What has the forum ever done for us?!

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everydayupsanddowns

everydayupsanddowns

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Type 1
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“Well… there’s the support?”
”Well yes, of course there’s the support! That goes without saying, the support. But apart from the support, the suggestions, the encouragement, the sources of information, book recommendations, food tips, the camaraderie, the sense of belonging and shared struggle - what has the forum ever done for us?”

Diabetes UK is interested in what positive impact the forum has on its members.

So whether you‘ve just joined this week or have been a regular member for more than a decade, what benefits have you found from being a member here?
 
The main thing is knowing I am not alone.
It is not always about support (although that is very valuable). It is also having someone to share wins and frustrations and (usually bad) diabetes jokes with. And that's people who understand because they have been here ... or are here ... too.

I have wonderful supportive friends but they can only sympathise. They cannot empathise.
 
There’s definitely something about having a friendly space to ask questions, moan and grumble, and share the occasional diabetes genius victory, or just offload isn’t there?

So good to know “Ah! It’s not just me that experiences that” 🙂
 
For me, it has given me the knowledge and confidence to experiment and find my own way with managing my diabetes. A way that works very well for me as an individual. A lack of confidence is something that I struggle with in many aspects of my life and can be incredibly debilitating, so having confidence in my ability to manage my diabetes well, is a massive "gift" that the forum has given me. I suppose this is what empowerment is.... I feel empowered by the forum.
 
It’s a good place to offload stuff, also to learn about new techniques, technology etc. I got the Libre far sooner than I would have otherwise done, I’d never heard of getting on the waiting list outside the forum. It was also a lifeline when I was kicked back to my surgery nurse who knew nothing about Type I. I'd never have asked to change Basal without running it past the forum first.
Also getting to know the different personalities who frequent the forum, who end up feeling more like friends than 'someone I exchange posts with on the Internet'
Also (I hope!) posting here doesn’t arouse the same glazed look in the reader that you get when you talk to family who try to listen politely, but you can feel them thinking, oh no, she’s off on her hobby horse again…
 
When I was first diagnosed back in June, I honestly do not know what I would have done without this forum. I felt lost, alone, scared ... but seeing so many people on here who had had Type 1 for years, were living full, normal lives, enjoying food etc just gave me the hope that I needed that things would be okay again. Plus, they would literally answer any question or concern I had with no judgement. Forum members are worth their weight in gold!

Now I've come back a bit further down the line with my diabetes journey, the forum is a great place to discuss all aspects of diabetes, ask for advice etc - I feel a bit let down when it comes to how much medical professional input I have had since diagnosis (I know how stretched they are!), but the forum takes some of that frustration away. And, as others have said, it's the fact you can talk about diabetes as much as you want with people who truly understand, because they live it everyday, too. Thank goodness for this forum!
 
For me the forum is a place where i can share any success or have a rant when things aren't going so well. Seeing that others have highs and lows makes me feel less alone. I can say things on here and know you all understand. My lovely hubby and friends listen but have no idea how it actually feels to live with D.

I've found so much information being on here and there is always someone who can answer questions, point me in the right direction to find an answer, or just say "its ok..you are doing your best".

Getting to know snippets of other peoples lives on here and having a "chat" creates a friendly environment. I've never been on any forum before, usually steering well clear of any social media but i'm so glad i joined this one.
 
I don't know whether this sounds too egotistical.
One thing I get out of the forum is the ability to share my experience so others do not have to learn by going through some of the investigations and lows I have.

Before forums became popular, I was keen to share the experience of a "normal" person who happens to have Type 1 diabetes. I am no hero and, thankfully, I have no other issues to manage like those who feature in articles such as in the Diabetes UK Balance magazine. So I started blogging for Diabetes UK. Over the years, blogs went out of fashion and I started to run out of "normal" topics to write about.
This forum has replaced my blog but has the added advantage of conversations rather than a monologue.
 
I find the vast amount of information very useful, and especially value the sense of community and knowing I'm not alone. The morning BG thread brightens my day sometimes and is cool how you sort of expect the kind of post you can get from each "regular": childcare, horses, cultural trips, cooking...We have a bit of everything! And as others have said, is great to have a place to rumble about diabetes stuff where people actually get it.

My brother jokes about the forum being a cult as I seem to spend lot of time there and we have a "secret language" (diabetes terms) :rofl:
 
All of the above, and above all, I think, the reassurance that what I am doing in my 'fight back' is the sensible and wise thing to do (and if I'm lapsing, then I know I'm lapsing!).

If it weren't for this forum I'd just be consulting Dr Google the whole time, and getting a lot of answers that I would not necessarily know were sound or not.
 
The forum is a supportive space, and very informative. You can see that we are all different and need to find out what works for us as individuals, tapping into the wide variety of experience on here.

I have valued the honesty of some who have encouraged me to view my diabetes in a different way and set realistic targets for myself.

It is also a great place for normal chat: books, gardening, crafts, … Anything and everything.
This is the only forum I am on and enjoy being able to chat to people who ‘get it’.
 
Awww! thanks for these lovely responses folks. The forum means a lot to me, and it!s clear it is important to you as well.
 
Elenka_HM said:
My brother jokes about the forum being a cult as I seem to spend lot of time there and we have a "secret language" (diabetes terms) :rofl:
Click to expand...

FWIW IDK what you mean, but then I’ve BTDTGTTS and my BG may have gone AWOL after my meal just now. 😉:D
 
Not a huge amount new to add to the above but I do want to reinforce how helpful it's been for me. I'm lucky in that my nurses are absolutely excellent. But even they don't know what it feels like and nor do they reply literally within seconds like often happens here
I replied tongue in cheek to a thread earlier today about how I actually like to see some debate too. I find it reassuring that there's differing opinions particularly when it comes to diabetes
And all this coming from someone who has literally never been on a forum before, let alone posted
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
View attachment 25354

“Well… there’s the support?”
”Well yes, of course there’s the support! That goes without saying, the support. But apart from the support, the suggestions, the encouragement, the sources of information, book recommendations, food tips, the camaraderie, the sense of belonging and shared struggle - what has the forum ever done for us?”

Diabetes UK is interested in what positive impact the forum has on its members.

So whether you‘ve just joined this week or have been a regular member for more than a decade, what benefits have you found from being a member here?
Click to expand...
The forum gave so much helpful information in relation from testing, metformin and which foods to eat. I especially love the Pavlovian response to any discussion that contains the word Statin.

My GP , the go to GP for diabetes in the surgery was (is) so utterly woeful. At times I feel like advising her to join the forum, it would be good for her.
 
I can’t thank the group enough, not sure what or where I would be without it,got diagnosed Pre-D about 5 weeks ago by text off GP ,through this forum I purchased a monitor and have used this week to start testing, Ive asked lots of question and it’s give me the confidence I need to confirm I’m going in the right direction,loads of friendly advise, no judgment and I’ve found from responses that no question is a silly one.
 
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