How to Help People Understand Diabetes

Closer I guess, but a nurse, WOW! :)

Thanks, I have felt so bad about passing on the gene (and almost losing him in DKA) but Nate's been awesome, he was diagnosed age 13, he was old enough to handle and grasp what we had to learn and young enough to follow good management without rebellion, which was lucky for us. He's also almost started with the most techy stuff (so no bad habits to change), it complicates his life but also gives us the numbers/trends we need for tight control. Our success, if you can call it that, we have loads of bad days too(teen after all), would not be possible if he was an unwilling participant. And again, it is great to find out what works for other people that have been around the block a few more times than us. :) Love to have another friend from Canada, specially one whose relative I owe so much to. You are a celebrity here! :) Be well.

I'm very sorry your family isn't more interested and supportive, too! I'm very recently dx'd and haven't had any major problems with my own family so far.

But I do wonder whether some of the resistance women find has to do with how much our focus has to be on our own health care before other things. Women traditionally put their needs after those of their spouses, children and other family members. We're the ones who get up, make breakfast, pack lunches and get the kids off to school even when we have a 102° fever. It's admirable, perhaps, but it also feels necessary. making others wait, even for a couple of minutes, while we attend to our own needs is a major change a lot of the time.

Good for you for breaking that old, tired and, frankly, dangerous pattern and showing how to live a healthy life with diabetes. Your son will thank you for it one day!

This is a tough situation and I understand exactly how you feel. I think it is very difficult for the average peron to understand T1. One of the main reasons is that there are very few outward and noticable signs that T1's are having difficulty. I have been diabetic for almost 23 years and it is very difficult for me to let anyone in my diabetic bubble. I just find that people just cannot grasp T1 and it leads to confusion and/or frustration. I do not blame them as I think I would be very similar if I was not a T1. I think of it as just another issue that T1s must deal with.

I do feel a great sense of community and connection with TUDiabetes and that is where I would suggest you share your frustrations, tribulations and accomplishments. We do get it and always will.

As for your family. I would recomend not expecting much from them and not blaming them too much. I would limit bringing up diabetes, if possible so that everyone can be more comfortable. After all there are other things to life than T1. If this cannot be done, then you may need to consider cutting ties or limiting contact?

Yeah, that's what I hate most - the assumption people have that it's just a matter of putting insulin back into my body and getting on with my day. If only it were that easy! Sometimes, I don't think people have a clue that this something I literally think about every freaking second of my day. I don't think people really have any idea sometimes, except for maybe spouses and parents who have to function as a pancreas for young children.

I totally understand - sometimes I feel like a 'crazy person' because of the way people react to diabetes-speak :(
I'm sorry that your family is not totally on board the boat of understanding.

Cheers for the reply :)

Thank you for all of your kind words - I'm sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis, and am glad you have a supportive family :)
Cheers so much for the reply!

I agree - letting people in that bubble can be a tough one...and I'm thankful for the forum provided here (and for all the ears/eyes I've been able to bend so far!).

I really do not know what I am going to do - having ties cut (for reasons beyond my control) already once makes it a difficult decision, but at the same time, I have a little boy who counts on me and is going to count on me (for quite some time) and I want to make sure no one and no thing ever rob me of him or him of me. So, cutting ties (again) is definitely on the table :s

Cheers for the reply - it has been wonderful to have all of these thoughts to mull over :)

I have to say that until I became T2 I thought all diabetic people had to do was take their insulin and all was well. It was not until I joined this forum that I realised all that you have to cope with constantly. I experience difficulties and a loss of friends because I stick to my diet, I'm told I demand preferential treatment and so should be shunned. Oh well, I guess you can't change people, leopards never change their spots LOL

Thanks for your response Marie - I'm saddened to know (but glad in a way) that I am not alone in that feeling of "when words come out of my mouth, am I the only one who hears them?" :s
I can also appreciate your position w/your mom; it seems everyone is an expert! LOL - much the same when it comes to kids (everyone knows how to raise them better than you...even the stranger in the grocery store!), other people always seem to have a solution for our diabetic dilemmas but they really haven't got a clue.
Cheers again - so great to be around people 'like me' (as odd as that sounds, I have met very few fellow T1D and none my own age!).
Bec

Oh my goodness - you selfish person you, trying to be healthy! LOL! Shame on them for the shunning, but I know how it feels - my family only contacts me when they need my help (I'm the "organized" one of the bunch and so get leaned upon for the organizing of family events, etc), no one checks to see how I'm doing, and then they tell me that everything is always about me all the time - grrrr...not very nice, especially since I didn't even ask for anything! Ha!
And, no you can't change people - especially those who are not interestted in change - but you can make new friends :)
Cheers for the reply,
Bec

Hi:

I am sorry you are going through this and had such a rough start at the age of 17, but it just reinforces the decision I made to keep this to myself. I was diagnosed three years ago, tomorrow, at the age of 59. I've told one friend and one sister; the only others who know about it are my medical professionals. Already regret telling my sister. I have learned so much from these boards, even more than from my CDE and Endo, that I feel confident I can handle this by myself. I "divorced" the rest of my family many years ago due to other issues and self-righteous attitudes and found it very liberating. If I ever begin to have control issues I may choose to share my condition with a few close friends, especially since I live alone, but so far, so good. Enjoy your husband, son and MIL, and tolerate the rest of the brood. Best of luck.

Sue

Hi Sue,
Thanks for your reply (I try to be quick to respond, but unfortunately found myself on bed rest for the last 2+ weeks) - I am sorry to hear that your family seems to come from the same place mine does, good thing there's communities like TuD ;)
Hope you are well, and thank you for taking the time to read/respond.
Bec

You will probably never feel like many people in your life fully understand
what diabetes means to you. I was 34 just married for the second time,raising
two small children from my first mirage and had just started a new business.

When I crashed no one understood they just wanted to know when I was coming back
to work. Now I'm 59 my parents are in their 80's and still have no clue what it's
like for me to get up everyday and my first thought is diabetes,

T1D's live in a parallel universe from people that are not insulin dependent.

My husband (and I) totally agree - he refers to it as a thin veil between T1D and the rest of the world...
Hopefully, you have a spouse (and others) in your life who support you - at least, we all have TuD and each other; I have never found understanding like I have here.
Cheers for the reply :)

The veil is a great analogy!

I'm still married and my wife has no problem with my crazy Diabetical
life. My children are grown up now and I have grandchildren I can spoil.

I go to some local meetups with other T1D's, there is no better food
for our souls. I think the web forums are great but nothing compares to
some face-time with another T1D.

Hi RR,
No one can help people to understand D if they have no interest. We have some members of our family who are simply in denial over its possibility. They don't want to know more, and if one wants to try it, they'll walk out. They will have no interest until they have it themselves. And then, one wonders how long they'll stay in denial before taking hold and learning how to manage it. And this is in a tight knit family of 11, with 2 who've had T1, 5 medical professionals.
Hey this forum is what these discussions are for.

I've always thought so ;)

So happy for you - that is lovely :)

Honestly didn't know/realize there were groups (only recently found this site!) where you could meet-up...must look in to that! I've had very little interaction w/other diabetics and the few weeks I've been exploring this site has worked something close to miracles ;)