This topic contains 1 reply, has 2 voices, and was last updated by 
Anneke 1 week, 6 days ago.
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Those words that the doctor says, “You have a little bit of sugar”, or “your blood glucose level is up” or “stop eating bananas, you have got to lose weight” or ….
“YOU have diabetes” often come as an unexpected surprise.
Type 1 diabetes – you usually know rather quickly that you have something wrong. Sudden and unexpected weight loss; severe thirst; very frequent running to the loo to pee; and at worst collapse and and ambulance ride to your nearest hospital.
Type 2 diabetes can be present for years, and you can not know it. Often symptoms like tiredness, slight dry mouth, increased visits to the loo during the night, changing vision, are put down to getting older.
How did you feel when you realised you actually had diabetes? How were you told? What was your initial thoughts?
Common reactions include denial, anger, disbelief, sadness, grief – “not me, I FEEL fine”; “Nobody in my family has diabetes, it cant be true”; “I have walked every day for 20 years, I am not overweight and my diet is good, why me?”
Genetics: If we as a society decide to start genetically engineering our children, then just MAYBE we can prevent diabetes. This of course is unlikely to happen. The point is, if you have a predisposition to be diabetic, then you cannot change this. Just the same as a gene to determine if you have blue eyes or brown is present in your body, so is (we believe) the presence of a gene to increase your chances of getting diabetes.
If you have diabetes, one of the kind things that you can do for ALL of your family, is to tell them you have diabetes. That way they can know they are at risk of also having diabetes i.e. a known ‘family history’. Not good to have, but good to know you can do something about delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes i.e. stop smoking, eat well, exercise daily.
If you have any diabetes knowledge is power. Grow yourself a team of health professionals who can help you achieve the best possible health outcomes (both physically and emotionally) and put yourself as Captain of that team, after all, it is YOUR life.
GP, diabetes educator, dietitian, psychologist / counsellor, podiatrist, exercise physiologist ect etc.
It is also helpful to ask questions – until you understand. And if you don’t know what to ask, ask ” what do I need to know, please help me”.
Diabetes: a journey, with many challenges. Find a travel partner, and travel safely.
Cheers,
David
I have a family history of diabetes. The fact that I had diabetes wasn’t unexpected but the actual fact of coping with it has a wide range of emotions. I knew I needed to work with my endo and doctors to get this under control and enable me to get my blood sugars down. The hardest part was in getting support from my family. My daughter in law is great and is always interested in how things are going. My husband has the idea just eat the right foods and all is well. He doesn’t understand all the things that come with the diabetes. Maybe he believes that I will be fine on my own but some support from him would be so great. That’s why this site is so important I can feel that I am learning more and getting much needed support too.
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