[barbarac]

Maybe it is just be having a sensitive day. Listening to the news this morning and there was a Dr. on talking about the high numbers of diabetes these days. She went on to say if people would change their lifestyles, they could avoid it--of course things like keeping weight in control, not smoking, exercise, things like that. It brought back feelings that I had before and apparently still do. I got Type I as a 48 year old. I was not skinny, but was far from heavy. I was active (taught high school PE and Health and coached swimming) and all that. I lived a good life. Then this hit. No family history at all--not one single person with Type I or II that I knew of.

Since diagnosis, many meds, insulin, etc. I have gained about 55 lbs. I am now overweight. My weight and family history did not cause my diabetes. But there she is telling the viewers that we could clear a lot of this up with lifestyle changes. She did mention that "young children" who get Type I are usually not overweight. That was the only mention of Type I and Type II.

I have been told by "caring" friends--get more exercise and lose some weight and I bet you could come off the insulin. Also that I can't have real diabetes as I didn't have it as a child. Sometimes I go into the education mode and try to explain, sometimes it isn't worth the effort.

Type I and Type II are 2 different diseases/conditions. Does anyone else feel like maybe "the world" would have a better understanding if they had different names. I don't mind being called a diabetic, but get tired of people thinking I have this condition/disease because I am fat and don't take care of myself.

One more thing. It sort of seems like maybe Type I is not as high in family history as Type II. Most of the Type I's I have known really didn't have any family history. I also have known a couple of older Type I's and none of the kids or grandkids have it. But Type II's seem to mention Aunts and Uncles, parents, grandparents, etc. I know I had "the other grandmother" ask me the other day who in my family had it, then went on to ask about our grandkids and what their chances of getting it are. Sometimes I can mark it off to ignorance (I was ignorant before I got it), but sometimes it gets on my nerves.

Anyone else feel like this?

[soso]

In 1915 a child in our family died at the age of 12 from T1... since then I am the first dx at age 49.. I am beginning to understand that a lot of other people don't get it and won't get it until they or a close loved one is dx... and so it goes....

[Eddy]

brick wall and my head meet once again

I agree. It's maddening.

[Spbeyond]

I know how you feel. I am more overweight now than when I was diagnosed type one. I get the weight loss advice and people telling me how if you lose weight it will go away alot. They all assume its directly weight related. I have a hard time telling them its actually two diffent conditions with a similar outcome on the body.

[mortis505]

I usually look at them and laugh. Then I remind them of the first three letters of assume. They look at me funny until I explain that my weight had no cause on my D. And in fact caused me to lose almost 50 pounds in 6 weeks. They usually ask why then I tell them what type I am and explain the differences. Doesnt take long for a little light to go off behind their eyes.

What can I say, I was can be very charismatic when I want to be, and I like to teach people lessons about useful facts. Also I love to laugh.

[Gary_W]

The problem is that the media portrays T2 as a disease that is completely the fault of the person that happens to have it. The picture painted is that it is completely avoidable and that if the afflicted individual had not eaten badly for years they wouldn't have it. It is now generally accepted wisdom that T2's all brought it upon themselves and are a drain on society. Not my opinion, I hasten to add, just the one that seems to be put through to the mob.

Whilst this is true for some people with T2, not every T2 out there invited T2 into their bodies by breaking the rules of common sense. Some folks live the life of a saint and still get T2. Nothing whatsoever they can do about it, in much the same way that us T1's could do nothing to avoid T1 (as far as current research tells us anyway).

Whilst re-naming T1 would be helpful to me and other T1's in terms of the ignorance of others, I would still feel sorry for the T2's who suffer the accusations of self-harm whether it is true for them personally or not. And if somebody has 'brought the disease upon themself', isn't that enough punishment? Do you really need society rubbing your nose in it as well? The media need to realise that diabetes is not an equal opportunities disease, and although some people 'deserve' it due to body abuse (in media think anyway), not everyone gets it...

Gary

[Geoff]

Yes like you, I have no family history of diabetes, I was diagnosed type 1 also at age 49, I get the same comments from a lot of people but believe it or not, some of the worst assumptions about my condition, come from health workers who have not bothered to read my medical notes, they look at me, I have a BMI of 25.4, and start to talk about type 2 related problems. This really makes me mad.

So my problem is more diabetic ageissum than just type 1 v type 2 discrimination.

[Subby]

I agree it's a big fat pain in the backside, this confusion. I get confused myself. In the media there in very rarely an effort to differentiate the two, so it's confusing for me when there is "news" or information - have to read between the lines to see if it applies. (Usually doesn't). As someone pointed out in another thread - with the encroaching increase in Type 2, the confusion and marginalisation is going to get worse.

It's especially hard for my family and friends who think they hear of progress or something good happening and let me know with gladness - I've got to be the spoil sport and watch their faces fall when I point out it's for type 2, not type 1.

I can certainly see the validity of a name change. Bring it on.

I can also see that type 2s in general cop too much flak - as someone who has always found negative criticism destructive, I think a wholesale negative approach to people for "bringing it on themselves" might help some particular people find motivation, but simultaneously is exceedingly traumatic and detrimental for others. It should stop.

[steamfan261]

I'm a T2. No question about it. When I was diagnosed I weighed 185 pounds (6'2"), was running about 15 miles/week and in obscenely good health.

Try to imagine how irritating it is to be a T2 and hear the endless drivel of "oh you brought it on yourself". There is, in this country, a profound desire to "blame the victim", I think because if they can blame the diabetic for his disease, they can also smugly say to themselves "well at least I won't get it, haha".

I don't have the luxury a T1 enjoys of thinking "Oh well, ignorant putzes aren't talking about me." They ARE talking about me and they're wrong.

Sigh

[davef]

Well I'm an overweight T2, so according to many people in society (and it appears some here too ) it's all my own fault. But guess what, since making unsolicited comments about somebody being fat seems to be one the last forms of socially acceptable bigotry, I ain't surprised.

Can you imagine anyone making a comment in a restaurant about a person based on the race/color/creed and it being socially acceptable - bet not. But it still seems to be fair game for people to make comments about a fat person.

Not long after DX, I was at a friends birthday party, I was offered some carby food by a somebody I hadn't met before, declined, but they persisted, so I simply said that I have diabetes and so don't eat that food. I got the "look" and this a$$hole said, oh it's probably because you're overweight . I said that it is possible that I'm overweight because I have diabetes, however I am controlling my diabetes and that it's a pity she couldn't control her bloody small minded tongue GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I have been overweight for a lot of my 42 years on this earth, I have been active, cycled, swam, worked out and did NOT over eat but still put on weight. I do not as somebody put it "deserve" this, no more that a T1 deserves it.

But if it helps, go ahead call me a fat-ebetic, guess I deserve it.

[fgummett]

I agree that the media and the general population are very lacking in both understanding and sensitivity to these two very different conditions. Because Type 2 is 80-90% of those with D, they tend to lump everything together and are mostly only ever talking about Type 2. There is that general feeling that Type 1 is a real disease, while Type 2 is all to do with lifestyle choices. They are BOTH real conditions but with different causes and treatments... they just happen to share the same name... incidentally there is yet another D called Diabetes Insipidus...

I am also extremely "tired of people thinking I have this condition/disease because I am fat and don't take care of myself"... check out the quotes in my signature

[Gary_W]

Originally Posted by davef

Well I'm an overweight T2, so according to many people in society (and it appears some here too ) it's all my own fault. But guess what, since making unsolicited comments about somebody being fat seems to be one the last forms of socially acceptable bigotry, I ain't surprised.

Can you imagine anyone making a comment in a restaurant about a person based on the race/color/creed and it being socially acceptable - bet not. But it still seems to be fair game for people to make comments about a fat person.

Not long after DX, I was at a friends birthday party, I was offered some carby food by a somebody I hadn't met before, declined, but they persisted, so I simply said that I have diabetes and so don't eat that food. I got the "look" and this a$$hole said, oh it's probably because you're overweight . I said that it is possible that I'm overweight because I have diabetes, however I am controlling my diabetes and that it's a pity she couldn't control her bloody small minded tongue GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I have been overweight for a lot of my 42 years on this earth, I have been active, cycled, swam, worked out and did NOT over eat but still put on weight. I do not as somebody put it "deserve" this, no more that a T1 deserves it.

But if it helps, go ahead call me a fat-ebetic, guess I deserve it.

Hi Dave,

I hope it's not my post that gave you the impression that I think T2's deserve it; I don't personally believe that at all. All I'm saying is that the media portrayal is that diabetes is always self induced, and there is no differentiation made between T1's, T2's or for the fact that either kind can turn up unsolicited

Gary

[blacklightmike]

In spite of the fact that they are treated with similar drugs and have similar pathologies, I'm of a mind that believes T1 & 2 are very different diseases. I've learned an awful lot about this disease that I never knew from being on this forum, and the key to absorbing it all is to carefully distill what you hear... advice for T1 cannot be immediately gleaned for use with T2 in most cases.

[davef]

Originally Posted by Gary_W

Hi Dave,

I hope it's not my post that gave you the impression that I think T2's deserve it; I don't personally believe that at all. All I'm saying is that the media portrayal is that diabetes is always self induced, and there is no differentiation made between T1's, T2's or for the fact that either kind can turn up unsolicited

Gary

Gary,

I guess I did pick you up wrong, I have re-read your post and see what you were saying, I apologise for not reading it right the first time and implying you felt them same, you clearly don't

I do get mad/frustrated with the media and people who think I don't have "proper" diabetes because I'm a T2. I'm not saying I'd prefer to have T1, I'd prefer to not have it all. I have great respect for T1's dealing with this dam*ed disease and I think society feels this way to, I just find it so sad and demeaning that the media and many in society seem to have absolutely no respect for overweight people and even less (if that's possible) for overweight diabetics. I feel that this is an area that organisations such as the Diabetes Federation of Ireland have a loooong way to go to addressing. Not so long ago an a$$hole green politician in Ireland spouted sh1te that if I had eaten more veggies and potatoes in particular I would have avoided diabetes, did the Diabetes Federation, challenge him? no.

Gary, again I aplogise for picking you up wrong.

[Gary_W]

Originally Posted by davef

Gary,

I guess I did pick you up wrong, I have re-read your post and see what you were saying, I apologise for not reading it right the first time and implying you felt them same, you clearly don't

I do get mad/frustrated with the media and people who think I don't have "proper" diabetes because I'm a T2. I'm not saying I'd prefer to have T1, I'd prefer to not have it all. I have great respect for T1's dealing with this dam*ed disease and I think society feels this way to, I just find it so sad and demeaning that the media and many in society seem to have absolutely no respect for overweight people and even less (if that's possible) for overweight diabetics. I feel that this is an area that organisations such as the Diabetes Federation of Ireland have a loooong way to go to addressing. Not so long ago an a$$hole green politician in Ireland spouted sh1te that if I had eaten more veggies and potatoes in particular I would have avoided diabetes, did the Diabetes Federation, challenge him? no.

Gary, again I aplogise for picking you up wrong.

No apology needed, Dave; I need to explain myself better in the first place. Email and forums are not a place for ambiguity and I try to be careful not to write anything that can be taken in different ways. I don't always manage

Speaking of pre-conceived ideas towards people with diabetes (as this thread is), try pumping. Most people on a pump will tell you that it is the 'gold standard' method of managing insulin delivery and, for many of us, it results in a vastly improved quality of life.

Unfortunately, most folks out in the world automatically assume that your diabetes got worse / you must have it really bad / oh my that must be terrible.

I don't expect people who do not have diabetes to understand what it's like. I don't think you really can understand it fully. The frustrating thing is the media painting a picture so that Joe Public starts with a negative idea in his head...

Gary