I fully agree Artwoman. I would probably also use my CGM for a while, just to be sure.
I recall seeing coverage of a med school residency program where MD's had to "walk a mile". They would get a notice that it is time to do a fingerstick. Then they would be told what their bg is. Lots of surprises...they did experience what we do. I really get angry when the rogue numbers - and I work hard there aren't that many - are what they see. They don't notice - from my device download - that I am in range most of the time.
Referencing my quite shallow comment about looking better than my university-mates, I would probably continue to write down every thing I ate - asking is it note(literally)-worthy?
Kinda like that Seinfeld episode where Elaine asked if a guy was "sponge-worthy"
I actually think that I would adjust quite quickly and diabetes would just become a bad memory. I do sometimes wonder what I would have done with all the extra time I would have had in the last 38 years....
I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't been psychologically damaged by this disease… They caught my T1D about 2 weeks before I would have gone into a coma and that really stuck with me. Instead of crying and whining and moping around, I make every day count. Nothing can hold me back, I wake up every morning and seize the day (after a cup of coffee, of course!!) So far, since my diagnosis in early 2010, I have traveled internationally, worked at a summer camp for 2 months away from home, left home for college, tried a new sport, interned on Capitol Hill… the possibilities are endless! I'm 19 years old and nothing can slow me down. Don't let Diabetes be an excuse for leading an uninteresting life!
Hi Leah:
While I commend you for your positive outlook and lust for life, please also note that people with diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from depression: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/6/1069.short This, like any other serious disease, is not something people choose to have. Remember, everybody's situation is different and we all have our crosses to bear. Some of the posts we read here are positively heart-breaking: Individuals who have to manage challenges like unsupportive family, friends or employers - or even medical professionals and insurance companies; financial challenges and no insurance; advanced complications; extremely difficult and challenging BG control - just to name a few.
I firmly believe that PWD should be able to do whatever anyone else can do, it just requires a little more planning. I too refuse to let it get in the way of my passions. However, it's also important to remember we often have significant and daunting hurdles that non-diabetcs don't face which can trigger justified sadness, frustration, some "crying and whining," and even serious depression at twice the rate of the general population.
Christopher
Christopher, while I am in Leah's "camp" (I've not let D get in my way) I also see the damage that having D can do. I firmly believe a lot of that is due to the general public propensity to blame PWD's (of any type) and that blame game is also played by many health care providers. It is no wonder than one's spirit is affected. I'm tired of being told that I did it to my self (type 1 30+ years) and if I just lost weight, was more active, etc. I would be cured. It sometimes takes all my inner strength not to slap them. Especially when I am thin, live on broccoli, and the statements are coming from a person who is shoving junk food in their mouth.
As a tangent, I wrote a guest commentary for the Portland Oregonian newspaper to be published in November. I addressed the causes, hereditary links, and defined the types of D. My hope was that the general public would get the idea that it is not self-inflicted, and maybe someone with type 2 in their family might get tested. Anyway, no publication - indeed nothing on Diabetes all month!
But, I won't give up.
I'm with you, Artwoman. I refuse to let diabetes derail the passions that I have and the activities I enjoy. And I too am frustrated by the stereotypes that are perpetuated about PWD, like the TV advertising that overwhelmingly shows older, overweight and sedentary people bumbling through life. Why can't they show a more representative cross-section of people impacted by diabetes, or even those who are managing it well, who are active and fit?
Also, the ignorance I experience and hear about from the medical community is infuriating. I've been asked by doctor's assistants that as a T1, do I have to take shots, or I was once condescendingly asked by an Ophthalmologist during a routine exam did I test today and what was the value - like it's a once daily occurrence that I might not always follow.
I also enjoy dispelling the myths by being active and maintaining good control. I enjoy the quizzical look I'll occasionally get from the nurses when I check in for my local endo appointment and they ask me why I'm there, because I clearly couldn't be one of "his diabetic patients," or when they download my CGM data and concede there is really no advice they can give.
I'm more sympathetic to the general public's ignorance about diabetes. After all, how much do I really understand other serious chronic conditions that don't impact me directly? People have a lot on their plates, so I don't expect them to understand even the basics about my condition. Here I will happily educate and lead by example if given the chance, however. The people in my orbit see a T1 who is fit, lean and leads a life full of adventure. It's especially gratifying and fun for me when I can help them realize their health goals with what I've learned about nutrition and exercise.
I applaud you for writing your guest commentary. It's a shame they didn't publish it, but you're doing absolutely the right thing. Keep dispelling the negative myths, even if it's only one person at a time.
One of the reasons I keep pestering (?) the media about diabetes and how one is Dx'd with it is due to the stereotypes out there to think "I'm well-behaved" and thus safe. I don't recall how old you were when Dx'd but I was 30 years old and it came out of the blue. No D in the family of any kind. And for people with type 2 it is the hereditary thing. If my efforts cause one person to think, "hmmmm, I have relatives with type 2, maybe I should get myself checked" I've done what I've set out to do.
I try not to take the blame game statements too personally, although I do believe that PWD's are the only group it is considered okay to blame the patient. But that's another tirade and I've used up my soapbox time.
My circumstances were similar, Artwoman. No history of diabetes in my family and it hit me out of the blue as an adult as well. I fully agree - anything we can do to help drive awareness and understanding will make a difference.
Sad but true, Eucritta. If only the abundance of self-righteousness and shortage of empathy could be reversed.
in some ways, I've become much more organized. the other thing is, I finally started prioritizing myself and my well being over everythhing else basically