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How many people do you know in your local community who have T1D?
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Surprised! 7! Nephew, 3 adult,
3 children under under 13.
I belong to a Type 1 women’s group. I am blessed to know these women.
used to work with one but the rest I know thru our monthly meet-up.
Sometimes people notice my Dexcom and start a conversation
That’s often how it starts for me, too. Once in an elevator in a parking garage (“Hey, my kid has one of those”) and once on a hiking trail in New Hampshire (short sleeve shirts often lead to meeting other T1s!)
I know there are others with T1, but I wouldn’t say I know them. Once upon a time I tried to make friends.
I defined local community as my rural town, so 0. But if I extend out to my larger community ( city and suburbs), I personally know 2 with an additional 4 who I know of (relatives of friends) but I’ve never met them.
I am in the Joslin Medalist group for those of us who have survived 50 plus years. Through this group I know four in my city that has T1 for 50 plus years. I was diagnosed 66 years ago, another one was 67 years ago, 65 years ago and one lady in her upper 80s who has it had for more than 50 years.
Worked with one, grew up with another. . . Both men
I was a Certified Diabetes Educator and Registered Dietitian so I saw a lot of type ones a lot. One of my very best friends is a type 1 and we have gone to see an endocrinologist together for more than 30 years.
Always on the lookout for other members of the tribe but sightings are fairly rare. Recently moved, and the only other T1 I’ve met so far is the guy who owns/runs the Italian Ice cafe in town (kind of ironic). He’s also someone who got dx’d in his 20s, so we have that in common, though my dx was 40 years ago and his was in the last 10 yrs.
In 1994, 4 years after my dx at the age of 22, I joined a band in which 3 of us were T1! Two of us dx in their 20s, the other as a kid. We had a joke about joining our band because for a while all 7 of us was either T1D, named Jim, or dated someone named Jim!
Currently, and since Covid started, I would say zero(0). Before Covid I knew one man with T1d, and was aware of a woman who was T1d, but I haven’t seen her in 10 years. The man who I knew passed away.
I’ve met a few since moving to Portland OR (I knew more in San Diego – great pumpers group). If someone on a Facebook group or forum mentions they are in Portland, I reach out via messenger. I’ve met them in person and it’s lovel;y to have other tribe members. We have stepped up with the loan of a sensor, infusion sets etc when someone’s shipment is delayed. And, we are paid back in kind.
I am not sure how many diabetics qualify as a cookie taster in a cookie 🏭 factory. But probably about as many as T1D’s I know.
I chose 3-5, but they are members of the same local family. The father, his 2 children, and 2 grandchildren born to his daughter.
Zero in my local community but many outside my local community.
None locally but several in the support group. Helps to realize you’re not alone in the struggle!
My tennis team captain has type 1.
I also briefly joined Type One Run and I met a lot type 1 diabetics.
Kind of a tricky question. I’m involved with our “locals” JDRF group so have met quite a few T1D’s that way. I’ve met probably 4-5 in the wild that I call friends. I also live in a populated area.
For several years I tried to encourage and grow an effort by my CDE for a T1 support group. The healthcare organization she works for did not support it and would not allow her to use clinic or hospital conference rooms for meetings. All efforts to publicize meetings were not permitted, so after two years of her volunteer time/work to start a support group she gave up. There are established type 2 support groups funded by the same healthcare organization, but they are not welcoming to those of us living with T1.
The only person that I know with Type 1 is my nephew who lives across the country.
I currently work at a place that including me has 4 T1D (of 140 employees). Feels like a high percentage and I have only worked with 1 other in the 35+ years of having T1D. My husband currently works with someone with T1D too.
They are all in the same support group.
Not including my family members with T1D.
50 years ago the answer would have 6 or 7.
It’s interesting, I don’t know anyone with T1D outside my family. Within my family, my Father, Aunt, Uncle, Sister, Cousin, Son and myself are all T1D. We are our own little support group!
It’s lonely.
I am very open about my diabetes. I am not shy about it at all. So, people often come up to me with questions, which I answer the best I can – – without giving medical advice! This has led to coworkers and friends approaching me as well as other people who I don’t know as well. Once, when I was at work, a customer was acting funny and having seen me when my blood sugar was low, my coworker thought the customer might also have diabetes. So, they brought him up to me. I asked him if his sugar was low and he nodded. I gave him something to bring it up. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, being open about my T1D has helped me to meet others with the disease. I’m really not sure how many I have gotten to know over the years, but for the purpose of responding to this question, I took a guess, probably on the low side.