlaces were unconscionable. ( great word from a law student!!)</p><p><strong><em>Finding and keeping friends</em></strong>;<strong><em> cherishing relationships or family life as more precious than work life</em></strong>; <strong><em>developing interests</em></strong> outside of work ( but pass on Everest, it is over-rated); <strong><em>admitting limits</em></strong>; being <strong><em>prepared to lean on human supports</em></strong>; finding a <strong><em>good counselling help</em></strong> (a psychiatrist in my case), all helped, (and <strong><em>not giving up on exercise</em></strong>, but nothing too vigorous as it stuffs up the bsls). </p><p><strong>Practicing self humour</strong> ( easy as an Aussie because we usually do not take ourselves too seriously) and <strong>reading the two Book of Hugs (author surname, Keating)</strong> have helped enormously.</p><p>At the 51 years on insulin mark things are better than they were. Still no picnic but the trying to do better pays off.</p><p>So i implore you to<strong> seek help</strong>, <strong>find others</strong> with diabetes, supports, and come to realise that human pancreas glands have been in development for thousands and thousands of years and<strong> trying to pilot just one incredibly complex part of what the gland does is a big ask! </strong>Give everything your best shot!</p><p>Best wishes and keep posting !! Now retired and the letters after my name are now KD (Kite Doctor) MM (Mere Mortal).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kitedoc, post: 1831258, member: 468714"] Hi [USER=472067]@isu[/USER], I have a tale to tell and ask your indulgence. I did uni from 1972 to 1978. Diagnosed TID at age 13, no pumps, meters etc. Meters came in about 1980 to Australia. I did have [B]supportive parents[/B] but I developed the [B]desire early on to be as independent as possible[/B]. And with that came a [B]distinct feeling of being different to others[/B]. That was a big thing - [B]f[I]eeling isolated, nobody knew what it was like and hypos[/I][/B], how embarrassing, "is he drunk?, the numbness and dumbness feeling. Life was [B]more about avoiding hypos than normal blood sugars[/B]. And back then doctors' aims were to have their diabetic patients all with good blood sugars (when all there was was short and sort of longer acting insulin and urine testing) and it was a personal affront to them if I did not conform to their expectations !! But I [B]exercised[/B], [B]watched what I ate[/B], because I[B] feel sick if I did not[/B]. Got [B]teased at school[/B] back when teachers sprang you for eating in class and didn't understand your excuse) [B]Exercise made life easier and dispelled some of the gloom.[/B] There were no [B]diabetes camps[/B] I was aware of then but there are now. I have participated as a [B]volunteer[/B] over the years and I [B]highly recommend them[/B]. For the friends, contacts made, the team work and the between camp times. I did Cubs, Scouts and Seniors which gave me [B]interests and experience in how to plan ahead[/B] - and did 7 day long canoe trips through wilderness ( the sort of thing you say and then advise, do not do this at home). [B][I]Why am I telling you this?[/I][/B] You are not alone. Yes it is still painful, mentally and physically but there is a light along the tunnel. And after uni, beginning work as a doctor, family, children etc I [B]experienced depression[/B]. Not something I looked for or welcomed, but it ran in the family. What I realised was that I had been battling depression in some form since teenage years. That [B]ingrained independence theme kept me in denial and made it very difficult to accept help[/B]. I had survived diabetes for years, was a doctor - [B][I]how could I admit to being depressed[/I][/B].? Swallowing pride is a huge lump to get down. Just as it was later to accept that an insulin pump was the best way to manage my diabetes. Sounds daft ? Any threats to my independence and my pulling myself up by my own bootlaces were unconscionable. ( great word from a law student!!) [B][I]Finding and keeping friends[/I][/B];[B][I] cherishing relationships or family life as more precious than work life[/I][/B]; [B][I]developing interests[/I][/B] outside of work ( but pass on Everest, it is over-rated); [B][I]admitting limits[/I][/B]; being [B][I]prepared to lean on human supports[/I][/B]; finding a [B][I]good counselling help[/I][/B] (a psychiatrist in my case), all helped, (and [B][I]not giving up on exercise[/I][/B], but nothing too vigorous as it stuffs up the bsls). [B]Practicing self humour[/B] ( easy as an Aussie because we usually do not take ourselves too seriously) and [B]reading the two Book of Hugs (author surname, Keating)[/B] have helped enormously. At the 51 years on insulin mark things are better than they were. Still no picnic but the trying to do better pays off. So i implore you to[B] seek help[/B], [B]find others[/B] with diabetes, supports, and come to realise that human pancreas glands have been in development for thousands and thousands of years and[B] trying to pilot just one incredibly complex part of what the gland does is a big ask! [/B]Give everything your best shot! Best wishes and keep posting !! Now retired and the letters after my name are now KD (Kite Doctor) MM (Mere Mortal). [/QUOTE]
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