I have just been diagnosed with diabetes, and I am 14 years old. Its been hard, having to change my life style and everything. I was wondering about people who were diagnosed at different times, like early or late in life, and how you were effected by it.
I was diagnosed when I was 19, (January 2009). It was hard. Didn’t really hit me till I was out of the hospital and had to figure everything out myself. But things are getting better. Hardest thing for me is cutting down on sweets.
I just remember I have to be strong and try my best so I don’t have any complications in the future. There are so many things I want to do during my lifetime and don’t want my diabetes to hold me back.
So hang in there girly, things will get better. =] You adjust to the new lifestyle and will become easier.
thanks so much christina. Im doing pretty well, its just interesting to think how life would be if I had pretty much always had diabetes, or gotten when I was adult!
I was diagnosed at 13. I didn’t really understand it at the time, meaning I didn’t know how it would really affect my life, but I knew I would have to cut down on sweets and drink diet coke, which was unthinkable to me at the time.
A couple weeks after being diagnosed I went paintballing for the first time. I remember I was really nervous because my doctor warned me about how activity could affect my glucose levels. Luckily he was the kind of doctor that always said from the beginning that diabetes doesn’t have to get in the way of anything you want to do. I went to play paintball with my friends and their dad and I had a great time. I think this was one of the best things I could have done at the time, because although I didn’t participate that much it showed me very soon after being diagnosed that I really could do anything I wanted.
Another thing that sticks out in my mind was going to diabetic camp about three months after being diagnosed. I hated my parents because they basically tricked me into going. No joke, they didn’t tell me it was diabetic camp until the week before I went! At the camp I learned how to give myself shots and some of the kids there taught me tricks that really helped. The coolest thing about that camp was that it showed me that I’m still a normal person. Everyone counted carbs and injected together. Hiking and playing sports with other diabetics (who were much more experienced than I) really proved to me that I was just not accepting this change in my life. Soon after the trip I saw my endo and tried hard to control my BGs ever since. You’ve just got to work at it and realize that this is your health, which is something that cannot be replaced.
I’m sure you’ll be fine, especially if you listen to your doctors and read sites like this. I’ve found that staying active in the diabetic community is key to good health. Welcome to the forums!
I was 17 when I was diagnosed november 14th 2007 =]
I was diagnosed in 91’ I was 6, well 7 I was diagnosed 10 days before my 7th birthday. I dont really remember life without diabetes, so I guess I am lucky there. But no matter what it still sucks having it. Keep up, and believe in yourself, All things get harder before they get better…
Hi Delaney…I was diagnosed when I was 6…in 1982. My first memory of REALLY hating diabetes was being invited to a big sleep over at a friends house soon after my diagnoses and all the girls got to have all these delicious looking donuts in the morning and I had to eat dry toast instead and I felt totally isolated from everyone else. What a bummer…I wanted to cry! 
Feeling deprived of “junk” was what i hated even though it was better I wasn’t eating that anyway…but I wanted it so bad! I had tight control of my diabetes(with my moms help) until my teen yrs and I kind of rebelled against it not doing blood tests and eating the bad stuff I wasn’t supposed to anyway because I just wanted to pretend I didn’t have it. But I often didn’t feel well when I didn’t take care of myself the way I should. I’m surprised I didn’t have more issues as a teenager then I did especially being so active in sports in school. It’s scary to think about it now that I am an adult! I was a starter on my high school b-ball team but would not test before or after games quite often because I didn’t want to be “different” even though everyone on my team knew I had it. Very bad! I just thought I could tell what I was running by how I felt but I did have some close calls! Don’t do that! I just got very,very lucky! But I got myself back together under good control again and I can say I thankfully have no serious complications from this disease! There are many more options and understanding with diabetes then there was when I was diagnosed so you are lucky in that way! I wish I had something like this website when I was your age…it would have really helped me to not feel so alone having diabetes!! Good luck to you!!! 
I was 29yrs. October 1993. I think I was diabetic about 1 yr. prior…after my daughter was born.
Delaney,
I was diagnosed in '79 at 11 and like Stacy I remember wanting the treats more than anything. This was before sugar free made it to my area of the country so there wasn’t even a good sugar substute. I played hockey I could drink as much sugar pop as I wanted during games and practice. It was hard to quit hockey even though I wasn’t very good. The only person with diabetes that I knew of in my town was the lunch lady. Hard to go to her for support. ----- I just found tudiabetes last week and it is amazing how much better I feel now than ever before. I have spent the last 30 years feeling very alone. The people here a very knowledgable and supportive. It seems if you ask a question it gets an answer. I hope you are able to use a pump, ask for help when you need it. And please know you have the tu shoulder to cry on and people here really do understand.
i was 9. i didnt fully understand what was going on til i was about 11 though. idk why, i guess cuz i was so young that i didnt really understand the concept of diabetes. all i knew was i randomly had to do shots and finger pricks to live. then at some point when i was 11 i began to fully understand the whole broken pancreas thing.
dont worry, itll get easier. if you have any questions, just post them here!
b
I was diagnosed in 1986 with Prediabetes, I was 16 yo. Now I’m 37, and because I basically ignored it and ate what I wanted, I am now dealing with the consequences. If you want to know more about my situation just read my blog at http://diabeticcookbookblog.com/?p=114.
It is so true that people here do understand, but I hope you don’t think that this is the only place on the web for support. You can email me at argarcia1@diabeticcookbookblog.com or just visit my website http://diabeticcookbookblog.com
January 1, 1990 - I was 7 years old. It really didn’t affect me as much as others, my mother is also diabetic.
I was dxd. in the caveman/woman days, when I was 3 years old. Up until about age 7, in my mind, everyone had Diabetes and couldn’t eat sweets, although I do remember eating licorice candy before I got my first shot of Insulin.
We definitely weren’t coddled, so we had to accept it. We weren’t allowed to go to parties or out for Hallowe’en, etc. until we were 13 yrs. old. I remember when I was about 8 y/o, 2 old Women were saying that I would probably not live to see age 35 and by someone else, that I’d be blind by age 19.
Ages 13-16+ were tough since I was experiencing the Teen rebellion and I had no one to talk to about Diabetes. For some reason we just didn’t talk about it. I did things I shouldn’t have since I didn’t understand how Diabetes worked yet. Only the possible complications, in some way by sugar.
Anyways, I’m doing Fine with Diabetes and have had an Enjoyable Life mostly, so far. And I’m not done yet. I wish you a Happy Life. Stay informed. Laugh!! Every chance you get.
Damn - 7 year anniversary today - My son was diagnosed at age 6… That date is somehow the most remeberable because it was so lifechanging…
jan.8,2004.
i’ll be 16 in November this year.
it’s practically a 2nd birthday–the one you DON’T want.
October 10, 1993…
24 June 2008, 6 days after my birthday, at the age of 38 (type 1!)
Hi Delaney,
I’m 51 years old and felt awful for about 6 months before I found out my fasting BG was 290. My family dr. said it was type 2 and put me on medicine, but thought I should see a specialist. Thank goodness for that. I have controlled my numbers with diet…yup big change for me. No popcorn snacks at night, cereal, bread, pasta, corn, beans…etc. So last week after have the AntiGAD test my new best friend the Endo tells me I’m a type 1 and that my beta cells are dying. That hit me hard, did I do something to harm myself. I know the answer is no…but somehow sometimes I wish I coulda, shoulda, woulda to have the unreal reality go away. I just started on insulin 3 days ago and see the endo again in September. If I drink milk, not even a full glass my BG goes up at least 40 points. So I’m experimenting with grouping foods together to keep my numbers consistent. What has become my favorite snack is pecans, walnuts and almonds. They are good carbs and have good fats and nutrients in them. So…I thought I would get breast cancer or something b/c my mom has that…but nope…diabetes…NO ONE in my family has it…I have 7 brothers and sisters, 19 cousins… Oh well…I’ll just keep on truckin.
April 7th 1979 when I was 3 years old. I remember the days of no blood tests and glass syringes!!