Yeah, every single time I go into any doctor’s office or ER or ICU, they ask if I have diabetes. I say yes, type 1. Then they ask if I use insulin… like there’s any other Type 1 out there who DOESN’T use insulin.
Oh well.
I’m Type 1 on insulin and at a time was taking insulin PLUS Metformin. I recommend it to those who are Type 1 and struggling insulin resistance. Type 2s and Type 1s can both be insulin dependant AND insulin resistant. It’s a balancing game for anyone who is diabetic.
haha. I prefer to cut right to the chase and say “I’m Type 1”
To be fair, a lot of type 1s are also extremely disturbed and VERY annoyed with the number of Type 2s who don’t bother to educate themselves about Type 1. It’s not just Type 1’s at fault here for mis-education on the other type; there are MANY type 2’s (even those well-versed in how to care for themselves) that know little to nothing factual about Type 1.
Wow! now that is bad…where is the hope of people understanding the difference when the medical community doesnt even know…I seen a television show where this character said I lost 50 pounds and brought my diabetes from a type 2 to a type 1…I was like really???..lol
Almost every other day! Here’s how the conversation at the dinner table usually goes:
NewGuy: Hey, what’s that ugly looking device?
Me: It’s the controller for my insulin pump. I am diabetic.
NewGuy: Oh! okay. <15 second silence>. My dad/mom/uncle/aunt also has diabetes. Their’s is not this bad. They take oral medicine.
Me: [Think to self: here we go; I gotta do this again now] Yeah, they must have type II.
NewGuy: What’s that?
Me: <<insert your explanation of the difference between type I and type II here>>
NewGuy: (Completely confused now) - So, what happens when you don’t take insulin before eating? and what if you take too much? Hypo-what? how do you know how much carbs you are eating.
Me: <<explain, explain, explain>>
Most of the times I make sure that they have understood the difference between type I and II. And I think it is important to make sure they understand given media’s inability to make them understand. But, there are times when I just don’t want to spend 25 minutes talking about the differences and answering their questions. So, I eat (and feel bad about not explaining it to them later on).
I work at a clinic where I am the resident DM educator for the medical staff. I don’t have any particular extra DM training except for being DM myself. The docs, NPs, etc. ask me the diff between short-acting insulins, have never heard of symlin, and my insulin pump was the first that anyone had seen… granted this is not an endo office but we have plenty of people who need to see their PCPs with correct info…
I see adult-onset Type 1s complain about this JDRF thing a lot, and I do understand it, particularly the need for people to understand that Type 1 can happen at any time. Yet at the same time I do really feel that childhood-onset Type 1 is a unique experience and, in my opinion, any cure that’s found should go to the children before anyone else. To this day I get incredibly sad when I hear of a child being diagnosed. Of course I don’t like it when an adult is diagnosed either, but I don’t get that same sense of sadness. I experience a sense of comaradarie when talking to people who have had Type 1 since childhood that I don’t get when talking to people with LADA. In some ways the three experiences of Type 1, LADA and Typ 2 all start out so differently and it isn’t until further down the road that they all start to merge (once the Type 1s are grown up, the LADAs are properly diagnosed, and the Type 2s have progressed to MDI or pump).
It is a totally unique and difficult experience to ask your mom days after diagnosis if you are going to die because it’s called “die-abetes,” or to go to a birthday party and not be able to eat the cake because your blood sugar is high, or have to get up before everyone else at a slumber party to meet your mom at the door to do your morning shot, or call your parents from your first year away at (non-diabetes) summer camp in tears because your blood sugar has been so high all week and you don’t know what to do, or feel like you want to disappear when your grade eight French teacher announces on the first day that no one is allowed to eat in class except you, or collapse in the halls of your high school from a severe low while all your friends stare, or doing your first-ever injection without the aid of an Eject-Ease with your 13-year-old best friend looking on … I could go on and on.
Anyway, didn’t mean to hijack the tread, I just got on a little rampage there. I just really do not have that big of a problem with the JDRF focusing mostly on kids. It sounds dramatic, but Type 1 really does take away many aspects of childhood, most especially the carefree and spontaneous nature of it. In recent years the JDRF does seem to be improving and creating some resources for adults (whether newly-diagnosed or those of us who have “grown up”).
Good discussion folks, love it!
Here is a reply on my Blog Post that promted the Forum Thread I thought would be relevent.
Thanks for your comments. I absolutely agree that education needs to be clarified in both areas(Type 1 and Type 2) I just believe that they are different, like you said, it is a societal issue contributing likely to both. I just think the clarification needs to be more pronounced I guess, in terms of the suddeness of onset, and no ability to reverse, make changes, slow the progresssion(destruction of beta cells) etc that is often an option for type 2 diabetes, but not with type 1.
Now reading some of the thread. I think to clarify. If the media presents them as the same, then politicians interpret them the same, then funding is distrubuted the same. Now take it one step futher.
As an example, in Canada, most provinces, are now covering all pump supplies for children under 18. But not all provinces, mine being the “not covered province.”
I have writen letters to Ministers of Health, and get the same response; that is “coverage for dibates, note they don’t differentiate between the two, is adequate and at par with other provinces,” blah, blah, blah.
My issue as a Type 1, and having 2 Type 1 Kids, is this; that when we(as a family) went with out coverage this year for 3 months, all of our health suffered. Personally, it “burns” me that my children who when diagnosed; woke up one day and with out notice, or warning or any other options were told they require life sustaining insulin or they die. Okay it wasn’t presented like that but that is the case.
To me this is distinctly different from Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 is progressive(varying rates)often influenced by lifestyle choices(sometimes not), and since I work as a Diabetic Educator, they often have a genetic(or relative), I see people go off their meds with weight loss, etc. Its progressive, and influenced by lifestyle, in most cases, not all however. Everyone’s biology is different.
Keep the thread going the debate is good.
Trev
I just feel like we’re all diabetic and need to help each other. I’ve never said it had to do with being over weight etc.
@kimmcannally - I honestly don’t know if I still make enough insulin to be able to get off of injected insulin after a large weight loss.
According to my doctor and other things I’ve read, a substance called amylin is deposited into the beta cells of Type 2 diabetics. Eventually, the beta cells “burn out” and can no longer produce enough insulin to sustain health. Essentially it’s a long, slow transition to “type 1” via a different route: destruction of the beta cells not from auto-immune attacks but from the amylin deposits. That’s how I understand it.
I was diagnosed in the spring of 2002, almost nine years ago. At that time I had “too much” insulin floating around when I was fasting, a hallmark of type 2’s whose beta cells (at first) try mightily to make more and more insulin to overcome the insulin resistance in the other cells.
Now that I’m on injectable insulin, they can’t really just test how much insulin is in my bloodstream. They’d have to test my c-peptide levels (a byproduct of the process of actually making insulin in your beta cells) but my doctor told me two weeks ago that he didn’t think there was any useful purpose to testing the c-peptide levels. It would be, perhaps, scientifically interesting but it wouldn’t change how we’re treating my diabetes. Being a science nerd, I was disappointed but I understand that medical tests are expensive and it’s unwise to burden our medical system with unnecessary testing.
The way to find out, for me, would be to work hard on exercising daily (10,000 steps) and losing weight and seeing how my need for injectable insulin goes down over time. It’s possible that I could go back into a kind of honeymoon period where I didn’t need to inject insulin, but the amylin would continue to be deposited and I am young enough (at 54) and young enough at diagnosis (45) that if I live a “normal” lifespan I would no doubt need to start injecting insulin again, eventually.
If the 4% destruction figure is universal among type 2’s (???) then I’ve already lost at least 35% of my beta cell functioning – I don’t know how much functioning needs to be left to not need to inject insulin, but I think (from previous reading) that injecting insulin actually helps to preserve beta cell functioning, softening the edges, so to speak, of day to day blood glucose management.
Oh, if only you had. I think I would have died of happiness if I’d heard, “Paging Dr. Acidrock” on the overhead at my old hospital.
However, we did have a urologist named Dr. Peckler, which was delightful.
Other than in your doctor’s office, discussing your treatment, or when discussing treatment in other venues (like this one) I don’t really understand the need to make a huge distinction between the types.
In terms of social policy or attitudes, there is too often a desire to blame type 2’s, as if we have cooties and must be shunned because of our “bad lifestyle choices”.
Fact: all forms of diabetes have a genetic basis.
Fact: all forms of diabetes, if not caught early and treated properly, will eventually progress to a point where there are serious – even life threatening – complications. The trajectory of poorly-treated diabetes is always straight DOWN into the same dangerous complications: retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, gastroparesis, PAD, etc.
Fact: all forms of diabetes are diseases, not moral failings.
Fact: all untreated diabetes results in catastrophic increases in blood glucose.
We are caught as a society, on the one hand, by our socially acceptable drive to blame and vilify obese people, and on the other hand by our desire to be compassionate and supportive of people who have a “legitimate” disease. But of course this is a false dichotomy, because type 2 is absolutely a “legitimate” disease, regardless of the lifestyle or belt size of the diabetic.
It’s quite a dilemma, isn’t it?
I feel bad for Type 1’s who get caught up in my net, but hey, at least no one is trying to run you down with their car or screaming, “I ought to BEAT your fat a**” when they bike past you at a bus stop, are they? When was the last time you, as a type 1, was treated to being screamed at by a crazy person on the bus? (“YOU’RE THE FATTEST THING ON THIS BUS!!!”, very subtle, eh?) When was the last time someone on staff at a diner spit in your milk and then laughed and call you a “FAT B*#%H” as you gathered your dignity and walked out? When was the last time you were sexually assaulted for being a T1, singled out by a gang of vicious kids as you walked by them in the mall?
I can’t blame T1’s for not wanting any taint from being associated with me, but as embarrassing as that might be for them, no one is going to threaten to kill them over it, are they?
Welcome to one tenth of one percent of my world, y’all.
Hi Jennifer: I am actually very thankful that I was diagnosed with Type 1 as an adult, because that allowed me to “skip” those hardships (and worse) that you write about. It is hard to fathom. Just to point out, although much adult-onset Type 1 is slow onset (LADA), many like me have rapid-onset, DKA, the whole nine yards. And yes, I totally agree that JDRF is improving its resources for adults, including the Adult Toolkit, etc.
Oh, man Marps, that is so right on. Many ask that silly question. I recently had a nurse at one of my doctor’s offices get pissy when she asked “so you used to not be on insulin but now you are?” (I’m not sure how she deduced this, but anyway,) I replied “no, I told you I’m Type I, therefore w/o insulin I would be dead.” She then snapped “You are wrong, there are types of diabetes where you don’t need insulin and then you do.” and of course I replied "precisely, but I’ve told you now several times that I am Type I insulin dependant! Geez. I was stressed out to say the least. I hate going to the doctor mainly b/c I get the 3rd degree from first the receptionist, and then the nurse, prior to even getting to see the doctor! Frustrating to say the least.
Hi Jean: What you write about just breaks my heart. I am so sorry. Where is the humanity?
Thanks, Melitta. Humanity? I honestly don’t know anymore. I just try to avoid human beings as much as possible unless I’m pretty sure they’re not gonna “bite”; I’ve always got my eye on the closest door, just in case. :0\
I am so sorry you deal with those acts of absolute cruelty, and thank-you for being so honest, and shifting my paradigm. It is truly unfortunate that anyone has to deal with anyform of chronic illness.
Yes humans are insensitive idiots. I had an old lady yell at me the other night for a parking spot.
To answer some of your questions. No I have never been called any thing that extreme and it truly bothers me that people in this day in age would do such a thing.
I do believe that Type 2 is a legitamate disease or I would have no passion to help hundreds of people everyday(the majority with type 2 DM).
It is not my intention to point the finger. I am sorry you feel this way. Your facts are true.
However I see very little empathy in your tone(and question if you read my previous post) for the kids who get told that they require insulin at 2 years old while I chase them around the house trying to stick them with a sharp object. Knowing that if I dont they’d go into to DKA and likely drop dead in a day or two. Or better yet have zero awareness of low blood sugar but no support for glucosensors. My point is that there are distinct differences. Is all.
As they say seek first to understand then seek to be understood. I hear your anger, I would be furious if people said those things to me, but for the record this is not my point at all.
Fact: The trajectory to these complications are much different. Eg: No insulin = death in less then 3-4 days for Type 1.
Fact: There are millions of people walking around with diabetes that don’t even know it- they aren’t dead.
Fact: Type 1’s can’t do anything to reverse the progression, Type 2 DM it is possible, I know because I have assisted many people in doing so.
You sound angry, and I would be too. I am simply curious as to the orignal question I posed.
Cheers
I blogged about this just today - thanks for the inspiration 
http://type1anautoimmunething.blogspot.com/2011/03/two-little-words.html
My anger was not directed at you. I’m sorry if it appeared to you that it was.
I have tremendous empathy for folks with Type 1 and am frankly in awe of adults who care for children with Type 1. I think caregivers of children with Type 1 – or any serious, chronic disease – are a kind of angel on this earth; I’m not sure I could rise to the challenge and do a good job at it, even though I would try. (I’m thinking here of my niece and her husband caring for their son when he was diagnosed with leukemia at the very tender age of 13 months – they handled it magnificently.)
I’m was just pointing out that claiming (as millions would do) that one type of diabetes is more “innocent” or “deserving” or “worthy of empathy” than the other is a false dichotomy rooted, I believe, in our socially acceptable hatred of fat people.
All diabetics are innocent recipients of our flawed genetic code; none of us choose our parents or our genes.