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Does anyone else........

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AnnW

AnnW

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Feel unnerved when they read about Diabetes being a life threatening illness?

I am just reading a novel and they mention these illnesses... First heart disease, then type 2 diabetes.... Unnerving. It happens fairly often and it quite depresses me to be honest.
Anyone else noticed this ?
 
Yes. Technically it is correct, but it does rather over-dramatise it for most sufferers, especially those with good control. I get very protective of Himself when start reading this sort of thing, and now I'll no doubt feel the same on the part of the GMNT.
 
Hi Ann,

Thanks for posting this, I feel exactly the same. I stopped watching any medical dramas on TV as they are so depressing when diabetes comes up. It is always so negative, I would love to see someone approach diabetes from a more postive side in a novel / tv drama. Newspapers and news articles are bad too. I don't really know how to avoid getting down when I read these things though. I'm sure someone should tell these people how their stories affect us
 
I totally agree.

When I was first diagnosed, eleven years ago, I got some books out of the library to find out more about it, and thoroughly depressed myself, although I felt depressed beforehand! Put the books back, and applied common sense - ie. keep levels steady, right foods, regular checkups for everything, don't miss an appointment, blah, blah.

But, yes, the negatives are always at the forefront
 
I know quite a few people who jhave lived with diabetes for many years. They are well controled and have very few problems, some of them with their problems are more age related than diabetes related.

Sorry if this sounds a bit blunt, but if the diabetes is well controled, you are no more likely to die early than be born a penguin.
 
When I was daignosed, I was informed that the lifespan for a T1 was about 10 years less than average.

They now see that as rubbish and don't cite any difference in life expectancy.

As suggested, we are all prone to the usual ailments, some more than others, but you should live as long as you would have done, possibly longer due to an improved lifestyle.

Imagine if you hadn't developed diabetes and hadn't had the impetus to seek out healthier food, etc then your health may well have deteriorated into old age.

Rob
 
Yes it is a biggy. And we would be wise never to forget that. I read an analogy once that compared diabetes to living with a tiger. You can live with a tiger, you can feed it and care for it and get along just fine. But if you turn your back on it, even for a moment, it could leap on you and tear you to shreds.

Sometimes the often stated 'inevitability' of progression into complications seems more to do with the [lack of] advice and support that many people receive.

After all the Joslin 75 year medallists seem to be doing OK, so there must be some hope for all of us 🙂
 
A positive for you all: I know an 80 year old type 1, he walks 5 miles a day with his two dogs and recently climbed snowdon for charity. A brilliant man, funny and intelligent and more healthy than any non diabetic 80 year old I know 🙂
 
AnnW said:
Feel unnerved when they read about Diabetes being a life threatening illness?

I am just reading a novel and they mention these illnesses... First heart disease, then type 2 diabetes.... Unnerving. It happens fairly often and it quite depresses me to be honest.
Anyone else noticed this ?
Click to expand...

I have Type 1 and I see the disease as a lifetime illness, but not life threatening. Even though, lately, I have had a few medical problems, it's not all Diabetes related and I try to keep my control good and be sensible, that's all I can do. I don't want to drop down dead due to stress and worry 😉 I hope to have at least another 20 yrs or more. Sheena
 
I am pretty positive and I have also stopped reading Diabtes books as I did when first diagnosed as I find them depressing. I work hard at controlling my D but it's when I am reading a novel and it is thrown in that it's life threatening I just get pulled up with a start. It's not even like being told to stop drinking, or smoking, or eating choc because of the life threatening diseases, there's nothing i can do to prevent it ...... Now I AM old !
 
I try and see things as positivly as i can when i was diagnosed it was more a case of my life has just begun rather then its its ended and im going to die from a life threatening condition,hopefully being diagnosed added to the fact i now live healthier and take more care of my health will mean a longer,happier,healthier life It may well be a life threatening illness but if the condtionee looks after themself then theres no reason they cant live well into there 80,90s.Dont treat diabetes as your enemy treat it as a friend.
 
Steff said:
I try and see things as positivly as i can when i was diagnosed it was more a case of my life has just begun rather then its its ended and im going to die from a life threatening condition,hopefully being diagnosed added to the fact i now live healthier and take more care of my health will mean a longer,happier,healthier life It may well be a life threatening illness but if the condtionee looks after themself then theres no reason they cant live well into there 80,90s.Dont treat diabetes as your enemy treat it as a friend.
Click to expand...

Well said Steff 🙂 Never thought of it like that, but it is true, I need to think like that more often :D
 
All very good points but it still unnerved me to see the 'this is life threatening' -- in a novel :(
 
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