Hi everyone,
I think my burnout comes from a personality conflict. I am very much the kind of person who resents being told what to do and here I get a disease that requires I micromanage my entire life, or else… So I go through ups and downs with my management. Right now it’s a down. I want to ignore it, I want to just be “normal” for a while and not deal with the meds, and the needles, and all the rest of it. But for as much as I want to ignore it I want to be better about taking care of myself. Thing is, how do I pull myself out of the funk? I’m trying to find some ways to motivate myself. Has anyone found any tricks that help? The proverbial carrot on the stick, I guess? I’d be glad to hear them!
Jen
Jen, you are right, it is a pain in the buns to have to do all those things to be healthy, happy, and well. I hate people getting in my face and telling me what to do, when to do it, how many times, and how I will have these perilous horrible things happen to me if I don’t do as they say.
My carrot for myself is that I think of my “D” as being normal. I don’t distinguish between myself when I didn’t have it, 10 years ago and now. I am the same person. I still like funky music, I still like to dance, I love to work with art, I enjoy kids, I love my family, etc. I didn’t wear glasses then, and now I do. That is me, now. I didn’t have diabetes when I was 40, but I do now. This is normal for me. I don’t dwell on the differences but the things that are the same about me…My changes in what I eat, how much I eat, and when I eat are different but better. I didn’t take 12 pills a day then, but I do now, and not all of them, infact most of them are not for the “D”. When I get into that funk, like you said, I ask myself, what can’t I do now, that I could do then…the only things are those that I probably shouldn’t be doing…eating a lb bag of M&M’s; forgetting my pills, not exercising, not poking my finger three times a day. But in reality, I don’t have to do those things. If I wanted a bag of M&M’s in the three lb size I could have it, but I chose not to die or become ill. I chose health And maybe that’s the difference, and what brings me out of my funk. I am 57 going on 37…I am healthier, happier, better in control of my life now than I was 10 years ago…and loving it even more.
Dear Jen,
That’s not a personality conflict! Your attitude is…normal. Cathy had great comments.
I feel different since I was 12 at diagnosis and never experienced adult life any other way. I’m not the same person I was 42 years ago.
It helps a bit to be really organized about your supplies, glucose tablets, etc. have plenty in different handy locations.Also helps to identify your own goal, rather than allowing medical personnel to dictate to you.
Good luck,
Sue
WOW…talk about the power of positive thinking, nice going, Cathy! I just spoke with my doctor yesterday and whenever I am coming off a dr’s appt. or a conversation with my doctor I find that I go into a funmk. (its always the same discussion…“you have to do better here, you have to do better there” etc etc etc) I know, I’ve heard it all over and over again. I have found a way to deal with it all, and i like to believe my success in life is not only IN SPITE OF this insidious condition, but DUE TO IT. Pleae visit my website supportersofsurvivors.com and lieave a comment, read my essay/book on the subect, let me knwo what you think on the blog (its on the site). I promise, I’m not tring to sell anything to anyone! Thanks!
Hi guys–I’m new to Tudiabetes—and when I 1st posted I was verbally attacked and berated by someone named Tom–I’ve not been back online since that experience but am glad I found this site—Guess I’m still looking for my carrot on a stick–and in the last few weeks I have really good days–take pride in myself then the next day—bumpy ride down the sugar trail. We all get in a funk—I’m just trying to get out of mine. I think Jen and I have the same problem-personality conflict—I do believe thats how I will think of my D. We just can’t seem to get along and hit that happy medium! So far all of you have written alot of good ways to lok at the big D and I 'm hoping something will just jump right out there—boom–good things will start popping and I will start dealing better with the D.
Joy(Ellen)
Joy(Ellen) - again, I see alot of the same values in everyone here! We all want to beat this thing, and I beliebe I have! despite a brain hemmhorrage, stroke, diabitic retinopathy, Menieres disease (loss of hjearing) etc etc etc I am burnet but NOT DEAD! We have all survived to this point and I am seeing MANY MORE YEARS in my future! I am a 30 year big D vet and have acomplishe alot in my life not only with diabetes, but several other conditions as well! AND, my wife is a survivor of the big C! The more we face the stronger we get…We are living proof! I FEEL LIKE I CAN BEAT ANYTHING!!!
Steve-thanks for the uplifting words–I am going to check out your website-for sure!
Hello Jen:
What do you want relief from specifically? Shots, eating, tests, zealous vigilence what? Do you have someone, whether a playmate or a partner, a lifelong friend someone with whom you are very intimate?
Stuart
Does anyone have that feeling that no matter how hard you try it doesn’t work out so that causes part of your burnout. I give it everything i have at times and try to follow everything to a tee and at times i can still not get my sugars right, i think that is a great big part of my burnout.
Oh I’ve had my moments in 15 years as a T1. Before I found TuDiabetes I felt pretty freakin’ alone. I didn’t fit in any category and they couldn’t figure out why and blah, blah, blah. I learned (over time) that it is OKAY to feel how you want to feel. We all aren’t going to be positive and the spokesperson for Diabetes management 24 hours a day. GEEZ. I think what keeps me going is two things: Being a ROLE MODEL for others going through this crap. How can we help others? We’ve all been there and we can all help eachother. The other is: MY LIFE IS NOT OVER. I’m going to kick this Diseases butt and lead as full life as I can. I took control of this monster instead of letting it control me. No matter what doctors say and I’ll never be “normal” but I’m normal to me. And the people around me love me for who I am now.
Now I recently moved to the OmniPod pump. This is new for me! And odd! It brought up all my “I can’t stand this disease stuff”. I’m working through it and am dealing with it. And I’m getting used to it and it is a good thing for me. It’s all a process to work through.
Hear hear Dana! It seems you’ve taken the words right out of my mouth! visit my site and read my book (no charge, nothing for sale here, I promise) http://www.supportersofsurvivors.com It is great to see there are more of us out there! (that is, people who are now using this f&^%$ing condition to their own benefit! REALLY!
I’ve checked out your site. I appreciate it! In the words of Dana “I rule this crap. It will not rule me!” 
YEAH!! KEEP PLUGGIN’!
Sometimes Steve, "keep pluggin’ is like a slap in my face. I’m sorry if that offends you, I really am. But somedays I don’t want to “keep pluggin”, somedays I don’t care. I know my life depends on my caring, but somedays I don’t. This doesn’t happen to be one of those days, it’s a good day thus far, it’s only 10:00 AM here. But there are days that I am sure I am not the only one who has them, that you just say “stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, and I don’t care” . And again, I do realize that my life depends on me caring about me, about me wanting to do the right thing, and sticking to it. Yet, forever is a long time and sometimes I just don’t care.
sorry about the “keep pluggin” I actually regretted that one minutes after I sent it. When people say that to me its like…'what do you know?" So please forgive me. I do suggest some dharma diabetic traeatment…meditation really works for me in addition to extreme exercise. also, pls. visit my iste at http://www.supportersorsurvivors.com for some interesting stuff about poeple (like you, me and everyone else here) and how we all do our best to deal with the daily crap! I also suggest you buy/read Richard157’s (he’s here oin TU ) called “beating the odds”…it is very inspirational! again, sorry about the “keep pluggin” … instead, how about PEACE!
Hello Jen:
Insulin has a nice way of making me feel better... every time I need it <ws>. Ignore diabetes and it wakes from its quiet slumber and sets fire to our world...
Stuart
I have been a D2 for about 11 years. I, too , go through periods of “I don’t care” The only thing I am truly afraid of losing are my organs and my eyes. So threats don’t work. I have to sit back and really think about what I am doing, what I am risking, and if a day of not being so intense is going to help me out. Even cancer patients take a day off, and think of other things. That doesn’t mean I don’t watch what I eat, I may not be as careful, I still take my meds…but I don’t exercise that day, I don’t talk about it, I try not to think about it…it’s worse in the winter, because we have so many gray days…and that alone is a depressive state.