I haven’t really heard very many people talking about emotional issues which go along with Type 1.5… As opposed to child onset T1, we are having to re-learn how to deal with life in general… as I am fornd of saying, this is like trying to learn how to drive a stick-shift car after having driven an automatic your whole life. I for one, am surprised (I shouldn’t be) by how much I creep people out when I talk about the exahustive management of T1. The first thing a co-worker told me when I said that I was diabetic was… “but you’re not fat??? How can you have diabetes?” And in general I get the impression that people don’t understand what being a brittle diabetic is… and that I’m just being maledramatic… but then, once I start a monolog about what I’m doing to manage my BG’s in one day, I creep them out. I have had co-workers tell management that helping me in a ‘low’ is not their responsibility. Its not their responsibility to help me if I should be unable to ‘catch’ a low and pass out. Maybe, if they have time, they’ll call 911, but as far as my glucose shot goes, no way. I’ve been told by other co-workers that if I’m really that sick that I should be on disabilty. All of this is playing some serious head games with me, and that’s on top of the emotional changes that actually kinda look bipolar when my BG is very hard to manage. I am 31 years old and work in the health care profession, so this is the last thing I ever expected… but its not only them, its people everywhere once they know I have a medical condition. Like I just went to take a standardized exam the other day, and I was discussing my ‘needs’ with the proctor as your personal posessions are locked away and you’re only allowed to take certain objects in the testing area with you. I saw a few of the other testers just roll their eyes at me like I was just looking for attention and they were irritated with me for wasting their time. But then of couse, I was very stressed about the test and was bolusing for that, and I crashed right in the middle of the exam. I managed, but between the bathroom breaks and food breaks when suddenly I no longer needed that much insulin, and the test was being timed and I got no extra time for all of this. I haven’t heard many people discuss prejudism/lack of understanding in others, so I was curious what anyone else has expereinced. I’ve also been mistaken for a meth addict (at times) even though I wear a medical alert bracelet. There are others who think that I should not be allowed to drive. My husband often loses patience with me if my blood sugars drop too fast and he can’t get a good answer out of me what’s wrong with me… I can see that it must be frustrating for those who care about us… But I feel like his emotional response to me being low-cranky is punishing me for something that I can’t control. I’ve tried to talk him into education, yet he resists. He dosen’t sleep at night, thinking that I’m going to crash overnight … This in addition to all of the bologny that I have to deal with at work is exhausting by itself… and everyone at work is thinking that I’m making things up just to slack off… I’m sorry if this is scattered, but I really am having trouble dealing with all of this at once. I’ve been on insulin for just about a year and have no insulin resistance… in fact I would say that I am hypersensitive to it… so I guess that makes me ‘extra’ brittle. I hate being fragile and others treating me like a feeble person because of all this… I hate that my 3 year old picks up my issues and is a much better ‘nurse’ to me than anyone else I’ve been in proximity with (spouse/co workers). Friends are okay until they’re alone with me… Once I bring up the ‘emegency glucose shot’ it seems about over… even if they are trying to help me, they alll of a sudden over-analyze everything I do which Is a nuisance when I’m ‘normal’ but I get truly agressive and actively hide my issues when i’m having a low. I still haven’t figured theis one out… other than if you’ve see the beauty shope seen in steel magnolias, its a little like that. I told my endo about that and she rolled her eyes and said, “oh, you’re one of those, are you?” and didn’t say anything else… what does that mean??? I have no others to ask about what’s normal,… like me not knowing that I’m in a constant state of ketosis (everything’s a balance) and co-workers make snide comments about that, too. Like one of them telling me that “I’d better go eat something before I start looking like a crack head.”… I’m just having trouble dealing with the enormity of it all, and the fact that people who I thought were my friends really are not… or maybe they are, but only until I need something. I can appreaciate that no one without personal experience can really understand, but this is like bizarro-world. I mean, I was cynical before, but I never dreamed that it was THIS cruel. Please, If anyone has a story or advice or tricks in dealing with things, share them with me. Thanks for reading this long ramble 
Hi Sekhmet: Oh, you bring up some tough issues! Yes, it is hard to live life into adulthood then get Type 1 diabetes. I think you are in your first year? That is the most difficult emotionally. In my first year after diagnosis, I lost two friends, not particularly close friends, but two people who were overwhelmed by my very emotional ranting self. I don’t blame them, and I don’t blame myself. I think the emotional adjustment is the most difficult–all the testing and insulin is so much easier! I would suggest just doing your absolute best to take care of yourself, to ease the rollercoaster blood sugar swings. Have you read “Think Like a Pancreas”? How about “Pumping Insulin” by John Walsh? I would suggest learning all you can and gaining the best control you can–it makes life so much easier in so many ways. In my first year, I was lucky enough to find a therapist who has Type 1 diabetes. That was also useful. And of course, lean on all of us here at TuD.
Hello! You are not alone! I have had and still have these issues. My mother and sister still don’t know after 23 years, the difference between hypo and hyper glycemia…let alone the symptoms. My spouse of 17 years never had a clue. He argued tooth and nail that low blood sugar doesn’t make people irritable…he said it was just an excuse for me to be a b----. My sister told me that if I was unconscious ands needed a shot (glucagon) that I would have to die, because she wasn’t going to give me an injection. WOW!!! My daughter is the only one who knows what is going on. I am hypogycemic unaware, but she can spot it when I first start going low. As far as friends and people I meet or work with…I am very open and upfront…if they have issues then I don’t need them around. I have had very good support at work, but it is an environment that has to accommodate many issues…a school (we have numerous diabetis students). At family get togethers, my sister still fixes sugar sweetened tea! How is that diabetic friendly? Anyway, I hear you and could go on and on, but it doesn’t change anything. There are people out there that are able to handle things like diabetes and others who can’t. Thank goodness for this site and the people on it! I wish you the best and remember…we will always listen and support you! Things will get better!
Jeez… these stories make me realize just how lucky my son is to be small and cute. When people see me doing his insulin and BG testing in public, they all look at him and are sympathetic and supportive, especially when I point out to them that he was little more than a baby when diagnosed. I agree with Melitta that learning from the books she mentioned, and getting better control would likely help you deal with the social issues more (especially since you’ll be a lot less worried about lows if your control is good), and in time, with support from the TuDiabetes crowd, I think you’ll make the adjustment. And if these lows are a recurrent thing, especially during the night, you should consider talking to your endo about getting a continuous glucose monitoring device that will signal you when your blood sugar is dropping… the kind of “crashes” you are talking about aren’t healthy. But, you’re not the only one who needs to learn more. Your husband does too. If he truly thinks you’re using your condition as an “excuse” for “bitchiness”, that’s a pretty major issue in your marriage. It could even be a life-threatening issue, if you have a serious low and he refuses to help you when you need it. You and he need to work this out with a diabetes educator and/or a therapist. I also wonder, why ARE you bringing up the emergency glucose shot with your friends? Are you that scared that you’ll need it? It’s not something that comes up in casual conversation for most people, even people with diabetes. If fear is what’s driving you (fear that your friends and relatives are undoubtedly sensing and reacting to) then… a therapist, and better control, are probably the two things you need most in life, not necessarily in that order (but the one might help with the other).
As far as the test is concerned, rules may be rules, but they MUST allow you to bring medically necessary gear. As a person with insulin-dependent diabetes, you’re covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and for them to forbid you to bring your testing supplies into the exam room is a violation of federal law. Explain THAT to them and you may get a different response.