What does acceptance mean to you of this journey called type 1 diabetes?
To me it was when I stopped asking myself "why did this have to happen to me ?", and got on with just doing the best I could to change what I could change, and accept what I could not.
Getting educated about my diabetes, learning about my choices, and meeting others with diabetes also helped a great deal. Knowledge is power !
Acceptance, to me, means the point where one stops trying to outwit whatever fate has been dealt, regardless of fault.
Accepting my diabetes has meant control, the embrace of technology, an improvement in lifestyle and personality, and trust in others. Fighting diabetes does not work. It doesn't go away by ignoring the numbers, the food contents or the idea of its treatment.
Acceptance is a reality that we all must endure.
I think accepting T1 is realizing that it is just another part of your daily activities, like brushing your teeth. Having a good understanding of diabetes management and factoring it into many of your daily decisions because its just another thing you have to do.
We have no choice but except it, bitter or sweet it's our cross to bear. We all take the medicine, life can hold you down and force you to take it or you can take it and get on with your life....but be assured your going to take it...;-)
I survived being hit by a train my Jr year of high school, I'm a Vietnam Veteran, I'm a T1, I'm a Cancer survivor, I have had a major organ transplant, I'm happy, I have a family and grandchildren that love me, I love you Lord what's next for me...:-)
Lack of resistance to chores necessitated by diabetes management, and wholehearted teaching about diabetes to friends and neighbors who do not understand how it works.
Wow, every single one of the responses here are fantastic! So well stated. :)
God Bless You! My goodness! :)
To be completely honest, there are still some days when I think I don't fully accept it. Where I think I can try and fight it or ignore it and hope it goes away. Realistically, I know that there is nothing I can do but try and live the best life that I can with diabetes, but there are still days. I think what gets me through is knowing that I can be successful with diabetes, and in that sense I am beating it.
I just recently graduated from college after my high school guidance counselor told me I was too sick to go to school. I majored in three subjects and graduated in the top 3% of my class with latin honors. When I have a bad day and get down on myself for a disease I had no control of getting, I remind myself that I am already more accomplished than many other people I know who are perfectly "healthy".
It's enough for me.
I realized like two seconds after I posted that it kind of sounded pretentious. My apologies! :)
You have no need to apologize. Be proud of your accomplishments and look back at it with the attitude, "If I could do that, I can do anything!"
Thanks for your replies everyone! :)
It means just habitually taking care of the things I need to do, and not thinking "Well, if I did this, the diabetes would just go away", or "my BGs have been so good the last few days, maybe I should skip a bolus and see if it went away". I fight the feeling that it shouldn't be happening to me, and I REALLY want it to go away, so much so that I have been omitting insulin the whole time I've had diabetes, and once sent myself into a coma. That is NOT acceptance. I should be HAPPY when my BGs are good, and keep up the good work instead of having that be a trigger for omitting insulin.
I've had T1 for less than a year, and I'm not sure what acceptance means to me yet. All I know is that I want to be as healthy as I can be, so I have to put D-management first. It requires a lot of conscious effort most days, and I guess I haven't gotten to the point where I have perspective and insight into the emotional side of life with D. I didn't take good care of myself before T1, so I guess acceptance would be letting go of the guilt I feel about that.
These replies are so inspiring. I'm grateful for this amazing community.
Rennie, I’m also new to this way of life…Being healthy as I can be is definitely what I’m aiming for too
You should be happy when your levels are good…Keep taking insulin, as not taking it will ruin your good work 
I just wanted to make sure you know that you didn't do ANYTHING to cause your T1. It doesn't matter if you didn't take care of yourself at all before your diagnosis -- it would have happened anyway. I know the feelings, because I feel that way myself, but every day, my mantra is "It's NOT my fault!" And I've been saying this to myself for more than 20 years! I hope you can overcome those feelings of guilt -- I went to therapy for that and other reasons, but maybe you can do it yourself. Because you need to stare truth in the face and not beat yourself up over it!!
Yeah, the intellectual side of me knows that, but my emotional side is VERY stupid and resistant! But I'm working on it! :-)
Thanks, Natalie. It helps to know I'm not alone in having these kinds of feelings. It sounds like you have a tremendous amount of perseverance, and I hope I will, too :) Therapy does sound like a good idea.
I have the same feelings since I got it, not only me, but also do my parents. I am the only child in my family and don't have any family members had it. Felt so alone these years...