Education time: Type 1 Diabetes So, I was told today by a complete stranger that if I just stressed less and watch some comedy every night, my diabetes would be a thing of the past. If I wasnt in a hurry, I might have decked that M* F**ker. Its not the first time Ive been told there is a miracle cure for Type 1 Diabetes, either. My mission with this status is to educate at least one person, so that one day they can re frame from saying something this ignorant to someone in my position. *START RANT* - Type one diabetes is hereditary: I got it from my grandmama. - You dont get type 1 by being unhealthy or overweight, and diabetes should NOT be a dirty word. - Type one diabetes means that a chemical called insulin that is released naturally in everybody else (during meals, times of stress, exercise etc.) is not produced in my body. I dont have it, so I inject it. - If I didnt inject, the starch and glucose in my body would (in simple terms) turn my blood acidic - I would die from this. - To successfully control my diabetes and ensure that I dont have long term complications (loss of sight, nerve damage in hands and feet, heart disease etc.) I will have to take 4 injections of insulin a day and test my blood 7 - 8 times a day. everyday. Until I die or science finds a better solution. -There is no cure for type one diabetes. Your diet, your stress less strategy, your miracle elixir - NONE of it will cure my diabetes. Because Im missing a chemical in my body. I have been told by countless GPs, naturopaths and complete strangers even that there is a cure. Speak to any diabetic specialist and youll quickly find out that thats not the case! This lack of education about diabetes in our society astounds me - there are MANY diabetics in the world. Having type 1 also means that its incredibly hard for me to control my weight due to the synthetic insulin that I have to inject each day. Trust me when I say this - I work out 5 times a week and eat little to no carbs, lots of fruit veg, protein and healthy fats. My main point here: Please dont tell a diabetic that they can be cured. Please dont tell a diabetic that if they just live a healthy lifestyle that this will go away. It wont. And its incredibly detrimental to my wellbeing when I hear these things - especially when type 1 diabetics work so hard on everything! The constant monitoring, injections, blood sugar readings, blood tests, carb counting, religious exercise... I cant be cured, but I am doing the best that I can to control my condition and I use every source available to me to do so. And I can assure you that this is the same for 99% of type 1 diabetics out there. Questions welcome for those who dare to read this all :p
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 09:20:39 +0000
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