What? Really, the upside? Yep. Before you dismiss this as some sort of Pollyanna utopian dribble, just think about it for a minute.
Every human being on earth has challenges in their life. Dark, disappointing and tragic events play no favorites. When these things happen it can seem like our world has come to an end or that it soon will. Having a chronic illness is just one of these possible events. Regardless of who you are and your station in life these types of things are unavoidable and usually come as a surprise. We can land in a very dark and very deep hole that can seem impossible to escape. But eventually we do.
These experiences, dreadful as they may be, bring with them personal growth and understanding that we otherwise would not acquire. This is but one of the things that makes each of us different. These elements of growth and understanding usually take some time for us to appreciate them. The lessons can be difficult and painful, blurring our vision towards the deeper meanings and impacts. Sometimes it can be very difficult to find the gains we might have made in the midst of this darkness. In fact, quite often we are so angered and frustrated by these events that we simply refuse to believe there can be any positive found.
So what exactly is the upside of diabetes? Just like everything else with this disease, your results may vary. This growth, the gains and the things we learn are different for each of us. My life is not your life. I can only speak to the things that I have found as a result of my diabetes which help to move me forward.
After going almost completely blind, I have a much greater appreciation of the vision we have been able to restore. I know for sure that I have a much greater appreciation and understanding of my body and my health. The truly small stuff has truly gotten smaller. But perhaps the thing that diabetes can teach each of us, and Iām sure that many of you will agree with this, is how very much alike we are while at the same time each and every person being so different. We understand better than a lot of people do that we need to respect the other personās position as much as we do our own. We can understand the importance of being true to who we are, working every day to do just that. Diabetes doesnāt leave us a lot of choice in the matter. Diabetes has caused me to look very closely at my life, my beliefs and how I spend my time. For me, these have all been good things. They have not necessarily been fun things by any means. But, I have grown because of D. In spite of D. I am grateful for my life, my family and the gains I have made while dealing with diabetes. Donāt get me wrong, I am not glad that this is happened in my life. I cannot celebrate diabetes. But I canāt make it go away either. So, since it is here I can do one of two things. I can feel sorry for myself (been there done that). I can be angry at the world, the universe, God or just my disease. Or I can accept it as a fact of my life, learn the lessons it is bringing to my doorstep, grow and use my energy for a better life and a better world. It is sometimes not easy to see this, but it is always the best answer.
This post came at a good time for me. I thank you for that. I have had many challenges in my 55 years. I was born with dislocated hips. Have had many surgeries which finally culminated in both hips and both knees being replaced. I have scoliosis with disc and nerve problems that have been getting worse over the years. I was diagnosed with diabetes about 11 years ago. Have kept my weight and diet under control and have never been on any meds yet. Yet. I feel like thereās an ax hanging over my head and I obsess about the day when it all goes out of control. I also have OCD which has actually been a blessing. This comes in handy when focusing on staying healthy. Itās also making my miserable because I eat and sleep this disease that so far Iāve been doing well with. I have pep talks with myself, trying to just accept what may be coming and that this is the hand Iāve been dealt. Your words have brought me some comfort and Iāll try my hardest to remember them.
Mmmā¦Not here. By the time I was handed my dx at the age of 57, I was already suffering due to 2 other issues involving chronic pain, my son had been stillborn at eight months, I had lost a lover in 'Nam, lost my first dancing partner to suicide because in those days HIV was an immediate death sentence, anywayā¦
And etc etc etc as goes the song from The King and Iā¦I needed no more life lessons on grief and loss and rage, complicated health issues or depression. I already owned themā¦
I will say that I greatly appreciate the friends I have made through the DOC, and especially here at TuDā¦But thatās about itā¦Blessings to you, though for finding something okay about this scourgeā¦
Love to you @panceraswantedā¦ Misery really does love company, my dearāthatās when we can laugh about whatever āitā is and take some baby steps Onwardā¦
I appreciate the sentiment. Sometimes I can even embrace it. But sometimes there is nothing to learn from my Type 1. Thatās what makes it annoying (and why I hate Hallmark channel movies, sitcoms and most Christian music). Thatās not to say Iām always down about it.
Figuring out there is actually nothing to learn DOES teach you one important lesson. (And that concept blows MY mind, too). The lesson is that I need to let go of things that donāt teach me anything. Criticizing myself for the fickleness of diabetes doesnāt help me RIGHT now (or in the future) and there is nothing I can do about yesterday.
Every once in a while, I learn something new. But most of the time, the lesson literally is: ānothing to see hereāmove along.ā
This is where Iām at right now, too. I can understand and appreciate how people who have diabetes as their overriding health challenge see it as a positive thing, and thatās great. Iāve been legally blind since birth and rarely, if ever, see that as a negative part of my life. But with my other health issues, as someone whoās had health challenges come one after another since childhood and is now mid-30s and has a list that is long and still growing, at a certain point I just go, āEnough!!ā I donāt need any more lessons. I know that Iām strong and have more strength than I realize. I know that Iām incredibly fortunate. I appreciate my family and friends more than I could express in words. I know that Iām still learning and that life is an ongoing lesson. I know that health is a constant balancing act and work in progress. Iām successful by most measures of the word despite the health challenges. I really try to not let any of it define my life or slow me down, even though I canāt seem to adjust to one thing before something else is popping up. Iām at the point where I donāt care about the effects any health conditions have on meāeven though with each condition it takes more and more energy to deal with, I know Iāll eventually get through anything thrown my way, and I am grateful for the health I have. But I truly hate is knowing that friends and family worry or feel bad for things they canāt control. Thatās something I really wish I could change.
Thanks to everyone who has posted here so far. I hope the conversation continues.
I do understand and appreciate the position that Judith, Jen and others have stated here. I donāt disagree with that at all. In fact, this is what made writing this post so difficult for me. I have been there, and diabetes on its own is actually the easiest of my conditions to contend with. I am not always on top of it. I have to work at keeping my attitude going in the right direction just as I do with my blood sugar. It is a decision that I must make many times every day. Some days I just canāt quite get there. But I do understand one thing and that is that my attitude about my condition in life determines how healthy my mental state is and affects my physical condition at the same time. Thinking that every day is going to be lollipops and ice cream with sunny skies and an ocean breeze is as unrealistic as thinking my blood sugar will remain stable at 95 day in and day out. It is a target. This attitude. This perception and acceptance of myself and my potential.
I am all in on not needing to learn patience or endurance to a greater degree. I feel quite comfortable that I have learned all I need about these things and how to get through them. Please, no more. But that is probably as unrealistic as the unicorns.
And for one last thing, I would like to point something out. That each post here in response to my original comments is an affirmation of what I said. You have each acknowledged that you have learned and grown (albeit kicking and screaming at times) as a result of and in spite of all the challenges you have each encountered. Diabetes is not special. It is just one of those things that weaves the fabric that is our lives. It is peculiar among these challenges, but it is not special. There is a lesson and growth in every life challenge. Not just in the ones that affect our health.
It is incredibly difficult for me to say āupsideā and ādiabetesā in the same sentence. I can say that diabetes, similar to other ongoing, serious crises, can open our minds to other dimensions of consciousness, which is a gain. Diabetes can bring you very close to people who have been with you in a supportive capacity, and to other diabetics. This is a gain. Diabetes might also cause you to experience time very intensely because you never know how long you might have if things started to go wrong. This is especially true if you have had complications. In this sense, if you are very evolved from having already been around for a bit of lifetime, you can say that diabetes enables you to savour the moment in a carpe diem way. This is, however, almost impossible for young diabetics and I am convinced that for a young person diabetes is far more devastating and void of any upsides.
Diabetes sucks, plain and simple. And it sucks magnitudes worse when you have to watch your child struggle with it. I, too, have learned enough hard lessons from life and donāt need any more death, misfortune, financial shortcomings, family drama, or crap diseases to teach me to appreciate what I have. And my daughter certainly doesnāt need effing Type 1 to teach her that life isnāt fair or that sheās a strong personā¦
Just my thoughts-
The upside of being diagnosed a T2 with an A1c of 12.0 ( in 2009 at 63).
It was a wake up call, time to get serious about aging and health. Along with the knowledge that I had the power to make the changes I needed to control my condition. I went low carb, increased my exercise, lost 10 pounds (but I have lost fat and added muscle) and I decided to retire. I doubt very much that I would have made those changes if I had not been diagnosed .My current A1c 5.6 without meds.
I have also learned to appreciate the fact that I was not diagnosed T1.
I sometimes think of the huge difference in experience between being diagnosed as a kid versus diagnosed as an adult. In many cases, Iām not sure the experiences of growing up with diabetes is even comparable to getting diabetes as an adult. I imagine being the parent of a child or adolescent with diabetes must be a similar hugely different experience. I really admire my parents and all parents of kids with Type 1.
I also admire parents of type 2 like mine who are concerned about the health of their children. No matter what age, diabetes is difficult to deal with.
All parents want to protect their children,
True. I admire all parents. Not sure I could do it.
And of course diabetes is hard at any age. But I do feel that the experiences I have being diagnosed as a child differ significantly in some ways from the majority of people who are diagnosed as adults.
