Thank you everyone for your responses during my short time on juvenation. I do not feel I fit in with with this site with being such a long term diabetic. I wish everyone the best of luck in working through your issues and hope that all continues to be in your best interest. I came to this site to see how others are dealing with life as a t1 and so many are so young. I will continue to search for those who know about diabetes and struggles at work for the t1 who is older like myself. I appreciate any feedback you can give and will check in every so often. Have fun facing the new challenges that life gives.
A lot of us may be young, but that doesn't mean we have less wisdom or information to share with you. I am going on 26, but I've had diabetes for over 20 years. It's not as impressive as your 42 years, but we have both struggled our entire lives with it. If you look, there are plenty of others, like you, who have had diabetes 20,30,40 or more years. Tom has had diabetes for over 60 years!
You may be surprised at how the younger ones, those are less experienced with diabetes, can teach you all sorts of things. It's a different perspective, with a different insight, coming from a different experience. There is also a lot you can share with us. Because you have successfully lived with type 1 for so long, you can provide us with tips and suggestions.
Most of us just come here for friendship and support. How old or young you are, how many years you've lived with diabetes, or how you've handled your own care doesn't matter to us. Knowing we are not alone is a connection all of us have made with each other. Just being there really can make a difference.
Sorry to see you go. I hope you can find the support and information you are looking for elsewhere.
It has nothing to do with you not going through the experiences with living with diabetes and I know how hard it is and how cruel others can be as they don
t understand this disease. What I am looking for is a group that talks about the issues that meet my needs. You all have a wonderful setup here that fits your needs and now I am looking for a place that meet will my needs. It does not mean anyone is smarter than the other or one person's illness is less than the others. I just need to find a place where I feel I fit in. I do not feel that way on this site.
The one thing I have found in being a t1 with too many complications is that in order to survive the turmoil that never goes away is find people that understand your own issues. I do not feet I am accomplishing that at this site. To put things in a nut shell with limited time I have right now I will say this. Growing up my family expected me to be die by the time I was 25, I learned this at my fathers funeral. My dad did tell me that I woulcd never graduate from college with my BS but I did. It took me 16 years fighting my health and depression.
I was on disability for 15 years due to being sick all the time from my diabetes and US citizens can be the cruelest people you ever come accross when you are on public assistance. I moved from ID to WA in 2000 and started my real job where I found out how much I really know and ended up getting laid off due to outsourcing our office in the hospital I was working at. While on unemployment I applied for my Masters degree which I completed with a 3.5 in two and a half years. Shortly after applying I started a new job at another hospital where I went from one of the best places in WA to work to what I fell is h#@*.
At my job I had to go and get the union and a meeting is planned next week with my supervisor and boss. I have have been told by my manager over the last few weeks that she thinks my diabetes is out of control because of how her ex-spouse controlled his diabetes. i was also told that I should leave my emotions at home and per my manager people are afraid to talk to me. So, I go to work and do not talk to anyone at work and just do my job. In my fist job I gave 200% every day and in my current job I will only give 100%.
This is what I need to talk about and this is not the types of conversations that juvenation focuses on. I am not ashamed of being diabetic and will continue to speak out because that is why so many problems occur in the workplace and in schools it seems to me. I went to Capital Hill in DC in 2004 and last Feb I went ot WA Capital Hill to spread the word to our legislatures with other diabetics. I love doing this and will continue to fight this way to help educate america on this disease. I did not know Juvenation existed until only a few weeks ago but I know do. I think each person is reaching out in his or her own way and I am thankful that sites like this are here for people it just does not meet my needs at this time.
Take care of yourself.