how long have you had diabetes for???

[MCH]

Now I am feeling really old! I was diagnosed 35 years ago (almost to the day) and remember (among other things) the days of:

• clinitest (5 drops of urine, 10 of water into a dinky test tube and a fizzy tablet that made everything really hot - it did then turn really pretty colours mind you and I remember my dad bought me (I was only 9 at the time) a selection of coloured pencils to colour in the chart) 🙄
  
• boling a glass syringe once a fortnight and keeping it in meths in a blue plastic holder
  
• turning 16 and not getting disposable needles any more unless your parents bought them - they were some size when I think back - in which case you had a metal one which came with the syringe which could also be boiled as mentioned previously 😱
  
• the dietician telling my mum that I could have ice cream as a real treat - ONCE A YEAR!

I know we think things could be better (and we are right), but there have been a lot of changes for the better over the years.

 

[sueneil]

Now I feel really old, thanks. You are all novices lol, I have been Diabetic for 39 years

 

[squidge63]

Since Aug 1999, 10 years ago my how time flies... still dont feel healthy and am not the greatest in looking after my diabetes and still think deep down I am still in denial.

 

[litto-miss-loz]

4 and a half years for me, I dont know where the time has gone !!!!

 

[bev]

Nearly 7 months to the day! Still learning and am so glad this forum exists - i have lost count of the amount of times we have had help from all you lovely people on here! Bev and Alex

 

[chezpez]

HELLOOOO!
Been diabetic for 3 and a half yrs.. diagnosed xmas eve 2005 - great present NOT!
I was 31yrs old and now i cant remember what it was like before diabetes! maybe thats a good thing i must of accept my condition at last. xx

 

[Heike]

its been 12 years for me now, the last 2 on insulin

 

[VanessaK]

Been just over 3 years in the May just gone ...and sometimes I do wish it would go but there is nothing i can do to change it so just carry on....🙄

 

[mccuecolin]

Hi
45 years this month originally on protamine zinc and soluble insulin used glass syringes and had to sterilise them, changed to humalin mixtard 20 years, now on mixtard 30 pen refill
]Never treated my diabetes as an illness just an inconvenience 🙂🙂

 

[sweetsatin]

21st April this year. not long at all but never felt fitter in ages

 

[KAREN1]

how long

it will be nearly 7 months now for me.

 

[SacredHeart]

1 month, 16 days 😉

 

[coldclarity]

Almost four months. Diagnosed with pre-existing diabetes at 13 weeks pregnant. Never felt better, apart from pregnancy stuff 😉

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

13 years this year

wow i feel old...

 

[Munjeeta]

14 and a bit years for me. I can't remember life without it, and like a few others can remember blood meters when they were the size of a brick and took over a minute to give results!

 

[runner]

2 1/2 years ago. Wow! some of you must have seen some changes in treatment in that time! Can't imagine wht it must have been like mccuecolin to have to sterilize everything and as for the needles...

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

14 and a bit years for me. I can't remember life without it, and like a few others can remember blood meters when they were the size of a brick and took over a minute to give results!

OH I REMEMBER THOSE!
I had this massive grey brick and massive test strips that came in silver wrappers. It was huuuuge and took what seemed like a year to give me the result.

Definitely a difference in the one I've got now, and I'm condering getting one of those snazzy new pink one touch's

Unfortunately I can still remember a time when I didn't have it, though its slightly hazy. I was such a chocolic before I was diagnosed and because I was so young, I remember getting well upset when I couldn't have stuff (the dietician there said under no circumstances could I have chocolate/ice cream or anything ). I remember a few days after I was diagnosed, my mum took me to the big fair in town and I burst into town because I couldn't have any candy floss :'(

 

[carolyn]

Started having symptoms in 1988 but just eat something and I felt better so never really bothered seeing the doc. My aunt then said to go and see her (the doc) as she was sure it was diabetes I had, the rest is history, finially diagnosed in Jan 1990. started on metformin for first 2 years then went on to insulin in 1992. 5 jabs a day.🙂
________
Double Penetration

 

[Lorraine]

24th November 2007 at 4.30pm. Diagnosed as type 1 was told to go straight to hospital, although I did go home to pack a bag. Straight on injections and didn't know what the hell was going on.

 

[AmandaB]

40th anniversary will be 9th December this year!
I don't remember not being Diabetic.
I do remember throwing up on the GPs floor the day my Mum eventually took me to the surgery.
I don't remember my GP ever being happy with my blood test results.
I do remember needles being used for a month before being replaced.
I don't remember my thighs before they had large (old style Insulin created) dips in them.
I do remember being in hospital, having my orange squash removed and being told I'd never be allowed to drink that again, ever.
I don't remember feeling disabled.
I'll always feel inconvenienced!!