What's missed and what's new

[Einstein]

I hope I'm in the right section, it's diabetes related, I am so used to posting humour on the site, please excuse me if I am here by mistake.

I was wondering with some of the polls on various parts of the site, just what we'd missed in our lives since diagnosis and what had happened to us that is positive and perhaps even enlightening since diagnosis?

My losses are:

The ability to eat what and when I want
The full use of my newly acquired ice cream maker
Horrid side effects of neuropathy
That if you don't tell the majority of healthcare professionals what you want, expect or what the national framework states your entitled too, you won't get it!
Not being able to run up all the steps at Aqualand three times with each of my partners kids to scare the living daylight out of them on the rides - well without feeling like I'm made out of softening rubber!

My gains are:

Appreciation of eating regularly and a balanced diet
Having to take lunch and spending time doing so
The understanding of just what a great machine the body is and how easily something 'so simple' can go wrong with it
Realising that exercise really does have a positive and demonstratable impact on our overall health
Despite all we hear, how good the NHS really is (see above)
Realising how great my family and friends are for being there and understanding this misserable git just before I hit the floor

Sure there are many I've missed

 

[sugarfreerach]

good post

ok i like:
free prescriptions
the change in urgency when dr's deal with a diabetic in a &e
an excuse to lie on the sofa and eat choc (hypo you know!)
realising how great the nhs actually is (like you einstein)
grossing people out with injections (how many a day!?)
fascinating people with my "external pancreas or lifesupport machine" (now on a pump)

i dont like:
not being able to eat a whole bowl of pasta or chocolate cake anymore
having to stop and check my suagar levels
having a random high or low and having to stop what im doing to sort it
having to count EVERYTHING i eat
having a mood and family saying what are your sugars like
finding out they are right!
sometimes you just cant level your sugars

thats all i can think of at the mo

 

[Vanessa]

Losses

- ability to eat junk
- for a while, a sense of being anything other than a "diabetic" (now balanced to "I share my life with my diabetes" so we'd better just get on with it)
- freedom to miss meals and regular exercise
- not being concerned about my blood sugars and having to remember my glucose meter when I drive
- can't take many over the counter meds for colds et cetera

Gains

- better eating habits
- more adventures in the kitchen (not sure my husband would add some of my concoctions to the "gain" list)
- regular meals
- exercise can be fun
- a lighter me but still some way to go
- appreciating life just that bit more
- understanding why I'd felt so off colour for a good while
- better sleep as not getting up to go to the loo so often
- lucky to live in UK with NHS system and free prescriptions
- meeting all of you on this forum

Strange - my list of positives is longer than my list of negatives. If anyone had told me that was possible even 6 months ago I'd have thought they were daft

 

[Caroline]

My losses:

Eating what I want when I want
sharing the treats that appear from time to time in the office
buying any shoes because I want them or I like them too much to live without
The sneaky bag of sweets on the train because I've been good all day
No Easter Eggs for the forthcomming chocolate festival

My gains

Free prescriptions and eye tests
being allowed to go get a snack if I feel my sugars are getting low
being allowed to have food at my desk
more leeway with my sick leave because I'm diabetic
spending less times in cold storage areas
the diabetes forums I use and get lots of support from so thanks everyone.

I know some of the losses may seem trivial but they feel big when you are feeling pissed off with the world or aren't feeling too bright because of something else or you're not well.

 

[diagonall]

Einstein

I have a bad memory so please pm me if I forget to do it.
I have a recipe for ice cream which is low carb made with splenda.
It tastes no dif the full sugar ice cream

 

[matts]

What do I miss

1). A bag of sweets at the cinema
2). Doing things without thinking about my blood sugar
3). Not worrying about what time my next meal will be

What have I gained

1). A healthier diet
2). A healthier level of alcohol consumption
3). A love of Sainsburys sherbert cocktail boiled sweets and Granola bars (the best hypo treatment combo around)
4). Huge respect for the NHS
5). Being able to take drinks bottles with lids on into football grounds

 

[Einstein]

Interesting how the common theme between us all is food and freedom with food.

I'm also surprised how many of us have gained a respect for the NHS, unless you were all copying me , despite the press they get, maybe there is an upside to being diabetic after all?

 

[Northerner]

What I've lost:

Spontaneity - being able to just go out for a 15 mile run without preparation or worrying about things whilst I'm out.

Being able to drink fruit juice and milk to quench my thirst - now it's water or diet coke (ugh!)

Being able to go out for the evening without making plans or carrying a load of medical equipment around with me.

Being able to go on a trip abroad without considering how to keep my insulin from harm, and having to explain why I need to carry needles in my hand luggage. Higher insurance costs.

What I've gained:

Almost overnight I went from drinking around 150 units a week to virtually nothing. Not because I felt I had to, just didn't want it. This really surprised me, because I thought I was heading towards serious liver damage.

The knowledge that, pancreas aside, everything is working fine. Prior to diagnosis I was one of those blokes who never went to the doctors. I had so many tests in hospital, and since, that I know far more about my state of health and what to do about it than most of my contemporaries. One test in particular, an angiogram, showed that despite my early years as a smoker, my heart and arteries were fine.

Utter respect for the doctors and nurses and tealadies at Southampton General Hospital. My stay there was one of the most positive experiences of my life - I met some incredibly dedicated and caring people that remain my absolute heroes. And very thankful for the NHS - not having to worry about finding the money to control my condition has to be such a help to my well-being.

Appreciation and astonishment at the complexity of the human body and brain, that I'd often taken for granted in the past.

A community of caring and friendly people offering their advice and experiences here.

Inspiration to start writing poetry again, which I find fulfilling and creative.

Well, you did ask!

 

[MarcLister]

What I miss:

Being able to eat and drink whatever, whenever. It is a luxury that you don't realise you have until you lose it.
Not having to jab myself several times a day with Insulin.
Less contact with my surgery who aren't very good at their job.
Not living in a world where I wonder why having the same breakfast two days in a row and the same amount of insulin at breakfast yet one day I'm hypo at lunch! Grrr.

What I've gained:
Free prescriptions and eye tests
Lots of excuses to be given advance knowledge of any hard manual labour around the house, like going up into the loft.
Allowed to be nice and warm with a heater in my room for when it gets cold and Mum thinks its boiling.
An appreciation of insulin (both naturally and mechanically produced!). It does its job very well and I'm amazed at how little I knew about this part of myself before I was diabetic.
An increased appreciation of Excel, now I use it to record my blood sugar levels and have it formatted so that good levels go green and bad levels go red.