Type 1 diabetes: advice please

[SophieH]

Hi I've been a type 1 diabetic for 8 years, since I was seven (I turn 16 in two months). My control is quite good, and I do try and manage my diabetes well. One of the things that has just started to affect me lately is the whole 'you have it for life' thing. When I was first diagnosed, the doctors were good at telling me about how to control it etc... But they don't tell you about the emotional effects of diabetes. Around last winter, I just spent weeks on end crying because I was just so unhappy. My Blood Sugars were unstable, and I didn't know why. This has happened just recently too. I also feel often cut off from my friends, who accuse me of being uptight, when in actual fact it's just because my lifestyle has to bec quite controlled. When my Bg's high or low, I often become very short-tempered and irrate; at the time what I do seems completly rational, but afterwards I feel so guilty, and people don't believe me when I say if was because of my blood sugar. I never use my diabetes as an excuse, as I don't want it to change my life; at the same time though, it can be hard to do this when it has changed my life so much. Sorry for the essay; I never talk about my diabetes and thought that there may be some people here who could empathise with me thank-you sophie x

 

[ebony321]

Hi sophie,

Sounds to me like you could use someone to talk to about your diabetes, to be able to have a good moan or chat about it, to get things of your chest that seem to be making you upset sometimes!!

I'd say it's completely normal to feel that way about diabetes at some points in your life.

Diabetes does change your life, like you say and it can be hard, and that's why i think you need somewhere or someone to talk about things with!

I get irritable too with high BG's and sometimes i feel really guilty if i snap at someone but genuinely don't mean to! most people understand though.

Must be tough with friends around your age as they might not fully understand diabetes and how much hard work it can be sometimes! but as you get older and your friends do too, i'm sure they will come to a better understanding!

There are lots of people here who will understand how your feeling as we're pretty much all in the same boat...

there's a youth section here but i think it's mainly parents of children with diabetes, but there is some people your age who visit the site too!

i found this link too it's aimed at young people more your age, i'm not trying to push you out ofhere, as anybody is welcome here any age, but even if yo just have a little read it might make you feel a bit better to see that alot of people your age probably go through the same thing!

i was 20 when i was diagnosed so i never had it as a child or teenager so i'd love to be able to help you more!

heres the link

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/My-life/

Theres linkson that page to some other sites you might find useful,

but definately keep posting and talking on here if you want to as alot of people here are always happy to help, answer an questions or even say hello

 

[shedges]

Hi Sophie,

The feelings you're experiencing are perfectly normal. I get them from time to time. I remember my last check up (nearly 1 yr ago) ... I was on the verge of being prescribed anti-depressants. I was sitting in front of the consultant with tears in my eyes not knowing why I felt like that (which is hard for a 33 year old man). But things always get better. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

You're also dealing with being a teenager, which can be hard. I remember it well and look back on the way I treated those close to me and could have been nicer sometimes. And I wasn't even diabetic then! You must be a very strong person to get this far ... but you've come to the right place. There's lots of great people here, day or night, who will reply, help, chat... whatever you want.

Never think you're alone because someone has always already been through what you're going through, whatever the problem.

Hope you're feeling a bit better now - feel free to PM if you want to.

Sam.

 

[kelp84]

Hi Sophie,

I am 25, and have had diabetes since I was 9. So I can empathise with what you are going through, it can be really tough trying to live your life around diabetes, but what you are going through is totally normal.

I had really good control from the age of about 9 to about 14/15 ( I think this is probably because I was still pretty young and to be quite honest my mum was amazing at looking after me!) However, like you I had quite a few periods during 15-20 where I would lose control over my levels (luckliy I have never been into hospital with my diabetes, when I say lose control I just mean going low and high much more that I would like!)

The doctors blames this on hormones (which I dont disagree with) however I think alot of it is also lifestyle change, I was in a routine of eating b/f, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and bedtime snack..... this all kind of fell by the wayside when I started to do my own thing a bit more, going on days out with friends etc was hard at first as I would panic if I thought we would be late for lunch, and all that sort of thing. I am on Novorapid/Levemir so I am lucky as I was able to be quite flexible with eating etc, however I always now carry something in my bag, an apple or a snack bar as well as dextrose tabs just in case ;-)

I think that sometimes being Diabetic we focus so much on our weakness that we dont notice other peoples, I used to really worry about making all my friends go for lunch etc at certain times like I was a burden to them ...... but really I have one friend who gets wobbly if she doesnt eat regularly and other friends who start to get a bit moody if we go a long time without eating, and they arent even diabetic, so when I suggest to eat etc normally they are thankful! And as for getting snappy etc, YEAH I do that too haha! In fact it is a bit of a running joke in my family and friends when I have a strop that they say 'ur Kel do you think you should test your levels' which is funny coz sometimes my levels are fine and I am just being a moody cow haha!
I think sometimes because when you act so normal being Diabetic, and it is easy for people to forget, When I am high I can feel it in my body and I can feel when I am short tempered, I do sometimes just find that the best thing to do if you feel like you are going to be a bit snappy is just to say, look guys sorry if I am being a pain, my levels are a bit poop, I will be alright in a bit so kinda just ignore my moods! Ppl get used to it, and I find it is the best way to avoid falling out with people! You will find that sometimes people who arent diabetic just have bad days and are short tempered....... at least we have an excuse haha!

And as for feeling down, I am such a happy person, but OMG when I am running high I feel so so sad, I could just sit and cry, feel tired, all my arms and legs feel lethargic, I sometimes struggle to even get up I could sleep for days haha! but you just have to remind yourself that you only feel like that due to your levels, and then try to do something about it! I find keeping a diary of them helps when you are having a bad patch (unfortunately I am RUBBISH at keeping a diary normally so when I am feeling good I dont bother! which isnt good advice, as I think these diarys are good ideas!!!!)

There are so many things that you learn as you go along, I have been diabetic for so long, but it still gets on my nerves sometimes! Like if I am planning a night out with my friends you can guarentee I will go lo just as I am about to do my hair or something, therefore I am almost always late haha! This is prob just because I am so excited to be going out haha! My friends accept this is just who I am, I am always late!!! (Although I do have one friend who is always later than me haha! just because she likes to faff!!)

I actually think being Diabetic has made me a much better person, it can be a big disadvantage with things, but because of this I find myself performing better at some things than my peers because I refuse to let anyone think that I cant achieve things because of it! It makes me eat healthy, I have regular check ups. When I was younger I used to try to aviod sport etc as I don't like to go low, this meant I put weight on, I have managed to lose a bit of it now, but I wish I hadnt been so worried about what ppl though back then, I used to hate making a fuss and having to eat in PE!!!
You have to live life for you and what you want, and for us diabetes is who we are, it shouldn't control your life, just another element that defines it!

I hope this helps, you can always message me if you have any questions, I am happy to let you know how I have dealt with things along the way


x x x x x

 

[SophieH]

Thanks so much yeah I've been keeping a diary for about a year now and at times it has helped a lot; I think I've just reached the point where it's all starting to catch up with me a bit. I also totally understand the feeling of wanting to work really hard and do well; I always feel as though I never want my diabetes to put me at a disadvantage. Thanks for the link I may try that site I'm a bit new to this. I was just feeling really down last night and read about this forum in a magazine. I had prize giving yesterday and was soo happy cos I'd won a prize, but my BG was really low so it kind of put a bot of a downer on the whole occasion; I was shaking so much and felt really dizzy :-/ anyway thanks for the advice it has really helped me. X