Beginning 53rd year of diabetes.

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mogwilover

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
At the end of February I entered my 53rd year of integrating Type 1 diabetes into my life.

Most of that time I have stayed as far away from Drs (particularly GPs) as I can, as I learnt early in life they love using scare tactics to frighten people into a state of terror and submission, where people will say yes Sir, no Sir three bags full Sir. The best example is how, at the age of 10, my GP in Shrewsbury told me and my parents - if I did not do as he told me I would be dead or severely handicapped within 10-20 years!! Needless to say, my parents were frightened into submission, so much so that they followed the diet sheet I was given to the letter. It said to have an apple at lunch time and evening meal, so I ate an apple twice a day for over 5 years. When I got old enough to start reading into it all for myself, I realised how ignorant my GP was, but it took me some time to persuade my parents I would not die if I ate an orange!! Oh and when I got engaged at 18 years old, my GP told my father I should never have children as they would die in the womb - I hope you all understand why I stay away from Drs and all the people that try to domineer people who live with diabetes by using fear tactics.

Through my approach of staying as far away from Drs as possible, I have lived a full and active life, I have not gone blind, developed neuropathy, had a heart attack or a stroke and my kidneys are fine.

I sincerely believe that stress is a huge enemy of people learning to integrate Type 1 diabetes into their lives. I have noticed over the past few years, using scare tactics is creeping back into Type 1 diabetes care by professionals, - if you don't do this, you will lose a leg, if you don't do that, you will have a heart attack. I just wish professionals would use the positive approach to care, after all the diet that should be followed by someone with Type 1 diabetes will make them healthier, help increase energy, improve the quality of life. So why use threats and fear!! I have outlived all my siblings and most of my cousins, none of whom lived with diabetes or any other chronic condition!

So how have I managed to live this long when my GP predicted I would be dead 30 years ago? As a child I lived in fear, but then I left home at 18 and for nearly 10 years after that never went anywhere near a Doctor except to obtain prescriptions. (You did not have to go to a practice nurse for a tick list of tests in those days, that tick list of tests that earns my GP a bonus payment). I have worked all my life and walked everywhere - as I never owned a car. I have practised sensible healthy eating, (most of the time - but I do have treats), got to the top in my chosen profession and I have partied and enjoyed myself. I do not carb count, I do not work out the GI of foods from a list, I have learnt for myself what raises my BS - and what does not. After all living with Type 1 diabetes did not make me stupid, my BS is not always perfect, but I live a full and happy life. Most of all I consider myself to be an individual, I will not be labelled as a diabetic - that is just an absence of insulin from my body :D
 
Hi Mogwilover, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm with you on the 'positive approach', and it' very heartening to hear from someone who has passed five decades without significant difficulties. It seems that much of the media and many health professionals choose to portray the terrible potential consequences of diabetes in the hope that those who may be at risk will be frightened into improving their lifestyle. This doesn't help those who have already been diagnosed who are given the same negative message, leaving many people scared and guilty.

Experience is a great teacher, and clearly you have learned all you need to know from your long experience - long may it continue! 🙂
 
Hi Mogwilover, welcome to the forum 🙂
Sounds as if you had the same GP as I did back in those days lol. My Mum was told I would be dead by 20 😱
 
What an inspiration
I've had type one for 26 years. I have to admitt I probably harbour more resentment than you do towards it allthough so far only slight background retinopathy in one eye
I'm a GP myself and agree with you that using fear is a poor means of persuading the patient to "behave"- I can't even say "take control" as being afraid as you say implies submission rather than the above.
It's wonderful that you have survived complication free without all the modern insulins and testing equipment until more recently- I imagine not being able to monitor and being stuck on an old fashioned regimen dictating fixed meal patterns would make diabetes far more difficult to integrate into your daily life
Did you work out basal bolus for yourself to give better control and flexibility?
Would also be interested to hhear what works for you diet wise. Some people shovell in carbs in day everyday and cover them successfully ( or un-)with insulin, a few adopt a vey low carb approach and most of us seem to do better somewhere in between
 
Welcome to the forum! What an inspirational story
 
Sorry, family wedding led to me being off line for ages.

Hi all, thank you for the welcome,

Sorry to delay answering, had to "pop" to New Zealand as my niece suddenly decided to get married after being engaged for years!!

Abi, in response to how I manage my diet. Through my early childhood I was on a very strict eating regime, with old types of insulin I had to eat 6 times a day. However I worked it off as I also trained as a swimmer and I did a full training session every morning before school. Everything you ate then was weighed, much like carb counting now except it did not really have science behind it. All they knew to do was to be very strict about how much you ate and when. In fact the only foods that were free were fats, I could eat as much cheese and items such as pork scratchings as I liked, that has certainly changed now.

I took up nursing when I was 19, it took me a year to find a training school that would take me. Everybody seemed to be scared I would have "funny turns" so I had to work as a helper for a year. I was no longer swimming and what they never tried me at was sitting in a classroom. So when I started the training I went into ketoacidotic coma, the only time I was ever admitted after my diagnosis!! Something I do not think is looked at carefully enough - changes in role and its effect on stability. After that I managed fine, qualified, worked as a staff nurse and a ward sister but found as a sister I was working very long days, missing meals etc and that was not healthy. So I qualified as a teacher and became a Senior Lecturer in Nursing. I am now retired.

I forget exactly when I started using the Novapen but it wasn't until the 1990s - quite late really as I coasted along on the insulin mixtures. It was wonderful suddenly not having to have breakfast if I did not want it - but difficult to give up eating 6 times a day, I was used to snacking. When I did move from snacking to 3 meals a day I put on weight - but I am aware nowadays that snacking has been demonstrated to assist in weight loss.

Nowadays I live on a low carb, low fat diet and sliding scale insulin. I have eliminated potatoes, rice, salt and pasta from my diet and rarely eat fruit as it gives me raised peaks in BS. I have toast for breakfast but otherwise do not eat bread, I eat sesame ryvita instead which I love. I get my vitamin C from items such as peppers which I eat raw in salads every day.

Every so often I take a quiet day and do not eat, just drink water and no carb drinks. That is to check my basal insulin is still correct - it is something I have taught myself to do. My HbA1c is always between 5 and 7 and I have less severe swings in BS since I started the low carb diet - and I have lost over a stone in weight.

I learn something new on a regular basis and integrate aspects of diabetes research into my life as I judge them to suit me. My latest piece of research interest was into eating once a day to lose weight, as my current GP told me this was a good way to lose weight. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that eating only once per day increase the risks of diabetes complications according to research. Eating only once a a day increases low density lipoproteins, cholesterol and increases the blood pressure - so very bad news for the general public never mind people who live with any type of diabetes. It also decreases insulin sensitivity the following morning - very bad news for people who live with Type 2 diabetes.

I have every intention of getting to 60 years with Type 1 diabetes for that medal from diabetes UK, that is my long term goal. My short term goal - learning how to grow my own vegetables, at which there are definite successes but some dismal failings!! I am good with lettuce, which helps with the low carb diet 😉.
 
Thank you very much for your story mogwilover, very interesting and encouraging for people like me who have only been diagnosed a few years. Well done on managing your diabetes so well through all the decades - I hope you have similar success with your vegetable growing! Hope to hear more from you when time allows 🙂
 
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