Documentary - What Do You Want People to Know

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Bluest_Pigeon

Bluest_Pigeon

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello, everybody, my name is Matt, and I have been a Diabetic for six years (today's my anniversary!). I am currently working alongside a production company to produce a Documentary about Diabetes. The aim of the Documentary is to raise awareness of the trials and difficulties those with Diabetes face in our day-to-day lives. In particular, there will be a focus on the impact on personal relationships, physical effects, the types of Diabetes as well as lesser-known aspects of Diabetes such as Diabulimia and other eating disorders.

I was just writing to ask whether or not there are any aspects of Diabetes or life with Diabetes you believe should be focussed on or if anyone is perhaps willing to share some of their own personal stories and difficulties in regards to living with Diabetes or caring for/living with someone with Diabetes?

I look forward to reading any replies and hope everyone is having a good day!🙂
 
I think you need to focus on the link between Diabetes and depression. No matter how hard you try to get your levels in range it doesn't always work out the way you hope. This really gets frustrating and you feel like giving up.
 
steveo said:
I think you need to focus on the link between Diabetes and depression. No matter how hard you try to get your levels in range it doesn't always work out the way you hope. This really gets frustrating and you feel like giving up.
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For sure! Definitely think that the link between depression and Diabetes should be addressed - perhaps a focus on Diabetic burnout should be there too!
 
All I would ask is that you do not do what is commonplace in this type of work and focus on the problems (because they make better copy) to the point where the uninformed viewer assumes that all diabetics lead blighted lives. Yes there are difficulties but difficulties are not necessarily disastrous. One of the things that strikes me most about T1 (and T3c) forum members in general is how they adjust and get on with life dealing with stuff that appears impossible to cope with from the outside.
 
One of the things that breaks my heart is the fear so often in so many people's posts when they arrive newly diagnosed in this forum.
Of course diabetes needs to be respected and taken seriously as a condition but so many people literally see it as a death sentence - somebody actually told me that once and they had as a result already given up as soon as they received their diagnosis.

In my experience and that of many others in particular with type 2 is that it is manageable and in my case my diagnosis has improved my life rather than anything else. I am fitter and healthier at 60 after being diagnosed in 2019 than I was in my 30s.

I love the new way of eating and I am able to keep my sugar levels between normal and pre-diabetic without any medications and have done so now for years - just by changing the way I eat and incorporating meditation and breathing exercises and drinking plenty of water and getting a good night's sleep.

Personally I believe that stress makes diabetes management much worse than it might otherwise be and fear feeds stress and raises blood sugar levels along with other things like cortisol.
 
Hi Matt @Bluest_Pigeon and welcome to the forum.

I'd really like awareness raised of the fact that if a type 1 collapses the best thing to do is give them glucose (or honey or fruit juice or whatever sugary thing is to hand) as a matter of urgency, and not give them insulin!
 
how about a section on the impact of technological advances.....eg pump => ease of bolus in public especially reducing sensitivity / embarrassment of injecting in public or CGM => bringing greater mental overheads as you can see and therefore attempt to adjust blood glucose levels 24*7 rather than at 3 or 4 action points during the day....
 
Bluest_Pigeon said:
For sure! Definitely think that the link between depression and Diabetes should be addressed - perhaps a focus on Diabetic burnout should be there too!
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Yes, I think a focus on diabetic burnout is essential, particularly with regard to insulin dependent diabetics. I'm less than 3 yrs in, yet have moments when I resent being like this - but I'm grateful to be alive.

The need to plan ahead, for every meal; the loss of spontaneity with food choices.

The complexity of what has to be understood and then managed, against a background of frequent unpredictability; eg the impact of variable insulin resistance and consequence on timings between bolus and eating.

The 42 factors (to date) that can affect one's BG. No wonder DM is complicated, confusing and contradictory (ref Gary Scheiner, Think Like a Pancreas).

Plus, of course, the individuality of how DM is different for each one of us; how it gets diagnosed and then managed.

All part of the daily trials and difficulties.
 
I agree with @Docb about the importance of knowing you can live with diabetes.
Maybe something about well known people with diabetes or sportsmen like the NovoNordisk cycling team.
Living with diabetes does not need to be doom and gloom and missing out.
 
Docb said:
All I would ask is that you do not do what is commonplace in this type of work and focus on the problems (because they make better copy) to the point where the uninformed viewer assumes that all diabetics lead blighted lives. Yes there are difficulties but difficulties are not necessarily disastrous. One of the things that strikes me most about T1 (and T3c) forum members in general is how they adjust and get on with life dealing with stuff that appears impossible to cope with from the outside.
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Hi.

I'm type 2 and cope really well and have adjusted my eating habits knowing the fact that I am diabetic. I Just follow a low(ish) carb diet but still get to eat any food or drink I want too within reasonable amounts 🙂 I do think by reading lots of the comments on here that type1 CAN be easier to control with the help of insulin? (I could be completey wrong and if so please forgive my ignorance with type1)
I'm lucky in the fact that I am not overweight so can do lots of walking etc and I know some people cannot and lots of people seem to be in denial which I do understand BUT the sooner you come to terms with the fact you are diabetic and need to change your eating habits the better (in my opinion). My diabetes (as well as my three bothers) was hereditary, thanks to my father lol so we all kinda knew it was gonna happen sooner rather than later but was never told by the Dr at the time if this could be reversable by eating more sensibly?
Sorry for going on and giving you my life story 🙂 So .............. I have adjusted and got on with life :rofl:
 
Nige13 said:
I do think by reading lots of the comments on here that type1 CAN be easier to control with the help of insulin? (I could be completey wrong and if so please forgive my ignorance with type1)
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I do not think of it as easier or harder with Type 1. We use a different set of tools - primarily insulin - which is very quickly fatal if we get it wrong. We still need to be very mindful of what we eat, how much exercise we do, how stressed we are and more.

There is no "worse" type of diabetes. Just different.

But your ignorance is, of course, forgiven 🙂
 
helli said:
I do not think of it as easier or harder with Type 1. We use a different set of tools - primarily insulin - which is very quickly fatal if we get it wrong. We still need to be very mindful of what we eat, how much exercise we do, how stressed we are and more.

There is no "worse" type of diabetes. Just different.

But your ignorance is, of course, forgiven 🙂
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Told you about my ignorance - but you learn something every day and Yes, we are all diabetics 🙂
 
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