How has Diabetes affected your self identity?

[Annabel_Barrow]

My name is Annabel Barrow and I'm looking for participants over the age of 18 with Type 1 or 2 diabetes to take part in my study. With your help, I hope to address an underrepresentation of individual experience in the current diabetic literature and gain an understanding of how diabetes affects sense of self.

What would taking part in this study look like?
This study is an online 1:1 interview, conducted on Microsoft Teams, where we would explore your experience of diabetes and how this has impacted your life, including self perceptions and self-identity.
Your interviews are entirely confidential and your name will not be shared with any third parties at any point.
If you are interested in learning more about my study, or have any queries please private message me. There is no obligation to take part at any point and participation is entirely voluntary.


I have attached the participant information sheet below if you would like to learn more.
This study has been approved by Mike @everydayupsanddowns

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Good luck with your project @Annabel_Barrow 🙂

 

[trophywench]

I'm merely bemused by the concept!

 

[khskel]

All my identities and personas remain intact!

 

[PattiEvans]

I'm merely bemused by the concept!

Me too, but after some thought I realise that it has actually made me more self-confident. Having educated myself regarding diabetes, it's health ramifications, treatments and other aspects I feel confident when speaking to health professionals, challenging them and advocating for myself if I feel it's necessary. Er, actually it's probably made me a tiresome old lady as far as they are concerned! LOL!

 

[trophywench]

LOL - I was like that before! Ask questions and not be satisfied until I got sensible answers. That's why I was considered good at training people and also why I fell out with the Civil Service so quickly - not allowed to use your own intelligence to solve a problem, could only do what the Codes said you could.

I spose it did mean that whether you lived in Scotland or Cornwall you got exactly the same answer from the department, but so bloomin tedious ....

 

[PattiEvans]

I really just meant in the medical field @trophywench. I am of the generation that was brought up to believe that doctors were next to gods and should not be challenged.

 

[trophywench]

Well so was I really - but that changed when I was admitted to hospital and met several somewhat younger doctors who spoke to patients like they were intelligent people! You know, like work colleagues a lot older than me, spoke to me - hardly ever telling me to do things, but instead normally ASKING me. It does make all the difference. If I didn't grasp what they were asking me, or why they wanted me to do whatever, obviously I'd query it - in an effort to get things done right. By that time, I was running a small department anyway, plus I'd got myself elected to be a Staff Association rep cos other people thought I wouldn't be fobbed off easily - and already got noted for calling a spade a shovel !

 

[mikeyB]

Diabetes hasn’t made any difference to my self identity at all, mainly because I have no complications of the condition. I’m not blind, I’ve got no diabetic neuropathy, and everything that is supposed to work still does.

My PLS (Primary Lateral Sclerosis) certainly has, because I now self identity as disabled, because I can hardly walk except with two crutches and use an electric wheelchair outside, or a road going Mobilty scooter. That certainly gives you an experience that has to change your self identity.