I had the same experience with a sister who was skin and bones, whereas I was built just plain normal. So they called me “fatso” and it still hurts to this day, although I am NOT obese. My family used to tell me “Natalie, don’t eat that because you’ll get diabetes!”, and so when I did, it was a PILE of guilt, which I also haven’t recovered from.
So I agree with you strongly that you were dealt a crappy hand, and that we both need to have the strength not to compare ourselves with our sisters!
Now that’s frustrating. It’s very hard to have a conversation to someone who’s not willing to listen. Unfortunately there are people out there claiming that T1 can be “cured” simply by altering your diet (Halle Berry being chief among them) and people who are not really up on what the problem is, will likely believe the hype. If you really want to keep her friendship, you may simply have to tell her that given that she’s not willing to understand the scientific facts of your condition, this is a subject that must be off limits for discussion.
I love the breathing correctly bit… hehe I once saw an infomercial by a lady who was obviously a body builder… and she was claiming she was a mom of 4, who just got that way by breathing right… lol Oh, lordie. 
By the way, I don’t mean to hijack this thread- but can someone please explain to me what is up with Halle Berry?? I saw a video of her talking about her diabetes where she said the doctors said she had type 1, but now she likes to put herself in the “type 2 category” because she manages her diabetes with diet and exercise- um, wtf does that mean?
Someone recently posted about that here. Apparently she has what is called “flatbush diabetes”…presents in DKA but isn’t traditional T1. Googling will give more specifics.
Our fellow member Michael Barker has been educating people about Ketosis Prone Diabetes type 2. Everything about Halle Berry’s story fits that diagnosis.
Also Google Type 1b. Halle Berry may not be all that clear about her diabetes, but she fits the diagnostic standards perfectly. Too bad she doesn’t educate herself a little more and become a spokeswoman for this type of diabetes – it occurs almost entirely in blacks and Asians, and they need to be aware of it.
With a grain of salt (or sugar as the case may be:)
“Dont argue with idiots, they bring you down to their level”
But seriously, it is important to enlighten people, so given the correct amount of patience, I always keep that statement in the back of my mind when I’ve had to “educate” people, rather than tell that straight to their face, although there have been times when I really wanted to…
On several occasions it has made me feel like I’m doing people a favor, showing them the truth so to speak. Certainly does everyone a favor to know it, especially for those in our lives who have to deal with diabetes.
I have had to tell the story of my E. Coli Bacteria infection from McDonalds which left me with in the hospital for 2 days, leading to an immune response that destroyed my pancreas, giving me Type 1 6 months later, at the ripe old age of 12!
See, its an AUTO IMMUNE DISEASE, as is HIV AIDS. Really puts it in perspective!
Bitter? Nah…
Sweet… Ive been told, but its more like bittersweet!
Jaded, FOR SURE!
As for Type 2 Diabetes, its a different disease, albeit with similar symptoms. There are lifestyle decisions that both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics have to make in order to treat their respective diseases, but there is a different relationship between the lifestyle choices that lead to Type 1 and Type 2.
Imo, Type 1 is a CURSE! In that there is certainly not as much of a direct relationship between lifestyle decisions that could lead to developing Type 1, outside of having children if you are a Type 1 which increases the chances, and is a big risk in my opinion.
However it is true that Type 2 can be more easily avoided with the correct lifestyle decisions, and in many situations people dont really understand the difference. And unless they are taught, there’s no reason to assume people would know the difference, so I dont mind telling them. And since there is more prevelance of Type 2 in our society, since we do have alot of sedentary lifestyles and hi fructose corn syrup everywhere, people are naturally inclined to be misinformed or unaware of the specifics of each.
GW: "However it is true that Type 2 can be more easily avoided with the correct lifestyle decisions, and in many situations people dont really understand the difference. "
This is a topic that has come up often lately. It seems to be going across multiple discussion boards on this site at the same time. Type 2 is actually due to genes. There are lifestyle choices, such as being sedentary or obese, which can release the trigger on the Type 2 pistol, but the trigger has to be pulled back (and the safety off) to begin with. The genetic make-up has to exist in a Type 2 person BEFORE they will ever be at risk for developing Type 2. That’s why there are people over 500 lbs who DON’T have Type 2, while there’s people who are 120 lbs who DO.
I’m sure you’ll receive more comments regarding this as it’s a very active topic at this time.
OP:
I’m the first Type 1 in my family and there really aren’t many Type 1s in my area (and I travel a LOT), so I find myself running into these types of questions constantly. I just pick and choose my battles. If they are going to be in my life for a while, I’ll educate them to as much as I believe they can handle. Usually one or two sentences will make the difference. If they seem genuinely interested in the topic, I’ll elaborate. If not, then I’ve done my little piece to keep them from at least bugging me and maybe a few other Type 1s in the future.
I got into a discussion like this last summer when talking to a band mate of mine. He claimed to be all natural, not using medications (he was an abid pot smoker, alcoholic, and loved Naisan) and said that "If this world were based on Natural Selection, we’d never have the issue of over population."
I thought about it. Yes, I HAVE considered taking myself off of insulin, knowing full well that I’d last a very short amount of time. Considered that maybe I’m not “supposed” to be here. Considered that maybe I’m bucking the system every single shot I take (20+) per day. But, then this world would be full of cocky a**holes like him who could only care about something if and ONLY if it directly affected them. Having diseases and issues like ours is typically what teaches us about compassion and understanding. He was one of those people who saw it “his way or no way”… and he wasn’t very intellegent and didn’t make very good life choices in his 28 years… so I didn’t consider him a friend. And since our band split last summer, I haven’t spoken to him since.
Just to make sure you know that AIDS is NOT an auto-immune disease. It is a viral disease which destroys the immune system itself. An auto-immune disease results when a hyper-vigilant immune system turns on an organ, and there are many of them, not only Type 1 diabetes, but Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Sjogren’s Syndrome (destroys the moisture-producing glands of the tears and saliva) Addison’s Disease (destroys the adrenal glands), Rheumatoid Arthritis (destroys the bone cartilage) and on and on.
In AIDS, the destroyed immune system cannot even fight the germs and viruses it is supposed to fight, and the untreated victim succumbs to diseases that most of us just shrug off.
Many of the “natural remedies” people have their minds made up; don’t confuse them with the facts. Sometimes you just have to walk away or change the subject, as your husband did. I truly hope these people never develop a chronic or acute disease; if they do, they will fill the pockets of the “natural” medicine quacks, and possibly die because their disease will have gone too far by the time they consult real doctors.
As far as diabetes education, whenever anyone asks me, I am very careful to explain the differences between Type 1 and Type 2. The only thing I never do is cast blame on Type 2’s because obesity is so much more complex than our society believes it to be, and the cures for obesity are so drastic that ordinary people can’t deal with them (extreme starvation diets for life, coupled with extreme exercise that no one has time for) or pay for them (bariatric surgery). Although as the evidence mounts for the efficacy of bariatric surgery for early-stage Type 2’s, insurance companies may stop regarding them as cosmetic and realize they can be life saving.
There is no doubt that either type of diabetes is the pits. A Type 1 will certainly die within hours or days without their insulin; a full-blown Type 2 will die without their medication, also, but it takes weeks or months rather than days. But the result is the same. There are fascinating pre-1922 journals by Dr. Elliot P. Joslin recording his patients, their ages, and the major cause of death, which is almost always diabetic coma, regardless of the age of the patient. I don’t understand why almost nobody acknowledges that diabetes is deadly to Type 2’s as well.
So my advice to everyone is, keep on taking those medications, or that insulin, and live long and be well!