yeah i hate the word, but i have been dying to talk and hang out with people with type 1 in my area. it has been years since i have and that was in camp. :( what is the deal?
It's funny. I often feel very cut off, too. I have one friend and on acquaintance in my area with juvenile diabetes, but neither of them benefitted from very good type I education--I was lucky in that I had a _fabulous_ diabetes educator--so they spend all their time asking me about how to take care of themselves. (Which I don't mind helping, I really don't, but who can I ask my questions to?) So, yes, I miss having a network of support, too.
Melissa where do you live?
I have to agree that it would be nice to have other people to talk to. I have my one friend that I talk to. But since she was the more educated one, I always felt bad about pestering her with questions.
I know hospitals run support groups, but I have a feeling that the support some of us are looking for is not the same thing that those who sometimes go to those groups do. Maybe I am stereo typing the hospital support group, but I have always had an impression it is something that people who go to them are either having major issues or being forced to by parents/loved ones due to poor control.
Heh. I definitely agree with the feeling 'isolated', so to speak, although I don't know if I've ever really needed someone to talk to about it. I'm very independent in that regard and my friends are fully aware of it, so it's not like I can't vent if I need to, just not to the same level as otherwise.
Fortunately, though, my girlfriend's mother is Type 1. :) So I guess I have someone, even if she makes a point of competing with me. ;) Jokingly of course.
[quote user="Trevor"]
Heh. I definitely agree with the feeling 'isolated', so to speak, although I don't know if I've ever really needed someone to talk to about it. I'm very independent in that regard and my friends are fully aware of it, so it's not like I can't vent if I need to, just not to the same level as otherwise.
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I'm the same way. Besides online, I don't really talk to any other diabetics. The girl who was diganosed when we were in grade 7, has screwed herself over so much I stay as far away as possible..and my friend from the bar with Type 1, well we don't hang out unless we're at the bar together and we don't usually talk about it. If we do it's more "HIGHFIVE dude! We're diabetic! w00t!" haha.
I've mostly come across Type 2's, who usually have complications or are much older than me and have no real understanding of Type 1..and end up complaining the whole time..which I hate to be around. Once in a while I'll vent to my friends for a few minutes, but I usually just talk to my mom instead.
My mom has a friend that has T1D. We never really talk about it thou.. Its good to know that at least there is someone i know with t1d but never have i had a friends ' so to say ' that has diabetes.
I don't know what "the deal" is. I recently started an "adults with T1" group through Meetup.com and so far only two people have joined it. I don't know if that's because there aren't any other T1s who want to join, or if I just am not doing a good enough job of advertising it.
The Canadian Diabetes Association is having a special "Dealing with Type 1 diabetes" conference in April. I'm thinking of printing up some flyers and distributing them at the conference.