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.

Thsnkfully hes doing ok but it all happened when he was in year 11 so he missed a large amount of school too and had a really tough time but hes healthy now three years on and adapted very well
Im very proud of how well he copes with it.

The OP is totally right. I have no clue why they didn't just give type 2 a different name. Type 1 and type 2 have nothing to do with each other (in terms of cause / the 'fix') and it's insulting to type 1 sufferers when type 2 compare themselves.

It's like every alcoholic you meet in life comparing themselves to you and your non-alcoholic liver disease. It would get frustrating very quickly.

That sounds horrible to go through. I wonder if you understand that people aren't comparing the outcome, just the cause? There will have been warning if it was type 2 because that doesn't creep up on people. People do tend to know if they're eating unhealthily and have put weight on. And if they're visiting the doctor for check ups, then doctors will typically offer advice on this and so on. I wouldn't say people are being insensitive about how he ended up - I hope not anyway as I haven't read all the posts. But type 1 sufferers played no part at all in the development of their condition - that's my understanding.

I'm really glad to hear that, I wish the best possible health for him in the futre.

Well how can they do that when there are more than two types ?

My DH didn’t play any part in his development of T2. Both his parents had it and he found out too late that his own chances of developing it were over 70% due to genetics. Many years of being treated for rheumatoid arthritis contributed too, as the treatment caused insulin resistance. T2 isn’t always the result of lifestyle choices.

My husband is T2, his father was T2, his grandmother was T1. He had a predisposition to it and was a long time being diagnosed (3+ years) as was his father.(5+ years). Thankfully although he could lose some weight he is very fit and has had no adverse effects as a result so far.

So sorry to hear about your DH.

... Sorry to be insensitive but this is a 'debating' forum after all.. when you say he played "no part" are you saying his diet didn't contribute in any way?

There is no top trumps but are crap.
However, the majority of one type as has been proven in many scientific papers and diets - mosley, low carb, atkins etc have a choice.

For those of us who do not - type 1, post drug treatment etc we do not and it is incredibly difficult to understand why if you have a choice you do not take it and stop having the disease. Anyone with any disease that has no cure of any choice would love to have the choice of a cure. That a huge proprtion of the population choose to stay diabetic after being diagnosed when their lifestyle is a factor is astonishing

I’m on insulin for type 2 diabetes. Non responsive to weight or dietary changes. It could also be fatal at any time and recently the lows have had me in hospital in a bad way.
You are as ignorant as the man from Sky.

You made a complaint about a low paid engineers lack of medical expertise.

How embarrassing for you!!

There are a gazillion types of medical conditions. It's not a competition.

There are shock, horror people worse off than you & your son. People will have illnesses & disabilities you have never heard of. My brother has diabetes, his daughter has Rett syndrome. Do they win top trumps - have you any right to talk about a child with diabetes when there are kids with Retts?

I bet your son was absolutely cringing with embarrassment.

It took me 5 years of visiting the doctor asking what was causing my symptoms before they decided to test me for diabetes. I was diagnosed with type 2. My diet and weight hadn't changed.
I've since tried controlling it with diet and weight loss, no difference.

The Dr told me its linked to my PCOS.

I'm sorry if you took my post the wrong way. I was trying to have an opinion on the disease as a whole in its most broad sense.

I do think there is a misconception that all people with Type 2 get their diagnosis due to lifestyle choices. It's certainly a large piece of the puzzle, but not the full picture.

And when it is those cases, there's still an illness there that needs to be treated.

Some of the saddest situations I have seen, that have personally stuck with me, are across that broad board of patients with different types of diabetes.

There has been so many sad situations. The ones you can't shake off and you come home and hug your family that bit more tight at night. I obviously can't say what they are, but diabetes can be deliberately and life affecting for all types and all situations are so different.

With any illness there's higher risk categories, but it doesn't make understanding someone else's situation any less important.

It's not dismissing one type of any illness over another, or one person's experiences over an other. We can't speak for each individual, only they can speak for themselves, their lives and experiences, as you have done. And it sounds like you've been through a lot.

I will always try and advocate for the individual. Even if Mumsnetters don't see me as such an advocate, I hope that comes across in my day to to day life!

It's annoying when people make mistakes, but most people make them all the time. I'm sure you're completely consumed by it just now given its your child but other people will have their own medical condition that you may not be completely clear about.

Oh, and type 1 and type 2 are both SERIOUS medical conditions.

Hey, you haven't mentioned what your diet was to begin with so difficult to judge (I assume you shared for a reason) - I do understand but then either they need to add more 'types' to fully distinguish causes that are self-inflicted and reversible, or they need to be less PC about being frank with people if they contributed to their condition. They might be trained now to not discuss this as much due to the sensitive nature of calling obesity a choice / a disease. Or poor eating habits, as people not necessarily massively overweight even if eating lots of sugar / fat depending on lifestyle and how often it happens.

I wouldn't be happy being linked with people whose condition was reversible / self-inflicted.

That’s exactly what I’m saying, yes. Not overweight, active, teetotal and once he was told he was at risk because of genetics he did everything he could to prevent it. The one thing he couldn’t do was avoid the arthritis treatment which caused insulin resistance.

Both types are serious and present different risks. Type 1 is fatal if it’s not diagnosed and treated immediately and it continues to be life threatening depending on control. With type 2 you can go years not knowing you have it until you get symptoms, by which time serious damage may have been done to cardio vascular and other systems. Then it becomes a matter of getting the disease under control and assessing and treating the damage already done.

My SiL has been slim all her life - active in her job and her hobby was fell walking so very fit. She was diagnosed as pre diabetic some years ago - she’s mid seventies. No matter what she did she couldn’t bring her blood sugar down because she’s insulin resistant. She cut out bread, watched carbs and cut out the little alcohol she did drink. The only effect was that she dropped well below her ideal weight and now has osteoporosis into the bargain. She’s now taking drugs to control her blood sugar as well as to treat the osteoporosis. It’s not always about fat, greedy and lazy.

Exactly. Fancy jeopardising someone’s job over this. He was just trying to make conversation while he did his job.

Why are you so bothered that the sky man understand the nature of your son’s diabetes OP? His opinion on health conditions is of no relevance to you.

Wasting your time, apparently, we insulin dependent type 2s don't exist and can be ignored or told its our own fault etc etc.

I have even had nurses in hospital misunderstand it (after having it explained!) and contribute to mismanagement that led to my worst hypo ever - barely conscious, in a room with no call bell (fortunately my DP walked in at the last minute and recognised the hypo for what it was).

My diet isn't particularly relevant tbh. I was replying to this comment that you made.

There will have been warning if it was type 2 because that doesn't creep up on people. People do tend to know if they're eating unhealthily and have put weight on

I was eating the same food i always have (mainly homemade. Probably too much pasta) and hadn't gained weight.

And then this one

And if they're visiting the doctor for check ups, then doctors will typically offer advice on this and so on

I was practically begging the doctor to do tests. He just kept fobbing me off.

I've done the diabetes remission diet. My blood sugars were still in the diabetic range. So diet didn't reverse it for me.

OP seems to have disappeared.

Likely feeling rather embarrassed.

Hope she's not too ashamed to call SKY & apologize.

I don't understand how what you're describing is type 2. Sounds like they need more labels then, like I say.

Thwy do have more lables there are severel types of Diabetes.

Then what a couple of people describe (if the full story) shouldn't be diagnosed as something self-inflicted. Or alternatively: they need to reserve one label for the kind that is and that crucially: can be reversed.

Type 2 diabetes can be caused by:

Genetic and family history
Age
Ethnicity
Lifestyle Factors
Insulin Resistence

It is not self inflicted. Even if it were, why cause those people to feel upset and ashamed?

Type 2 is only diagnosed as "self inflicted" in your mind, to everyone else it's a life changing disease. No one asks for it, you can be overweight and not get diabetes or underweight and contract it. It's not discriminatory, it can affect anyone if you've got the genes or you've had treatment for another raiment which can trigger it.

Please stop regarding it as something people who are overweight get, it's just not true.