What is the hardest part of coping with diabetes?

Hardest thing can be trying to forget it and get on with life!

Trying to understand and cope that complications could be just around the corner and there's very little you can do about it now.

benedict said:

Is it all about keeping blood sugars down or are there harder things to cope

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There are many more harder things to deal with in life than diabetes as we all know, however living with diabetes does have its challenges and keeping bg within range is everyone's number one priority. I cope well now after resenting it for close on 10-15 years, two-thirds of my life has been spent living with this condition and it is often hard to remember a time before injections and testing, I find if you don't accept it and control it to the best of your ability then it will soon bring you down both physically and mentally and leave you in a place you'd rather not be.

For me, by a long way, it is dealing with Nuropathy. My BS is under control, but I am still win debilitating agony, with feet, legs and hands. And of course, that affects your spirits.

Thanks to my diabetes my health is better than it has been for years. My diagnosis (with an HbA1c of 7/8%) helped me to look at what I needed to do to start feeling better. I manage my blood glucose by low carbing and 2 metformin daily. So many niggly little health problems have cleared up - my oral health is better (no furry teeth in the morning since I started low carbing!), my acid reflux has gone, far fewer infections (sinus and chest), athletes foot has gone, headaches are related to high blood sugar, more energy and my rosacea has mostly cleared up (except if my numbers creep up).

I know diabetes is a very serious illness - my dad died from long term complications after several years of poor quality life. But my diagnosis has enabled me to improve my health no end.

The hardest thing is having to plan when I go out what I will eat, because if my numbers start going up I feel unwell quite quickly. This can sometimes limit my social opportunities as so muc socialising takes place around food.

Spiral said:

I know diabetes is a very serious illness - my dad died from long term complications after several years of poor quality life. But my diagnosis has enabled me to improve my health no end.

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Sorry about your dad Spiral. You make a good point though about diabetes making us improve our health, I often wonder if I would be in a much worse place if I wasn't so health conscious and watched my diet and exercised regular, the good thing about having to keep to regular clinic appointments is that other problems can be spotted sooner rather than later.

Knowing about the long term effects that will inevitably flash up down the line.

For me, aside from the actual diabetes itself, I worry about infections.
My immune system really sucks due to other health issues and I get every cold, flu and stomach bug going.

I also worry about skin infections as I have a skin condition that leaves open wounds - I've been told I'm at a much higher risk for infection from this; so I panic every time one looks a bit too red or sore.

I've accepted from day one that I have it, always will have it but can largely control it so it will live with me and not the other way aound. There's so many people worse off than me. If I had to pick a hardest thing about being T1......... it's probably the effect on my Wife. I swear she worries about it more than me and she works where she regularly see's what the complications do to people.

BlindFaith said:

For me, aside from the actual diabetes itself, I worry about infections.
My immune system really sucks due to other health issues and I get every cold, flu and stomach bug going.

I also worry about skin infections as I have a skin condition that leaves open wounds - I've been told I'm at a much higher risk for infection from this; so I panic every time one looks a bit too red or sore.

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In four years I have learned one thing - every last niggle, infection or complaint you have will be blamed on being diabetic!! I have been struggling with injury for the last month and I did some self diagnosis on Google (as we all do ), I narrowed it down (probably wrongly) to tendonitis and guess what? One website says that diabetics are prone to it!!

Coming to tearms with a death sentance if you do not look after yourself!!!! Missing the food that you used to eat, but saying all that I was fat and lazy, now I feel great and so full of energy and have list weight. My eyesight had gone back to six years ago. I can last longer at most things ;-) . A new man. Do I thank the doc for diagnosing me diabetic making me fitter, and better looking not looking like a mobile roundabout ..... I have to say NO

the hardest part for me is trying to get healthcare professionals to understand. Few of them have personal experience and their "textbook knowledge" is often wrong/outdated!
Hana
Ps personally, I follow my chosen low carb diet, monitor BG and get on with life.

My terror is possible complications. I can live easily on an ultra low carb high fat diet, infact I love it. I have my BG's under control (although I'm not sure I will ever be really happy with them). I am fitter than I have been in over a decade, lighter than I have been in over a decade, but the possible complications are always just in the corner of my mind.

Great question!!!! :thumbup:
Hardest thing for me is getting the balance of things right and KEEPING it
successfully right 'everyday' !!!
As diabetes is constantly full of unpredicatable surprises
You think you have cracked it and 'then' :***:
Blood sugars swing up n down , you are then having to work out the whys???
Illness,infections,steroids,stress/worry,foods,med changes,colds/coughs/viruses,innoculations [flu]
'all' of these can cause changes to our blood sugar levels and settled routines!!!
Plus all the hospital,podiatry,clinic appointments to attend...
Prodded n poked , sent away for 'more' tests then 'back' to the clinic,hospital more appts follow up !
Waking up n wonder what is that - " something " you have to remember in your daily life :?:
uh uh I am 'diabetic!' ...
Intrusion of all my food plans ,driving safetly and eating regime 'has' to be built around my diabetes injections.
No more can just grab handbag n have an easy peasy day out without 'any complications' or a care in the world !
Its a "balancing act" to be kept everyday now for the rest of my life. [heavy load to carry somedays when things go wonky!]
So much does impact and we are responsible to our own self management of this living with 'diabetes' ...
Anna.

Temptation and the fear of the unknown. :think:

I walk long distance paths and hate having to be permanently aware of my glucose status :thumbdown:

Turning down the obsession you need to develop in the first few months that will turn your life around for the better. Once you've achieved that reducing testing and other similar things and actually believing what you are doing is fine and keeping you safe is quite difficult.

We can NEVER switch off nor forget it...
Feels intrusive everyday to me !
Preventing it from 'becoming' an obsession is another part of the balancing act thing too .
This "thought" came to me after reading xyzzy's post.

xyzzy said:

Turning down the obsession you need to develop in the first few months that will turn your life around for the better. Once you've achieved that reducing testing and other similar things and actually believing what you are doing is fine and keeping you safe is quite difficult.

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Up to now, I can't say it will always be the same, but for now, I like my obsession, or perhaps I should say I like that it is an obsession, as it keeps me focused and always striving forward. It's like success stories, they also keep me motivated to keep trying to do better. This may not last of course, but it is what it is at this moment.