AIBU diabetes not a big deal

There are other types of Diabetes other than just type1 and type2 so i dont think renaming would help.

My son is 32 and has been T1 for 11 years. My SiL has just been diagnosed T2 and is forever moaning about how difficult her life is.

There really isn't any comparison IMO.

I'm not sure whether renaming one or other of the diabetes would resolve this. I have many relatives with type 2, which can be controlled and put into remission with strict diet and lifestyle changes, which is completely different from type 1, but I think does give the impression that diabetes as an illness is ' not a big deal'

...and that's precisely the point.

If you don't understand, just keep your mouth shut. It's not hard.

It is a big deal, especially as it seems to encompass a range of insulin needs. My sister is Type 1 and now has a pump and follows a keto diet. She says for the first time in 50 years she feels normal. Tho' I find that keto diet a nightmare when she comes to stay (so expensive to follow too).

I don't have a child with diabetes but I grew up with a friend and family member with it. It's a massive deal. It's so ignorant of people to compare it to type 2. Type 1 diabetes is life threatening and restrictive and no fault at all of the child or their parents. I have thought before that type 2 should be given another name.

A taxi driver told me my son should cut out sugar when i told him i was picking up my sons insulin
He had acute necrotizing pancreaititus at 16 which destroyed his pancreas but yeah cutting out suger will help 🙄

The point is thst if you have no understanding of how Type1 can impact a person you should refrain from minimising it .

Yes but @Fluffyscrubberdo have you tried cinnamon?

God help the person who suggests this for my child. There will be violence. 😂

Sheku Kanneh-Mason has type one - I am so impressed with how he manages an international career with this as I know how hard it all can be. It is great that he is able to do this, but his high profile might lull others into thinking that it is a doddle when it isn't.

YANBU. So many people don’t know the difference between type 1 and 2 when actually they are very different and it’s unfortunate they have the same name.

Having a young child with it would be a nightmare.

It can be a big deal with adults with type 1 too. Constantly needing to be aware of blood sugar levels, risk of hypos, and for men it can cause sexual problems as well. Unless you have it or are close to someone who does it’s hard to know how disruptive it can be to life.

I have type 1 diabetes but it developed during my first pregnancy at 41. So yes a shock but I manage it well and just get on with it.
But for a young child it’s a completely different situation. Their bodies are changing every day, they don’t understand the complexity of the condition and how to manage it. On my food and insulin management course there was a lad who had been diagnosed at 18 months! Fortunately his mother was very on the ball and recognised the symptoms.
My DD was diagnosed with MS at 17. She doesn’t tell anyone. Partially because of the reaction, which can be quite dismissive as it often is with hidden disabilities. Her just knowing she has lesions on her brain and spine and that it is progressive and incurable is a psychological burden that can not be minimised. You knowing your child has a chronic condition that needs constant management is a burden you carry as well as your child.
It is unfortunate that Diabetes 1 and 2 share the same name and as the latter is much more common and as the number is often dropped people understandably confuse them.
I suppose you could consider yourself an ambassador. Not a preacher, but if someone dismisses it as ‘no big deal’ have a couple sentences at the ready like ‘if it looks easy that’s because there’s someone working very hard behind the scenes to make it look easy’.
I think it’s great that people like Alexander Zverev was shown testing his blood sugars at Wimbledon. It demonstrated that you can succeed at a physically demanding sport yet it needs to be continually monitored.
There’s always going to be people who just don’t get it, or think they do when they don’t!

It is very hard to live. You constantly have to prepared for high or low blood sugar and spontaneity is almost impossible.
Just to add a little hope, my MIL was diagnosed at 4 and is over 80. She has minor neuropathy but no other diabetes related illnesses. Sadly she can’t manage her own diabetes any longer due to dementia.
DH was diagnosed at 9 months and is now 50. He has lumps from injection sites and minor eye changes but that’s all.

They've both seen a lot of changes and development in diabetes care and it does seem that research is coming where they can make a miniature artificial pancreas. Hang on in there and keep hoping for the next big step forward

It’s a massive deal because it’s an important part of YOUR life. Why would someone else care to inform themselves about a condition that has no bearing on their life? . Do you know about every condition under the sun and all the right things to say and do?

I say this as someone who grew up with a T1 parent and sibling so very, very well aware of all that goes with it. I’m not entitled to think that people should know about it.

This isn't the same thing. If op were to belittle the impact of other medical conditions then you might have a point.
It's not the understanding that's the issue, but the suggestion that it might not be very serious.

But you see that attitude a lot on Mumsnet. People who don't take other people's health worries seriously and appoint themselves gatekeepers to NHS services. It is quite scary and you hope none of these self righteous fools ever get near an actual healthcare role.

My grandson was misdiagnosed by a locum GP and ended up in intensive care with DKA later that day. If his Mum had posted on Mumsnet no doubt plenty of people would have told her not to 'bother' A & E. Instead she rang 111 and they sent her straight there.

It’s a huge deal! My 10 year old was diagnosed type 1 2 years ago and it takes over a huge part of the family’s life. I definitely didn’t realise before how big of a deal it was though so other people won’t get it unless you are very close to someone with it. It’s a very hard thing to manage with so many variables and no one day looks the same and no one with diabetes has the same reactions to things as other diabetics! We manage my son’s pretty well with his pump, he is usually over 90% time in range but it takes a huge amount of effort from him, me and his dad to get it like this.

I agree with that

It must be very enraging, just like people assuming T2 is related to diet

Do you understand the severity of every and all medical conditions yourself op?

I've got a history of type 2 diabetes in my family on one side and have a condition that greatly increases the chances of me getting it on top of that. One member of them passed away many years ago due to basically, burying their head in the sand and not seeing a doctor until it was too late and by then the vascular damage from their untreated type 2 diabetes was done and they died due to complications from that.

I also work in healthcare and have seen both very poorly controlled type 1 and 2 (which can happen despite people's best efforts and trying to do everything right) and the effects that has on them, but also people with either who have always managed to have incredible control of their diabetes and therefore have no ill effects from living with it.... but that's also often takes tremendous effort to do so.

It's something I'm quite passionate about due to my history and job, so I do like to try and correct misunderstandings and false information or ideas that people might have about the various types. I know there are others like 3c/1.5 but 1 and 2 are the types most people would know about.

It's a huge deal. One person with T1 in my immediate family, one in my extended family, and one person who works in diabetes research as a scientist. First one has a closed loop pump but still has so many issues, despite being so careful with food and exercise.

Every sympathy to you and your family dealing with this. All I can say is plug in as much as possible to things like diabetes UK, and hang in there. Over the decades of my experience there has been so much progress in the science and technology that hopefully things can be a little better as your DC grows up.