Grumpy

Coping & Support
1

I am 30 years old, and I have had type 1 diabetes for 27 years.  I have gone through cycles of emotion about my disease.  As a child, I was comfortable with it.  As a teenager, I was just irritated with the world about it.  In my 20's, I was comfortable with it again.  Now that I am 30, I find myself irritated once again.  I am just tired.  I have an insulin pump and CGM, and I have about as tight control as humanly possible.  It just takes so much work, and I am tired of it.  I am also scared.  I have been blessed to never have suffered any type of complication, but every year that goes by seems to make those once phantom complications become more solid and near to me.  The thing that probably bothers me the most is the fact that people think I have Type 2 because I am 30 and closer to the age that people get Type 2.  I can't tell you how often people tell me to drink asparagus juice or read this book or do this exercise program...and my diabetes will go away.  Trying to deal with this every day is hard enough without people judging and giving me advice.  I have been a bit surprised by these feelings because I am generally a happy and optimistic person.  What I need is a diabetes vacation.  Unfortunately, that is just not possible.  What do you think, y'all?  Anybody else going through this?   

2

Hey Heidi, 

It sounds like we have very similar stories - almost to a T (I was dx'd at 3, trouble with it as a teen, comfortable with it now in my 20's) - except that I am 10 years behind you and haven't hit the irritation with diabetes once again (although, of course, I do obviously wish I didn't have it). That sucks that people just assume you have T2 because of your age - I really do think they should find a new name for T1 or T2. Anyways, I would be happy to listen to you vent (as long as your willing to listen to me when I once again grow irritated with it :p). 

Dylan  

3

[quote user="Dylan"]

That sucks that people just assume you have T2 because of your age

[/quote]

This assumption is alive and well all over, even on juvenation.org!  What do people think happens to children and young adults that get Type 1?  That they don't get older?

 

4

I am definitely willing to listen, Dylan!  Thanks.  :-)