AIBU diabetes not a big deal

[Fluffyscrubberdo]

Does anyone else have a child with type 1 diabetes and get annoyed at the people who don’t have it but maybe know an adult with it and therefore insist on always claiming it’s really no big deal to manage only based on their very vague connection to it??

It also enrages me that so many people don’t understand the difference between type 1 and 2 and still try to claim a toddler has it due to diet.

Do you have a dependent child with type 1 and think it’s no big deal and makes no difference to your life??

It is a massive deal! My son was 13 when he became type 1. It has affected every area of his life He is 50 now. He has to live with us since his marriage broke down because he has hypos in his sleep and goes into a coma. He would just pass away without assistance. Then there is the kidney damage, the neuropathy. He has broken bones in his feet without realising and has to wear special boots. He struggles to maintain his blood sugars to a decent level despite trying very hard to do so. It has prevented him from doing the job he so wanted which was a fire fighter. This disease is dreadful, it has ruined his life. Getting proper care is not easy. Lots of promises made by NHS but all broken. It breaks my heart

It is but don't expect other people to engage with it.

Not really sure what you mean by that?

My son has type3c diabetes but treated as type1 he was diagnosed in DKA so i know how serious it is
Theres a lot of misinformation about Diabetes .

It must be so difficult with a toddler. People think you just give yourself a injection and everything is fine. My God, if only they knew!

Don't expect people to think about understand your child's needs. Most won't.

I used to look after a young girls with diabetes in a holiday club type setting. My boss was so dismissive and always made out the parents we making a big fuss. Then one day the girl had a hypo in front of my boss and I thinknit finally clicked.

Yeah, firstly multiple injections with a not yet 2 year old is already a big deal. Then the constant blood sugar checking all day, weighing her food, not being able to have food when out at a playgroup, the calculations, always watching for symptoms as she’s on the cusp of a hypo when out and about playing, setting an alarm in the night to check her levels, waking up to treat in the night.

Perhaps people naively think they’re being helpful telling me it’s no big deal and won’t affect her life but considering how we’re living right now it almost feels like I’m constantly being gaslit!

This.

My type 1 friend had a heart attack at 40.

Tbh if anyone has an older family member with type 1 they should see first hand the problems it causes. My FIL had it and it had a quadruple bypass at 60. I also witnessed the hypos and high blood sugar episodes. And the testing. And the diet choices and the trying to sort medicines. It's hard. But you just get on with it.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect close friends and family to not dismiss a child’s very obvious needs.

Some people are incredibly ignorant. It is a huge deal!

No. I agree but most people with chronic illnesses receive this treatment.

It’s a massive deal.
Some people are just massively unreasonable.
Some may be misguided and trying to make you feel better.
Some people are misinformed/ignorant.

Oh god it’s really upsetting to hear a childcare provider having that view point. Really makes you question how it will go when she wants to do clubs or needs after school care and the people running the setting don’t want to acknowledge her medical needs.

If I hadn't seen FIL and what he went through I would not have appreciated that diabetes has a huge impact on your life. You think medicine will sort it not appreciating how hard it can be to manage that for a toddler.

When can she have a pump? Is that not til she's an adult?

Of course it’s a big deal! Life revolves around maintaining blood glucose through eating and medication which can all be effected by exercise, illness, temperature and stress. It’s a fine balancing act and relentless. I don’t think a parent fully relaxes if their child is T1.
Even at night, sleeping, there is a chance of a serious low blood sugar episode.
You are right that T1 is never caused by poor diet but a bit unreasonable to say that T2 is.
Yes for some that is true, particularly if they are obese but there are other factors including genetics.
I’ve been T2 for over 20 years. I’ve never been obese and have always exercised and eaten reasonably healthily- more so since diagnosis.
I am in my 60’s, weigh under 60kg and a size 10/12.
Both my parents were T2 as are two siblings.

There’s a few markers that need to be hit first in our area before you can go on the waiting list and then it’s around 12months.
So soonish, but still quite a long time on injections until then!

A friend of mine at school, decades ago, had type 1 diabetes. It was a bit of a nightmare for him, and became more so, as we grew up to the teenage years and he could not be as ‘ carefree’ ( aka irresponsible) as the rest of us.

I am sorry your child has this to deal with, and your family are beyond ignorant to dismiss it.

Most people only encounter type 1 “success stories” so have no appreciation of how dangerous it can be and how intense it is to manage. Our friend’s DD is 11 and I know that they have not had a full night sleep since her diagnosis 10 years ago.
I also worked with a lady with type 1 many years ago and having seen her have hypos on a couple of occasions I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

I think it’s lack of understanding, most people just don’t realise the impact it makes on everything.

my cousin had d1 unfortunately we lost him to covid, but it was a constant struggle for him, and people just didn’t understand why.

Do you have a Freestyle Libra which alarms you when sugars are dropping or would your toddler pull it out? I am constantly checking my son's levels on my phone during the night. Would an insulin pump help? One of the promises made to us but not forthcoming.

You would hope that your family loved you all enough to find out a bit, to listen and try to understand

my guess is that happens in half the cases only - YANBU hope for that but you won’t be alone out there by any means

the world seems increasingly full of the “self educated” who think the world of themselves and won’t listen and don’t care about about anyone but themselves

and don’t get me started on the TV programs - where the victim dies suddenly and it’s blamed on them not having their insulin that day.

type 1 diabetics often need sugar ( the opposite of insulin ) and that kind of misinformation can be dangerous

It's terrifying. I am a teacher and have had one kid hypo in my class. Would not want to repeat and that was about 13 years ago! Have never forgotten. It must be so horrible to have it and very very hard for parents of children with it.

Diabetes is a huge deal. My father was a late diagnosed type 1, he has had dka , 1000s of hypos and surgery on his eyes. Its a massive deal and I feel sorry for people who have kids with t1

It worries me when I look after so many older adults who think their type 2 diabetes is no big deal, run their sugars high.. then wonder why they get neuropathy / leg ulcers / heart disease / TIA or stroke & other associated nasties.. obviously type 2 is a different disease to type 1 but can be very disabling.
I think education in this area is very lacking.

Also seen certain people late teens upwards with type 1 who really don’t look after themselves & end up in hospital multiple times with serious health problems that are not fixable. I do sympathise with them as it’s hard to have to watch your diabetes when all your mates are drinking / doing recreational drugs / eating lots of carby sugary takeaways/ or even just doing lots of sports which can push sugars too high.