Talking to my wife over the weekend, after a minor ("inconsequential" ???) low, the subject came up re: holding onto bad diabetic memories.
After forty years +/- I've had lots and lots of diabetic experiences, problems, annoyances. But the conversation was particularly why I remembered the diabetic "bad stuff" that strongly.
And I did not know that answer.
Do my experienced diabetic peers do likewise remembering similar "past events" on occasion, after a low for example? Or have you gotten rid of those unpleasant memories like an old scab....?
Curious if its a common phenomenon, or just me (again <ggg>)
I would have titled the thread PLEASANT diabetic memories but they do not exist, not when/if compaired to the “bad ones” anyway.
I’ve had A1C’s that came back showing me being “a-symptomatic”, technically no longer a diabetic if we went purely-solely by those bloodtests. But aside from those rare occasions, ~…gee you don’t seem to have developed any complications…~
The unpleasant memorys of this ~fire breathig dragon~ far outweight those which give the momentary, brief smiles. Do other diabetics hold onto the bad memories of lows long past their usefulness
Or as I said is it “just me”? Do you remember previous bad lows too (sic. after the next one jumps you)?
For me diabetes is always “just under the surface”, as in I am always thinking about it. So, I think as a type 1 diabetic it is almost impossible to not have these “bad” memories popping up from time to time. If anyone has any “positive” memories I would be interested in hearing about them as I cant think of any myself.
On a separate note, I had a hard time interpreting the intended meaning of the original post because of the frequent use of “(sic).” Just so you know, “sic” is intended to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, punctuation, and/or other preceding quoted material has been reproduced verbatim from the quoted original and is not a transcription error. I think what you were going for was either “i.e.,” which means “that is” or “e.g.,” which means “for example.”
Sorry to be the “grammar police,” but it was distracting me from the post’s intended meaning (I can’t help it - I’m a writer and editor).
For me the stronger the emotion associated with the event, the stronger the memory remains…and more often it is an unpleasant memory… Compare hearing the results of an A1C that was good versus a really bad low…while the A1C was pleasant…it was more an accumulation of good and bad things (all the work involved in getting there) rather than the sudden large impact that a bad low could have.
Overall though compared to other people (non-D types) my memory in general is a lot better… like when I talk about childhood stuff w/ my sisters…I remember a lot more things and in more detail then they do… and sometimes I wonder if it’s due to being diagnosed really young…i.e. having the feeling that life will be short or I could die any moment so I should treasure the memories (good and bad)…
A lot of my memories have a mix …so most often bittersweet… like when I was diagnosed…I vividly remember going to the children’s hospital and different events that happened…waking up to be forced to eat cheerios, playing bings, getting an iv put into my arm, getting a really cute pink skirt-which I loved!- after being released…
I think too that bad things tend to stick in my mind more…such as worrying over things…because good things aren’t something to worry over/wrestle with…but more easily accepted…so I don’t think it’s strange to remember the bad more than the good
So far when I try to get away from “diabetes” I either have another doctor’s appt , a bad reading, or see that Oprah is going to do a stupid show about it.
I doubt I’ll ever forget the day Eric was diagnosed, or the first time I had to use the glucagon, or the first time he went low enough to have a seizure. But everything else… I let it go.
I do have pleasant memories, though. Like the cute pump shirt a friend made for Eric, which inspired me to take up sewing more of them. And the universally curious and supportive response we get when people ask about his pump and we explain it.
Sean- me too. It’s always there. When my BG just won’t come down or when I plummet to a really bad low (like in the 30s) or wake up really high (like in the 300s) or wake up to my fiance shoving juice down my throat… the memory that i have diabetes comes back much stronger.
But aside from all that, it’s always there. ALWAYS. in EVERTHING i do. All day. Every day. I guess that’s why they call it a “chronic” condition.
I can think of one now: when my family and i went to a walk a thon and my daddy told me how brave he thinks I am and how proud of me his is. Brings a tear to my eye every time.
this may not qualify as a positive'' comment, but it's definitely notnegative.’’ i have been T1 for 50 years (DX at 8 months) and I can honestly say I’ve never regretted my condition for a minute. I deal with it; it’s no different than breathing. (and yes, I admit that having it my entire life is probably easier than being DX’d at an older age.)
Still … I have done everything in life I’ve ever wanted to do … covered every presidential race since 1988; covered wars in Iraq and other harsh places; been certified as a senior soccer referee. D has never kept me from anything. I’ve been lucky too … never had a seizure, zero complication, never incapacitated by a high or a low.
In fact, I’m convinced I’m healthier because of D. I watch what I eat, I make sure to exercise and make smart choices. It may be hard to believe, but I’ve never had a bad episode in all these years. I am as happy and satisfied and success with D as I would be without it.
I like your style. Comparing it to breathing is great. I thing diabetes is easier to deal with when it has been a part of you almost all your life, whether it’s since 8 months old like you or 11 years old like me.
I think that is the biggest part of diabetes that someone without can ever really understand. Every decision of every single day is surrounded by thoughts of consequence. There are very few daily activities that do not cause some level of worrying about our diabetes. It can really ware you down.
I love reading comments like these, really gets me motivated to work harder. I was diagnosed early sophomore year of college which had a huge affect on me. I started off great, with A1C’s in the low 5’s. But over the years I have been slacking and losing control. No excuses, gotta push harder. Thank you!
Hello Sean:
Positive memories…recovering from an “evil low” comes to mind! Realizing we survived…(again). Not ~Ode to Joy~ exactly but still a pleasant realization I think?
Thank you for your ~grammatical assistance~ ! The abbreviations sic means super imposed comment. eg meaning example given, and ie implied emphasis (the spelling of the word I never get right) I do believe…
However permit me to try again… and “grammer police” beats the “sugar police” any day of the week my diabetic sister, and thank you for pointing out I need more care to use them properly. I do not mind.
Yeah. My Dad said something a little while ago that made a good comparison to me. He said when he has a homework project to do in college, it looms over his head for weeks while he’s preparing it. Even while he’s working, he is constantly thinking about that project in the back of his mind. Except his worry ends after a few weeks- ours is constant- forever.
Sorry, Stuart, but “Sic” is actually a latin word. Your example of “super imposed comment” is what is commonly referred to as a “backronym,” which is a phrase constructed after the fact to make an existing word or words into an acronym. Some of the common backronyms for Sic are “said in context,” “spelled in context,” “said in copy,” “spelling is correct,” and “spelled incorrectly.”
I was required to learn a lot about Sic and its use while working as an editor.
Thank you so much for your comment - I always worry that my son, age 2 1/2, Dx’d at 18 months, will have somewhat fewer opportunities because of having to always pay attention to his diabetes. It’s really good to hear that diabetes doesn’t stop someone from living an adventurous life. I’ve had so much fun following my own star throughout life, I’d hate it if diabetes prevented him from doing the same. It’s very encouraging to hear your perspective.
Since you’re a reporter, what do you think we can do to try to get the general public to understand what T1 is? It’s irritating to see Oprah and Dr. Oz wax poetic about “diabetes, the silent killer” and know that they aren’t going to pay any attention to T2’s redheaded stepsister, T1.
Earnestly kow-towing (to his diabetic “elder”). You are the forth, maybe the sixth person I’ve encountered in the last thirty days that possessed FIFTY years experience as a Type 1 diabetic.[ YEAH us…]
Now with the utmost respect, you are very right… I literally have trouble comprehending how you have NEVER had a single low that has “taken you out” ? You have never been incapacitated, never been rendered unconscious by a low?
Wrong thread for it, but with you I definitely want to talk some more for certain if you can find some time for it of course!!! Given your extremely unusual experience then, what do you make of the phenomena which I initially described?
