People with good intentions?

• By bsp
• Posted March 26, 2009 at 7:43 pm
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Hi Sekhmet,

Good to see your still posting and asking your questions. Did you ever find out any other good information about what may have lead to your diagnosis, as well as pumps?

Part of responding to people with "good intentions" is how comfortable and confident you feel in addressing their misconceptions and misinformation. Because I've had diabetes for so long, I feel comfortable and confident in correcting people when they misstate something AND I'm in the mood to do it, which is the other part. There have been many occasions where people have said, "Are you sure you can eat that?" Rather than going into a full educational session about diabetes, my pump and my ability to eat whatever/whenever I want, I just respond with "Because of how my diabetes is controlled, I can eat the same as a person that does not have diabetes" and leave it at that.

On the other hand, there are times where I do feel in the mood to share some accurate knowledge. Just yesterday, while getting a massage, the therapist said something that clearly applied to Type 2's, which isn't me, so I took the opportunity to tell her that there are 4 types of diabetes, they are not all the same and they are all treated differently. It was perhaps a 1-minute interchange between us, and I don't know if she'll remember a word I said, but I recognized incorrect information and did what I could to try to correct it.

I don't really get irritated by people who have incorrect information about diabetes; I tell myself that they don't live with it every day, so they can't be expected to know as much as I do. My sister has MS, and yes, I know a little bit about it, but I don't know what it's like to live with it on a daily basis, I don't know all the possible treatments or maintenance care for MS, because I don't HAVE to. Just like she doesn't know everything there is to know about diabetes because she doesn't HAVE to. I'm sure we both have misconceptions/misinformation about each other's conditions even though we are sisters and only 2 years apart in age.

Hope this helps,
Brianna

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• By Angelfish
• Posted March 27, 2009 at 3:11 pm
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I was just talking about this the other day. I think it depends on the situation and the person involved. My daughter's piano teacher actually took her ice cream away from her at a piano class party, while the rest of the kids were having their ice cream. Needless to say, my daughter was very hurt. If I had been there, I would have corrected the teacher, but since I wasn't, there was nothing I could do, and I just told my daughter to let it go and I would get her a special treat afterwards. I didn't think it needed to be be re-addressed later, and I didn't think it would be a good idea for my child to be in the position of educating an older, well-meaning lady.
Personally, I find it irritating to have other people offer advice - unless they are medical professionals and I've asked for it, I think people should mind their own business!

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• By Sekhmet_of_september
• Posted March 27, 2009 at 4:13 pm
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Thanks for both of your input. And Brianna, I think you were right, and I'm never going to have concrete evidence, but I work in the medical field and I've talked to a few of our associated doctors about this theory (pancreas burn-out, or ketones over-stressing the pancreas) and they think it's feasable. Regardless of whether or not it was actually the ketones or the pregnancy in general that pushed my body too far, I can't go back and find out now. However, just knowing that the whole idea makes sense and that seems the most reasonable answer to me - and that's likely as close as I'm ever going to come. However, I also think that my pancreas was just weak in the first place. Its funny, but I work in an HLA lab for transplants, and so I just happen to know that I am a DR3(17) DQ2 - the haplotype that is now associated with slow onset type I, 1.5 or whatever you wish to call it. DR4/DQ8 is more closely linked to the classic type 1 diabetes. So there is evidence in that part of my theory.

I guess I'm just going to have to grow thicker skin...and get better at educating others if they appear to be receptive to it and I'm in the mood to do it.

As far as the pump, it looks like I am going to start the process at my next appointment. Fortunatlely for me (not so much for him) one of the Dr.s that works at our clinic also has a pump, and I was able to talk to him a little about his (a Medtronic) and he actually goes to the same endo that I do, and has also been type 1 for about 40 years. I'm still kind of just taking in information/opinions wherever I can get it and I'll tell the endo what I would prefer and take their advice as they want to give it - just like any other issue I would bring them. I would say there's a definite learning curve and adjustment which goes along with diabetes, and I am grateful to both of you for your input.

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• By Kristin_F
• Posted April 6, 2009 at 3:10 pm
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There is acctually another discussion going on, on another discussion group, about dealing with "invisible" illnesses. Essentially that is what diabetes is. It is really tough to deal with a medical problem when you look normal as a whole, but then you have to do something to treat the problem and you get bombarded with ques. and suggestions.
I agree with Brianna. I have had diabetes for a long time, so as a whole it doesn't bother me to discuss it...most of the time. If it is a family member or close friend ques. me or trying to give meunsolicited advice, I will explain my diabetes, how it is controlled, etc. If it is someone I don't really know or am not close to, the amount of detail I give depends on how I'm feeling that day.
It's even more frusterating for situations such as this to come up when you are first diagnosed, and trying just to cope yourself.

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• By Sekhmet_of_september
• Posted April 7, 2009 at 9:17 pm
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Definetly thank you for awknowledging (however you spell that) that it is difficult to cope when first diagnosed. I believe that my honeymoon period was over the last 2 years, and now I am in the real deal. In some ways its getting easier having to deal with a schizophrenic pancreas less often... and to understand all the symptoms that preceeded my diagnosis by 6 months to 1 year (i.e. waking up in cold sweats and being starving). It happened so gradually that I didn't even see it. I take some swing shifts which can mess up your body, and so I guess its easier to miss stuff like that. Likewise when I started losing weight and being REALLY thirsty/hungry. Granted, I'm not very good about eating in the first place... as a teenager I was an anorexic and I don't think I've ever been on good terms with food... that's a whole new discussion when I've got diabetes now too. But all of the changes that have happened since the beginning of the year are definetly taking some adjusting to (I was diagnosed around new year's).. and I was originally diagnosed as a type 2 (really confusing since I was SO sensetive to insulin, and in my ideal body weight category, etc.) and then went to an endocrinologist who told me I was 1B (or 1.5 or atypical type 1, whatever). I was just getting used to the idea of being type 2, and now I have even less control over my disease than I thought!? (that's how I felt) Anyway... we have our own issues and it is comforting to hear how you guys deal with yours :)

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• By shassta
• Posted July 4, 2009 at 8:11 pm
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my thoughts are that some people are clueless on diabetes and others would like to know more about the disease,the people i work with are always asking questions and don't you just love when a person see's you having something with sugar in it and they ask can you have that like your some child.makes me laugh now but as a child it made me mad!

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• By kwisteen
• Posted October 5, 2009 at 8:26 am
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Just explain patiently that unlike type 2, type 1 is an autoimmune disease like MS and rheumatoid arthritis and very difficult to live with. Only 5-10% of diabetics are Type 1, have little or no insulin of their own (unlike type 2), and live under the threat of coma.
Sometimes I wish we had a different name!
Best
Christine

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