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How many people do you know in person (not online) who have T1D?
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Thru the UW (Seattle) Experimental College, I set up a T1D support group to meet in my home. Made some great friends. Learned much. I urge you to do likewise, or meet in a neutral public space like a coffee-house, tavern, public library community room or credit union community room. Preferable to Zoom, Facebook which are NOT privateā¦.no matter what they claim.
I put “0”, but I used to know more: a cousin who died this past year, people I used to work with but haven’t seen in years. I also know people who have a type 1 spouse or child but since I don’t them personally, I didn’t count them. I also didn’t count someone who also has cystic fibrosis and her mother mentioned that diabetes associated with cystic fibrosis is a little different than a typical type-1, so I didn’t know if to count her or not.
One guy in the monthly diabetic club who used a 670G because of a pancreatectomy a few years ago. One gal who spent time in prison. Oh, and one cat, Io, across the street whom I used to inject daily for a week when the owner went on vacation. Io is also the name of one of Saturnās moons. Nice name for a cat. ā§ā āæāāæā ā¦
have met most of the people I know thru a T1D group in Houston that meets once a month.
I put “0”. For most of my life, I’ve felt that I am on an island by myself. I see people at the Endocrinologist office waiting room, but, never speak with any of them. I knew of two people locally, but one died recently, the other I only spoke with once, and haven’t seen in 3 or 4 years. I had two cousins with T1D, but both did not take care of themselves and died young.
Prior to my son’s dx I knew 2, my mother in law and a friend from childhood. Since his dx I have been finding t1ds his age to play with (he is 3yrs old) so now I have 3 t1d children in our circle.
T1D is auto-immune diabetes, however I know type 2s who have become insulin dependent and call themselves a type 1. I don’t correct them, just listen, and know we are walking a similar journey. I was first diagnosed as a type 1 &1/2 until the medical term LADA came into being. So I only counted the true T1Ds which is 5. Happy Birthday Insulin turning 100 years old!
I put 0. Someone at work has a T1D son, but I don’t know him. I met a little boy at the zoo, maybe 3 or 4 years old, who had T1D. His mom saw my Omnipod and asked if I would talk to him. I thought that was nice.
Love it when that happens. A few years ago I was in the parking garage elevator on my way to work and the guy next to me noticed my checking my CGM reading. Turned out he had a kid who had just gotten one and we had a pretty good chin wag about the ins and outs of using one and other T1 stuff. I was late to work but I didn’t care!
My daughter, three other clergy in my denomination area, three people in the church I serve, one teacher at the seminary I attended, and one friend. Total of nine.
Hundreds
When I was a kid, dozens as I went to Diabetes Camp. But, now I only keep in contact on the regular with one diabetic friend. And even thatās online now as we havenāt seen each other in person in years.
I became T1D 17 years after my brother. We were illness buddies as well as good friends. We lived on opposite coasts but talked often and met up a couple of times a year. He died at 67, almost 12 years ago. I miss him every day. There hasnāt been that link with anyone else.
As a kid, I had gone to diabetic camp. I stayed in touch with a few of them. I keep meeting T1ds throughout life, usually incidentallt. Recently, I began attending the DC T1international “insulin for all” group. Lots of new, but much younger faces. all were women.
Just one, my sister. I was diagnosed at 19, she was diagnosed 25 years after me in her 40s. I also used to work with a guy who had Type 1 but we didn’t talk much.
Only my sister. Our mother had been diagnosed late in her life but she died over 20 years ago.
I put 5 or 6, but my sister is the only one I know closely. I have two 1st cousins once removed and 3 people whom I met online and have also met in person several times as well as on the phone many times.
Although Iāve been T1D since 1966 Iāve not got to know more than two. One is my wifeās gym pal of many years, the other my daughter who contracted diabetes in the early 1980ās.
I know 8-9, from a local support group. It is the best group I’ve joined.
Can we get a heart emoji that we can click on to show sympathy/empathy for some of these comments like we had in Glu? I cannot bring myself to give a thumbs up when someone mentions they someone died. I miss the heart.
And maybe an edit key!
Several dozens. Attended diabetes camp as a kid in the 1960s and there were at least 50 or 60 T1 kids from ages 7 to 17 as well as college aged counselors and high school aged junior counselors with T1D every year.
As an adult, I have attended TCOYD ONE and Joslin Medalist Conferences and have met at least 100 other adults with T1D at those events. And Diabetes Sisters (diabetessisters.org) used to have an annual Weekend for Women and there were always several dozen T1 women in attendance, along with dozens of T2 women. I have made many T1D sister friendships with women I met at those DS conferences.
My endocrinologist has T1D and a few other friends.
I suppose Hundreds if you also include those that have passed on. Dxed in ’64 and it used to feel so lonely, only my Father had T1, then a niece then I started a Local Support Group. It’s hard to tell if they’re not Online. Fun seeing someone Online and going “I remember when they were a youngster in my Support Group”
I’ve known 4 or 5 other Type 1s over the years, but no one at the moment.
2 of the 4 to 5-ish have passed away and I was not close with the other people and haven’t seen them in years.
Just one, my nephew.
I know zero with T1D and one person with LADA. We both were diagnosed around the same age, but her treatment was different than mine, more similar to T2D. She doesn’t bolus for meals.
I had one friend who had gotten T1d the same year as I and was the same age. But he died in his sleep ( hypoglycemia) a few years ago. Only one other, just diagnosed with LADA.
I put 1 or 2. I was thinking of a dental assistant at my dentist office who I’ve spoken to about t1d. But I don’t really know her outside that office. Other than her, though, there’s nobody.
I belong to a support group so I included them in answer.
I have 3 best friends who are also t1d, but I also know several others from school and camp for kids with t1d where I was a camper for 6 years and been on staff since 2012.