Name one positive thing about having Diabetes: My healthy diet and regular exercise have allowed me to keep weight off lost on several hospital IV diets last year and to stay in good shape and overall health.
It’s helped me to learn to appreciate how you can be going through something on a daily basis that is entirely invisible to the rest of the world. Diabetes is there 24/7 but you can’t actually see it…I’m grateful for that because it’s led me to have a massive interest in psychological disorders since they’re also commonly unseen and regularly misunderstood, and because of that I’m hopefully graduating from my Psychology degree next month. 
Congratulations, Bronagh! I’m retired from a career in Psychology but still teach online. Ironically before my diabetes diagnosis I used to use diabetes as an analogy for my clients to encourage them in self-management. Basically that there is no cure but that if you do certain things for yourself on a daily basis you can live a full and rich life.
It has given me strength, and gratefulness towards every day that I wake up.
I’ve got a great sense of humour (have been told by friends I should be on stage - uhhh - me thinkest not - stttaaaggggeeee friiggghhhhtttt). I have been hit by other things that I think are to me worse then diabetes - and with having diabetes - I think it made me more excepting of the things that get flung at me!
Diabetes has given me the chance to do many things I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to do - appearing on TV, interviewing my hero, speaking at conferences and blogging - I blogged about this today at http://www.shootuporputup.co.uk/2009/06/if-i-didnt-have-diabetes/
realizing how strong you actually are,
and knowing that your way healthier than a person without diabetes
(well, if you have good control or in the sense that your more aware of your health)
hmm… .
I have been thinking about this for like an hour, so far I have nothing…
Back when I was in college for the first gulf war me and my friends all realized that we were all ineligible for the draft. So we would have we cant get drafted party’s while watching it on CNN.
In the end I still didn’t really feel to good about it…
Ivan!
RESPONSIBILITY!! a respect for everything in life, a respect for those much worse off then me, friendships i wouldn’t have had otherwise, being healthier than all my non d friends, having a reason for eating healthier, d makes the little dissapointments in life seem easy, more dr visits, in high school…skipping classes because i was low (bad i know)…that’s all i can think of right now
oh and being more at piece with dying. somewhat depressing i know but it’s also a good thing.
There are not many positive things about the big D (all in all, I would much prefer it never entered my life), but:
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It has taught me responsibility for myself and my actions – each and every action, inaction or omission has a direct consequence.
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I pay more attention to my health – the things that I might otherwise ignore have me calling a doctor.
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Thanks to this site and a support group, I have realized that there are lots of great people out there who have the same struggles I do and have great ideas for solving problems.
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My daughter does not have the big D (this one really is the only one that matters).
It reminds me that God is in charge of my life,
I have to echo the sentiment of many others, the only positive thing diabetes has brought me is the decision to PAY ATTENTION to my health. I’ve reexamined all of my health habits and changed them for the better. I eat better, i don’t smoke anymore. I exercise regularly. I have regular doctor and dental visits. I simply more aware.
That’s all. If my diabetes went away i could return to being the lazy, slovenly, stinky fool I was before.
Terry
I don’t believe diabetes has made me healthier in any way shape or form. It is cruel disease.
Diabetes has made me examine my life and the very uncomfortable things about my personality, very closely. I believe we can make a difference in the world, or not, but most importantly - the choice is ours. Or lives can be long or short, we can be famous or obscure, our jobs can be menial or professional, we can be outgoing or reclusive, but a meaningful life is still a choice.
We are completely entitled to feel sorry for ourselves. We can therefore become despondent and draw inward, and be angry and not make any positive impact on the world or the lives of the people around us if we choose. In fact, we are so well entitled; our anger can make us very persuasive in a harmful or hurtful way, again, if we so choose. I don’t think I would have considered the magnitude of that decision if I was not afflicted.
The most positive thing about diabetes? I had to get over myself or die.
I believe we make the decision to be positive every single day. We certainly don’t have to. We can curl up and waste a life starting now, but when we don’t – when we reach out to touch the hand, the head, or the heart of others, that’s what I believe the meaningful life is all about.
Cheers.
PS It was not my idea to change and be positive. I learned it from others: who have suffered more and lived less than I have, but who were in possession of a kind of serenity that made them the happiest people I ever knew. I have seen the work of angels, and they can be us.
Wow Dino…it’s always so interesting to hear how after 18 years, it’s still tough sometimes. That makes me feel kinda sad…and kinda comforted. Usually when bad things happen in life, people say “it’ll get better in time”. But this doesn’t necessarily (and sometimes worse) physically and emotionally…
Sometimes I cannot see the nonsense on TV. LOL
rick phillips
Yes, like with doctors or any other so called professionals, we must teach them how to treat us. So you definitely have to “walk them through the process”. I put everything on the belt, walk close to the metal detector with my shoes on and tell the TSA worker “I need a secondary screening. I can’t take off my shoes because I am diabetic.” They usually wave me through (once the guy said, “I’m diabetic too and I know nothing about that”. I said, “well, sir, you shouldn’t risk your health by exposing your feet to all this bacteria”. He was speechless. He called for his supervisor who gave him a look like, “weren’t you paying attention in our latest training?”. They’ve been trained. They just don’t wanna do extra work. But they have to if you insist.)
They have me wait for a “female assist”…who comes over and swabs my shoes as they stay on me. Twice they had to check my water for chemicals (they wave a stick over it?). And then I realized that as I am going through this process, they don’t bother checking everything else in my bag. I used to get harassed for all my lipglosses and lotions…now? Nothing!
That is awesome Donna! Love that you are in the field …walking the talk!
Warn them ahead of time that you have insulin, water, juice, food, etc…I’ve noticed that they barely look at my stuff now. It’s weird. Kinda scary. But nice too.
I put everything on the belt and walk up to the detector and the the TSA worker I need a secondary screening because I have diabetes. They have been trained. Insist on it!!
Gerri- I can’t believe they took it away and told you to buy more! I’d insist on speaking to a supervisor (which I’ve done a couple times in the begining). That sucks! If you have to immediately eat something you have no time to waste looking for water or waiting in line or getting cash from the ATM. That is so crazy. The messed up part too, is you could file a complaint with the TSA, but you risk giving them your name for future harassment. (I’m a bit paranoid!) 
I feel you about not being able to find anything positive. That’s why I started this discussion-because I couldn’t think of anything! I already felt I was eating and living healthy, grateful for friends and family, etc…I keep trying to figure out: what is the lesson for me? And maybe there just isn’t one.
Great point Susi! Maybe there isn’t one? I have been trying to figure out the “lesson” in this for me (because I already ate super healthy, exercised, blah, blah, blah…) and I have concluded that maybe there isn’t a “lesson” for every experience. So contrary to the way I used to look at things…maybe that’s part of the lesson?