I notice most of the threads here are just venting about how exhausting life is with this condition. I’m curious if there are others who just live their lives and don’t really give a damn about being diabetic? I’m T1 and basically on autopilot. If I feel like garbage, I take some insulin and keep moving; I can’t change the situation, so why let it get to me? Complaining would just make me feel worse. My numbers are pretty chaotic—my last A1c was 8.1, and my highest was 12. I apologize if this is a sensitive topic for some. EDIT: I just meant that it doesn’t weigh on me mentally. I see so many posts about people who can’t cope with the daily routine, but that’s a totally foreign concept to me.
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I’m attempting to take mine seriously, though I have to admit I’m not the most active participant in this group.
I don’t think ‘not caring’ is quite the right phrase, but rather fully accepting it and not letting the maintenance get under your skin. It’s the only way to keep your sanity, and it actually helps you maintain better control.
Trust me, a run-in with DKA will definitely make you care.
No. I might be on autopilot for the most part, but that doesn’t mean I’m not constantly thinking about it. The idea of ‘not caring’ about my diabetes is completely alien. It’s the most vital thing I—and you—have to manage in life.
I totally get this. Lately, now that I’ve actually managed to get my care under control, it hasn’t been weighing on my mind as heavily as it did when I was a kid. If anything, I feel more driven these days.
Yeah, unfortunately I relate. I’m trying to turn things around, but I never really got any counseling or help to deal with how much my life changed. I’ve always had a poor diet and drank soda, just taking insulin to try and feel better. I was 13 then and I’m nearly 30 now; I’m trying to improve because it hasn’t ruined my vision or my feet yet, but I’m tired of constantly feeling like crap and want that to stop.
Reaching a neutral state of mind is my main goal. My highest A1C was 10.7, but I’ve brought it back down to 8.0. I hit that high point because I felt so much shame that I just ignored the condition. I’m trying to get to a place where I accept this is just the body I have and use the tools available to help it work. T2 is so common in my family that it was always a matter of when, not if. Could I have made better choices? Probably. But I didn’t, and this is where I am. It’s better to get used to the routine in my 20s and keep my body functioning than to pass away at 46 like my dad did from heart disease and diabetes.
I’ve found that the more I ‘care’ for my blood sugar, the better the rest of my life goes. Being well-managed makes me feel better right now and gives me confidence in my goal to enjoy life to the fullest with my partner for years to come. That motivates me to stay as healthy as possible. At 73, I’m enjoying great health and energy. I might not understand a different view, but isn’t that what we all want? In a way, I think I manage my health better because I was diagnosed 20 years ago and started tracking all my labs like kidney function and A1c. I’m happy when I see those results in the green every 90 days. I wish that for everyone, and thanks to tech like my Dexcom and a good diet, I can do everything I want. I’m having too much fun to slow down.
Watching the toll this takes on older people really motivates me to manage it properly. I’m Type 2 and I’m not taking any chances with the complications of poor management. It’s honestly terrifying, so I’ve been looking into things like SugarDefend to help keep my levels more stable.