A few day ago my good friend Rick wrote a blog about how there are few blogs that are written by Type 2 diabetics. Of course he is right, even though our numbers are great few of us choose to blog. I decided then to do my part and write a blog but the question was what to write about. I soon that realized a subject brought up by Stoner, another friend of mine. "What is it like to have Diabetes" would be an excellent topic from a T2 point of view. Rick did an excellent job expressing what it is like for him as a Type 1, this is my attempt to explain what its like for me as a Type 2.
The best place to start is to say that its different, not just different than Type 1 but also different at each stage of this disease as it progresses. It also varies from person to person in the way it manifest itself.
In the beginning its all about diet and exercise for most of us. Its about preventing, preventing it from getting worse or if its even possible bringing things back to normal. I recognized it as a serious disease but not an immediate threat and something that could be dealt with later. Some people do not make that mistake but unfortunately I did. It was a foolish notion that I would later learn was terribly wrong. For me it was don't worry too much you have plenty of time to take care of this.
The progressive nature of T2 soon leads to what I call the oral pill stage. This for me is the worst stage. It is a never ending always changing parade of pills. In this stage you must always be proactive, you can for the most part keep control of your blood glucose with pills and, of course, diet and exercise but if you screw up and lets say indulge in Aunt Susie's pecan pie then you have no tool to bring your blood glucose back into line other than time and good behavior. This stage is a constant struggle to get it right every time. Add to this an unstoppable need to quench the hunger brought on by a desire for carbs and you have a struggle of monumental proportion.
If you stay at it long enough with T2 you may find yourself where I am now. All the many pill that you once depended on have lost their effectiveness and now insulin comes into the picture. First its basal insulin then MDI and now a pump. Insulin for me was the tool that was missing for so many years. I now have the ability to make a difference in my blood glucose if I'm not always perfect. With insulin I have all the responsibilities that come with it but that has been good for me. The need to test and count carbs to calculate a bolus has brought to me an understanding of how my food effects things.
What is it like now for this Type 2? Its never being alone with my thoughts, D always insets its self into them. There are so many questions that D puts into my head every day. Is there enough insulin in my pump? How many carbs are in Aunt Susie's pecan pie? Did I bolus enough for that last meal, or even worse, did I bolus too much? I think of it as hitting a target that is two or three hours away. Hitting this target is the most consuming thing I have ever done and the most important. There are countless preparation that must be made to hit that target. There are mistakes to be made that can have dire consequences so there is constant pressure to do it right.
I have learned that even with all this pressure, I now have the knowledge to deal with it. I have learned a lot along the way and hope to continue to learn as time goes by.
Well said, as usual!.....Rick's got a point. I would like to do more blogging, myself---right here. This is where I feel at home, after all!.....Blessings, as ever.....
This was a wonderful post for me as I am at the beginning, sort of, I ignored it, D, for the first few years, was in denial. Now I’m on pills. So am I to assume that eventually the pills don’t work… that stinks… I hate that D is so time consuming, I feel like I lost my life. I’ve gone thru the “I’d rather be dead phase” especially after a doctor told me he’d rather have cancer than D. Can I ask what BOLUS is??? Haven’t heard of that yet. Thanks again for your blog about type 2.
Mama, you can't assume things about d. everyone is different, or as Judith here said (hope I say this right) "if you want to treat diabetes by the book, you'd have to write a different book for every diabetic". I have a family member who's type2 on Metformin for over 22 years and has a great a1c.
If you click on "New to Diabetes" on the home page, one thing we have there is a Diabetes Glossary. here's the link http://www.tudiabetes.org/notes/Diabetes_Glossary
a bolus is a dose of insulin administered before eating to cover the carbs in the meal, or as a correction dose to bring you back down into range.
and Gary, great job my friend. Indeed we need to hear from more type2s.
BUBBA/Gary, Thank you for sharing your point of view. I am glad I pose such a thought provaking question that has still not escape my mind. Perhaps, as more answer the question, the more clear it will come to me. And I agree with most here, it is not the type of diabetes that matters, what matters is that we need a cure. HUGS
Gary....what a terrific blog. You've covered all the points. Thank you :) Mama....it's not necessarily the case that you will/will not carry on to insulin.
do any of T2s attend a diabetes clinic? run by a pharmacist? i can only see my endo once every 3 mos as he is super booked…i have so many insulin mgmt questions and would love any input on attending a clinic run by a hospital…thanks and best to all!
Sandy---I can't help you exactly, but I will say that not long after my T2 dx 7 years ago, I lucked into a pharmacist who was a T1 and helped me figure out more than my doc ever did, including how to use my meter. They are indeed a great resource. I just cultivated a relationship with him one on one. Sorry, but I haven't encountered a clinic experience like you describe. It sounds like a good idea, though!.....Blessings
There are some in our area, Sandy. The one we attend is in a small pharmacy, which we have frequented for years; so they know us well. We also have one at one of the hospitals. A clinic at a pharmacy you are known to would be the first choice....but call the clinic at the hospital and make an appointment. The ones held in a hospital are generally facilitated by a diabetes educator. Worth a try. There is no cost to one here(Canada) if you get a doctor's referral. Best wishes.
Hi Sandy, I would suggest that you contact your Endo about seeing a CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) many people with diabetes find a CDE to be more accessible than their endo and they can be great help with insulin management.
Stemwinder…thanks, endo has one but is as busy as the endo…perhaps i will try thr PA in the iffice…i just need some more help and the blessing of a CGM thai i do not qualify for…age 75 is working against me…but i see you all do it and therefor so shall i…thanks and thrive!
Gary, this is a perfect bull's eye. The worst thing about being a T2 on pills is that if you do go high -- for whatever reason -- you have no good way to effect a direct and straightforward correction. All you can do is . . . wait. And as for the way it consumes all your waking thoughts, that's the reality for any insulin user, no matter how you arrived there.
