I've also read on different diabetic blogs where the juvenile onset diabetics and type 2 diabetics talk about the friends they've made on-line.
Then I stop and think, what do all these people consider friends? I consider a friend someone with whom I've either met face to face, or have talked with on the phone or skype. I don't consider someone a friend because I'm following them on Twitter or Instagram or You Tube. I don't consider someone a friend just because I'm friends with them on facebook. And I haven't had a facebook account in over 10 years.
And why do most diabetics seem to feel they have to surround themselves with other diabetics? This is something I really don't understand. Are they so lacking in self confidence that they need other diabetics to put themselves up? Are they afraid to talk with their doctors? What is the fascination about having diabetic friends? I just don't understand this?
I'm not being critical. Maybe it sounds that way. I just don't understand. Up until I went to diabetic camp when I was 8, I didn't know another juvenile onset diabetic. None. I was the only juvenile onset in my hometown. There were no others. I learned about type 2 diabetics, who I, at the age of 6 called fake diabetics, because they didn't have to have shots. But I hadn't met any. Yes it was nice knowing I wasn't the only juvenile onset on the planet, and I did write to one for a while.
As an adult, I met and befriended one at my church. We didn't hang out because he worked and my job was taking care of my children. We'd see each other at church functions. When we saw each other, we didn't immediately ask how our blood sugars then later A1C's were doing. Those weren't what were important to our friendship. The diabetes was something I learned about while we were talking. He was the only adult juvenile diabetic I've ever met and befriended. Because we had to change churches, I no longer see him.
I've tried going on the different diabetic forums. I don't understand most of the people there. They all seem to agree with one another. Most people there seem to think that N and R insulin are horrible and should be thrown away. I don't understand that. I loved those insulins. I never had any problems with them. None at all. I didn't feed the insulin. I KNEW how to use it. I was on it from DAY 1. I started with U40 of Beef NPH, then went to U60, then U80. R was added when I was in high school. I was on a sliding scale up until I was switched to Humalog and Lantus in 2014 after my cancer surgery when I decided to try an endo.
My endo isn't a fan of N and R. She says that they are old insulins and don't work. Well they worked for me just fine. She also suggested I stop the sliding scale and switch to count carbohydrates. I only did both of those because I knew she wanted me on the pump and I knew it'd be easier using the pump on Humalog and counting carbohydrates.
I now wonder if I was right to switch to the carbohydrate counting. Why? Because the number of carbohydrates depends upon which book you use. Or which website you visit. There is a web site Recipe, Calorie, Carbohydrate that allows you to type in a recipe and it will give you the nutritional value of a recipe. The only problem is you have to figure out how many servings is in the recipe.
Most of the people on the forums seem to always agree with each other. And they seem to all like the same things. They seem to think that artificial sweeteners are the best thing in the world. I can't use them. They all, all of them give me head aches, I hate the aftertaste. I refuse to use them. So I don't. And eating low carbohydrates. They think if you eat over X amount of carbohydrates, you're basically killing yourself.
People, get one thing straight. All foods contain carbohydrates. All foods turn into sugar. All of them. Some have very very little some have a great deal. But all foods have some. Even an egg had some. Check it out, Google or Bing nutritional value of an egg.
My endo has a support group for juvenile onsets. Which I probably join. The biggest problem is her office is a one hour drive one way. And I have a very bad back. Driving there for my appointments kill my back for several days after the appointment. Driving there once a week, isn't an option. The endo in the city I live in does have support groups for juvenile onsets. Yet he has one BIG requirement. You have to be a patient of his or his partner to attend the support group.
So what's so important about having diabetic friends? I don't have any and I'm doing just fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment