We’ve all been given unsolicited advice before. News sprads that you’ve got diabetes. All of a sudden – you start getting advice from the left, the right and center. What is the best advice you would pass on for managing life with diabetes?
Gosh this is terrible. Looking back, I can’t really recall any good “unsolicited” advice. I remember lots of bad and insensitive unsolicited advice. I think some of it had to do with my own mental condition at the time. For a while there, it was all D’Nial and Anger. Looking back, I’m not even sure if I had gotten good advice that I would have heard it. I also think that many of the people around me had no idea what I was going through. That kinda makes me sad. Today, I certainly have a much different view. The best advice might be:
As a diabetic today, we are all very lucky, particularly if you think about where we were 100 years ago. While having diabetes can be a pain, you can live a full, long, healthy and happy life, it is all up to you.
That is hard, remembering good advice. I think I got that we still have to live our lives to the fullest, not consider everything from a diabetic’s point of view. But I do consider things as a Diabetic, even when I watch someone else eat I’m calculating their carbs, protein, and fat. Anyway, I would pass on that it’s o.k. to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.
may or not be good advice but I think listening to your own body not what the professinals tell you will help you out in the long run. Sorry if its not good.
For me it is like flying an airplane. You have your instruments ahead of you such as your meter, A1C, blood tests, diet, exercise, meds, shots etc. I tell people that I have to keep my wings level and cant tip to far to the right or the left and at times I hit bumpy weather but I will fly out of it… Also they have no idea what it is to manage this plane trip and that they are lucky sitting back in coach.
Best advice: Read Danny’s blog.
I have a CDE who strongly advised me to adjust my own meds - based on accurate records. I don’t need no stinkin’ endo!
hi, the best advise i can give anyone with diabetes is take care of yourself nobody is going to do it for you. pay attention to your numbers eat right and make the right choices. im going on 20 years with type 1 i’m 48 and still healthy knock on wood…
It is impossible to be perfect. Don’t expect perfection.
Lotion on your hands after washing them affects blood sugar readings.
Don’t take unsolicited advice
Never recall getting any advice good or bad. Best advice I would give is to never think you know all there is to know about Diabetes. Because Diabetes is an ongoing education and things are changing constantly for the betterment in managing D.
Go with it!! Look the disease is not good. But it is yours, as a new diabetic it is important that you understand it is now a part of you. No running, no ducking will make it go away. If it could make it go away, mine would be gone. The best thing we can do is own it. No one can do it, it is ours. We will ultimately determine the outcome of our disease, no one can do it for us and in the end no one will.
rick phillips
Great question Allie! The best advice I can think of after 36 years of type 1 experience is to take an active role in assertively managing your diabetes! Plus make a choice every day to have a “can do” positive attitude! Exercise is part of the prescription - just do it!
i have yet to answer that one, too 
Yeah, I would say… personalize your own care for yourself. Take a little bit of info from what everyone is doing, and see what works for you. We’re all different, and have different standards of what we want to accomplish. There is no one cookie cutter way of treating one’s diabetes… For me, doing a glycemic load diet just worked better and more realistically than going low carb. shrug
Lizmari took the words out of my mouth so far as knowing we are all different and seeing what works for you. Related to that would be “trust your gut”. Also a modified version of something Fritz Perls a famous Psychologist said, “Understanding is the booby prize.” I think there is a lot to learn and understand about diabetes, but in the end “why” something is a certain way isn’t as important as what to do about it. (For example when I had unexplained highs and posted on here looking for theories as to why, someone pointed out that whatever had caused the high numbers might need to be eliminated (like using a new pen to see if the old one was no longer active), but most important was what I was going to do about the highs.
Don’t beat up on yourself (diabetes is hard at times and things don’t always work out how we expect). We all make choices on how we eat, exercise, etc and your choices and mine might not be the same, because our lives and bodies aren’t. Be ok with your current choices or identify ones you want to change.
And one more: Treat yourself well! Since what we do on a daily basis is hard, with not always perfect results, and some of what we do is deprive ourselves, we need to be extra good at doing nice things for ourself: Get yourself small treats, spend time doing something self-indulgent, relax. Stress is a killer; physically, emotionally and spiritually. Do things to reduce and compensate for stress.
Remember you are more than just diabetes and with a little planning and effort can do and be anything you want!
Build and nurture a support system: Family and friends who understand and support you, websites like this, realtime support groups…people to love and be loved by!!
I think its a good advice Doris… Combining both listening to professionals and listening to your body is a perfect combination =) Besides… nobody else know us best except ourselves…
An advice given to me by my physician when I was first diagnosed (when I was stressed and panicking…) “Take things one step at a time…”
#1 - Go low carb. There’s no better advice.
#2 - Get invloved. Get online in a social netowrking community or at home in a local support group. We can’t do it alone!
#3 - Learn how to test. A simple pattern of compliance tests is not as useful as directed testing. Directed testing is testing with a purpose and a plan. Basal testing or meal profiling would fall into this category. Compliance testing can indicate problems, but this more regorous directed testing should be used to make changes in regimen.
#4 - Get active! We need physical activity.
#5 - Stop smoking. Smoking is like throwing gas on a fire. It and diabetes just don’t mix.
#6 - Don’t believe everything you hear or read. Corroborate all evidence. Advice has to make sense, and you have to fully understand it.
hmm the first great advice is that you can’t eat anything you want as long as you count the carbs, but also realize how the food affects you and understand that junk food is junk food for a reason. The most important to me is not drinking sugary soda, the sweetness is to strong and raises your blood sugar reallly fast (for me at least). Start each day new, think positive (believe me i trouble with this) don’t let numbers rule your life, practice makes perfect but don’t forget not to beat yourself up, re-educate constantly. If you need finicial assistance then be prepared to do some legwork, fill out forms, call, search, etc.
Even though it can be expensive… if a doc rubs you the wrong way, try and find a new one that gets you.
Best of all is to go to tudiabetes, “where everybody knows your name” or should i say “where everybody knows your pain”
don’t deprive yourself of sweets, try to fit them in best you can.