Diabetes lifestyle improvement project

[Paul Crowther]

Hello All

I'm a first-timer on these forums so please forgive me if I don't comply with forum etiquette in some way! I am after some help from my fellow diabetes community if you would be so obliging...I am studying for a degree and am currently on my last two modules, one of which involves a design project. For my project I am currently focussing on an application to improve the lifestyle of people with diabetes but what exactly that is will be decided throughout the project. For now I would just like to gather some data and wondered if I could get some responses to the following two questions:

1. What do you believe your three most common problems are in terms of how diabetes affects your lifestyle?

2. What type of diabetes do you have?

I know these are pretty straight forward questions but any responses would give me a great starting point for my research. If there are any questions please post them on here I will do my best to answer. Also please feel free to post any thoughts on products, services or systems which you feel would be a benefit to living with diabetes (unless you want to patent it then maybe keep it to yourself 🙂 ).

Many thanks for your time,
Paul

 

[grovesy]

Welcome.

 

[trophywench]

There's nothing to say you've consulted Admin to gain permission for research questions - however I can answer you very simply.

1. I can't speak for others, but I don't that often have what I'd call problems, these days, there's usually a work-round that will already exist anyway so just have to find it. If I can't, then I'd get help from my hospital Diabetes Clinic. I've never changed my lifestyle for diabetes - cos I simply haven't needed to.

2. Type 1

 

[Robin]

1. remembering to take my insulin pen out with me in case I decide to stop for a coffee, and needing a bum bag or pockets big enough for pens, test kit etc when walking, when I don't want to carry a hand of shoulder bag.( sorry, that's only 2, and I have got a good eye for sniffing out gilets, fleeces etc with zipped pockets, but I wish there were more shirts with fastenable pockets, for hot weather)
2 Type 1

 

[khskel]

1 To be honest the only real problem I have and even that's more an inconvenience really is having to test more frequently when driving.
2 Type 1 e

 

[Northerner]

This has been approved, please help Paul if you can 🙂

 

[Pumper_Sue]

1. What do you believe your three most common problems are in terms of how diabetes affects your lifestyle?
It doesn't

2. What type of diabetes do you have?

Type1

 

[stephknits]

1. I guess I would say spontaneity, but to be honest, my kids probably have more effect on that than my diabetes does! I don't graze like I used to - although conversely this could be seen as a good thing (for the waist line). So I suppose I would have to go for feeling rubbish when blood sugars are too high / too low.

Type 1

 

[Ginny03]

1. What do you believe your three most common problems are in terms of how diabetes affects your lifestyle?
- Having to wait to do things, because you need to get your levels to a certain point before you can start - I have to do this every time I do exercise and it's frustrating as it feels like time wasted, even though it's necessary to avoid a hypo!
- In choosing whether or not to have children, given the increased chances of complications in pregnancy which frankly fill me with terror!
- The restrictions on driving, which are tight for getting your licence renewed. I've got no issues with the testing pre-driving and every two hours (personally I think it should be more often!), but the requirements for renewal are steep.

2. What type of diabetes do you have?
Type 1.

 

[Stitch147]

Question 1
- always thinking about what I'm about to eat, especially if eating out
- making sure I've got test kit etc with me all the time
- getting the right treatment!

Question 2 - MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young)

 

[Paul Crowther]

There's nothing to say you've consulted Admin to gain permission for research questions - however I can answer you very simply.

1. I can't speak for others, but I don't that often have what I'd call problems, these days, there's usually a work-round that will already exist anyway so just have to find it. If I can't, then I'd get help from my hospital Diabetes Clinic. I've never changed my lifestyle for diabetes - cos I simply haven't needed to.

2. Type 1

Many thanks for taking the time to reply, that is a great help! Would you mind if I could just clarify that you currently have no issues with having T1D, regardless how small or seemingly insignificant? Kind regards.

 

[Paul Crowther]

1. remembering to take my insulin pen out with me in case I decide to stop for a coffee, and needing a bum bag or pockets big enough for pens, test kit etc when walking, when I don't want to carry a hand of shoulder bag.( sorry, that's only 2, and I have got a good eye for sniffing out gilets, fleeces etc with zipped pockets, but I wish there were more shirts with fastenable pockets, for hot weather)
2 Type 1

Many thanks Robin, two responses is absolutely fine and very helpful!

 

[Paul Crowther]

1 To be honest the only real problem I have and even that's more an inconvenience really is having to test more frequently when driving.
2 Type 1 e

That's great khskel, may I ask how frequently you test while driving and how long would you say each stop delays you?

 

[Paul Crowther]

Type1

Thank you Pumper_Sue

 

[Paul Crowther]

1. I guess I would say spontaneity, but to be honest, my kids probably have more effect on that than my diabetes does! I don't graze like I used to - although conversely this could be seen as a good thing (for the waist line). So I suppose I would have to go for feeling rubbish when blood sugars are too high / too low.

Type 1

Thank you stephknits, that's very helpful

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Thank you Pumper_Sue

Hi Paul I mismanaged my reply for some reason only the type 1 bit shows outside your quote the other answer has ended up within.
Answer 1 It doesn't
Answer 2 type1

 

[Paul Crowther]

1. What do you believe your three most common problems are in terms of how diabetes affects your lifestyle?
- Having to wait to do things, because you need to get your levels to a certain point before you can start - I have to do this every time I do exercise and it's frustrating as it feels like time wasted, even though it's necessary to avoid a hypo!
- In choosing whether or not to have children, given the increased chances of complications in pregnancy which frankly fill me with terror!
- The restrictions on driving, which are tight for getting your licence renewed. I've got no issues with the testing pre-driving and every two hours (personally I think it should be more often!), but the requirements for renewal are steep.

2. What type of diabetes do you have?
Type 1.

Many thanks Ginny03, that's very helpful indeed! I am on exercise referral at the moment so I can fully empathise with your first point. I hope you get plenty of help/advice with the second point as well!

 

[Paul Crowther]

Hi Paul I mismanaged my reply for some reason only the type 1 bit shows outside your quote the other answer has ended up within.
Answer 1 It doesn't
Answer 2 type1

Thanks for clarifying that Pumper_Sue, I did see both replies.

 

[grainger]

Having to constantly be organised with spares of everything and hypo treatments
Lack of spontaneity when it comes to eating/drinking
Mood swings when high/low

Type 1.

Good luck with the research

 

[trophywench]

Well no I don't have any problems except temporary ones whenever I happen to get one or another - eg I've lost my hypo symptoms at the mo at the 4 end - don't feel it at all until around 3 or lower. So I'm dealing with that cos I know how. When I first got diagnosed, of course I felt very sorry for myself - but it was just something I simply knew I had to accept - so that's what I did - and used the energy I might have ranting and raving - to sorting myself out and learning more. Far more productive in the finish - but there again having only just escaped the clutches and day to day influence of a control freak for a mother - I expect it was a jolly opportune moment for me to prove to ME I could cope, anyway!