I was just diagnosed with T1 Diabetes a month ago and I'm really having a hard time with everything...the physical injections, the emotional anger/sadness/depression, and the mental stress of know I'm now a diabetic. My whole life has turned upside down and i dont know a SINGLE PERSON who has diabetes (Type 1 OR 2). I just need some advice/tips/inspiration from someone who knows what I'm going through. Any quotes that you find empowering? Thanks sooo much, and God bless :)<3
I am sorry about your diagnosis. You will likely begin to meet people with type 1 now. There are 4 or 5 kids with type 1 within a mile of my house.
Take one day at a time. Each day will be different anyway. You will gradually learn how to manage the disease.
Jazzy, just know that it will get easier. In the beginning there’s so much to remember. My daughter was diagnosed at 10, and my head was literally spinning for months. But slowly we got better at carb counting, we learned about managing diabetes, she got an insulin pump. Diabetes doesn’t have to define you. You can still be as Jazzy as you ever were! In fact, my daughter is now 12, and she’s a whole lot busier now than she was before she was diagnosed. She looks at her diabetes as an opportunity. She enjoys meeting other people with diabetes and chatting it up with them. She loves reading the awesome diabetes blogs (www.textingmypancreas.com is her very favorite – check it out!).
I don’t know what else to say except that you’ve been adopted into a family you might not have wanted to be a part of, but a family that understands you and will always support you. Are you on facebook? There’s crazy support there.
Please let me know if I can help.
Hi Michelle-
My 12-yr-old stepdaughter was just diagnosed in May and I am trying to get her hooked up with some good online support. Her mom keeps her isolated and out of touch with us, but I am still doing my best to help her gett independent support set up. My paternal uncle who is in his 60s now was diagnosed when we was a kid, so it runs in my family and he says support is important.
Can you direct me to Facebook groups you find to be best and most active? Thank you!! :-)
You know what? Anyone who has asked us how it is going, since my daughter's diagnosis a month ago has been told "IT SUCKS" but we are dealing with it. On the way home from the hospital, my daughter said "OMG, mom, this is for life...this doesn't go away." She goes through awful moods, then is fine. This is a life changing, difficult thing and you are entitled to feel any way you want about it...mad, happy, stressed, worried, etc. Just look for support here, and find a friend who will listen. Good luck. Keep us posted. Diane
Hey Jazzy!
Sorry about your diagnosis and yes, it blows! I was diagnosed on my 29th birthday (literally spent the night before/of in the hospital, hooked up to IVs, etc..), which was almost 2 years ago. I only know of T2s, no T1s around me...
I know how you feel, the first couple of months my life was a total see-saw of emotions, constantly going one day/positive, next day/depressed. I would cry for highs, and get angry for lows...It was horrible.
One day my husband just said to me (with love): "Would you just stop whining about it already?! Yes, it sucks hard that you've been given this, and yes I wish you didn't have it, but you do, and the more you stress about it and worry about it, the less you're living your life. "
His words cut deep at first, but he is the master at tough love! HIs point was clear: Though Diabetes is (for now) forever present in your life, you CANNOT let it take over your life or make you stop living it.
I know you've probably heard this all before, but until you really let it sink in and believe it, it's just empty words.
Life isn't fair, and having T1 is a constant struggle (trust me, I still have my moddy/off days), but it is what it is and we have to find ways to be strong and to not let it change who we are deep down inside.
The more research and reading I do about it, the more I realize if everyone lived like we do (ie: diet, exercise, carb counting/control) the better and healthier everyone would be! People should look to us as role models for better lifestyles!
We're all here for you and this "family" has helped a lot since I've discovered it!
my cell phone # is 419-265-2399. This forum is a good place to feel safe but is not always available as a resource, text my cell phone number if you ever EVER need to talk. Even if its something as small as "Some kid just told me i was "feeling sorry for myself" because he doesn't understand how depressed i get when my sugar is low!!!!!" i will understand and do everything i can for you. Mostly talking to me will just help remind you, you are not alone and we all love you as unconditionally as God, we are all in this fight together, and there is great strength in unity!
-Scott Kienzle
Hey there !
i really do feel for you- i was diagnosed almost 2 yrs ago when i was only 13.
I know its hard right now ,i really do but i PROMISE it does get better. "God never gives someone a cross that they cant carry" Your one of us now, we all may be seperate but us Type 1 - we are like the modern day Xmen (we arnt mutants- but we are a tad different to stupid pancreatically able people ) Seriously WHO WANTS A FUNCTIONING PANCREAS ITS SO COMMON (i understand if you dont wanna laugh at that) But like i said- we are like Xmen- we are all united because we all share a common power. We are such BRAVE people - not many people could cope how we do. I was diagnosed mid term in high school of year 7. I will tell you- people are gunna be dipwads when they find out- i cant promise that you wont get teased- i got every horrible comment in the T1D diagnosis book- i got "Its not big deal , stop feeling sorry for yourself you whining *beep*" i got people laughing at me when id burst into tears in class from the emotional stresses of adjusting, id get people asking me to inject like it was a funny comedy show etc. etc. Trust me the needles get alot less painful, just a matter of getting used to them. Ur brain mite kid yourself for a while but when your brain finally hits the point where u have a few sad days, a few crys - that means uve finally accepted it and when you do you'll be able to not nessacerily "move on" but you will soon accept it and become used to it and proud of just how brave and strong you are. U need a good support system whether it be this site, family,friends, even a counsellor.
I promise it does get better
Oh and this is the quote that finally got me to feel "normal" about my condition
" At first i was thinking Why me ?why did i get diabetes ? but then i started sharing my diabetes with you all and helping you young diabetics and because i get to help people with what im going through now i think Why not me ? You can turn your diabetes around and do something great for other diabetics " - Nick Jonas
Hey JazzyJumper,
To echo what everyone else is saying here - IT GETS BETTER. Life will never be perfect but just remember, "everybody's got somethin".
It's especially hard when you're getting used to it - it's a daily struggle. Not being able to eat the things you used to and the general lack of freedom that you're feeling are hard. But in time it will get better. In the beginning (I was diagnosed at 11) I felt so different from my peers and I even went through a rebellious stage where I ate what I wanted and rarely tested and when I did test and found I had a high, I would lie to my parents and doctor. I just plain hated it and constantly asked "why me?!" That was definitely my roughest patch. But through experience and maturity, I've come to a good balance and my A1Cs are getting better and better. I no longer loathe it on a daily basis. I rarely ask "why me?" anymore. Diabetes has pretty much become routine. Once in a while I have a hard day emotionally but those are seldom and can even be refreshing.
I don't personally know anyone around my age with T1 diabetes. It might have been a nice luxury to have a friend going through the same thing but honestly not a neccessity. If I have a problem or questions I can just pull up this forum :). My family kind of gets it and so do those closest to me and that's what really matters. They know that life is a little tougher for me and they know what to do in an emergency which is what's most important. Of course you'll run into people who don't completely understand but just keep an open mind and realize that you, too probably wouldn't completely understand if you were not a diabetic. And then there will be people who know somebody who knows somebody with Type 2 (completely different) and think they have you all figured out. Just don't let those people get to you. I still continue to struggle with that.
Eventually you will probably be introduced to insulin pump therapy which can be life-changing (it was for me). It takes a while to reach that stage because you have to find control on injections first but once your doctor gives you the go-ahead, give it a try. Pump technology has come so far in the past few years. It's a big adjustment from injections, but after the trial and error stage, it's a new way of life. Again, it depends on your endo's advice and your personal preference.
All in all, you're definitely not alone. :)
I was diagnosed at age 8. The doctor came into the cave where we lived(not really, it was a hospital room) and a nurse followed him in. She had a potato and a GLASS syringe with a gynormous needle on it. I asked "what's this?" in 8 yearoldese. He said "you're gonna learn to give yourself shots". I said nuh uh or some such. He said
"Then you are going to DIE!" and walked out of the room. I found out later he had spent the last 72 hours checking on me constantly. I was comatose during that time.The nurse started to leave too but clever little fellow I was I said "hold on now" or some such. You get the idea. That was 1967.
Yes there is a moral to the story. I ran the 5k Mighty Mud Dash in Houston, Tx 2 weeks ago. Do the math. I got this far with a simple mindset. "Never give up." "Stay the Course" or any other way of keeping yourself committed to doing what you have to do. There will be problems, and disappointments, but never forget hope. Last but not least is the key to success. Positive Mental Attitude. PMA for short.