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Has a T1D diagnosis (yours or a loved one's) influenced you to pursue a career in health care?
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A previous medical condition of epilepsy influenced my desire to understand this thing called a human body. My T1D diagnosis along with the difference my epilepsy compared to other family member’s epilepsies (who do not have T1D), has kept the interest strong to stay on top of published articles and volunteer in research, but my abilities for working are limited.
I was diagnosed a month after my tenth birthday in 1972. My doctor said I had a strong aptitude for working in the medical field. I did well in biology class and I loved learning about the human body. Unfortunately I had another undiagnosed condition that my teachers noticed but my parents didn’t see it. It became very debilitating in Jr high and high school. I wasn’t able to enjoy a social life because I was far too uncomfortable around people. It wasn’t because of my diabetes. I still took classes that would prepare me for a career in medicine. In my senior year I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to pursue my dream because of my social anxiety. It wasn’t until I was 43years old that I was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum disorder (Asperger’s) after my young son was. I still have interest in how the body works and I’ve kept myself healthy for 48 years of T1D.
I was diagnosed maybe 2 years after I stopped a semi, tend to think I had glucose problems back than (major fatigue, constant hunger and thirst). Otherwise my “career” hasn’t be influenced by diabetes, although individual tasks need constant care.
When I college in 1977, I was admitted to Medical School. I was talked out of acceptance by the course advisor who thought that the 24-hour shifts would be unmanageable. This was decades before fingersticks, insulin pumps or CGM. I went on to a great career in engineering and marketing. My eldest son, also with T1D went to medical school and is now a cardiology fellow. He managed the 24-hour shifts just fine. He has a two-year-old daughter who also has T1D.
Dx’d at age 40 after years working in Finance. Now that I’m semi-retired looking for a career change. I would love to understand how to become a CDE (or something equivalent) without having to go through nursing school? I’ve done research and can’t quite get a full picture of how that would work.
Yes, I became a pharmacist and diabetes educator to better understand Type 1 and to help others with the condition.
No, but it has been tempting at times. It often feels like I know more about diabetes than health care providers. If the mountain of needed study was a little smaller, I might still consider it.
I have had 2 different NPs suggest I go into medicine because of how knowledgeable I was about my own care. I never did tho.
It didn’t affect my desire to become an NP, but I did ultimately choose to work in a diabetes clinic which was work that I loved. I am now retired.
I have considered becoming a CDE. I have a masters degree in an (semi) unrelated field and would not be able to attend school full-time.
It CHANGED my career from being a therapist in an office to being a stay at home mom managing twins with T1D
No, going into healthcare of any kind has never been something I would consider. Some of us just weren’t created for that type of work.
I have considered something like CDE to help other parents with handling T1D care for their kids, but have not pursued it.
T1D has actually influenced me to not pursue a career in health care!!!
I don’t know that it was soul my brother’s T1D at 7 months old that made me want to become RN, I know it played a role. Even as a young child, I was the care giver in our family. Even after I was dx. in 1982 at age 11, it didn’t didn’t sway me one way or another. I was just born to be a RN, as cliché as it is, it’s my calling.
My HealthCare career was in my home with 3 of us being type 1 diabetics. Mom, Dad, and Son. That was a health career private duty!
Yes. The diabetes self-care resistance & complacency of my early adult years eventually transformed into passionate diabetes self-care knowledge and understanding through lived experience. After I recovered from an episode of near death DKA I wanted to learn, grow and share diabetes life experience with others. I started by hanging out as a volunteer at the local ADA office and eventually was trained as a peer advocate, which involved attending structured classes designed to facilitate peer support groups for PWDs – both T1s and T2s. Eventually I was blessed to connect with a DCCT team in NYC, whereby I was recruited to participate in various studies related to young adults and diabetes. The doctors and nurses I met during this phase of my life (several of whom had T1D themselves) inspired me to pursue a career as a health care professional. I chose nursing. Despite living with T1D since age 8, and being part of DCCT studies, it took many years to earn the CDE credential once I became a RN. In 2016 I earned a MSN with a clinical specialty in diabetes nursing, education and program management. Now the CDE credential has transformed into CDCES – Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist.
As I look back, I was Dx’d with T1D when I was 30 years old, so it’s been almost 40 years with it, it’s a case of coulda, woulda, shoulda. My gut was telling me to aim for med school. But as I got closer, the student debt intimidated me. Then many years later, the T1D. Like another responder said, working as a CDE would be rewarding. But my degrees aren’t in the right fields. I’ve often wondered if having a CDE certification program that included the RN, RD and exercise physiotherapy courses pertinent to D mgt would be a good idea. a good idea. As an example, why would an RN CDE need to have classes in surgical support procedures? It could also help dealing with the expected shortage of Endo’s. Yeah we couldn’t Rx, but working in an Endo practice would take care of that.
While I am not interested in a healthcare career, I do have an interest in being a stronger healthcare advocate for communities as a whole. A lot of people don’t know the care they could or should receive because they have not been exposed to a high quality of care or what should be the “standard” quality of care. A community who cares together is strong together.
Gosh no.
I was diagnosed at age 12. Even as a child I had a lot of interest in cooking and food and after being around dietitians a lot in my early years decided that would be a profession that I would enjoy. I went on to get my degree and became a registered dietitian and eventually worked as a diabetes educator Until I retired in 2012
I was 42 when diagnosed and at the end of my career. But had it come earlier I may have pursued a career as a dietitian.
I was diagnosed at 8 yo, in 1968, and decided I wanted to be a doctor. A psychiatrist would likely say that was identification with the aggressor. But it worked to keep me focused, and to not become hopeless- the prognosis was more grim than promising for my cohort. I decide to be a diabetes specialist, did it, and never looked back. There is so much to offer now!
It is the reason I chose a second career as a nurse. I had wonderful nurses who taught me about my diabetes, opening my eyes to how we can live a happy, healthy life with T1 diabetes. I got the science behind it, because it has practical applications. And being in this field allows me to share, learn from others, learn about new technologies And advances in this field and I love the wholistic educational approach of nursing.
I got a CNA license to care for a friend’s mom who had kidney failure due to T1D. I was with her 8 years through her death. It broke my heart. I’m too empathetic and at high-risk for Covid 19 & can’t do it anymore. I still want to do something in the medical field, but have no idea what.