Last week I made 6 months since I was diagnosed with T1D. Recently, however, I’ve had mixed feelings about it. I’m still in my honeymoon phase, which for some strange reason has lead me to believe I’m just faking my diabetes? I know it makes no sense, but since I’m not dependent on insulin yet I’ve somehow convinced myself that I don’t have it. I guess reality just hasn’t set in for me yet. Has anyone else felt this way? If so, how did you cope/deal with it?
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Hi Nicole @auroraisles, I can relate to your mixed feelings about your diabetes. The very best advice I can offer now is if your have a good, trusted doctor who knows what s/he is doing, believe for yourself and take the very best care you can - for diabetes care the “best” doctors usually are trained endocrinologists.
Right now I’m in my 126th of those “six month periods” since my diagnosis - at about your age - and after a couple of years of taking pretty good care of myself I went into denial and ignored all medical advice regarding diabetes - I’m now paying the price for my neglect.
I’ve been told that a “honeymoon period” can last several years and that may be what is happening to you - take advantage of that while you can while being watchful for change.
Enjoy life and don’t let diabetes hold you back - with all the great tools and refined insulin you can maintain “good diabetes management” while living a full and rewarding life.
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@auroraisles hi Nicole, yes a good doctor as @Dennis said.
For me, blood sugar control was super easy and I thought that my diabetes was going away… that’s the hard part, first the shock and horror of a diagnosis, then it gets easier, then it gets harder as your body eventually stops making insulin. it ends up hurting, twice.
glad you are able to see it. you cope with loss by grieving it, and it takes time.
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I was diagnosed at 16, I am 24 now and for years I neglected my “honey moon” phase even though I was insulin dependant asap from the start. I was just reckless never checked my sugar BUT would barely get sick. I hit 23 start losing feelings in some of my fingers and getting sick. Now I am on top of this like a hawk and checking my sugar every other moment to make sure I need no corrections. Ive basically dug myself in a horrible health diabetic type ONE HOLE. And now I am climbing out slowly but surely every morning is a struggle but I am getting better. This message isnt just to reply to Dennis but mainly to the topic creator as Dennis said ENJOY your honey moon phase and PLEASE take care of your diabetes so you dont have to go through what I am going through!! This gets really BAD trust me I wish I was just diagnosed again that way I can have a clean slate and make sure Im always checkkng and correcting. Take my words for it!
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during my honeymoon phase I was simply misdiagnosed as a t2.
I spent it with oral medication, exercising and eating like a nut health, trying to manage on my own, because the meds were just not working.
the whole time, I was in denial that I had diabetes. It couldnt be.
Werent you supposed to “just eat healthy, lose weight and exercise” to make your diabetes go away?
I was already doing all of that before the diagnosis, so Diabetes couldnt be right. There had to be something else.
Now, things are easier. I find my life so much easier now that Im out of my honeymoon phase (and diagnosed properly)
Also I find that better care I take of my diabetes, better I feel, physically, about myself, and emotionally.
hope it helps!
First of all, I want to thank you all for your advice. For now, I’m trying to apply your advice to my life and just taking things slow regarding my diabetes management. The learning curve is steep, but I think I’ll be able to handle it. I’m so grateful for your support 
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You have to accept it , and take care of yourself, I’ve had it 40 years, it never slowed me down , get educated on it live a good life and you won’t get the side effects!! That’s what you don’t want diabetes you can live with! Side effects if you don’t get it under control will kill you
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I totally understand your feelings. I’m at 4 1/2 yrs. There are times I feel the exact same things. Even tho I’m insulin dependent. I think we all think this, we just want to be normal or normal again. It’s not uncommon to want this (normal) feeling. Most anyone with some type of ‘difference” from what is classified as normal wants to be normal.
Unfortunately, it’s time to embrace the suck. It’s sucks to be T1D. It sucks to be “different”. Well it ain’t gonna change anytime soon. Although I hope and pray that it will! But if I’m gonna be different, I’m gonna do the best that I can with that difference! I’m gonna push all the boundries all the limits and anything and everything I can to the best of my ability.
I don’t know any other way to be, you have to adapt, overcome and improvise! Cause the alternative is too final!
The one thing that you may have missed is this, by taking care of yourself better and acknowledging your fate. You may feel better. You might not realize that your not feeling 100%, till you start doing what needs to be done. This disease is sneaky and deceptive, it hides itself well. It sneaks up on you, without you realizing what it’s doing. You adapt to the changes cause they can happen slowly, gradually, until it far enough along. Then it can kick you in the teeth.
The one thing I know for sure about being T1D is this, it is much better to be proactive than reactive! The more you take this seriously the better off you are. One thing my Endo said is this. The decisions you make today affect how you will live tomorrow! That is a very prophetic statement. They literally words to live by!
My goal here is to make you think. And then think some more! Only you can make the decisions that will have an effect on your future! Nobody else can or will. You have to make the decisions, you make the choices, you make all moves, either good or bad. The ulitimate goal is to decide what quality and what kind of life do you want. Make the decisions necessary to go and get it. It may not work the way you want. But at least you have tried to do what’s best for YOU!
It will always be your choice! Just do your best to make choices by being well informed. Do not be afraid to ask questions! The only stupid question is the one you won’t ask!
Hope I’ve helped! Good luck.
Charlie
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Hi Nicole,
It is tuff and you will have ups and downs. No matter what you do diabtes will be there, it will be part of your life, everything soon will change.
Good news is, you will be fine, espically in our current market, there are many things to help manage and resorces at our finger tips. When I was diagnosed the coolest thing on the market was insulin mix with NPH, you might not even know what that is, just shows my age.
But there will be bumpy roads at times. I didn’t have my down until about 3 years in when I went to college. I did get depressed and diabetes was something I didn’t want to mess with, just wanted to be normal.
Sad part was it took me like 18 months to get help and start the mental part. Yes, you will get angry, you will get mad, you will get frustrated, you will have bad moments in front of people. But hopefully it’s not too often, if so please talk with someone to help you cope.
Best wishes.
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Yes Jay @Jayserna, that does show your age.
When I was diagnosed, the “coolest” thing on the market was the new isophane insulin , called NPH, an innovation that was supposed to allow insulin to have a 24 hour active duration. “NPH Mixes” cane about 20 years later - great stuff if they worked for you - they didn’t work in my body.
It’s honestly better to accept it and work on managing your diabetes so that you aren’t held back by it. I’ve had time where I managed it perfect and completely forgotten how terrible it can be until I have those 1-2 days where everything is out of cycle. But you just be strong and continue on because you are in control.
All Wonderful advice and words of wisdom!!! I would like to add my 2cents, I switched to a strict Keto diet and my honeymoon phase lasted for many years. Now, On an insulin pump and CGM, I have another kind of freedom from the disease.
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I had about a 3 year period where I really didn’t take care of myself well. I went about 6 months without testing my blood sugar. I developed some eye issues during those years. I knew I was hurting myself by neglecting my diabetes, I just got burned-out and didn’t really care anymore. I was stuck in a horrible job, stressful marriage, and struggled with emotional eating. It’s a daily struggle, but if you want to avoid “complications” you’ve got to manage it 24/7.
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I don’t know if you have read the Poseidon Trial protocol, but I don’t think it is terrible to work on preservation of your remaining beta cells. The 2nd annual meeting about prevention and Poseidon for new onsets is in Miami at the DRI on April 26th. You can let me know if you would like to attend. We will also have some zoom meeting slots.
Sonia
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Thanks again for your input! It really has helped me out knowing that I’m not alone in how I feel
And @SoniaChritton, I am interested in this meeting you mentioned. Mind DMing me so I can learn more about it?
The meeting about prevention studies and new onset studies will take place at the DRI on 26 April. If you would like to attend, just send me an email at sonia@soniachritton.com and I can give you instructions. We will also live stream.
I’ve had it over 11 years now…I remember when the Omipod was new and I wanted one XD I’m still struggling to accept the fact that I’m a diabetic and I forget to check my blood/do insulin. I feel like I’m in denial all the time…and I just try to…as bad as it sounds… forget it
I still can’t believe it’s now over 11 years…
I went through the same … now going on yr 12. There is an intervention episode that woke me up. Go to YouTube and the look up intervention episode with type one diabetic. it is like changing
You could be plugged into The Matrix, in which case you dont really have diabetes outside of this reality.
When I was a kid, i used to wonder if maybe I was a robot that looked like a boy. Or, maybe I was the only concious being and everyone around me was just some computer simulation, with higher beings watching and studying my performance in this test reality. How could you ever prove otherwise?
Now, Im too lazy to not accept reality for what it appears to be. Maybe once every few years I have a fleeting thought that maybe I dont really have diabetes, or maybe Ill be one of those 1 in a billion people that regrow an internal organ. But then, the lazy adult me kicks in, and decides it’s simplier if I just accept it and do what Im supposed to in order to take care of it. Less mental gymnastics.
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