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Today is the first day of National Diabetes Awareness Month! In the comments, please share your personal connection with T1D (e.g., “I have T1D myself”, “I have a child with T1D”, etc.) and then answer the following: What is one thing you wish someone close to you (a romantic partner, a parent, a friend) better understood about your experience with diabetes?
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I am a newly diagnosed T1D at the age of 56 in 2018. My family is extremely supportive and wouldn’t have made it this far without them. My diagnosis was most unexpected and sudden yet I give myself a lot of credit as I have been an exceptional patient and have followed my endocrinologist and diabetic team advice and have come a long way in understanding and controlling diabetes. My Freestyle Libre sensor has been a game changer for me personally and along with healthy eating, exercise and following my protocols with insulin I have been able to control my sugars and will continue to improve as I want to have the best quality of life even though I have been diagnosed with T1D. I’m up for the challenge!
As a TYPE 1 erroneously diagnosed TYPE 2 24 years ago (understandably, obese workaholic who literally ate and drank everything) mysticly changed to TYPE 1 after a 3 year honeymoon. Single, living alone except with periods of time with roommates (relatives, tenants, and yes sweeties), always with pets: over 30 years had 2 dozen dogs in my shack… 10 I kept, 5 I bought from the neighborhood to get healthy/train/rehome. One I inherited to rehome, several strays I found their home, the rest my roommates. This is to say never bored or lonely.
This is tough to answer, I don’t expect anyone to understand me. Living alone it’s literally all about me (and my herd), I’m as selfish as I want, as lazy as I can, and been known to have a mower carburetor on my work bench at 2AM cussing it out (and be at work at 7). What I wish another to know?
Males in my family don’t see 70. Hope to beat that, I have 7 years to do it (unlike them am a non-smoker, light-drinker, pretty healthy and good cook: so hope to earn another year or two) but I figure to get all the living in I can. Ummm…. get out of my way?
(had a black eye from a hypo, came to on the floor under my workbench, got stuck in a washer barely getting out to drink as hi-test coke, and carry cokes under a crawlspace at work and had to drink it to get out. But I’m winning?)
3/8/90 is my diaversary.
Connection between blood sugar, mood, ability to understand and act
I wish my parents didn’t treat doctors visits and a1c checks as my report card. I wish they didn’t put so much pressure on me to fill out logs, because when I lied on them and my a1c was high (7s) they made me feel like I failed. It’s followed me to adulthood and I often break down crying during endo visits because I feel like I’ve failed.
My 14 y.o. daughter has been type 1 for 13 years. I wish my work / work friends understood how much it actually consumes my life as well as hers.
I have T1D myself. If I could get it across, the one thing that I wish was more understood: it takes time to be a diabetic. It takes time to change my set, time to test, time to count every bite of food that I eat, time to bolus, time to see doctors, etc.
I have type 1 diabetes for 55 years now. I have 2 daughters with type 1, diagnosed at age 5 and the other at age 12. I now have my amazing granddaughter, who just turned 8 & was diagnosed with type 1 4 days after her birthday. I am heartbroken over this and angry that we all have it. I wish my siblings and close friends had an inkling of what it’s really like and all that’s involved with managing type 1 diabetes. Just because we all look fine doesn’t mean everything is easy.
I have T1D myself – – for 58 years! I wish I could explain how much it bothers me when my husband gets upset because my blood sugar isn’t perfect. After 32 years together, he’s finally starting to get it!
I’ve been a T1D for 56 years since the 1st grade. My husband is Type 2, so he is much more aware of how BG levels me and him too. I do wish he would realize that when I’m bolusing that I need to focus on the task and complete it (figuring extended bolus times,expected exercise, etc) rather than continue to talk to me and ask me questions. Especially frustrating when my BG is low and I’ve eaten, but I’m still low.
I am T1D. I would like my support person to experience dealing with a going low alarm/ situation to better understand the intensity. Maybe it’s just me but 77 and an arrow pointing straight down on my reader isn’t exactly a fun day at the park.
I have T1D and so does my younger sister.
I have a child with T1D
How I’m impress of my 14yo daughter with T1D, how impressive she are, how positive she stay even I feel she’s crushed inside sometimes.
I have T1D (and so does my Fiancé) I wish my family understood that I never get a break from diabetes and just having a little compassion would go a long way.