if your non diabetic freinds could understand one thing about living with diabetes what aould it be and why?
I hate it when I'm testing and one of my friends say gross or ew. Do they think I really like it or something and that's why I'm testing?
yeah, i get that, and I'd like my friends to understand that sometimes its serious, cause I can be like 30 and they will still want me to go run around with them and stuff, they call me a killjoy when I have to take care of myself.
This isn't all my friends, just one specifically: I wish she'd understand I'm not trying to get attention when I go low or take my blood. I really have to do these things, and it's not a party.
oh that is just mean. I would not like being friends with those kinds of people.
I think the one thing (and it's a long convoluted mess of a thing) that I would love for my friends to understand is the whole genesis of my coming to terms with this disease. When I was diagnosed I was told that if I didn't live my life on a schedule by the meds, I'd never make it out of my 30's. At 12-13, I came to the conclusion that I'd rather live a good life than a long one.
It set the stage for coming to terms with my mortality, my goals and my priorities at a fairly young age. As it turns out, I'm nearly out of my 30's with no eye changes, healthy kidneys in fairly good shape and a lot of joint damage that I suspect I'd have tried to avoid if I'd been convinced I was going to be around longer, LOL -
I wish my friends understood how precious my time is to me. I wish they could really get the power of that one irreplaceable resource in my mind. I feel awful when I waste my minutes on lows or D-related tasks instead of focusing on the things I hold considerably dearer... I wish they could get it - but- I don't think I'm a good enough communicator to put it all together all that well and besides, when I can manage it, I prefer to see that their minds stay occupied with lighter fare...
I guess the short answer is, I’d like for my friends to get the fundamental ways coping with diabetes has shaped me and the ways in which I look at my life.
I think maybe I didn't do such a good job answering the question... If I review this and have an epiphany, I'll edit later ;)
Cheers!
A-D
i would love for my friends to understand that I am not going to die every time i check my blood sugar, even before meals.
it's like a reaction to me taking out my meter: "Are you OKAY!? You aren't going to die on me right!?"
I try to explain to them but they don't understand or choose not to.. idk
Mostly that's just my friends at college. My friends back home have been with me since the diagnosis so they understand more.
I'm really lucky to have some wonderful friends. Most have known me since I was little and have been around me so much they know more about diabetes than most other people. They've seen me do my thing and are fine with it. Sometimes they have gotten overprotective and we'll be out somewhere and if I act the slightest bit strange they say "are you okay? do you need to check you sugar?" But I don't mind. I think it's sweet that they are trying to take care of me.
I think the one downside is that since my friends and family are all so used to it and it doesn't phase them, I don't think they expect it to ever phase me either. I've definitely had diabetes burnout and I don't think they understand when I get frustrated with it. Or one time I was taking a shot next to one of my girlfriends and it stung like a mo-fo. I winced and said "Ow!" She gave me a funny look and said shouldn't you be used to it by now? Well, yeah but I still get those shots that hurt every now and then. I still have bad blood sugar days that frustrate the heck outta me and make me wanna give up. I just wish they would recognize that most days I'm fine but some days (even after 17 years) the diabetes can get the best of me and it's nice to vent.
One thing that drives me crazy is when I am at a restaurant with a friend. When I ask the waitress for a nutritional menu or if I ask for sugar-free syrup they always have to tell the waitress "it's ok, sorry she's diabetic", like they have to make an excuse for me. I stinking HATE that! I don't feel as though I have to explain myself to anyone, and it is so irritating when they do it for me. GRRRR!
what is it, how it affects me, and the differences between the types..
seriously, few ppl know anything about it
If my friends could understand one thing about diabetes...hmmmm....that's hard.
I'm stuck between two
1.that I am not going to die every time something happens or I check my sugar
and
2.that I CAN eat things they can I just have to have smaller portions and take insulin for it. One of my friends will always say "you can't have that" or "you can't eat that you're diabetic" and it makes me feel bad...like I'm abnormal or something.
How you feel when you are low or high. that is the hardest part for me
That is can be extremely exhausting - like a second full time job- dealing with insurance, doctor's visits, bills, prescriptions, tracking supplies, etc and also in how sick and tired it can make you feel physically.
i would like my friends to understand that they don't want diabetes.yeah i get to eat in class sometimes but it is really not that fun
i know,sometimes it happens to me and i get tired of it.they will be eating like some gummies and hand me some juice with low fat.
I think it would be nice if people could realize how physically demanding the disease is, and how much effort is involved just to make it through a day. Not to mention the stress, worries, and unknown variables that race through your mind all day. Providing ample mental stress and fatigue. I get so tired some days. Just physically drained. And people always seem to comment, "What are you going to do when you get old? You are still young yet, whats wrong with you?" Yea. I'm lazy and just want attention is what i see in there stare. SO AGGRAVATING!!!
Most of my friends are pretty understanding and sympathetic about the whole thing. If I say I'm low, they go, "Oh. Crap. Do you need to eat?" and many of them will stop what they're doing to make sure I get food--probably cause they're scared to death I'll pass out on them. XD;;
However, most of them don't really get what it means when my sugar is high, nor do they get that it doesn't present as immediate a threat as being low, despite the fact that I've explained this lots of times. But that's okay; I don't expect everyone to understand everything about the disease if they don't have it and have never experienced how utterly draining and lethargic a high number can leave you.
One thing that kind of creeps me out is when some of my friends take this morbid fascination towards my injections. I mean, when I'm around my friends I'll just whip out my insulin pen at the lunch table and shoot up right there; most of them don't notice or care, since I don't make a big deal about it (and I like it that way). But the creepy thing is those friends of mine who have some kind of "needle radar", because every time I whip out my needles, they watch me do it with this WIDE-EYED fascination, like they're watching House or something. I mean seriously, if they're that obsessed with needles and blood and crap, I can't imagine what a kick they must get out of donating blood.
I have to agree with Melissa on this one. Why does everyone think you are going to die everytime you check?
Gina,
People fear what they don't understand... Why do you think 90% of the alien movies are "What is that?!?!?!? - LET'S KILL IT!" LOL
Cheers,
A-D
there's so many i would say lol :P