Powerful Description of Type 1

Type 1 and LADA
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This is a very well stated post from Slaight Brad. A very powerful description of type 1 diabetes. What do you think about this?

Slaight Brad

Diabetes is an autoimmune assassin. A traitorous coward that strikes with a sucker punch, leaving behind a dead or panting organ adrift in a sea of insalubrious self…

Diabetes is years of lancet jabs, eviscerating your fingerprints, disrupting the swirls as if to say “We’re taking everything from you, even the one thing that makes you unique.”

Diabetes is a suspicious stare and judgmental eye from the faces of so many of those we meet.

Diabetes is the sadness of a blue candle, its frenetic flickering flame pays tribute to a life lost

Diabetes is the empowering color blue…as in blue circles, blue Fridays, blue heels, and big blue tests.

Diabetes is the number 300 and the number 40 all within a few hours. It’s pump or be pumped, control or be controlled, inject or die.

Diabetes is a carbapalooza gorge-fest because you’re tired of your life being measured in grams. The protest rages for hours as you devour everything like a ravenous termite in a lumberyard

Diabetes is the useless advice, cured laboratory mice, a dozen meters that are not precise, as you pay the price so corporate execs can live real nice

Diabetes is the endless stories from people who feel the need to tell you about their diabetic uncle who lost a toe, lost a foot, lost a leg

Diabetes is an unknown surgeon in 1920’s Canada who unlocked a miracle and then gave away all his rights to the discovery because sometimes humanity actually does trump greed.

Diabetes is an Einsteinium formula in restaurants and supermarket aisles as you do the mathematical dance called the carb ratio two step

Diabetes is a never ending parade of doctor appointments as you try to distract your fear by thumbing through six month old People magazines.

Diabetes is waking up in the morning knowing you still have diabetes and today is just like yesterday making you feel like an extra in some sort of a real life ground-hog day movie

Diabetes is an online community with people who get you, bloggers who represent, strangers in common who quickly become friends

Diabetes is the boy in back of a classroom, hoping he doesn’t lose one more friend because their clueless parents think he’s contagious

Diabetes is dinner parties with the usual diabetes police interrogation as you reach for a piece of anything. “Yes, I should be eating that. So back the (bleep) off!”

Diabetes is a Type 1 mother; as she prays that the finger sticks and Banting juice she’s known for so long will never be a part of her child’s innocent life

Diabetes is a trail of used test strips that follow you like Hansel and Gretel bread crumbs as you make your way through your own fractured fairy tale

Diabetes is a late night poet vomiting empty angry words in a ketone rage as he waits for the number to come down before he can even think of sleep

Diabetes is every minute of every hour of every day …and never knowing how many of those we have left

Diabetes is….the ultimate suck.

Diabetes is this and so much more…but mostly

Diabetes is…still without a cure!

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Just about the most depressing, unhelpful thing I have seen.

I’ve had none of these thoughts/feelings in 32 years of Type 1. I don’t think the many Type 1 pro athletes, like Quarterback Jay Cutler, have them either.

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Depressing, Maybe, but sometimes we have to just understand and give comfort. It pleases me that you have not experienced the emotions laid out in this piece but I would say you are a rarity.

It puzzles me that you mention a pro athlete like Jay Cuttler for you know not what he or other pro athletes think.

Please join us in a little understanding here, the author deserves it.

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@Lumberjack, this description is extremely popular on Facebook!! That is what prompted me to post it here.

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I liked the post on Facebook & I appreciate you posting it here Richard. In our house we call it embracing the suck. Sometimes you just need to say/write/allow yourself to feel it.

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I responded similar to Lumberjack, in that it does not describe my 50+ years with diabetes.

Maybe because it repeatedly says diabetes IS… and I kept thinking, well not for me, but I do understand others feel differently.

But I’m certainly supportive of those who find comfort or positive feedback from the description, and hope they appreciate it is not for everyone.

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Yuk!! Too down! Life is what you make of it and so much of the time how you choose to look at it.
Sorry, I do not want to rain on your parade but you asked!!! This just sounds seriously depressing!

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I would rather get together with some Type 1s and just be myself. There’s a group of diabetics (mostly Type 1s) who meet quarterly in Seattle. There’s usually a guest speaker and questions. But my favorite moment is when someone relays an experience or a problem and they are frustrated, angry or exhausted from all this work. The look on everyone’s face and/or the tears in their eyes that show they understand.

It’s such a relief to share those feelings and know that everyone has felt them. We can relate.

I can relate to all those feelings in that description. But they don’t have enough of what I need and that is hope. Or, barring that, a little humor. Because hope and humor lubricate the nitty-gritty of the grind that is Type 1.

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@Timbeak48, I agree with everything you have said.
There is a diabetes meeting called the “Unconference” held twice each year. The normal conferences have speakers who talk for 50 minutes, and then answer questions for 10 minutes. The Unconference is very different. It has a group of 100 maximum diabetics of all types who talk about their problems, or success stories. Lots of frustration, joy, laughter, etc as the entire group participates. No single speakers, just everyone participates, usually on a Saturday. The previous day, Friday, is a social gathering of the people, getting to know each other. Sunday morning is a gathering for saying goodbye, and it is all over at 1 PM. This seems like the kind of diabetes meeting you would enjoy. There was an Unconference this year in Las Vegas. There is another one in October in Alexandria in October, but the deadline for registering was July 1. Maybe you would like to attend an Unconference next year. The one in October will be the first one I have attended. These meetings have been running for two years, twice each year.

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While I agree that this is piece is a depressing piece of “suck”, it is also a bit of reality. I find it hard to believe that any T1 can read this without having at least one or two lines resonating with a deafening volume. The loudest lines for me …

“Diabetes is a suspicious stare and judgmental eye from the faces of so many of those we meet.”

“Diabetes is a suspicious stare and judgmental eye from the faces of so many of those we meet.”

“Diabetes is a carbapalooza gorge-fest because you’re tired of your life being measured in grams. The protest rages for hours as you devour everything like a ravenous termite in a lumberyard”

“Diabetes is the useless advice, cured laboratory mice, a dozen meters that are not precise, as you pay the price so corporate execs can live real nice”

“Diabetes is waking up in the morning knowing you still have diabetes and today is just like yesterday making you feel like an extra in some sort of a real life ground-hog day movie”

“Diabetes is dinner parties with the usual diabetes police interrogation as you reach for a piece of anything. “Yes, I should be eating that. So back the (bleep) off!””

“Diabetes is every minute of every hour of every day …and never knowing how many of those we have left”

And the big one …

“Diabetes is a Type 1 mother; as she prays that the finger sticks and Banting juice she’s known for so long will never be a part of her child’s innocent life”

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It seems that too often diabetes is treated as more of a state of mind than a state of one’s physiology.

After 46 years of controlling it, diabetes has NEVER made me feel anything like what this person has written. My state of mind has always been, even before diabetes, that I will take what I have been given and make the best of it. My diagnosis of T1 at 19 years of age 46 years ago was but a minor inconvenience in achieving my life goals.

To moan about something is non productive and unhealthy. To do something about it is far more productive and healthy.

I do feel badly for all diabetics who have trouble coping with their disease. But my advice is that you will not get real control of your diabetes nor of your life if you don’t change your attitude.

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I write this from the perspective of one diagnosed Type 1 at age 49, the only such diagnosis in a family peppered with Type 2s. Unlike the majority of Type 1s, I lived a good many years unaffected by the physical, emotional and financial burdens of the disease.

The first year was, in a word, devastating - this site and its overwhelmingly helpful members were so valuable in helping me to learn how to negotiate the sudden, unwelcome, wholesale and permanent life change. Mostly, they helped me to know that others felt the same way and experienced the same emotions.

Marie20, it is true that life is what we make of it; Lumberjack, maybe the post is the most unhelpful thing you’ve read.

Some of us have needed help to make our lives, and most other readers finding the post unhelpful were at least diplomatic enough to hold their tongues.

The original post is a heartfelt expression of the author’s experience, and mirrors in so many ways my own.

Thanks, Slaight Brad, for articulating the Daily Struggle!

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I thought the comments were quite measured.

The implication that comes from this post is that it is okay for one poster to share their feelings while another poster should not.

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Everyone is welcome to express their opinion, no one has taken that right away. Nothing was implied.

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All are welcome to share feelings - what is not helpful is denigrating another’s.

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Just wondering who was denigrating?

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It seems that several do so in this thread, @Lumberjack did, so did I, for that I apologize to @Lumberjack. My criticism of his post should have been made privately to him and should not have appeared in public.

Others in this discussion are guilty of denigrating, if there are fingers to be pointed they should point in many directions.

.

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I think this post was unusual in that Richard posted something from Facebook, and asked for our thoughts. If he had posted it as his own feelings, I think the responses would have been much different and supportive.

I also interpreted it to be implying this is how all or most people with diabetes feel. My reaction was to let others know that not everyone feels this way, but to also validate that many do.

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Richard asked what people think.

Were those people wrong to think they should not answer his question and share their opinion? Or only share their thoughts if it was positive and they agreed with the post?

Lumberjack did not denigrate anyone. He said the post was depressing and unhelpful. What is wrong with stating that?!

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The mother sentence hit me…I pray everyday my kids don’t get Type One. Good and bad days though.