What do you find the most difficult thing about having Diabetes?

#1

I love sweets but they don’t love me… that’s hard.

What’s hardest for me though is remembering to test & eat regularly since getting laid off & being out of work my day to day life isn’t on much of a schedule. I also hate keeping a log book, don’t know why but it just bugs me. I’ve tried to fix things by setting up a glucometer recycling service (www.medewaste.com) but it’s really slow & hard to get a business going, especially in this economy & I end up feeling depressed which contributes to the difficulty of managing my disease.

What challenges you the most with managing your diabetes? What do you do to overcome it?

#2

My biggest regret, I guess, is that I can’t look at or simply enjoy FOOD anymore. It’s not food… it’s a number. I look at my dinner and I think, “that’s X amount of carbs”. It makes me a little sad. Maybe that will go away over time?

#3

Hello there Patrick. I guess it differs from one diabetic to another. Oh yes, I agree the sweets are so hard to cut especially if one has sweet tooth…like me. But it does get better as time and habits are established.

Maybe the most difficult thing for me being a diabetic is arranging schedules. Im a type 2. I am not into insulin shots and only taking medications once a day. Physical activities and exercises are very important to me to maintain healthy BG level. I have to incorporate a strict 45 minutes cardio exercise in the morning and 30 minutes exercise (2-3 miles treadmill run) in the afternoon. Its difficult when changes in schedules are made.
Second…aaaaah yes food. LOL. I love to cook. its my hobby and passion. I also help manage a family owned restaurant/diner. So food is always around. That’s where self control comes. What I do when I cook or bake is that I don’t deprive myself from having a small piece of it. I just exercise more for it.

#4

Well Patrick I guess what challenges me most about being a Diabetic is how much time i have had too spend on educating myself about this disease. Also knowing too much is scary… I live life afraid of amputations and infections. especially my feet , I am forever hydrating with lotion. But I, like you ,HHHate keeping a log book. I do it anyway cause my educator will have a cow…and tell me with her southern drawl . I caint Help if you dont help yuself. So that is what i do to overcome my problems…keep a log//take care of my feet and I should get a PHD on diabetic STUFFFFFF…LOL

#5

The biggest challenge for me is keeping up with it constantly, 24/7. It never ends and I don’t always have the determination or energy needed to continuously keep on top of things. Put me on the Hate Doing Logbook list too.

#6

The most difficult thing for me is stressing about how I’ll be able to make my insulin last knowing another bottle costs over $100
Also the swings from high to low, takes an emotional and physical toll on me.

#7

you don’t have insurance???

#8

The hardest part of having Type 1 diabetes is the knowledge of mortality.
Every injection and every BG test (sometimes) seems like a reminder that I am very close to NOT living forever.
Without my diligence, I will expire.

I’m not saying I feel this way all the time- but it seems to run through the back of my mind a lot.

My dad explained it pretty spot on the other day: “It’s like going to school and trying to remember all of the homework assignments that are due. You’re not exactly WORRIED about them, but there’s a sort of checklist going on in the back of your mind constantly- wondering if you’ve gotten eveyrthing covered for each class.”

#9

me too! I loathe my log book. Do it only right before a doctor’s appointment to print out for him.

#10

For me the worst thing is the added work to do anything “fun”. If you go away for the weekend it is major effort to make sure you have all of your “stuff”. Mind you this was a lot easier on MDI. Syringes, insulin, meter, strips go. Now with a pump, all of that plus, infusions sets, resivoirs, inserter, iv prep, cgm stuff. Then you have to plan in advance to make sure you are not low on anything. Not a problem for a weekend, but we go for 2 weeks a couple times a year. No matter how well I think I plan I always need something that I am not suppose to refill until the second week of the vacation.

And it used to be easy, you then go to your local pharmacist and explain and they make it happen. Now it takes an act of congress to get that extra insulin or whatever. Call the insurance company, call the insurance company again, call the pharmacy (have to do it by mail, can’t just go up town), call the pharmacy again. Worry until the meds get there. Pain in the &%#@@#@!

#11

Lows can’t stand them, but they do let me drink some juice or candy w/o a shot. Log book? Did it at first. Now got some fancy thing from the VA, I upload meter info every couple of days. I was(SIGHH) a sweet lover too. Just a side note on sweets. Anybody remember Thrifty Drug Stores?? This will show my age, for a quarter I could get a Milky Way, 3 Musketeer and 3 scoop ice cream. So Good me miss uhh uhh

#12

What software do you use Keith? Do you know what it’s called?

#13

Hi Patrick,
The VA sent me a little computer already loaded. I now use Accu-Chek 360 also have GGC - GNU Gluco Control, this last one is free and open source