i educate myself about D. i eat right, i excersize, i visit my endo every 3 months, i am on the pump, my numbers r good. but my A1cs have been high(8s) and i already suffer from neuropothy and gastrointestinal diseases. my eyesight is good (thank god, b/c i have Graves Disease, and i had to have radio-active iodine treatment followed by 2 very painful eye surguries)
i am only 48+ yrs old, and i am frustrated and frightened about what may come. i try ever so hard to live IN THE NOW, and to not reflect on the future or the past. just take thing one day at a time. BUT TRUTHFULLY, i am exhausted managing my D, my Graves disease, and my schizophrenia. i take so many pills.
i have heard the saying "God doesnt give you more than you can handle" but sincerely, i dont know which god they are refering to.
Well, yeah. I'm in my late 40s, have been living with Type 1 for almost 30 years, and it seems like the biggest adjustment pre and post diagnoses has been to my psyche and how I think about life.
I do what I have to do to manage my condition and I take some comfort in the numbers I am achieving. I have background retinopathy which seems to have stabilized, have seemingly fought off early DKD, and have managed o avoid other complications, but I know there are no guarantees.
You definitetly have a lot on your plate and I can't speak to half of it. Still, humans seem to have an incredible capacity to make adjustments. We've all been through that period of time with our D where it just seems exahausting, but coming through to the other end is a transformative moment.
The best of luck to you and continue to fight the good fight.
I can understand feeling overwhelmed by all you deal with Daisy Mae, and yes, I agree that some of us seem to have been given a great deal to handle! But all you can do is do your best. I also suggest remembering to do the things you enjoy and connect with the people (and pets!) who matter in your life. That's the best counter balance to stress and struggle I know!
As for the D, there are no guarantees but the best prevention (and even remission) for complications is to get and keep your numbers down as much as possible. Not to be negative, but A1C's in the high 8's put you at more risk for complications. You might want to work with your endo, ask questions on here and read Using Insulin to see what you can do to get your numbers down below 7. That is the best thing you can do for your future health!
Sometimes I think that the afterlife must be great, then when I'm really fed up I think there is no afterlife. You do have a lot on your plate, but it seems that the people who are admired most for their strenght have the most to carry. Make sure you are very good to yourself.
I know others are providing advice, I don't think your asking for advice. This disease sucks and the longer I have it the more it sucks. Some are blessed to have no complications and some of us are not so blessed. This disease is not fair.
I enjoy the below quote from Mother Teresa
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.
I am 41, diagnosed at age 3. So that's 38 years on insulin. I haven't taken the best care of myself, I drink too much beer, smoke cigars, didn't check my blood sugars for months at a time, had too many lows, on and on. But I have no complications and I'm still going strong. If you look after yourself the best you can, you can extend your life. It can be exhausting, but it's 1,000 times better than giving up or becoming complacent about it!
I sort of thought I'd be pretty dead by the time I was 40 as I was quite a bit wilder when I was younger, all sorts of debauchery on the menu like Pete Townsend said in "The Kids are Alright" "Pete, there's been rumors about you and the band being 'blocked up' onstage, is that true?" "no, we were 'blocked up' all the time..." but, now that I'm old, I've learned that I feel better if I eat lots of veggies. I did ok w/ my BG when I was younger and maybe that helped but, since I'm into the "gravy," I think that I feel like I should do what I can to keep things in line?
jackie, you are the first person i have bumped into who is a female with both Graves and D. which was dx first? i was "pre-D" but wanted nothing to do with the tests, but after 2 yrs with the Graves, 3 different specialists (eye complications as well as ematiation and an inability to digest food), i was finally dx with the Graves. it wasnt long after that that the D popped its nasty head up. i looked like an Aueshwitz victim. just skin over bones. UGH.but i had the radio-active-iodine and w/in 2 yrs i went into a "remission."now i just take synthroid and have regular blood panels to make certain all is well. just very curious about your story. if you dont mind, i would love to hear from you.
I understand your frustration. I’m 38, and I was dx with t2 in march after being prediabetic for 4 years as well as having gestational diabetes with my last 3 of 4 pregnancies which got progressively worse that during my last pregnancy I was on insulin for the last trimester. I have five young children, my oldest is 9, my twins are 7 (first gd pregnancy), my 5 year old boy, and my baby boy who is 4. By the time I had my youngest, I was pushing 34 and my husband and I mutually agreed that we had our hands full with 5 kids under the age of 5. I gave my body a short rest, when I hit a bout of depression a few months after my last baby was born. I went to see my dr and she tells me not only do I have depression, but my bp is high and she wants to do bloodwork and monitor my bp. After all the monitoring, I’m now taking an antidepressant and hbp meds on top of being prediabetic.
Oh wait it gets better, we move from Az to Va, away from any family or support networks. Bout #2 with depression, and did I mention I homeschool? Yes I am currently homeschooling 4 out of the 5 kids, while juggling a household, being active in my church,and dealing with d, hbp, & depression.
The first time I heard that God wouldn’t give me more than I can handle, I laughed and responded, “Lord, I wish you didn’t think so highly of me.” That was back when I found out I was having twins and my ob gyn had just announced I would have 3 kids under 3. It is a daily struggle just keeping up with myself, let alone 6 other people (yes, the hubby gets some time too). But I know that my God has seen me through some of the most difficult times of my life and He has never left me standing by myself. He has given me the strength to end each day, the good and the bad ones, and the privilege to start each day anew. So when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, don’t be afraid to say, “Lord, I wish you didn’t think so highly of me,” and take the rest of the day caring for yourself. God loves you and, even though we want to fight it, He will give you the strength to make it through each day.
I totally understand you. I think many who have D feel the same way. You never know what is coming. And you have many more ifs than a lot of us. I am sorry you have so many problems. Try taking a day off and regroup then back to the grind. At 48 I am sure you have a long time ahead of you. Try and think about everybody has no idea when their time will come. Then let this go. Put in a box and know it does no good to think about it. When it happens it happens and stop wasting your time, Just live!
Daisy - when I was diagnosed 38 years ago at age 21, I had already witnessed 16 of my relatives dying long, slow deaths from db complications. I knew of no pwds that were healthy. Assuming that that would also be my fate, I was paralyzed with fear - walked through the years like a zombie, expecting that I'd be dead at any moment. Made no effort to take care of myself, for what difference would it make? This attitude affected my job, my relationships and totally defeated any plans I was tempted to make for the future. Such a waste.
10 years ago I had a major episode of retinopathy, which I recovered from.
Then, two years ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and due to surgical complications endured respiratory and kidney failure and was in the hospital for 4 months.
Miraculously, I recovered my health and was able to get off dialysis this last January. And now I realize that we can start from where we are to take the best care possible.
Yes, it is extremely exhausting. But the people here at TD have helped me in beautiful ways.
Dear Sillygirlzam, thank you for your kind words of both wizdom and stregth and courage. i dont believe in God, however i do believe in the spirituality that comes from my actions and how i interact with others. i do meditate every day, sometimes more than once. are you familliar with the saying that God and I were walking side by side in the sand, and at one point i looked down and there were only one set of foot prints. and i asked God "why did you abandon me just at my worst. God said to me, "that is when i was carrying you." i hope i expresed that saying right, but despite not believing in God, i kind of do. there is also a wonderful saying i picked up in a support group i attend :" Pray to want what i have and have what i want." (i am fullfilled and satisfied.)
maybe some of my words can be of help to you; your words certainly were helpful to me. thx, Daisy Mae
Daisy, Footprints has always been my favorite story about how God will never leave you. When I’m having a horrible day, I imagine myself just being carried by God because it is more than I can bare. I’m comforted to know that you found comfort in my words. I pray The Lord give you the strength you need each and every day.
I too have Graves Disease and Type 1, Daisy Mae; thyroid disease is common with Type 1, but it seems hypothyroid is more common than hyper. I was diagnosed with graves 13 years before D. They tried to control it but were unable to do so and so they destroyed my thyroid with radiation and I take synthroid replacement.
hey there Gareth!!!! so glad to hear from you. whenever i go into the chat room, i feel very exluded. (doris, marie, pup.) it hurts. i go for support and get relatively nothing. these forum sites have been much more helpful. the only thing is, i liked when people were having virtual conversations in the chat rooms. with the forum, you're left waiting and waiting.i also can get a bit shy about what is and is not appropriate.
