Youngsters- T1 isn't the end of your career

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worriedT1

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I just wanted to send a message to all youngsters out there with T1. I've had it for close to 30 years and I work at Director Level within Central Government. I get to demonstrate to Senior people that Diabetes means I can still do a job well- and hopefully educate them on CGMs at the same time. I am very lucky to have had lots of support but if you think having T1 will stop you achieving- it doesn't need to. You can do it!

I found the most useful switch was in mindset from "I am a T1 diabetic" to "I am (name) who just happens to have diabetes". It doesn't sound much but it's me accepting it as just one of many characteristics but not my main one
 
I have often said, even though I don't agree with her politics, I am inspired by Theresa May proving Type 1 diabetes wasn't the end of her career. You can't get much higher up the career ladder than prime minister!

And, from a different perspective, Henry Slade has proven Type 1 doesn't have to stop you exercising ... or representing your country at a very energetic sport like rugby.

As for using language to change your mindset, I am a true advocate of this. I avoid describing myself as a diabetic or a Type 1. I have diabetes in the same way I have red hair - neither define me.
The other way I have used language to change my behaviour is to "manage" my diabetes. I don't "control" it (and it doesn't control me). I feel controlling diabetes is like trying to control a toddler or a bolshy teenager. You will always feel disappointed in yourself when they do something you didn't want. But you can provide guide rails.
 
I'll second that. I prefer to say that I have diabetes, rather than saying that I am diabetic, diabetes doesn't define me.

I was diagnosed during the last year of my physics degree, and spent a week in hospital due to DKA. There was a nurse in the ward that really wound me up, being all condescending about how I could still finish my degree the following year. I did finish that year, thank you very much.

Since then I moved to a different country, completed a PhD, and travelled to lots of places for work without diabetes getting in the way. Oh, and more importantly, started a family.

Life's what you make of it.
 
I hate the term “ suffering from diabetes”. I suffer from lots of things, frozen shoulder, bad hip, gastric problems but I definitely don’t suffer from diabetes. I find diabetes is the least of my problems compared with the thought that my dodgy hip might stop me climbing a fell or my gastric system might decide to play up whilst on that fell. With my trusty Libre, and a bag of jelly babies, I know I’ll get to the top without any trauma.
 
I happily describe myself as diabetic. It’s completely obvious enough that I’m a person too from the fact I’m typing this reply.
 
Lucyr said:
I happily describe myself as diabetic. It’s completely obvious enough that I’m a person too from the fact I’m typing this reply.
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Unless you're ChatGpt 😉 . I think the point we are trying to make is that diabetes is incidental, like hair colour, or liking to ride a bike. Personally, diabetes is just a part of my day to day, nothing more.
 
Carlos said:
or liking to ride a bike.
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or preferring a horse...

I see it a bit like needing to wear glasses. Our bodies are not perfect and need a bit of support I think of this particularly when people are uncomfortable about testing and injecting in public etc... Should we be any more self conscious about that than people wearing glasses or putting reading specs on to read a menu. Our bodies just need a bit of help to metabolize the food rather than see the menu. Nobody's body is perfect. We all have bits of things that don't quite work right and we find ways to manage those imperfections or conditions. Diabetes is just a bit more time and brain power consuming and frustrating... 🙄
 
I am diabetic (adjective), not “a diabetic” (noun). The former is properly descriptive, the latter implies some sort of distinct species!
 
Carlos said:
Unless you're ChatGpt 😉 . I think the point we are trying to make is that diabetes is incidental, like hair colour, or liking to ride a bike. Personally, diabetes is just a part of my day to day, nothing more.
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People who like riding a bike call themselves cyclists, I call myself diabetic, it’s the same thing.
 
I’m very much in the “I have diabetes” camp rather than thinking of myself as “diabetic”. It is just something I have and needs a bit of thought and definitely doesn’t stop me from doing anything I want in all the 20 years since my diagnosis.

I think the youngsters diagnosed now will see massive improvements in their lifetimes for care of diabetes, treatments and who knows, maybe a complete cure? We are already witnessing advances in technology with CGM and pump technology that were pure science fiction just a few years ago and are already making huge improvements in people’s lives.
 
I think of myself these days not much differently than I always have in adulthood - a confident woman with the things she knows about who is fully aware of how much she doesn't know but is more than willing to learn things she feels she needs to learn, though not having much patience with folk who don't credit her for knowing the things she already does know and none whatsoever with people who refuse to accept that they don't know some things either.
 
worriedT1 said:
I just wanted to send a message to all youngsters out there with T1. I've had it for close to 30 years and I work at Director Level within Central Government. I get to demonstrate to Senior people that Diabetes means I can still do a job well- and hopefully educate them on CGMs at the same time. I am very lucky to have had lots of support but if you think having T1 will stop you achieving- it doesn't need to. You can do it!

I found the most useful switch was in mindset from "I am a T1 diabetic" to "I am (name) who just happens to have diabetes". It doesn't sound much but it's me accepting it as just one of many characteristics but not my main one
Click to expand...

When young & newly diagnosed your world falls in around you, like your attitude to condition & hope young members see your post & others in thread.
 
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