RANT! need to get this out!

just really needed a wee rant to get this all off my shoulders. i hate how diabetes is how people see me. my introduction to people by my parents is alway "this is sara-louise she is 15 and diabetic for 13 years 10 months and 16 days." it has led me to hate the word 'diabetic'. i have diabetes but it does not define me. i have other characteristics like im irish or im a scout. why is diabetes all they talk about? why cant they talk about my school work? my scouts? my dancing? WHY ALWAYS DIABETES!?!? i want my life to be defined by my courage and my bravery towards general life not about how my life runs on an AA battery! just needed to let it off my shoulders! if anybody took time out of their precious days to read my wee rant well thanks a million you all have a place in my heart <3 x

sara you are not alone we all here understand how you feel
just be yourself enjoy life & disregard what others say
hugs

please come to out chatroom where we all help each other & also have fun

Sara Louise, the horror is in many respects YOUR disease is more significant to them, than it is for you who breathes it. What they are doing is DEAD WRONG, and one of the things you must fight with them about, if necessary.

The Behavioral Diabetes Institute used to have a free card which makes VERY clear that specific behavior is FORBIDDEN, if they want any kind of relationship with you, their daughter.

Many parents do it, and have no idea literally they are doing so.

Look up the Behavioral Diabetes Institute website and find their different cards. FInd the old ones on the net archives, a new one if it/they are still free. It WILL give you a serious basis to talk with them… and talk you must.

Any of us who are diabetics too, have faced this foolishness. And make no mistake it is stupid, but parenthood does not make us smart, intelligent, just more experienced than we were before.

Lets see if we can get them to stop the diabetes starting every breathe, every sentence. How you want to tackle this one??? Enjoy art? How bout making them a pretend sarcastic birth certificate with TYPE 1 DIABETES being in front of your full name on the pretend certificate ???

Hey mom, dad, I have something I wanted to talk with you when you guys get home and have a few minutes, its important… -grin- then at the right time show them the certificate and ask them if you spelled it correctly? Type 1 Diabetes SEEMS to be your new first name and you were never told that. You wanted to make sure you spelled it correctly, because it IS the first and only word out of their mouths in EVERY conversation…

You just wanted to be sure you were right about the spelling and stuff. Think they'll get your point???

hello Sara Louise,
Did you see the video conference last night given by Ginger Vieira. She talked a little about the role of Diabetes 3 people. They can really get on our nerves and no doubt Stuart is right that you should express this frustration to your parents. Do it your way. And don't forget like we sometimes all do that these people (your parents or others) are like that because they care for us and are worried about us. You can help them by communicating, being responsible and independent in your care of the beast. Give them ideas how they can share your life and put diabetes on the back burner, so to speak. Good luck!

Keep your head up. I was researching pumps on youtube and i found Diabeticdanica. She is very optimistic and has positive attitude. It is part of you not all of you and you come out stronger.

ive followed diabeticdanica for a long time and she is always happy and smiling and a very optimistic person. she is such an inspiration :)

hi sara louise. i got t1 in my thirties and i live far away from my mom, so i dont have to deal with this type of problem very much. However, every time i go back to visit my mom, she will say something to one of her friends about me and diabetes when im standing right there, usually as we are sitting down to eat. its usually something complimentary, like, oh, shes so careful about what she eats/shes very good with it.
im very open with my diabetes, as its hard to hide, but i really cant stand when she does this! i dont know these people well, its none of their business if i take care of myself or not! oooh, i cant stand it! but as i said, im only there a couple of times a year.
i do know how you feel about being thought of as the diabetic though. last year, some friends were talking about me and since there are two emilys in our little group of friends, one friend referred to me as "diabetic emily". i did not like that! emily that works at X or emily from new york would have helped just as much to distinguish between the two emilys!
im a teacher and since diagnosis i always look at my students and think, omg, how horrible would it be to be a kid with this? and even worse, a teenager?!? im so glad i got this as an adult! and then i think about how tough a job it would be to be a mom or dad with a kid with t1! your D looms large in their heads and they probably think about it as much as you do. i would talk to them about it. im sure theyd agree to make an effort NOT to talk about it/introduce you like that. give them a break though, its hard to break those habits!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYQcBgYm9V4

have you seen this video by mike lawson? it is very on point and i showed to to my mom. and my brother. and my mom again. three more times. it takes time.

Mike Lawson is definitely a great source…
Here some more videos by him which address your problem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1b3BEPsE5Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrm7z0owxoc