To avoid getting in trouble I told him I was diabetic and had to check my blood or something like that and he immediatly launched into a 10 minute conversation about how his wife just had heart surgery for a problem that was apparently caused by her diabetes. I assumed he was confusing the two types of diabetes but I just nodded and smiled so he would leave us alone! With little things like that...its nice to have a quick excuse!
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Heart problems can be a complication of T1.
Like you I've always used my diabetes to my advantage. BUT never use it to try and get out of a ticket. Low or high sugar is consider a DUI and you can loose your license.
Nope. Sure doesn't. I had raisins last night for a low. Woke up. Still have Diabetes. I had six dates for breakfast. Still have Diabetes. I probably eat about ten servings or more of fruit a day. I don't think fruit is the cure either :)
ok this is kinda off topic. but someone i knew said something offense to me. i was talking bout my diabetes and he was like oh yea the fat person disease. i got so offended and yelled at him and then left. i didnt get diabetes because i am on the heavy side, it is genetic and no one can help that.
One of the things I hate hearing and it comes from my own grandmother!!!! She thinks like most people that T1 and T2 are the same. Well I'm T1 and my neighbor is T2 and is controlling with weight loss and diet. Well my grandma is always like you just need to lose weight! I'm only 124 pounds to begin with!!! And then my grandpa is like yeah you really do need to watch your weight and watch what you eat. Yeah I need to watch what I eat to a degree but I don't need to lose any weight!!! UGH it's so frustrating and then I talk to my dad about it and he's like don't listen to them they don't know what they are talking about. But I temporarily live with my grandparents right now and they are alwasy nagging me about it. It's so annoying, why can't non diabetics understand what we have to go threw everyday, all day? It's hard cause I'm always afraid I'm going to low at night and do my grandparents care? NO!!! They don't even check on me. One night I woke up sweating and luckily I keep juice and snacks right next to me just in case and I tested and was 32!!!!! I told my grandma the next morning and all she ahd to say was "well at least you took care of it!!!" I was like OMG are you serious??? It's so frustrating!!!
[quote user="izzy "] 9. and last but not least i was on facebook looking up diabetic stuff and i come across "coalition to end diabetic marraige" when i read that i started to cry :-([/quote]
Izzy- You piqued my curiosity, so I went to that facebook site. You might have been so upset that you didn't get a chance to read it and realize that it is satire. It is using the dangers of letting diabetics marry as a metaphor for the dangers of gay marriage. It's interesting in that possibly only diabetics would understand the dark humor that is being employed.
I was about to get really angry about this site when I read about it in your post. There's a darling girl with diabetes whom I would just love for my son with diabetes to meet up with someday in the distant future.
I know what you mean. My mom especially does this. When nobody is listening to me and I start to lose my cool my mom goes "GO CHECK YOUR BLOOD!" and I'm just like "Why? What does that have to do with anythingl!" The excuse is always, look how you're acting. You're all upset so obviously you're high!
Uhm, NOT! I'm acting like this because you're p***ing me off and you won't listen to me!!!!
Then again, almost every arguement we have is diabetes related....[quote user="Happy Vegan"]
In my family I am the go to gal for random info. What I really do not like is when someone calls to ask me something and before they do, they say " how is your blood sugar"? Okay so you might be thinking what is wrong with that they are just concerned, well no they are not. I have been told by various people, some in my own family that they think that if my sugar isn't exactly 80-120 that I am out of my mind. Whatever. The second one is "go take your sugar if you are upset". No I am upset because of what you just told me. Find your own answers and don't call me if you are going to be that rude. Sorry to be so grr, but this was pretty recent. Okay feeling better now :)
I know where you are coming from, we can never "be human" and lose our temper, or cry, for fear a family relative or friend will say "check your blood sugars, you must be low". My husband always says that "check your blood sugars, you're acting strange." It's always when I'm winning a disagreement. If I lose my cool my daughter says "check your blood sugars mom" as I, like most mothers after being harassed for 25 minutes, non stop about the same thing, shouts "NO" at the top of my lungs, "NO, for the hundredth time, you cannot take the car, what part of NO don't you understand?"---"mom, check your blood sugars...." my daughter says. We are humans, with the same tendancies as every other human, to get upset, lose our cool, cry, and it's NOT because of our diabetes, we don't have to be reminded, unless we start shaking profusely, or starts to seize, get paranoid, sweat when it's 30 degrees below zero, not because we have an opinion and want it to be stated.
Anna,you sound a bit like my teen--I know though there is no way under the sun that if I ask her to ck when she is upset--that she will.She will only dig her heels in more...I don't ask but I think.....all the while I think...because I want her healthy. I am trying to respect her space but I still have to parent..it's hard on both sides....I don't think anyone outside of me would ask her to test---she would tell them off,ha
I am sick of hearing all non diabetics talk about diabetes of any kind, and I am sick of hearing type 2 diabetics talk about my disease like they have any clue...especially when they suggest the weight loss, diet, exercise garbage. I am sick of herbal cure discussions at work, when it is all I can do to keep from telling the fool shut up. I am sick of the intimidating corporate atmosphere where I feel like any time I call in sick, I am being judged as someone who doesn't measure up (ie. constant scrutiny, etc.), and I am sick of ignorant and puerile commentary from stupid commercials. I am sick of a lot. I hate people who tell me horror stories. People don't do that with cancer patients or people with lupus...they do it with T1 people because they feel, despite their incessant nattering that they don't, that we are responsible for it. I say that all ignorant and arrogant people just need to go to hell. I'm sick of it.
i hate listening 2 ND's say things about diabtes. my grandma also thinks T1 and T2 are the same. one time at a family reunion for dinner i had about 50 carbs for dinner (not that much right?) so then later we all went back to her house. some of my cousins came in their RV and one of them brought a bunch of packs of gum and mints. so i took 2 packs of gum and some tic tacs. my grandma calls me up stares and next to her is my great aunt who is a T2. she asks me how many carbs i had for dinner thinking my max was 30. i told her 50 she goes oh no no no you cant have these they have carbs (each had about 3 carbs max) she took away all of my gum. i tired explaining that i can just blolus (well i didn't really need to) but they thought it was an excuse. I HATE WHEN PEOPLE CONFUSE T1 AND T2!!!!!!!!!!!
I really have no problem telling people straight up that they do NOT know what they are talking about. I have a speech that I use and you are all welcome to take it and use it... The more people are educated the better!
" You must be confused. You must be thinking of Type 2 diabetes, which is a TOTALLY different disease than what I have. I have Juvenile Diabetes which is an Autoimmune disease. Type 2 Diabetes is a Metabolic disease, commonly thought of as a lifestyle disease... There is no cure for Juvenile Diabetes/Type 1 at this time as there is no cure for ANY autoimmune diseases at this time. My immune system has mistaken my Beta Cells (Insulin Producing Cells) for invaders and killed them, that is why I will have to take insulin for the rest of my life."
While you are saying this check in with the person you are talking to and make sure they are hearing and understanding what you are saying and reiterate points as needed...
The mystery to me is why on earth the people who confuse T1 and T2 assume themselves to be such experts that they can't listen for a second? Why do people act so poorly? I want a magic wand that can just stop the commentary and open the ears...
Bleh. People stink. I have a family friend who seems to just not "hear" what I try, over and over, to say. I can't tell you how many times we have had the same ridunculous (deliberate misspell) conversation!!! How many times do I have to inform this person that she is not an expert, that I can eat honey wheat bread, for goodness' sake!
When people flat out refuse to listen and learn I just chalk it up to a possible low IQ. Poor people have to go through life being stupid! If they can't learn the difference between T1 and T2 imagine all of the other things they probably have a hard time learning.
it's one thing if they really are uneducated...but when it's someone who is relatively smart but clueless? i can't stand thick-headed people who think they know what's wrong with me and how to fix it. i've been doing this for 16 years! i think i know what i'm doing...and if i'm not doing the right thing...there's probably some reason they wouldn't understand anyways.
I was just on facebook and woman reffered to her daughter who has T1 as her daughter living with this deadly disease. It gets me so mad inside when people refer to it as a deadly disease like i have no chance at living a long life. and im certainly not JUST "living with this deadly disease" im living my amazing life with my friends, family career etc and I have T1 diabetes!!! sorry, that just made me so mad.
What bugs me is that when my son has a teacher / parent meeting I have one that will tell me how much she understands and how much she is there for my son. When my son is in class with her she yells at him for putting his down (he was recently diagnosed with thyroidism).
Also, I have a brother in law who will tell my son about these people who work with him that are diabetics that fall off of ladders because of diabetes and want to go home but they are faking. I have reached a point when I first try to educate and then I will become slightly abrasive. I get especially abrasive if I get the "some kids are worse off so you should be glad he only has diabetes. Yes, I am glad he does not have anything else but but I am not glad he has diabetes. My son has come home from school saying things like "if you wanted to kill yourself you could just overload on insulin couldn't you". One kid actually told him to do that. We live in a strange world but I would bet those young people we rarely talk to on this site have had stupid friends say stupid things. I guess we just don't find out.
I don't get much Type 1 vs Type 2 are same people but the others make up for that. There have been some great supporting teachers. One will bake a batch of sugar free brownies especially for him or bring in sugar free candy when she brings in candy to the rest of the class so even though he hates the candy I am most grateful she is making the effort.
My son is 14 and was diagnosed in April of this year. We have worked hard to let him have treats (even milkshakes every now and then). Yes, its loaded with sugar and raises his level high but we know he has to feel like a teenager sometimes. I couldn't imagine what it has been like for him. He enters high school as a freshman with braces and diabetes. I guess I give him a bit more latitude than I did his sister. I don't push things as far and let many more things go. I know he gets tired of me telling him to check his blood levels when he is cranky but I am usually right. It's when I ask him to check and he is normal that he will usually say "see, sometimes your just cranky".
The young people on this site are great - I admire them alot. They have their frustrations but are there to help anyone and will answer any question. We have a great forum here. I have not found any place like it.
If I had a quarter for all the conversations I have had with non diabetics, I'd be a millionaire!!!!! WISHFUL THINKING!!! 5 Long years I have been in that repeated situation, having people tell me that it can be cured, if you do thid, if you do that, oh your child must have been really obese, always ate junk, never ate properly, was not energetic......oy the list could go on and on and on. Bottom line is, it just goes to show you there is still not enough awareness. The sad part for us, is that my son has been through 3 schools, and not one has supported JDRF......their reasoning!!!! I'm glad y'all are sitting down (LOL), "there are more important causes out there like heart and stroke, cancer, MS, etc etc". HHMMMMMMM, if I guess right, are not these illnesses....SOME, related to Diabetes????? SAD SAD SAD. I keep trying, and persaveering......that's all I can do. I must admit though, JDRF is slowly getting to that surface.........in 6 years I have seen a bit more awareness, and a bit more recognition. So we are getting there. I want to see a cure in my lifetime. I say mine as my son is here longer than me yet. So in my lifetime, it has far more meaning. I don't want to see more children suffer with this. It's just not fair.
I am not the worlds biggest optimist lol but I look at things I have seen recently. I live in St Louis. THis year we had a JDRF walk and an ADA walk. They were about a month apart but each brought awareness to the other. Now I have done the Susan Koman walk for Cancer and there were thousands walking and all media on local tv covered it in St Louis. Nationwide we see ball players wear pink on their uniforms etc during this time.
The local Diabetes walk had very little media there and I don't see ballplayers or other celebrities talk about it except one of the Jonas Brothers who have it. The thing I want to point out is that the diabetes walk was the 5th one we had. Think about the fact that 6 years ago no one walked - that is what awareness is. I would help in 5 more years we increase the number of walkers by thousands and get more media attention. It starts with one walk to draw awareness. We invited about 20 people to walk with us. That is 20 people who prior to April 11, 2009 had no interest or little interest in Type 1 diabetes and now they do. Next year they will invite their friends and so on and so on. When my son's school said about the same thing about support I was quick to point out that they had 3 students with type 1 diabetes at that school now and support is needed.
It is just a matter of pushing it - please do - talk at PTA meetings, scout meetings, church bible study etc. Even if your not an organizer type just say a few words at a function where you might be attending. Look I know there are other diseases - and just as I have become dedicated to diabetes those that have MS or heart disease or Crohn's disease are equally dedicated to those that have those problems. Yes, I have discussed diabetes at length with teachers and sometimes not so tactfully but for every one that thinks they know best there are others (we all know the school nurse), teachers etc. that will listen. We just have to keep talking. If you get someone who asks what they could do - start by asking them to donate - either their time or money.
When I mentioned that I didn't much action being taken for a cure and metioned that I didn't think companies that made meters were in any hurry to see diabetes go away she was quick to remind me of the government grants being given to study for a cure. I am feeling from what I have read that diabetes is on the rise - especially Type 1. The hospital my son was diagnosed in had 1 case 5 years ago and over 30 this year. Something is happening that is causing it but as it increases there is going to be more research to find out why.
In the meantime let those who make the meters and pump for profit battle each other to make a better meter with less invasion to the body, less finger sticks, less daily testing etc. Look how computers have changed with smaller microchips - I know they can make meters better and they will because the company that makes the better meter will get more business because we will ask for that meter.
We get angry, frustrated, tired when those careless people say the things they do. Well for everyone of those people there are people who do understand. Think Diabetes camp. Hang in there - every day we are closer.
Yesterday my mom joined us at my son's appt. with his endo. I was telling someone that there is no family history of T1 when my mom butts in and starts naming off family members with T2. I told her that that has nothing to do with Brandan having T1.
She disagreed. "Diabetes is diabetes." She said. "And a family history of type 2 diabetes makes it more likely for a person to get type 1"
I told her that they are completely different diseases. I told her that if what she said was true then a lot more than 10% of diabetics would be type 1. I talked for at least 5 minutes straight to educate and convince her.
Her response was: "That's your opinion, but you're wrong."
I yelled, in a crowded waiting room, "IT'S NOT MY OPINION, IT'S MEDICAL FACT!"
I went on to tell her about Juvenation and that her kind of ignorance is one of the biggest issues for people living with T1. I even told her that someone suggested giving type 1 diabetes a new name to distinguish the difference.
She said she would believe it when she hears a doctor say it, "but I don't think that will ever happen."
At the end of the visit Brandan's nurse was nice enough to sit down with us and give my mom a crash course in the difference between T1 and T2. Of course, after that my mom denied saying I was wrong and claimed that she said she just "didn't know for sure." (But that mentality is typical for her.)