Type 1 Diabetes is NOT the same of Type 2!! It is a SERIOUS medical condition and is NOT caused by lifestyle!

[TIDMum]

Just had the Sky guy here to upgrade internet speed and he asked about DS's glucose monitor alarm going off so I said he's a Type 1 diabetic. He was asking if it was a care alarm then said 'oh so not that serious, just for the blood sugar reading'.

He then said that his wife was Type 1 and we had a little discussion about her GM and what type of insulin pump she's on (which she doesn't actually have!) and he then said 'I blame diet and alcopops really'.

It then became clear his wife was Type 2.

I said 'oh right, I blame COVID actually because you know it's an autoimmune disorder?' He said 'oh right' then was quiet while he finished his work.

DS (age 16) heard this as he was walking past.

DS said he's an idiot but this really annoys me.

I can't count how many times over the last 4 years since his diagnosis, people have started talking to me about their sister, aunt or neighbour having 'Type 1' when it's actually Type 2 they're talking about. He had the teasing at school about too much sugar as well.

I really think if you don't know what Type 1 diabetes, shut up and don't talk about it tbh.

AIBU to get pissed off about this? I can't think of any other serious medical conditions that are mistaken like this.

The nurse at my practice talks to me as if i am brain dead, calls me "dear", has been rude about the area i live in "it's not a very nice place to live",which i think is a terrible attirude for someone who is providing health care in a deprived area She said "i expect you forgot dear" when I said i'd never been informed about a concerning test result . GP manages to speak to me as if I have a brain in my head and is very good. I have even booked my flu jab at the local pharmacy to avoid this nurse

But there are more than two types Diabetes
My son has type3c he collspsed at home and paramedics diagnosed him as being in DKA which is life threatening and assumed it was sudden onset of type1
When he was admitted to ICU he was scanned and was found to have acute necrotising pancreititus which destroyed his pancreas
He was very lucky to survive .

Simple to tell the difference -type 1 generally develops around teenage years, and needs daily injections to control insulin levels, it is an auto immune disease which lifestyle plays no part in. Type 2 diabetes generally develops in middle or old age in overweight individuals who have poor diet and can be controlled by tablets and reversed with a strict diet and exercise regime.

I don't understand the desperation for people to agree that they are equally as dangerous. They aren't

You're being disingenuous. A diabetic of any type taking insulin is at risk of hypos and all that goes with that. The loss of limbs, eye problems, kidney and heart problems are all an issue for both types. They manifest differently, type 2 can frequently be kept at bay, but it's not a given.

Plenty of type 1s are diagnosed in later life - Theresa May was in her 50s. It is not just a childhood onset by any stretch. Type 2 can be helped by lifestyle changes and medication for some but by no means all. Plenty of type 2s on insulin.

More rubbish.

There is no evidence that 'infant or childhood diet plays plays a key role in influencing the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes and managing early stage autoimmunity'.

If you've found some, could you point me to it?

The key factor in DS getting Type 1 diabetes was COVID which he'd had about 2 months before, and as was evidenced by his team saying they'd had a massive amount of new diagnosed since then.

Of course this can only be proven evidentially if COVID antibodies are tested for and are present at diagnosis but even that wouldn't be 100% as antibody responses vary between individuals and can decline over time.

I understand your annoyance but please spare a thought for us type 2 diabetics who are not overweight and who have always had a healthy diet. It’s not always down to lifestyle.

A quick Google confirms diet and environmental factors play a role in increasing rates of T1 diabetes

Same as for allergies too

That doesn't mean you are personally to blame.

And actually whatever the causes people deserve empathy.

My cousin died of type 1 diabetes in her mid 30s, she had had it since very young, under 5 and had lots of complications from it throughout her life.

Some years ago my DH's diabetes nurse wittered on about this amazing new treatment that was high protein high fat and low carb. DH had been told by a doctor that he needed immediate medication to get it under control and she felt diet alone should be tried first.

I pointed out that what she was suggesting was basically the Atkins diet from many years before that he was called a quack for and after a rabbit in the headlights moment she agreed. He got the meds and has been stable for almost a decade since after a few tweaks and yes, I think low carb is worth a try for many people but not when the first indications are readings like his were.

Even those who are overweight deserve empathy!

I have always been slim (bar a period of time when I was on a heavy dose of steroids) but that's partly because i am "lucky" that my emotional/stress response is to under eat rather than over eat. It doesn't make me better or more virtuous than someone who has responded differently to trauma or stress. Or who due to poverty or other circumstances struggled to access a healthy diet

Why differentiate anyway? Is it their own fault if they get type 2 due to a bad lifestyle?

True. I’ve had anorexia and binge eating disorder, both due to an abusive childhood. I’ll get sympathy for the former but not the latter.

I agree with you.

Have you made the complaint to Sky?

FFS.

The DAISY Study (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young): Published in JAMA Paediatrics, this prospective observational study tracked children at a genetic risk for T1D. It found that introducing solid foods either very early (before 4 months) or quite late (at 6 months or older) predicted the development of islet autoimmunity (IA) compared to introduction at 4 to 5 months. Early fruit introduction and late grain introduction specifically elevated risk.

• The TRIGR Trial (Trial to Reduce Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the Genetically at Risk):This international, double-blind randomised controlled trial investigated whether weaning infants to an extensively hydrolysed (broken down) cow's milk formula instead of standard cow's milk formula reduces T1D risk. Results showed that eliminating standard cow's milk protein exposure early on significantly reduced the cumulative incidence of diabetes-associated autoantibodies in at-risk children.

• Gluten and Cereal Research: Studies highlighted in paediatric and nutrition literature indicate that early exposure to gluten-containing cereals (such as wheat, oats, and rye) within the first 3 to 4 months of life can increase the risk of islet autoimmunity and beta-cell destruction by altering gut microbiome balance and intestinal permeability.

I know. To have the energy to complain about this is a new level. 😀

Should they add ‘must be educated about type 1 diabetes’ to all Sky job adverts maybe? 🙄

He is one bloke, in OPs home to do something unrelated. He isn’t educated on this condition, but once OP told him that actually it’s an autoimmune condition, he said oh right and didn’t say anything more. You can’t expect everyone to be educated on every health condition.

I have t2 as a result of several autoimmune conditions inc PCOS. I am BMI 20 and have a healthy lifestyle. I have almost died as a result of hypoglycaemia and reactive hypoglycaemia.

You're angry that a random Sky engineer made an uninformed comment but somehow you feel entitled to make even more uninformed comments in response.

The general consensus amongst whom?

Unbelievable. People can be such small-minded pricks.

I hope you are recovering.

No, I totally agree. I just wondered what the response was from Sky if she had made a complaint.
I've worked in call centres and taken similar complaints.
Some customers have waited nearly half an hour to get through on the phone to make this kind of complaint.
Some people are easily offended and have too much time on their hands.

I have totally been on Sky mans side on this thread.

Yep, some people seem to think that complaining at every opportunity makes them appear strong and assertive