BBC...again!

[macabee]

The beeb does it again. In the BBC website

BBC website news from Wales
20 October 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-24593744

'Anger as diabetic children miss out on insulin pumps'

"There are two kinds of diabetes. Type 2 accounts for 90% of cases - and 10% of NHS spending - and is linked to lifestyle, obesity and age"

I have no issue with the report, except for the implication IMO that for T2's it is mostly our own fault!😡

Rant not over. I complained

 

[Zuckerkranke]

"There are two kinds of diabetes. Type 2 accounts for 90% of cases - and 10% of NHS spending - and is linked to lifestyle, obesity and age"

I have no issue with the report, except for the implication IMO that for T2's it is mostly our own fault!😡

Rant not over. I complained

There goes my blood pressure again.😡 It's no wonder I'm on Ramipril & Amlodipine. It's not my fault I have T2. My grandmother and my father had it. Now I have it. I don't want it and everytime I read stupid reports like this, I GET ANGRY!!!😡

 

[happydog]

I agree. We have no history of diabetes in my family. I am active and always have been, not overweight, BMI 21 and bordering on being underweight for my height. The fact that I have developed T2 is apparently my fault Grrrr! It is very unfair.

 

[ivygirl]

I so agree! I get so angry when everyone thinks it's our own fault. When I found my birth family and discovered I was one of 10!!!! Yes, they are all diabetics, a mixture of type 1 and 2.

 

[Andy HB]

I can only say that it WAS my fault that my type 2 diabetes symptoms manifested themselves. It also wasn't a co-incidence that they were mitigated as soon as I lost weight, ate sensibly and exercised more.

I'm sure many others can do the same if they also take more care with their lifestyle.

Yes, this doesn't apply to everyone, but it does apply to some (if not most?).

Andy

 

[jalapino]

I am sorry but i have to put my hand up^...it is my fault i am a t2 on insulin and eat healthy and keep fit the best i can....🙄😱😉

 

[trophywench]

Well come on, you guilt trip people!!

Why is it, in a family where as far as anyone is or was, 40+ years ago to date, totally unaware of another diabetic rellie in the past, that I became T1 in 1972 and my big sis became T2 in (about) 2005?

She'd always had more of a tendency to gain weight than me, but her build is more like mom's. she was overweight ALL her life till she was pretty aged and ill, yet of all the things she had, never diabetes. But sis NEVER ate c**p (well I'll change that to hardly ever, just like everyone) and was a size 16 if that at her fattest - rest of the time she sat around size 14 - well covered but hardly mega obese. She's also 2" shorter than me, so that doesn't help her look thinner either.

I know T1 is sposed to be auto-immune and some say that's that - but I don't, I think it's all down to genes, unless you really are so mega obese you are killing yourself with the weight, by putting a terrible strain on every organ in your body - so in that case is it merely (NOT!) hyperinsulinemia you've got? which I don't suppose shows up if they do an HBA1c or a fingerprick test or probably, an OGTT ? So no-one realises you've got pre-diabetes or D itself, until too much damage has already been done and the D shows itself?

At which point they tell you to restrict your fat and eat carbs, so every morsel of carb is hitting you like an express train cos there's not enough fat to slow it down a bit and give Mr Pancreas half a chance to catch up .....

 

[Andy HB]

Trophywench

It's nowt to do with guilt tripping for me. It is a plain and simple fact.

All I can say is that I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes in October 2009. I was prescribed gliclazide replaced with metformin and was on that for around three months before being able to stop all medication.

During that time I started exercising regularly and started to lose weight. I also ate more sensibly (regular three meals a day with heavily reduced portions). I did not, by some people's standards, have a particularly low-carb diet either. But I did cut a lot of dietry fat. After about 18 months I had achieved my target weight of between 13.5 and 14st.

I don't care what you think I was suffering from (hyperinsulinemia or whatever) because you don't know the details. All I can say is that for me, my symptoms were mitigated by my actions post diagnosis. I have also seen many other stories on this forum and elsewhere where others have also turned their lives around. You should not dismiss their stories as 'guilt trips' either.

In the three years since then my condition has remained quite stable. I hope, with continued vigilance, to maintain that state of affairs for as long as possible. I might be lucky, I might not. Only time will tell.

Andy

 

[Redkite]

As a parent, I was actually quite pleased that the article differentiated between type 1 and type 2 (the article was about children after all). Type 1 is totally unpreventable, period. Type 2 may also be unpreventable, and I do wish the media would say "CAN BE linked to lifestyle/obesity", instead of "IS linked". I don't believe in telling people it's their own fault, because what good is that when people need support. However, in the same way that smoking can be a contributory factor in many cancers, it is true that being overweight and inactive can lead to a higher risk of type 2. These are facts!

And I speak as the Mum of a type 1, and daughter of a type 2 🙂

 

[Andy HB]

... Type 2 may also be unpreventable ....

I know you said 'may' 😉 but I would lay odds (unfortunately now unprovable!) that my diabetic symptoms would not have manifested themselves so soon if I had remained a good weight, ate sensibly and kept my levels of exercise up.

After all, that is where I am again now (i.e. living without medication and diabetic symptoms are under control for the moment).

Andy 🙂

 

[Redkite]

I agree Andy. What I meant was that I think there does have to be an underlying genetic susceptibility, but even if you have this, there are things you can do to delay or maybe prevent type 2 developing.

 

[happydog]

I agree with Redkite. I wish they would sayT2 could be linked with lifestyle rather than is. Diabetics, especially T2 seem to get more than their fair share of criticism rather than support. I think that it may be what underlies some of the lack of interest in the medical fraternity. Some may feel "This is your own fault because of your lifestyle". Whatever the reason people should be supported and helped to live the rest of their natural lives as comfortably as is possible. The misinformation in the media does not help those not affected to understand the condition. Sorry rant over 🙂

 

[pippaandben]

So you are diagnosed Type 2 - you do everything they say - exercise increased, no "bad food - blood sugars go up!! - more exercise - weight comes off really pleased with self - but blood sugars go up, and up til the norm is 25-Hi on meter! - you feel fine til the thirst kicks in so decide to see Dr and are on insulin within the week. Is this my fault? NO. It is the Drs fault for not diagnosing me earlier as 4 years previously I had been called back for another blood test as there was sugar in my urine. I was told I had just a touch of diabetes but nothing to worry about!! No advice or anything - just carry on as you have been doing with a careful diet. When I was eventually diagnosed the first dietician I was sent to was one who told me I HAD to eat carbs at every meal or I would make myself worse - luckily I had already found this forum so knew that was completely wrong "advice". The NHS itself does - I think - have a place in the increases in cases due to mis-information.

It is the blanket assumption in the media that ALL type 2s are bad people who have brought it on themselves that upsets me - and it does lead to the odd nasty comments like "should you really be eating that". Yes cos I have to take insulin for it!!

 

[Andy HB]

Ok, I think we're pretty much singing from the same song-sheet. 🙂

I just wanted to emphasise for those newly diagnosed type 2's that there is a chance that if they are overweight then something good may come from losing that weight, modifying what they eat and increasing exercise levels (if possible).

Of course, this message may not apply to some because the pancreas is beyond recovery and insulin is required. But for others on metformin etc (which implies the pancreas is still producing insulin) this may be something that they can get some encouragement from.

As to the media and it's 'blaming' culture. All I can suggest is ignore the twonks! It isn't about blame, it's about dealing with the condition if you happen to be unlucky enough to develop it. And you're right, encouragement and help is the route for that (which is available in bucket-loads on this forum if not necessarily from the medical profession .... although I have to say that the medical guys and gals were great for me up to now!).

Andy 🙂

 

[PhilT]

Don't you find it strange that other medical conditions like liver disease or heart disease where the patients probably contribute more to their condition through bad diet or excessive drinking and smoking never get the same sort of 'hate' from the media as diabetic's do?