I you could tell someone one thing about diabetes, what would it be? I mean stuff like D is not my fault,
and yes dammit sometimes that does hurt. Or, oh wait for it… yes, I CAN eat that!
Maybe its more serious like “I eat like this to lower my chances of loosing a leg when I get older”
So, If you had some way to let everyone in the world know some fact about
diabetes what would you tell them?
It’s not about sugar, it’s about carbohydrates.
Someone I met today asked me, “Oh, you’re a diabetic? Are you in good control?”
I thought about it and said, “Control? You know, I’ve never really met a diabetic who is. Every day is a new day. But we keep trying.” I felt good after I said it. I used to just answer yes so that I wouldn’t be treated differently. But it felt better being honest and still upbeat.
When people say " I could never give myself a shot" I just tell them…It is a treatable disease and you do what you have to in order to live.
That no one did anything wrong to get Type 1.
My diabetes isn’t bad just because I have a pump, I just wanted tighter control.
Wow…did you hit the nail on the head with ALL of these! And the last one TOTALLY made me LOL! Very well said!!
Wilford and I do not have the same disease.
My standard is, “I’d rather live with it than die from it.”
For those of us with T2, paying attention to diet and exercise are important for quality of life; for those of us with T1 or who are insulin-dependent, paying attention is necessary for life.
We cannot reverse diabetes; we can only delay or halt its progression.
For the meter/shot/pump-averse crowd, “You’d do it if your life depended on it. Mine does.”
Similar answers go for those who don’t understand me walking around with a blood glucose meter and a blood pressure cuff along with all my other gear.
Honestly? Well I would tell them to shut up I know what I’m doing! Who’s had diabetes longer me at 35 years or you yet to get it? Sorry if you knew my family and friends you would know what I’m talking about!!!
I have to go along with you on #4. Don’t you just want to hurt someone when they say, “I know you couldn’t eat this b/c of the sugar in it” or something equally as stupid! HA! My grandmother has decided that she HAS TO cook sugar free cakes and pies for me and my daughter. Sorry but in some things the ones cooked with sugar just plain taste better and I know all about portion control too!!
I love that last answer! Wilford Brimley , just looking at him now makes me want to seriously hurt him! Please he’s a Type 2 not a Type 1 and how does he know what us as kids went through! HA!!
OTOH, I need to follow a low-sodium diet (for non-D reasons), and if I can manage something healthier as a result, so much the better. What usually happens is I end up eating whatever is there, in excess quantities, and kicking myself for it later.
Yes i agree totally .You have to take it one day at a time .Needles are not fun but when you have diabetes what are you going to do .We live a different life than we used to .
“Does it hurt? I could never to that to myself,” they ask.
“Well, yes, sometimes it hurts when I check my blood sugar or change my infusion site. But it hurts one hell of a lot less than the severe pain I was in during Diabetic Ketoacidosis and spent two days in ICU,” I respond.
diabetes really stinks cant get sick or anything or opps ***** happens
I like to keep the people around me informed about interacting with me and the disease. It seems that clear, objective instructions helps to eliminate their fear & confusion regarding the disease. Here is the shortened list of what I have written down for my friends, employees, etc.
I’m not going to die automatically if I crash. Keep calm and work with me - especially if I can’t on my own. If I can’t help myself and you panic… the odds stacked against me increase… significantly!
If I seem to be slurring, out of it, smell sweet or walk funny… tell me to test while you are getting me 8oz of OJ on standby…
If I crash, force feed me OJ, sugar packets, Glucose Tabs from my purse, etc. Give me 15 minutes. If I’m still silly… repeat. Continue every 15 minutes until I am my normal self. BTW, here’s how my tester works… [insert live training session]
If I crash, JUST REACT and refer to items 1 thru 3 above, and:
> Don’t ask me a million questions… I can’t answer
> Don’t yell at me… I can’t respond
> Stop the normal conversation, instruction, debate, argument, or interaction we were having… my world is going black… and fast!
> Don’t ask me what I need 40 times over… I’ll just bark unknowingly at you in response. Please see items 1 thru 3 above…
If I crash and can’t recover, call 9-1-1, tell them I’m T1 and give them my important info. You’ll find what you need in my test kit. If there is a brave one in the group, go for the red emergency shot. It goes through clothing. No brave ones in the group and not enough adrenaline to overcome it? Ask around the room for extra help or call 9-1-1 back for support and guidance. No red emergency shot? Tell the paramedics to drive faster 
If I’m irritable, feisty, pushing away help, or my head has just turned a full 360, exorcist style… ignore it. Don’t take it personally. It’s just my body reacting to a low and with your compassion and help, I’ll be myself again, soon. I don’t hate you - my body is in primal, survival mode.
If we are eating together and I say “no” to your offer, or just have a tiny bite… don’t be offended. Don’t take it personally. Don’t take it as the Southern “polite refusal” inviting you to push the food at me 7 more times until I break down and say, “yes.” It is what it is… I’m managing my disease at that moment on that day. Every day is different. I might not be able to eat the double dutch chocolate cheesecake with raspberry & chocolate dressing that took you eight hours to make. Next week? Okay, maybe. My “no” is not an insult. I want to eat it, I really do. Shoving it in my face only makes me want to cheat and hurt myself. But, be assured, it is because I’d rather keep my little toes and my organs… it is not a reflection of the level of my confidence in your culinary skills.
I don’t expect you to have food for my disease at your party. However, let me know if everything is going to be fried, filled with HFCS, lots of carbs, or other processed items. I don’t mind bringing my own kibbles or eating before I visit… I just need to know to plan ahead. Especially during the holiday season!!!
If I seem to be in “fast-forward” remind me that I might need to test and probably take some insulin to come down.
No, you can’t contract this disease if you are near me and I breath on you. Neither can I pass it onto your newborn child. And yes, I’m not handicapped and I am as able as you…
1: Diabetes is not a character flaw. It’s a disease.
2: People tell me: “shouldn’t you have some more potatoes and corn, instead of that piece of birthday cake” - I say: "I have been trained to know what a carbohydrate is and how to match the amount of insulin to the number of carbs/protien/fiber that I am going to eat, can you?"
3: I was home sick from work for one day last week and when I returned the next day - one of my co-workers asks me (without knowing or asking why I was away) “are you looking after your diabetes properly, you know you should be”. I simply answered “yes, I am”, but I wanted to say “maybe you should be telling me how to look after myself, as it seems you’re an expert”.
4: Here’s another comment: “your blood sugars would be perfect if you ate better”. Guess what: none of the tools we have can do as good a job as a healthy pancreas. I can eat the exact same healthy breakfast every day, with the same amount of insulin, and one day I may be over my target, and another day I may be under - there are so many variables.
5: Some people say: “People with diabetes should eat “sugar free” foods” - many “sugar free” foods have as much or more carbs than regular food - and they usually cost more - I say “thanks, but I like real food, not all that artificial stuff”.
6: I don’t need any special diet, and you don’t need to make me a different meal.
7. Being diabetic means I eat healthy (I try to stick close to the food guide - which EVERYONE should do) and I exercise regularly.
8. I’m the same as you (the non-diabetic), except that I wear my pancreas on the outside of my body.
9. Myth: being fat means you eat way too much. There are many body types in the world (just like greyhounds vs. St. Bernards in the dog world - losing weight won’t turn a St. Bernard into a greyhound - it would just make him into a grumpy, too-thin St. Bernard) - Know your body type, accept it, and have realistic goals.
10: The most important thing I would like to say to a non-D is: "I would love to sit down with you sometime to explain to you everything that I need to do to “look after myself” so that you can be better informed, and then maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to judge me…but yes…I know, maybe later…
(points #1, #4 & #9 above were paraphrased from “Diabetes Myths, Misconceptions, and Big Fat Lies!” by Kris Swenson and Betty Brackenridge, which were points that I totally related to)
DA!!! Your grandmother is a Great Great! I hpe you have a picture of all the generations together.