Ok, here it is. And I must say when I was typing the title hate went where the love was supposed to be. This is such a hard sentence to type because most times, I don’t think of it that way. And I said 5 because I didn’t think I could come up with 10. Actually did list 7, surprisingly!
I see my doctor (PCP) at least once a year for a check up and my endo 3 times a year. How many people actually see a doctor regularly?
I get complete lab work done once a year. Most people don’t ever get blood work done unless of course something is wrong. Proactive!
I have periodic tests done to make sure things are good. How many people have an EKG on file or a stress test on file or chest X-rays etc.
I get exercise most everyday. We know how many people make that happen.
I eat a well balanced and well portioned diet.
How many people can say that?
Everything in moderation. Yes, I do drink but a glass not the whole bottle, a piece of dark chocolate once in awhile not the whole bag, a slice of cheesecake (my favorite) not half the cake. How many people do anything in moderation?
I am probably in better shape than most people half my age due to all of the above and a lot of hard work.
So while it sucks sometimes. It is my normal and o just do what I need to do.
And I thank all of you who understand when I get to that frustrated breaking point. So great to have so many people who get it!
I am thin and I probably wouldn’t be if not a diabetic. I like being thin and fashionable.
I often think about a pharmacist who told me, when I was about 16, that I would probably out live many people because of having to follow rules about diet etc.
This was so comforting to hear at a time when I knew of kids in my town who had died of diabetes.
I have to admit that my first thought was there’s nothing I love about diabetes. But I get your point. Diabetes and more importantly, accepting, embracing and owning my diabetes has give me the motivation to adopt many healthy habits.
Unfortunately it took me 28 years to put a halt to bargaining with diabetes and then making poor choices. If it weren’t for this diagnosis I might have never taken an interest in nutrition. I might be firmly in the camp of eating what appeals to me in overly generous portions whenever I felt like it.
I’m returning from Costco now and I found I could not buy a waist size 32 pants. Seems the size range went 34-46, probably a good match in today’s society. I am thrilled to be my recently reduced size and I know it’s the choices I made in response to treating my diabetes.
As a parent I do see some positives on my son’s life; since an early age he had to learn how to take care of him and we taught him about the importance of healthy eating and adequate rest. I feel it has given him more discipline.
Today we see those characteristics have helped him immensely on his baseball training.
I didn’t even think about the mental side of this but have been told many, many times how diabetes has shaped my life outlook. And yes many are good, like discipline (like you said), resilience, compassion empathy,understanding. That is a list all by itself, isn’t it?! Thanks for giving another positive aspect to this sometimes nightmarish disease!
And, yes, for years I thought it was all bad, all negative all horrible, just one big frustration after another. But after years dealing with depression, I have come to realize that as bad as it can be and sometimes is, there is some good from it.
I cook for my wife who cleans dishes afterward. That’s our agreement. I do gourmet recipes… why not? And I am diabetic, so I have studied nutrition like a religion. My hA1C was 5.7 last month. I am slightly heavy, but I am retired and can’t exercise like I used to.
I thought I would have died a long time ago, with all my serious health issues, but I think the diabetes has made me take better care of myself than I would have otherwise.
This is closest to how I think about it, being diagnosed at age 5. When younger, I may have used the term hate, but not recently. It is what it is, and its cliche, but some others have much worse situations.
Instead of hate, now I use annoying or frustrating aspects of diabetes. Instead of love, maybe thankful or appreciation for diabetes for motivating towards healthier choices.
#6 It relieves me of extra cash. Not having extra cash keeps me out of the bars, car dealerships and out of the grocery stores. Yeah, diabetes, its a good thing.
Hi Sally. I was dx with clinical depression when I was 22 and wasn’t free of depression until I was 34. I felt depression was like being in a deep dark well with slick sides with no way out. I think I would take having diabetes over depression any day. Do you feel the same way?
Given the cues we learn to look for from our bodies as folk with diabetes, I feel like I’m much more tuned in to my body than I would be without it.
Granted not always a blessing, but…
I am thankful my diabetes ahs made me sensitive to how my body feels and has made me accustomed to seeing doctors on a regular basis. I became diabetic at the age of 8yrs. and I am now 73y.o. When I was 59, I was having some discomfort in my chest - kinda like heart burn. Even taking anti-acids did not get rid of it. So I went to my primary care doctor who said it could be heart burn but also might be heart issues. After several tests it was determined I needed heart bypass surgery. I ended up needing quadruple bypass surgery but everything went fine. That was 14 years ago and I still enjoy life including travelling, working out at the gym and bicycling.
Thank you so much for sharing this list. My husband was diagnosed with LADA on Feb 25th and it has been a whirlwind! Seeing the positives and benefits is so helpful while dealing with the emotional struggles of a diagnosis at 35. He is military so we are facing forced medical retirement (med board and a PEBLO for those who know the TLA’s LOL), and a complete shift in our way of life as a result. He had a lot of medical issues leading up to his diagnosis and we have felt stressed, helpless, and frustrated, since June of 2017. Your outlook has given us hope and encouragement and we are grateful for it!
I take much better care of myself and encourage others to be proactive about their health as well.
While I am the patient, I am also an educator to my health care providers who get excited about my consistent management and good outcomes. My primary care doc is always picking my brain for ideas on how she can better help her other diabetic patients.
I spent a lifetime yo-yo ing up and down the scale. Back and forth from on crazy diet to the next. It took a diagnosis of LADA at age 78 to scare me into doing the right thing. I’m thin thanks to WW, My numbers when I go for blood work are near perfect, and yes I’m still a type 1 diabetic, but I’ managing it as well as possible and probably as healthy as any 80 year old you’l find. So while being a pin cushion isn’t what I envisioned for myself, it has in fact made me healthier.i
It’s good for me to read this. I’ve always thought that my doctors should take more of an interest in my blood sugar control tactics but over 35 years of at least quarterly doctor visits, this has not happened. It’s refreshing to read that my ideal of a good relationship with a doctor is actually happening in the world.
I think you have a wise primary care doctor. Good for her and you!
Hang in there, you will get into a groove after a while. I was dx’d with LADA at age 55, almost six years ago. Keep cruising the T1D forums, they are helpful and encouraging. Hopefully, your ins will cover a CGM for your husband, having a CGM helps a LOT! And, best for me was a lower carb eating plan. Anyway, there are lots of folks in the community supporting you!
I love that diabetes makes me more adventurous than normal people. I have less of the “normal fears” because they seem so trivial in comparison to the actual scary things that have happened. Why would I be afraid of commitment or change or even loneliness when there are actual things to worry about? Without the diabetes, I think I would have been substantially less brave with my life/relationship. And that absence of fear is usually a good thing, and has led to me having amazing experiences.
