Hi, i'm new to this whole forum thing.

[Chelsea.]

I'm having a bit of a difficult time with being okay about having and dealing with my diabetes, so my doctor suggested talking to other people who have it.
I was diagnosed with type 1 about 5 years ago, and i've been in a constant battle with myself about accepting that I have it and not letting it run my life. It makes me angry that I have to stop and test sugars and inject insulin, when my friends don't. I feel that I'm holding them up and being a nuisance. So I tend to ignore I have it sometimes. I know deep down this is not the best way to go about it, but even though I know i'm eating the wrong things, doing the wrong things, I just don't know what to do about it.
I came on here really to try and show myself I'm not alone, as I do truely feel very much alone with this.

x

[princesslinda]

Welcome Chelsea! So glad you found the forums. I'm sure diabetes is especially difficult to deal with as a younger person...it has been challenging for me, an "older" person ;)...and I'm not even on insulin. Kudos to you for searching out others for advice and encouragement.

There are many here who have been dealing successfully with diabetes for many, many years...these folks don't let it stand in their way of doing anything...i'm sure they'll be chiming in soon.

Hope you post often. You'll soon "get the hang" of the forum, but beware, it can become quite addicting! :)

[yannah]

Hi, welcome.

Please don't ignore it or hate it. Embrace it. Say 'this is who I am" be proud, smart, strong. smile. take care of yourself.

stick around. it iwll help you.


YouTube - You Gotta Be - Des'ree (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r32vw4260G4)

[Jan B]

Hi Chelsea,

It was awfully hard for me being diagnosed at 18. I did well for a short time and in less than 6 months, I was in denial and not doing all the things I knew I should. I wanted to be more regular. The funny thing is that I now believe that I would have been more normal running good bgs and taking the little bit of time it takes to check and shoot.

The first thing is to love yourself. If you had a very special pet with a disease that required daily injections to remain healthy, wouldn't you do everything in your power to medicate the pet so that it wouldn't suffer? Treat yourself every bit as good as you would that pet . . . or that best friend, or person you love.

There are a lot of people on this forum, like me, who regret not taking better care of themselves when they were younger. Thankfully, I got myself turned around, and am not suffering too many complications because of the diabetes. It's really just a habit to do well; like it's a habit to not do well.

In general, people respect those who respect themselves. By doing the right things, you are respecting yourself!

I'm happy you found this place. It has helped me a lot in the almost two years I've been sharing with others. I felt alone for many years with this D thing.

BTW, I love the name Chelsea.

[TommyC1]

I hope this place helps you as much as it's helped me.
I too am really angry about being diabetic. There's no one to blame. Nowhere to direct my anger. Most folks I know outside of here are clueless. Even the Drs. The good ones know the science, but they don't know the life.

But the big D is relentless. If I don't stay on it everyday it will beat me down and kill me.

Forunately I stumbled across this forum while looking for folks who might get it.

Folks here get it.

They live it every day. Same as me. Same as you.

So read everything you can.
Ask questions. Offer advise. You don't need to be an expert to tell us what works for you. Or what doesn't.
Rant when you are frustrated or angry.
I can't remember how many times I've read somebody's rant and thought "hey! It's not just me!" And at the end they apologize for ranting and I'm thinking "No, Thank You for ranting. You said something I've been trying to say and never figured out how!"
Yeah I've been known to blow off a little steam here too. Like I said, folks here get it.

Anyway, welcome to DF.

Tommy

[Shubert]

Biggest thing to remember is that no matter what, diabetes is a part of you, and that won't change (unless some amazing super science comes along). I have had it for almost 6 years and am 22 years old. So, having it at 16 completely interrupted my young life.

For the first few months, it sucked. I thought the same things you did about holding up my friends and being nothing more than a person who needed special treatment from others.

However, I quickly realized that I can't do anything but deal with it and since then, I have had it under control and am able to do pretty much whatever I want. Going to a bar with my buddies? No problem. Going camping for the weekend? No problem. Beginning my fire fighter training next year? No problem. Yeah, you have to put a little thought into it, but it becomes second nature after a bit.

As for my friends, they became used to it like I did and they don't see it as a problem at all. They hardly notice when I am taking my shots. My friends and I actually throw around jokes and jests pertaining to my diabetes. I know, not all people are this easy going with it, but I am.

Most folks I know outside of here are clueless. Even the Drs. The good ones know the science, but they don't know the life.
This ^

No matter how much my friends and family are around me, they will never fully understand what it is like to actually live with diabetes. The doctors know the science behind it and how it can affect your body, but they don't always see how it affects each person's lifestyle, which is just as important, and to think I pay for their advice. Pfft.

BTW, I love the name Chelsea.
I concur.

[genie86333]

Hi, Chelsea.

Welcome to the forum!

Diabetes is difficult. Moreover, when it's not controlled, it can cause other problems like mood swings & just cause us to be miserable. But, remember you're not alone in this. There are tons of us here for you to talk to & we're happy to help if we can.

Now, as for "holding your friends back"...if they're truly your friends, they won't mind. Heck, some of my friends even bug me if they notice *haven't* checked my blood sugar when they know I should have. A couple even have me test their blood sugar once in a while just for the heck of it, both out of curiosity & also I'm sure as a bit of show of support. I know your friends would rather see you take a few minutes when you need to than for you to get sick, don't you think?

If you think it would help, talk to *them* (or your closest friend, at least) about it. I think you'll find that they really care about you & don't mind...and that in itself is an ego booster too, in addition to forging an even deeper friendsip. :)

[Mindstorm]

Hi Chelsea. I felt the same way about my diabetes when I was diagnosed at 17. I left my junior year just feeling a little sick, got diagnosed right at the start of summer break, then came back having all this weird different stuff that I had to do at all times.

I did a number of things to keep it from impacting my social life as much though and I tried to streamline my diabetes care as much as possible. Before I'd go to lunch with my friends I'd test my sugars in class and I would only give myself a shot once I had sat down with my food wherever we went out to eat. I usually just whipped out an insulin pen and gave myself a quick shot in the arm. Usually people don't even notice and it's a very quick and convenient way to give yourself a bit of insulin when you're on the go. I also HIGHLY recommend getting an insulin pump because I would not have been able to get through college without mine (oh god the crazy schedules, the all nighters, missing meals).

Don't worry as we were all there at one point and it takes a good long time before you can "get settled" with the disease (if that's an OK way to put it?). Just keep at it and know that it will get easier as time goes on, and also remember that your friends are more likely to be interested in your wellbeing than you think! Mine were always tripped out when I gave myself a quick shot or tested my blood sugars. It actually earned me a bit of respect and they were understanding when I had a low blood sugar or needed to give myself a shot before driving (sometimes those high blood sugars demand attention right then!). I realized that the sooner I was comfortable with just doing whatever diabetic stuff I needed to do (in any sort of social situation) the sooner I would be happier in my day to day life. It's sort of like trying to fight the tide, as going with the flow is a lot easier than trying to avoid testing and hide your treatment/shots from people.

Hey, ask a lot of questions on here about any concerns you have. I am new here as of tonight, but knowing myself (and that a lot of other folks are certainly like me!) we all have been wherever you are at some point and can probably give you some handy advice (like how to organize and carry around the small hospital's worth of medical equipment we keep in our pockets, lol).

Best of luck to you with your treatment and getting more comfortable with your day-to-day diabeetus duties!