To look after it or not?

Firstly welcome to the forum

It’s what you want from your life is what’s important!

As you are new to diabetes, you do face a high learning curve to start as you get your head around how best to control your diabetes and how to implement the control into your life to your best advantage…

Once you’ve got this sorted out you well find that you can still enjoy a drink with your mates, and do all the things that you used to do before, but now you will have to think about situation in a diabetic context in do I need something to eat, adjust my insulin does to accomplish what I’m about to do ect…

As to recreational drugs I can’t comment on, as it is a activity that I haven’t partaking in, but I should imagine is goes the same as smoking a wise person would refrain…

Ask the questions which concern you or you are having problems with, as we are here to help were we can

You seem to be aware of the dangers & consequences of certain choices in life already;

So what do you do? lead a sensible not as interesting life and hopefully live longer or carry on getting trashed and try your best to control it and enjoy yourself.

Click to expand...

i.e sensible control = live longer

It's a lot to take on board in the early stages of diagnosis and you need time to process exactly what's happened in your life before you came begin to make fundamental lifestyle choices. I took recreational drugs in my teenage years but it's something most people grow out of. Dont regret it but then I wasn't diabetic at the time so who knows what choices I might have made. As you get older your life and events in it can drastically alter your outlook. I'm in my mid thirties now and have a young child so suddenly the choice to look after yourself better becomes obvious (unless your of a selfish disposition).

Altering lifestyle radically doesn't work well for all people so maybe try compromise and take it from there. Being a diabetic is all about control and everyone needs to cut loose occasionally anyway. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, you'll make the right decision in the end I'm sure. :wink:

It's a question of values
Who has the more interesting life? the football fan who gets drunk senseless every weekend or the nun, who goes around her parish doing good where it's needed?
And then, who remembers if they had a good time?
We make our own successes.Most are not financial.
I am going to make a rag doll with clothing for my granddaughter's first birthday in April.
I just finished the second little person cardigan since Christmas. I cracked a tricky pattern after many bouts of unpicking. I succeeded!
there's nothing like that feeling of "I've done it!" I wouldn't want to try to get a fake version of that from alcohol or drugs.

in my opinion it is all down to what you want, i chose to look after myself and hopefully grow old with my sight and my feet intact so i can see my children grow into adults and spend time with their children also,
also, just because your diabetic doesnt mean you cant enjoy lifes pleasures so my choice is look after it

Tony

The blurry vision you have will clear as your sugar levels settle, they should return to normal within a couple of weeks or so…

Yes I agree if you look at the risk of complications they do look scary indeed, and the odds don’t look good at the first glance… But it does come with buts...

If you aim for good control, then can put yourself in the right side of the percentage, and if you happen to fall on the wrong side you will lessen the impact of the complication that you might suffer, not a bad reason for looking after oneself…

Hi.

I've been type 1 for 2 years now. Have tried the ignoring it hoping it will go away. The thing is if you do ignore it and do all your usual things you will stress so much about your health you wont enjoy the experience anyway. You can still do things you wont as long as you control it. Have to plan and think more than before but if you do that and still have fun, then hey its good all round. I'm still coming to terms with with this lovely illness and have stuck my head in the sand and all that. But really i find when I do actually listen things arnt as bad. You will always have good and bad days though. Get your professionals, when they bother to call you to get you carb counting, deffo the way forward for someone like yourself i think. Good Luck you'll be right soon. Its just a shock and at first a bit scary thats all.

Look after yourself!
Look after yourself!
Look after Yourself!

If you change your mind later in life it may be too late. Or worse, you could spend many years with no eyesight, feet and on dialysis. Not worth the risk in my opinion. I don't have diabetes but look after my son who does and I don't drink, smoke or use drugs. It isn't really an essential part of everyone's youth or life.

Sorry for not giving you the "It's up to you" talk. Would you want your family looking after you when you are unable to care for yourself.

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum.
The only pity is we disn't meet in better circumstances.
I was diagnosed with T1 as a teenager so I completely understand your T1 friends attitude to it. My attitude was much the same, that diabetes was probably with me for life so I wouldn't worry much about it at until I had to. There would be time in later life to straighten up and fly right.
So the recreational substances and late nights were part of my life at University and I did exactly as my friends did. I didn't even tell anyone that I had diabetes, although they worked that one out for themselves the first time of many when they took me to A&E.
Anyway, I survived, just, and somehow have escaped any lasting consequences. Others haven't been so lucky and find that complications down the line seriously affect their lives.
The problem when I was diagnosed was that there was no internet forum, blood glucose meters, basal/bolus regimes, or most of the stuff we now take for granted. No support and advice like you'll find here. So I reckon you now have the tools to party with your friends, but keep a close eye on how your diabetes is doing at the same time. Smart lunacy.
Good luck, and keep in touch.

fergus

Hi tony
I have met a lot of drunken layabouts.(I'm a retired secondary school teacher ) and a few nuns and I have stronger memories of the dear sweet little elderly nun who helped me when my husband was in the ICU( with a diabetes problem) I don't remember, individually, those people who thought it was "Fun" to vomit in someone's front garden.
I do sometimes think of the idiot whose ambition it was to be a drug dealer, but since I always caught him when he was doing something wrong, I wonder if he's in jail now.
Yes I'd certainly prefer to be remembered as someone who does good deeds.( If I were truly good enough) Not I hope an interfering type "Do gooder".

i'd say look after it!

just because you look after it, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy life, or can't have an interesting life... I look after my diabetes... and i still drink alcohol... as long as you know (learn) how it affects you and how to counter-act that with your insulin and food then you can still drink. But it's beyond me how some people find pleasure in getting so drunk they're not in control. Personally i before to drink until im merry then stop and have some giggles.

I choose not to do drugs, i have no interest in them, never have.

At the end of the day, it's your body, do what you want with it, but i'd be less inclined to treat it badly just because friends do. Who knows... if they see you looking after your diabetes and not missing out on life's pleasure... they could follow suit... then you'd have saved yourself and your friends from the nasty complications!

The earlier your start looking after your diabetes the sooner things will be done more out of habit!

Good luck!

For the last 2 yrs I've spent much more time testing and considering my food intake than ever since the early days of my diagnosis. Its not that I didn't try before, I wasn't given proper information and appropriate insulin regime, and wasn't listened to when I asked for help. So it made no difference whether I stuck to the rules or not. Although I don't have any major complications (so far...), I didn't realise how much it was dragging me down. And that was pretty tame by most youngsters' standards, I didn't go in for skipping my insulin or taking illicit drugs or excessive alcohol. Now, having resolved the issues, I have much better control. As a result my general health is really good, rarely catch viruses, I have more energy, better memory, no 'hungover' feeling from high sugars or bad hypos, nothing slows me down. I don't consider myself an ill person and no-one would guess there was anything "wrong with me". So, conversely the more attention I give my diabetes, the less it interferes with my life. Having tasted both scenarios, I'd rather put the effort in and be fit to enjoy life, than not bother and get dragged down by it. You get out what you put in.

HI TONY

I am 25/F i was diagnosed in aug08 after complications from an operation that went very very wrong, i have seen my DN and doctor once and that was the week after i was discharged from hospital in aug 08 i have not seen a dietician, i have tried to contact somebody at the hospital to ask for an appointment or advice but never any response, i have been to my GP many times and they have said they will re-refer but still nothing, I still do not accept that i am diabetic, like you the only real info i have found out is from doing it myself and being on here.
At the moment my attitude is probably wrong but i eat what i want and drink when i go out the only 1 thing i have changed is i dont smoke anymore, thats because i was in hospiatl for 5 weeks without smoking to thought no point starting again.
At the moment i think my BS are fine and i dont see any changes to my health.

Leanne

Tony

Luckily ive not lived a sainted life and was dx in my early 30's so dont feel too bad about having to give up the binge drinking nights out :lol: . Though I would kill for the freedom I once had in just living life without thinking about FOOD and BG ALL THE TIME!!

However, my motivation is the knowledge that no matter how ****** off I get having to manage this I would be more ****** off with myself in years to come if I lose my sight, feeling in my toes, no longer able to drive, kidneys fail or have a heart attack. Although there is no guarantee with the dreaded diabolical, it is more of a guarantee that there is a higher liklihood of horrible things if you dont manage this.

So,though there may be blips along the way (as I say, not a saint and potentially have this for 40 years all being well :? ). However all you can do is your best as you see fit and then hope for the best on the basis of this. Would say however, if you turn to the dark side (and lets be honest, its better there....) you can always reverse your decision and take charge at any time

Still, for a cure eh?

L