If people don't understand much about Type 1 and Type 2, they CERTAINLY don't understand anything about your type of diabetes!! Most diabetics themselves are unaware of it! This is the type of diabetes that Halle Berry has, and people even deny that she has diabetes because she was able to come off insulin.
There is a web page maintained by Michael Barker called something like Ketosis Prone Type 2 Diabetes. He has a lot of information there, and you might enjoy reading it. And especially because you will find out you aren't the only one who has it!!
I've been diagnosed for almost 3.5 years now but probably had it for closer to 20 years, but I just never had this checked until 2007 when I managed to have a bit of a perfect storm in terms of bad diagnoses and other issues in my life. I've accepted some of the changes in my life, like having to test my blood sugars, check my feet regularly, etc. At the same time, I'm not thrilled with my foot being deformed in my early 30s and having to deal with this for the rest of my life. This is on top of trying to explain to people how I could break bones in my foot and not know it. Granted that may be getting into too much detail, it is the truth dang it.
Acceptance would be seeing being diabetic as something manageable and can be handled. Aimee Mullin's TED Talk would be something I'd consider in taking a different approach to view this change in one's life. The good that has come from this is that I probably have a lot more empathy and compassion for people now than I did before and have mellowed rather considerably. At the same time, I also have a number of other medical problems like low testosterone, heart condition and sleep apnea that aren't fun to have to manage.
My biggest problem is having to deal with others that have an arrogance about my situation. While I can appreciate the concern others may have, to what extent do you really want to know all the details of where I am in my life? Do you want to know about my anxiety, depression, other hormone issues and other stuff that may well overwhelm the heck out of some people? I'm sorry if that offended anyone, it is just where I am at times where when I can look at my life and all the problems I have which make me want to go, "Do I really have to live like this?" though suicide really isn't an inspiring topic though I have had various thoughts in that area and am seeking help about it. Sometimes life just sucks and I have to make some peace with it, but that doesn't make it right.
Diagnosed one year ago, I thought I accepted the fact that I had diabetes.
For some reason I found out most of the time I am willing to accept the fact that I have diabetes as long as my numbers are quite stable.
As soon as I don’t have control over my numbers, emotions / feelings are negative, which makes me feel I haven’t accepted the facts yet.
I understand the fact that if I’m a diabetic for 30 years it will be different, but I think a lot of acceptance is dependant on a persons character.
It took me over 25 years to accept it, and I was more than 30 years old. Like you, Jennifer, I was diagnosed very young, and have little memory of life without it. While I get frustrated with it sometimes, like when a low won't come up, or a high won't come down, I accept that as part of what it is. Similar to how I love and accept my husband, even when he does stuff that annoys me. I do see the good that diabetes has brought to my life, and I'm truly grateful because it's part of who I am. For me, being angry about diabetes and not accepting it was synonymous to being angry with who I am and not being OK with myself.
I don't have any great answers about how to arrive at acceptance (not that you asked...), but just because you're almost at 20 years, doesn't mean it won't happen. I can tell you that for me, I spent a lot of time in therapy processing everything about it that affected my sense of self. It really was a terrible and long grieving process for me because my grief about it was tremendous. Therapy really saved me from myself, my anger, and my grief.
I know some people have the experience of accepting it after a short period of being upset, but I think getting diagnosed when you're very young can make the process much longer because I think you also have to reach a certain level of maturity to be able to process the experience and what its meaning is.
Everyone is different, and the other circumstances in everyone's life factors into how any one individual feels about their disease. Personality is also a factor, as are genetics which I think play a significant role in whether or not people develop complications. I learned how to manage it, and was very independent with it by the time I was 12 too. I went to diabetes camp for 10 years, and I've always been very knowledgeable about diabetes. Unfortunately, knowing isn't the same as doing or accepting it (or whatever you want to call it, if you don't like the word acceptance). I don't believe in making kids independent with their care at such a young age, and the psychosocial research these days shows that doing so is generally not a good idea, although there will always be exceptions.
As I was thinking about it, I realized it's important to differentiate between the level of patient responsibility for managing D 40 years ago versus what it's become. The research to which I refer is about current management techniques. The onus of diabetes management is the patient's responsibility far more than it was in the days of urine testing and one injection per day, so it's much more burdensome and intrusive to patients now. I think that complicates the acceptance process for anyone who grew up in the era of BG checks and MDI or pump therapy. Although that's not to dismiss the burden of management prior to those advances; I think it was a different kind of burden though. In many respects, diabetes care today is easier because we have better tools, but in other respects it was easier back then because it was far less demanding.
I think that kids back in those days generally had more chores, whether they were diabetic chores or cleaning their rooms, having manners, etc. than they do now? It's the end of civilization...
Ah, yes, you most certainly are an exception with animal insulin. I know that's uncommon, but if it works for you, you're happy with it, and you have good medical outcome as a result, that's what matters, as you know. As always, YDMV :)
Oops, I think that I meant to reply to your other post about having been independent at 12, which seems reasonable? Back in the Days MissKitka was sharpening his needles on a wheel(!!) and all that but now, relatively speaking, we are almost spoiled? Plus, I think most kids that age can be smart and curious and would probably do a decent job of it if they are put in charge of it? With guidance and communcation? I think that a kid would look at it as a chore more than a grown up would and, if it were 'marketed' correctly, it would help the level of impact?
The guidance and communication that you mentioned are key, and it really has to be a cooperative effort between parents and kids. One of the problems with handing over the reigns at a young age is that once they're handed over, if problems arise, which is very common in teens, it's a lot harder for parents to re-engage in the management. Also, it's important to remember that the last part of the brain to fully develop is the prefrontal cortex which governs impulsivity, judgment, foresight of consequences. That's essentially why teens and young adults have a tendency to do a lot of self-destructive things. No, not all of them, but that's behavior that characterizes the age group as a result of that underdeveloped part of the brain. So teens have the intellectual capacity, but physiologically, they don't make the same sound judgments that one hopes they will once they reach their mid or late 20's. There are kids whose management is good, even if they don't have support and parental involvement, but those kids are an exception. Other physiological factors include hormones and increased insulin resistance, which make managing BG's more difficult, even when people are doing the best they can. A teen who's trying, but is still getting sub-optimal results, might decide that their efforts don't matter, so that can lead to decreased investment in management. It's a very complicated age, with so many factors that can undermine care directly and indirectly, which is why the current approach to working with teens and young adults is to offer a great deal of support, and keep family involved in some capacity.
I understand where you're coming from with the "spoiled" thing, and I think there's a lot to that so I don't completely disagree with you, but I think how diabetes management is approached is different.
That's an excellent point about handing the reins over. I don't recall my parents having them too much, although I was 16 rather than 12? Just from watching people's posts on message boards, I have gleaned that teenagering w/ diabetes must suck. Perhaps fortunately, I don't really recall much about my own experiences. And, re 'spoiled', I only meant in terms of the data and, certainly, not having to sharpen needles! yoikes! That is tough! And I sort of like needles!
Wow! Very impressive! MrsAcidRock had some 'roids when she was pregnant that had a wicked looking needle but I think that's a winner! I am ***definitely*** spoiled and promise not to wince at the CGM gizmo any more.
