Do you consider yourself to have an illness?

[Amberzak]

Some interesting comments on the latest survey thread interested me. So I thought I'd ask.

I'm not saying do you think you've got it worse. Just do you consider it an illness and why? (Remember to respect everyone's opinions).

The reason I ask is that a lot of the type ones were saying that they don't consider themselves ill. This is interesting to me. I do consider myself ill. I take medication and without it I get worse. As I said on that thread though, it might be because I often do actually feel ill through difficulty controlling my sugars.

So if you don't consider it an illness, what do you consider it? A disease? Nothing?

I'm particularly interested in the response from type ones because it's an autoimmune disease. But I'd also be interested if there's a difference between how type ones and type twos respond.

 

[Greyhound Gal]

It's a good question @Amberzak . I don't consider my diabetes an illness, rather a condition which I deal with. I think you may be right in that it is because I don't feel ill. For me, it is the same as my psoriasis which I have had for nearly 40 years, have numerous medications for and monthly blood tests and specialist nurse/consultant appts. It can cause me problems but doesn't make me feel ill. They are both inconvenient and occasionally my psoriasis can cause me some mental distress but they don't make me 'ill'.

 

[Northerner]

I'd have to say no, I don't consider it to be an illness. To me, illness actually means feeling poorly, like battling a virus or stomach bug etc., or perhaps depression (not situational depression, but 'brain chemical', inexplicable depression). I've been fortunate in my life that those are the only things I've had to contend with in terms of what I consider 'illness'. Most of the time I feel perfectly fit and healthy, and in some ways I feel managing my diabetes has led me to a healthier lifestyle than I might otherwise have pursued. I'm certainly a lot fitter and healthier than most of my peers, partly because I am regularly monitored for health issues, and partly because I have this indicator of my health - my blood sugar levels - that I work hard to keep in the 'Goldilocks Zone' 🙂

I think I was very fortunate to get diagnosed later in life, at 49, and I've been very fortunate in that my life prior to diabetes lends itself well to life after - a runner since my early 20s, and with a relatively good diet. Clearly, I also benefit from the fact that my pancreas appears to have recovered some beta cell function since my diagnosis and I no longer need basal ninsulin - I suspect this also helps to 'smooth' my levels overall.

 

[stephknits]

Sometimes the wording in surveys does make you stop and think doesn't it? I guess I think of it as a lifelong (or ten years if you read the Express) condition that I manage every day with varying degrees of success. For some reason I think of an illness as something that makes me feel rubbish that I will recover from (no idea why).

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Diabetes is a condition that needs managing as far as I am concerned. Nope I do not consider diabetes an illness just an inconvenience at times. 🙂

 

[Ljc]

Once I got over the shock of dx I considered it to be a condition that sometimes makes me feel ill and caused me a few problems. However possibly due to my experiences , I just don't consider myself to be ill. Lots of cancer on both sides of the family my dad is the only survivor, Cardiac problems are also rife, sadly Dementia has started to rear its ugly head on both sides.

 

[Robin]

Like others on here, I'd prefer the word 'condition.' I think of an illness as something that makes you feel ill, maybe I'm lucky, but diabetes doesn't make me feel ill. ( It did before it was diagnosed and treated, mind you!)
I also think the word 'illness' might make other people think of it as being debilitating, I don't want other people to perceive me as not being able to do things I can manage perfectly well.

 

[mikeyB]

I don't even think of it as a condition, never mind an illness. It's a way of life.

When it doesn't go tits up, that is.

 

[Northerner]

I also think the word 'illness' might make other people think of it as being debilitating, I don't want other people to perceive me as not being able to do things I can manage perfectly well.

What I find interesting is that, whilst you don't want people to perceive you in this way, you also don't want them to think it's a walk in the park, so I do find there is a bit of a conflict at times 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yes. And No. Not necessarily in that order. Or all the time. 😛

 

[Robin]

What I find interesting is that, whilst you don't want people to perceive you in this way, you also don't want them to think it's a walk in the park, so I do find there is a bit of a conflict at times 🙂

Funnily enough, as I was typing my post, an inner voice was saying, but hang on, you want them to cut you some slack sometimes..

 

[Amigo]

I view it as an unwanted complication with the potential to ramp up and exacerbate my other conditions. It's not an illness as much as a total inconvenience with very real potential to make me feel ill if I don't control it at all times. Unfortunately, blood cancer, infection and elevated glucose levels can have one hell of a rampaging party once they get together! 😱

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

As an example... while generally I do not consider myself ill at all, I had a situation recently where my pharmacy had a slight delay in acquiring vials of insulin. The time before this had happened it was with test strips, and it took them more than a week to get any (not a problem as I always make sure I re-order in reasonable time).

But I did find myself mentally working out how many day's worth of insulin I had left. One set change in that vial, maybe another one in the part used other one. Hmmm, I found myself thinking, this could cut things rather fine. If I can't collect by Monday I will be running far too short for comfort and have to organise some emergency supply.

In the end all was well and I collected my supply yesterday. But it did remind me, that without insulin I would be in trouble within a very short space of time.

 

[Wirrallass]

As others have said I too consider my diabetes to be a condition - not a disease - and which I manage fairly well without relying on medication - this is by choice as I was intolerant to Metformin. I don't feel ill and never have either before or since dx. Therefore I don't consider my diabetes to be an illness.

However I do have Type2 diabetes and have worked diligently with my diet & exercise regimes for 15 months now and have lowered my HbA1c to 32 which l believe is in the non diabetic range. I take medications to control my other health issues and occasionally I might feel poorly as to these health issues but I am not ill.

I hope this is helpful to you.

 

[Matt Cycle]

No, never considered it an illness or myself disabled in any way despite what the regulations say. I've never had a day off work with 'T1 diabetes'. It can however be very hard work to manage though and dealing with something like it that can't be seen can be mentally tough as well. 24/7 calculations (often miscalculations 😉), insulin injections, blood testing, planning etc can sometimes be very wearing and quite lonely as well as even my nearest and dearest don't really understand all that goes into managing it. Having said all that, it is what it is and I can't change it and just get on with it (or have a whinge on here instead 😉).

 

[Bill Stewardson]

Given the other health problems I have I see D as an irritating problem, maybe that will change if/when the other problems clear up.

I do fully understand why some would see it as a serious illness, especially T1s who have so much more stuff they need to do to themselves everyday.

Now Ive said that, they'll probably sort my other stuff and the D will get me !!

 

[Lisa66]

I've never considered it to be an illness. I guess if pushed I'd say it's a condition.

Dictionary definition of illness is "disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind".

 

[khskel]

I'm very much in the 'condition' camp. It's a damn nuisance but doesn't affect me too much.

 

[Shay93]

I don't consider my diabetes as an illness. I would say more of a health condition, I guess it sounds more positive to me to say it that way. By saying health condition, I feel I am in control rather than the other way around 🙂

 

[eggyg]

Funny this came up. I went for a MRI yesterday and had to fill in a form, have you any metal in your head etc. Then it went on to ask if I "suffered" from asthma, epilepsy, diabetes. I definitely don't think I suffer from anything but obviously there wasn't an option or room to put, "not really but I do have the chronic condition of diabetes".