I wish people knew

[Stuart]

Tacking into a hurricane ???

[Stuart]

Helllo… I have OTHER parts which are quite/as important.

[Fraser70]

Once again today I wished people knew the difference between type one and two and we no longer talk abou old age onset diabetes.
When I explain what the difference between 1 and two and we have those at 60 who are diagnose type 1. And I am a 2!
IThen I cringe waiting for the response, " so you have the easy one". Blahhhh
No question as a Two I have the easier type. Which I am happy For and control it well.
But Easy maybe not.
And no thank you I won’t have a beer, with potatoe salad and barbecue pork at the picnic. Yep not for even one day

[Stang777]

Fraser, I don’t see how either type is the easy one, they are both very hard to manage. However, I am type 1 and in my opinion, type 2 is a heck of a lot harder to manage. A person with type 2 might not die because they didn’t get a shot of insulin, as most of them are not insulin dependent, (even though many are insulin assisted) but they also cannot usually get as predictable (not that anything with either type is really predictable) results from an insulin shot and the majority of them are trying to manage it without the aid of insulin. Those who do use insulin as type 2, have to use a whole lot more than most with type 1 and since their insulin isn’t used effectively, it is much harder to know how the insulin they have, or inject, will be used. Type 2’s have more restrictive diets and usually have a much harder time managing their diabetes than those who are type 1. To use a line that I have seen someone else post on another board, managing type 2 is like trying to nail jello to the wall.

[anon22778511]

anything at all about diabetes.

[anon22778511]

…I have finally researched, heard enough stories, and done enough reading to be able to confidently say…“There is no easy diabetes.”

[David_dns]

Welcome to the Inner Mysteries. ROFL.

[amandalewisia]

I’m kick ■■■ at my job and being a mom in spite of, and because I have this challenge.

[Dave26]

@MissMargie

I wish people knew that it’s so much harder than just taking insulin before I eat.

Oh my goodness yes! Let us count the ways

One that is really obscure from even many with PWD in their lives that use insulin is the stuff we put in doesn’t work the same as the stuff made by the body. Time to onset, peak, duration, etc. – these are all things that make exogenous insulin nothing more than a poor match to what’s really going on with carbs in the blood, so it is utterly impossible to eat whatever you want, and control your BG like a non-diabetic, no matter how clever you are with administration, pre-bolusing, fancy pump programs, etc.

[Dave26]

@TimmyMac

and we navigate using a gps that only has to be 80% accurate

With inexplicable larger failures from time to time that leave you glucose-lost.

[Dave26]

@Jamie_Woodruff

I wish my daughter knew how much I want to tell her how to manage her diabetes, because I see when she forgets to check her blood before she eats, or when she forgets to bolus and ends up going over 500. A part of me dies each time I know this… I try not to say anything, but that’s so hard! …to just let her manage this horrible condition the way she wants to. I wish she knew that those high blood sugars affect so many things, like her eyes, her kidneys, her skin, her nerves…but she doesn’t want to hear. I wish my daughter knew that what I want most is to help…not to interfere,…because I love her and want the best for her.(written by Jamie’s mom)

Take comfort in the reality that at her age, her body can handle the assault from the higher sugars much better than old oldsters. While its not good, at least there is the silver lining that there’s a bit of give in the disease when one is young and foolish.

[Jen]

@Dave26

Take comfort in the reality that at her age, her body can handle the assault from the higher sugars much better than old oldsters.

Is there any research on this? I know there’s research on very young children supposedly being able to handle swings in BG better than others (but then I’ve seen other research that seems to refute this), but I’ve never seen anything about kids older than that.

[Dave26]

@Jen

@Dave26

Take comfort in the reality that at her age, her body can handle the assault from the higher sugars much better than old oldsters.

Is there any research on this? I know there’s research on very young children supposedly being able to handle swings in BG better than others (but then I’ve seen other research that seems to refute this), but I’ve never seen anything about kids older than that.

I haven’t looked directly at any research about this, just going with what I’ve heard from many doctors, as well has having come across it in authoritative articles over the years.

I confess, however, I haven’t seen any actual studies or so forth, so maybe I should qualify those claims with, “I read and heard”.

[anon22778511]

My son is only 2 now, but when he’s old enough to understand, I plan on adding a whole slew of diabetes books to his reading assignments. Hell, I’m thinking of reading diabetes books as bedtime stories. I want HIM to know the repercussions from an early age, of not caring for himself properly…when he’s at that age that care is handed over to him. If your daughter hasn’t yet read any books on her disease, I’d definitely recommend getting her to read some. As far as getting involved…everyone parents differently, but my child won’t be allowing 500’s until he’s a legal adult. If they happen and he’s attempted to correct them, OK…but ignoring will never be OK.

All we can do is just let them know how much we love them, how much we are there for them, to help them in any way that we can but just like anything else - weight loss, quitting smoking, etc., THEY have to care. We can’t instill that care, but we can emphasize the importance of them being in our lives for as long as possible.

Much respect for your hard work with your daughter.

[Terry4]

@ClaudandDaye

My son is only 2 now, but when he’s old enough to understand, I plan on adding a whole slew of diabetes books to his reading assignments.

I understand your motivation and think it’s a good idea to educate your son about his diabetes as he grows older. But I think that the behavior that you’re currently modeling for your son about his diabetes is a lesson that will have the biggest impact.

Not only the technical aspects of diabetes care but also the emotional issues. How you respond/react to blood sugar outliers, whether it’s high or low. Are your emotions strong or measured and calibrated so that your sons sees that there’s some middle ground in how to respond emotionally when diabetes veers off track. These are the lessons that I think are the hardest to get right when rearing children. Diabetes throws a big ol’ wrench into an already tough job.

Example is the most powerful teacher.

[anon22778511]

I try to live my life in such a way that sets a good example for all my children (6 of them). I come from a very bad childhood myself to the level that, today, we’d have been taken away and put into foster care many times over…that childhood taught me more than anything about what kind of father NOT to be. So every decision I make I try to think how I would feel if I was that son (or daughter if applicable to my daughter) being told X or Y. Everything I do and every decision I make with regards to my kids I try to make with a rational mindset…sometimes my wife has to tell me to go take a breather before overreacting…which I tend to do sometimes. At the end of the day every decision I make where it comes to discipline, etc., I try to remember my own childhood and also think…if I do this, will this help, or hurt, the chances that they’ll want to hang out with me when I’m old and they’re all out on their own.) If they want to hang around me (and preferably move/live near me), and if they want to come over for holiday meals, etc., then, at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve been a successful parent.

When he gets old enough to care for himself, I want him to care for himself as much as his mother and me care for him.

[LADA_lady]

I wish people knew:
Good parenting gets rejected by sick kids, just as often as by healthy kids.

The hardest part of parenting any child growing up with a chronic, life threatening medical condition is letting go.

But I assure you, the earlier you turn CERTAIN responsibilities over to THEM, the more practice they will have.

However, never expect they will NOT go thru a period of abandoning practiced, learned protocols, no matter HOW life-threatening their abandonment becomes.

It is in our DNA to break away from parents to become our own individual self. Most young people abandon medically known practices for a time. No amount of practice or early learning can prevent this stage.

That is the hardest parenting part:
to not rescue,
as it does not help them learn to rescue themselves.

Mantra I used with “adult” daughter facing life threatening consequences of her abandonment of medical protocols, WHILE ENCOUNTERING NEW medical conditions thrust upon her during ages 16-20:

“It’s a real bummer that you are
stuck in the hospital right now /
Tied to IV antibiotics /
the doctor prescribed a medicine (previously unknown) that made you so much sicker than you were /
that you can’t even get to the doctor because you are so sick”

“I’m sorry you
have to make up so much class work /
have to deal with teachers and administrators who are hurting you /
have to retake the ACT once your accommodations are finally approved on appeal /
have to withdraw from the college of your dreams.”

"It’s too bad you
have to deal with these new, additional medical problems beyond your control. "

“What can you do on your own?
What do you need someone to do for you?”

Empathy and removed caring helped my daughter learn how to manage her multiple conditions.

Learning how to ask others
Loudly and Clearly for the help she needed was a really important step!

On the OTHER SIDE of this period, your kids will emerge stronger. Just know it cannot be prevented, even by awareness, practice and knowledge.

It is something maybe helped by our efforts. But it is something THEY MUST go through, nonetheless.

And they’ll be better for it.

[kelly_kunik]

Great comments, guys! #IwishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes can bee a pain in the butt, but people with diabetes are amazing! If any of you would like to submit a guest blog post, picture, or artwork on the subject, IwishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes.Org I would love and appreciate it so much!

[David_dns]

Kelly,

I have an idea or two. Where/how should I contact you?

David

[kelly_kunik]

Awesome, David! Go to the website, IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes.org checkout the site & go to the Submit | I Wish People Knew That Diabetes...
Section and submit a post, picture, photograph, etc about what you wish people knew about Diabetes:)