Do you think Type 1 Diabetes is an easy disease to have?

[fedupofthisshite]

I am just curious about what people think, what their impressions are. "Diabetes" is frequently used as the punchline for a joke about some unhealthy food, and while this is mostly aimed at Type 2 (I feel nothing but sympathy for Type 2 people as well, btw and just wish the jokes would stop) it's still quite shit because it seems like everyone thinks diabetes in general is something pathetic that you snigger at.

I have Type 1 almost 30 years and still get days where I fucking hate it so much. Today is one of those days...

It has taken an awful lot from me and I wonder what my life would be like otherwise.

No. My twins are both type one and if I could take it from them I would.

No, my uncle had to have his toes removed. He became very unwell, had to use a wheelchair.

Of course not OP xx So sorry you have to put up with this illness x

I am type 2 and I have nothing but sympathy for what type 1s go through, it is a horrible disease

I don't understand this "you did it to yourself" attitude towards type 2, that is so far from the truth and it is rude

I was skinny all of my life until I got pregnant and got gestational diabetes which runs in my family and I put on weight and then shortly afterwards I got T2 diabetes ,
same thing happened with my mother and sister ,

Only something like 30% of obese people develop T2 and there are people weighing up to 400lb who still have normal blood glucose levels
So it is mostly genetics

My mum was a T1 diabetic diagnosed in her late teens.

She managed her condition admirably well.

She was first diagnosed in the late 60s and so tbh found managing her condition in the last years of her life with all the gadgets to be a doddle compared to the glass injections and blood testing rigmarole they put you through back in the day.

She died of a diabetes related condition though. But she never complained, made a fuss about her condition or expected special treatment or sympathy. And for that I admired her greatly and hope I have inherited her stoicism and ability to cope.

But she never complained, made a fuss about her condition or expected special treatment or sympathy

Well, I am complaining.

@lljkk

T1 "maybe it can be easier than having T2DM."

WTF?

I can't believe I just read that.

Another type 1 here - diagnosed in 1993 (so 30 years now) when I was 6.

I'm up, reading this thread at 5am, as I've been woken up twice tonight by my Libre alarm. Two hypos in one night. I've given up on sleep now (which will make me tired at work later), my bed is soaking wet (sorry for tmi), as I woke up drenched in that much excessive sweat (I honestly panicked and thought I had wet myself). My DH is sleeping next to me, so I don't want to wake him just to change the sheets - I've placed a towel on top my wet side, and am laying on top that.

Still, I'm thankful that right now I am awake. The alternative is all too real for me.

IOver the last 30 years, I've been called a 'druggie', been told I ate too many cakes as a child, been, been told I'm "lucky it's just diabetes", as well as *Oh, you're lucky you don't have to pay for your prescriptions" - all in jest, of course.

There are too many misconceptions around diabetes in general. T2s also have many of their own issues. But 90% of diabetics are T2, and so this is what people think about when they think about diabetes. It's considered the 'fat disease', as some people are too ignorant to consider that T2 can also be due to many factors, and is not always about a person's weight.
But hey, let's not let reason stop our argument that the NHS is failing because all the fat people/diabetics cost it too much money (something else I have been told in recent years, but a frustrated person, who had been waiting many months for an operation. To be fair, I don't think she knew I was a T1, but she did enjoy having a moan about how all the fat people were the reason her operation had been delayed, due to how much their diabetes cost the NHS).

Absolutely not. I don't have it, but I've had gestational diabetes twice and that was hard enough.
I can't even imagine how tricky life with type one is.

O P "it's still quite shit because it seems like everyone thinks diabetes in general is something pathetic that you snigger at. "

I'm curious to know who in your life sniggers at this. It's not something I've seen and sorry if it's your friends, but people sniggering at illness must be really dumb.

I think any illness or condition requiring 100 per cent focus is v hard. My family including young children all have severe allergies (epi pen carriers) and I often wonder about how life would be if we could just eat at a cafe or drop off at a birthday party like everyone else.

I'm sorry you are feeling down.

It's a shit disease.and I hope you get the support you need.

Ironically my mum was very slim and was about a size 8 - 10 through much of her life so definitely not a "fat disease" as per the comments on this thread.

Not easy at all. My teen felt low last night (Dexcom warm up so no readings) and couldn't get to any treatment but managed to shout out to me to help out. I've no idea how they are going to cope alone living at uni and it terrifies me.

Absolutely not.

I very sadly lost a dear friend at just 40 years old to Diabetes 1 after a night of heavy drinking. I don’t know all the ins and outs but I know leading up to his death he had not been injecting when he should and he had been saying he’d had enough of doing it all the time. He began taking his chances as it were through mental weariness of the disease. It was a devastating loss for all who loved him.
I think that made me realise just how difficult and impactful diabetes, especially 1 type is, although I never thought for one minute it was easy.

YANBU. My goddaughter has this, as did my best friend from childhood. It affects EVERYTHING. The mental load of managing this disease is immense, alongside the physical consequences.

I fervently hope for a cure.

Not at all. A close friend is Type 1. She's just got one of those new insulin pumps so she hopes it will make her life easier.

There is an amazing amount of ignorance about both T1and T2 diabetes, and this is writ-large given the number os people who want to use Ozempic to lose the weight they can't be bothered to diet off.
T1D is a shit-fest every day for most; and those with it, particularly teens and young adults, do starve themselves or skip their insulin, because of the difficulties in weight management with this disease.
Few people understand how labile glucose levels can be, and as the OP said, you can eat something one day and all will be balanced, the next day, it goes tae fuck
But hey, why should the great unwashed bother acquiring knowledge about stuff when they have somo and some 'influencer' to give 'their truth' about the world

I know it’s not an easy disease. My gd was diagnosed with it six months ago, she’s seven, to be honest I didn’t know a lot about it, I knew the difference between T1 and T2 and T1 needs insulin. But I didn’t know the full impact it has on those who have it until 6 months ago, it’s a life long life changing condition. My little gd was showing the classic symptoms, Thirst, Toilet, Thinner, Tired but we didn’t know anyone else with diabetes so didn’t connect the dots until her mum took her to the doctor for what she thought was a water infection as she’d started wetting the bed.
It’s relentless, carb counting, meal planning, monitoring her glucose levels, (she has a monitor that does that now ). She up to eight injections a day of insulin, (her dosage is split, half before her meal and half a little while after). One day her levels can be stable, the next they can be erratic.
It’s no joking matter.
She’s at risk of other auto immune diseases because of it. Juvenile Type 1 is on the increase, consultant told her mum they don’t know why it’s happening and think a virus could have caused it.

I'm so sad for the little girl that I was, when I was diagnosed.

Sending non Mumsnetty hugs to anyone on this thread affected by diabetes (anyone who wants a hug that is!).

It absolutely isn't easy or a joke. Diabetes is a terrible disease. It is one of the leading causes of amputation and blindness in the UK.

That is not a joke!

Some friends have a toddler who has recently been diagnosed with T1. It's been awful for them. I didn't know much about it before but it's obvious how hard it is for them and how much it impacts their lives.

I also had an old boss who developed T2 after cancer treatment and people were terribly judgemental.

Big hug back to you, OP, and everyone else on this thread with or caring for someone with diabetes.

As a fellow long serving wife of a T1 this sums it up perfectly, never off duty even at night and always worrying

My 16 year old has a rare form of diabetes caused by damage to the pancreas,Type 3c ,but he's insulin dependent and also.had to.take medication to help.digest,his food as his pancreas isn't functioning at all,very newly diagnosed and no.it's not easy at all i,m constantly worrying about his blood,sugers, and nagging him to.test them ,hoping he can be fitted with a monitor at some point.