[Blue Moon]

Hello, i am a type one diabetic, and have been since i was 16, so about 2 years. So far it has not ruined my life, but it has changed it substantualy as i bet you all know. There have been a few things that people told me when i was first diagnosed that i now know are not true, at least for me.

The big thing that i was told a hundred times within the first week of having diabetes is that you "only have to think about it a few times a day, and other then that life is normal". I can not think of a thing that is truer from the fact. I think about my diabetes constintly. Either what my BS is, if i have my insulin and worst of all if my BS is going to go low and if it does do i have anything to bring it up. So i I dont believe that its a "few minutes a day thing". Its a 24/7 thing, at least for me.

I was just wondering how you all feel, and what other things that have been told to you that turned out to now be so true.

[Keezheekoni]

Heh, I'm in the same boat as you...especially right now, since I'm being ever vigilant about taking my sugars so that I can prove to the clinic that I will be good on a pump.

When I was originally diagnosed as a T2, they did tell me that I'd only test a few times a day and never have to think about it. Boy was that wrong! When I'd only test a few times a day, I was miserable...My bgs were out of whack and I knew that I was getting too high. Finally I found a doctor who listened to me, took the right tests and rediagnosed me properly. Now, I'm a very happy camper.

Rikki

[SueM]

No I don't worry about my diabetes 24/7.
My diabetes lives with me, not I with it.
Yes I test before and after meals and inject before I eat.
If I go low then I take glucose tablets which are always in my pocket.
But that is as far as my diabetes care goes.

[DeusXM]

I don't 'worry' about my diabetes 24/7, but I do think about it roughly every six seconds. I find it impossible to go for a minute without thinking 'how's my BG doing?' and then going through various complex calculations involving when I took my insulin, how much, what food's sitting in my stomach and how I feel.

Doesn't stop me doing anything though. I'm just 'aware' of my diabetes and make sure I minimise its impact on my life. So far I think I'm doing a pretty good job.

[Fred&CharlesFan]

Originally Posted by Blue Moon

So i I dont believe that its a "few minutes a day thing". Its a 24/7 thing...

I agree BlueMoon. It is not, and should not be a "few minutes a day thing". Having lived this adventure long before Windows XP was even an idea... ...to use a computer analogy, like a computer, with many, many tasks being run by the processor, my diabetes 'monitoring' task runs 24/7. Having said that, it is a background task that always runs, and I am always aware of it; but not overwhelmed. Thats because when I am running the table saw, or driving my motorbike, or working on an algebra problem with my chidlren, I need to have my focus on THOSE tasks, not woriing about what my A1C result is going to be in 6 days. If my background diabetes monitor task says that I need to take some action to treat a coming hypo, then bump that process to the top of the priority list, and take action (shut the saw off, pull the bike over, take a 10 minute break from the children, whatever...).
Live your life!! Don't be overwhelmed that you have been blessed with one of the greatest dietary intake control mechanisms EVER!! Learn, grow, plan, take charge of your condition! Don't forget that you have it and it needs your attention; but don't be obsessed by it! Rock it up

[corwin]

Great computer analogy. For me the process goes idle and takes 0 cpu power when I'm not doing anything that effects my bg. It takes a low priority when I am eating\excersizing or doing any bg effecting activity. And it's high priority, 100% cpu and memory resources when an action is needed.

[Blue Moon]

What i mean by constintly thinking of it is you cant ever live a life like you did before. . . not most of the time. And in reality you should not. When you dont think of your diabetes its like closing it down (I'll stick with the computer theme) If you "Close" it you dont worry about your BS, or other such things. And this is not good!! I think that it is a constant thing. . . It has to be. It should be a background task.

Also,Diabetes should not run your life, but you cant think that you run it. There are always things that you dont account for. Such as extra exersise, not enough food, or just forgeting your insulin.

So i guess that another question that i will throw out for y'all to comment on. And another thing that i heard the minute i was diagnosed was that nothing really changes, i just have to take insulin and check my BS. This ties in with my earlier comment about diabetes always being on your mind. But when i look back on how i was prior to my diagnosis i remember eating whenever, whatever i want without thinking about insulin, exersising whenever i want without making sure that i have sugar if my BS gets low. Its not the same, it shouldnt be.

[JediSkipdogg]

I don't think about my diabetes that often, maybe 30 minutes a day total. Other than that it's just a background item that runs and only alerts me when I'm low or high or time to test. I can do anything I want and I do anything I want. I have pushed the boundaries on many items myself. I rock climb and one day plan to do some ice climbing. I've started a job in law enforcement and am on the right path to becoming a police officer possibly one day. These are all small items, but items that very few people with any medical conditions do since others see diabetes as trouble (which it is without good control.)

Yes you have to think about alot more. But there is good that comes with that thinking as well. You now think about what you are eating instead of just shoving it in your face. This can help one to lead a healthier life in general.

And as you go on with diabetes, it does get easier.

[corwin]

I think when talking about "normal" and being able to do things is actually 2 differrent things. With diabetes there is nothing you can't do, there are zero limits to what is possible to do in your life. I went parasailing post dx and did some serious off road driving, diabetes didn't stop me from doing anything. However there are many things you have to do (or at least should if you are a responsible and logical person). You have to test, inject, eat sugar etc.
So the answer is "no, there is nothing diabetes will stop you from doing" and "yes, there are things you need to do and think about because you have this condition".

[Cyborg]

Welcome aboard.

Have you ever considered a pump?

[am1977]

I think about my Diabetes probably WAY too much . Even when I am not thinking about it directly, it's at the back of my mind... but, to me, this makes sense. There is so much involved with managing this disease, that of course it's going to occupy a big part of your mind.

For those who say that it shouldn't take up that much time~ they probably are either trying to do one of 2 things. Either they are trying to make you feel better about the cards you've been dealt, so to speak OR they just don't' understand.

I think as time goes on... doing what we need to manage it (like testing, taking meds/shots, etc) does beceme worked into our routine, but I don't think that it'll ever become so minor of a thing that we hardly think abuot it... at least that's my take.

[Cinnabon]

I am not sure if it has to do with the fact that I have a child, but my worries are related to this, as well. It hard NOT to worry. A pump does make it ease it up A LOT! Only thing that does make my mind a bit more relaxed, is that we are able to take control of it, we have answers, not the best, but we do. There are so many diseases that don't. This is just me...

[DeusXM]

Yes you have to think about alot more. But there is good that comes with that thinking as well. You now think about what you are eating instead of just shoving it in your face. This can help one to lead a healthier life in general.

This is very true. I simply don't snack anymore because every time I do, I have to go through the rigmarole of evaluating what effect it will have on my blood sugar and whether or not I'll need to take some insulin to cover it and how much insulin I'll need to take and....

...it's too much effort. I'm not exactly what you'd call svelte but I'd be in much worse shape if I wasn't always thinking about the relationship between my body and what I put in it.

[Mich]

Welcome Blue,

I chuckled to read your tale of being diagnosed. Only a non-diabetic would tell you that you only have to think about your diabetes a few times a day. The computer analogy is a good one. It does run in the back of our minds all of the time, and it should--but I bet you are noticing even now that it is making less and less "noise" in the general hum of your life.

I too was diagnosed in my teens--just turned 13 to be exact. Sometimes I think the abrupt end of my carefree childhood was a big shock to me, but being adaptable is something kids and teens do best and I did adapt. When I was learning to drive a stick shift car, my dad kept telling me that I wouldn't always be so overwhelmed by the details of shifting (yikes!) and he was correct--soon I was doing it all without too much thought and could pay attention to the driving part. My diabetes was the same way, I settled into auto mode after a while and just learned how to deal.

I always have my meter, glucose tabs and insulin with me wherever I go. If it will be overnight, I carry that stuff too. I always have my doc's phone numbers with me and wear my diabetic necklace. It means a bigger purse and an extra couple of minutes out the door, but gives me lots of freedom.

In 46 years of diabetes, I've never not done anything I wanted to do. I camp and sail and travel, am an artist, and have two beautiful grown daughters and a career. Back in the dark ages, I was fired from two different jobs for being insulin dependent, but thanks to the ADA that doesn't happen often anymore.

When I was diagnosed, I heard the doctor telling my mom I would probably have a much shorter life and that I may "make it to 40." Of course he was whispering so my ears were up. Well, he was wrong by a longshot and so was your doctor. You're the expert now, not him or her!

Welcome to this board--one of the best sources for actual LIFE WITH DIABETES that you'll find.

Mich (Michelle)
Type 1 46 years.

[Alene]

It's not my story, but on another message board I used to be a part of a lady had her doctor tell her that she couldn't have kids because she was diabetic!