# The Postive Side of Diabetes



## WorzelGummidge (Dec 11, 2008)

Alright, it's a horrible illness and the negatives are so obvious that it's easy to focus on them. But how about a real challenge: find one thing that's good about it!

Mine: Getting seen more quickly by GPs/at A&E if you mention you're diabetic. Medical professionals seem to be more concerned about every illness and ailment so we probably get more cautious and careful treatment than your average person too.


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## mattie (Dec 11, 2008)

well... I am allowed to eat in exams  and in class


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## WorzelGummidge (Dec 11, 2008)

mattie said:


> well... I am allowed to eat in exams  and in class



Ooh that reminds me, I was always allowed to go to the loo in school even if everyone else had to wait for the break


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## sunflower_harvester (Dec 11, 2008)

I know this is a huge negative for some people but thank god my diabetes stopped me joining the army on a whim after seeing GI jane! Seriously!

Again this may be in poor taste but I found it funny-as Jimmy Carr says you can kill yourself with sweets which is bound to cheer you up-"i'm going to end it all..pass the sherbert dibdabs"

When I was little a hypo in town resulted in a McDonalds strawberry milkshake (the only time that ever happened) so you can guess how long it took me to cotton on to that!

When office chistmas presents are being handed out I always get a nice bottle of wine instead of a family pack of cheap crappy chocolate/biscuits.

If I didn't have diabetes I wouldn't get to talk to all you lovely people.


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## Tee2072 (Dec 11, 2008)

I am getting much better antenatal care than my SIL who is also pregnant right now.  I've already had 2 scans, and I'm only 12 weeks!  And I see a doctor every two weeks!


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## katie (Dec 11, 2008)

sunflower_harvester said:


> I know this is a huge negative for some people but thank god my diabetes stopped me joining the army on a whim after seeing GI jane! Seriously!
> 
> Again this may be in poor taste but I found it funny-as Jimmy Carr says you can kill yourself with sweets which is bound to cheer you up-"i'm going to end it all..pass the sherbert dibdabs"
> 
> ...



lol those reasons are really amusing, especially the army one 

Telling people you need to eat sweets because you've got low blood sugar is always good.

A possitive is deffinately getting free prescriptions for non-diabetic stuff!!


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## kojack (Dec 11, 2008)

For  the first time in many years enjoying healthy eating, veggies (although I get peeved that potatoes don't count as veggies,; just carbs) fruit. 
I'd almost forgotton what decent fruit tasted like. 
Sitting here drooling and soaking my keyboard with thoughts of a pukka pie, soggy chips and beans. 
I've been promised that I can have one next year - only about 4 weeks.


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## annemarie08 (Dec 11, 2008)

telling people that you HAVE to eat galaxy chocolate because you are hypo,


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## Vanessa (Dec 12, 2008)

- being able to refuse foods I find horrible with a reason that it doesn't do my diabetes any good
- eating a banana in Debenhams as "you don't want me to have a hypo"
- building up my arm muscles by carrying my handbag
- wearing comfortable shoes and boots (do miss the killer heels though)
- good excuse for not turning the heating down
- not having to hunt for a parking place in my local town as I walk and take my snazzy shopping trolley (good excuse to buy a stylish French one)
- creative cooking
- feeling so much better than I have for years


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## lorrie (Dec 12, 2008)

never thought of a positve side to diabetes but some of these are really funny


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## Dizzydi (Dec 12, 2008)

Having to slim right down - and have all my girls friends tell me I look fantastic and will I eat something

At which I point i tell them what I eat a day - and do I eat all day - YES!! (the right foods though)

& Getting the best pre conception health care - I'm hoping to start a family next year and no way would I get the help and care if I was not diabetic


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## annj (Dec 12, 2008)

Having only recently been diagnosed I'm still getting used to the pros and cons, but this made me stop and think and have a little laugh.  There really is a brighter side to being diabetic.


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## Rach (Dec 12, 2008)

Having a nice young man playing with my feet!!


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## Vicsetter (Dec 12, 2008)

*Cardiac problems*

Being told that your heart attack would be a lot worse if you didn't have diabetes - was that True?


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## Northerner (Dec 15, 2008)

There have been several positives for me. I was diagnosed after being admitted with DKA and feeling dreadful. Prior to this I had been an increasingly heavy drinker - probably due to slow onset of Type 1, but I thought I was becoming an alcoholic, drinking up to 150 units a week. There is a history in my family. 

So, when I was diagnosed I was pretty much astounded, and extremely relieved, that my liver was basically OK. I had an abnormal ecg so they gave me an angiogram which showed that my heart and arteries were in pretty good condition for my age (49). Plus, I'm now being regularly monitored for all kinds of things, like cholesterol, and have a much healthier diet, I'm an ideal weight with a bmi of 18.5, and am encouraged to continue with my sport of distance running.

If this hadn't happened to me I would have probably got progressively less healthy, and continued drinking myself into an early grave. Surprisingly, I have virtually no desire to drink alcohol since diagnosis, so I can only put that down to its being a symptom of diabetes (the need to drink).I've got a condition that is well-documented, shared by millions, with great support and high-level research into potential cures or making the condition easier to manage.

I think I'm lucky to have got this at my age as I've 'escaped' potentially 40-odd years of having to live with it, and although it probably took a while to show itself, is better than being a 'hidden' Type 2 who's unknowingly been building up problems for many years. I've also got the condition at a time when it's fairly easy to manage, with BG meters, insulin pens, MDI etc.The main downside is the fact that there is now a restriction on my freedom that didn't exist before, as I have to be aware of my BG levels and administer insulin. Plus, not being able to eat a whole bag of Lindt Lindor chocolates in one sitting!


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## Caroline (Dec 15, 2008)

swapping fruit for chocolate 
free eye tests
better dental care
regular meals (you don't want me to go hyp do you?)
VAT relief for some shoes and socks
an excuse to sneak off for a choclate bar when everyone else is working
exploring food
the duck shaped thermometer at the tap end of the bath
an excuse to get rid of the foot spa I didn't realy want
and I'm sure I'll find some more soon...


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## sofaraway (Dec 15, 2008)

one of the biggest positives to me is being able to connect and build relationships with some of my patients. For some of them knowing their nurse has diabetes too allows them t o express how they are feeliing and know that I understand


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## Angie (Dec 16, 2008)

What about if your  at the chekout in a supermarket...and your taking a hypo....just grab some choccy and do your thing. lol.

Happened to me a few times as i had no Glucose tablets with me.


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## WorzelGummidge (Dec 16, 2008)

Vicsetter said:


> Being told that your heart attack would be a lot worse if you didn't have diabetes - was that True?



Hmm that's really interesting, I've never heard anything like that.


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## kojack (Dec 16, 2008)

Vicsetter said:


> Being told that your heart attack would be a lot worse if you didn't have diabetes - was that True?



A heart attack is a heart attack - never heard of one being better


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## Northerner (Dec 17, 2008)

kojack said:


> A heart attack is a heart attack - never heard of one being better



When I was diagnosed they kept insisting that I had had a heart attack - I had abnormal ecg and raised troponin levels - and kept asking me when I felt the chest pains. I had to keep telling them that I was totally unaware of any pain and they said that diabetics were often less aware because of the effects of the condition on the nervous system. It turned out that I hadn't had a heart attack, but an inflamed heart muscle which apparently many people get when they have a virus but don't know about.


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## Caroline (Dec 18, 2008)

I have just found an excellent excuse to get out of a booze up in the pub lunch time. I have to go eat first as alcohol in its own makes me very ill because I am diabetic. Sounds better than saying I don't want to go and eating first means I can run into someone else and get chatting thereby forgetting about time...


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## kojack (Dec 18, 2008)

Caroline said:


> I have just found an excellent excuse to get out of a booze up in the pub lunch time. I have to go eat first as alcohol in its own makes me very ill because I am diabetic. Sounds better than saying I don't want to go and eating first means I can run into someone else and get chatting thereby forgetting about time...



Hi Iam an alcoholic and have managed to avoid the stuff since 11:10 p.m  on 24 February 1991
I know that one drink and I shall be back to square one (1 litre+ whisky every evening)
Have found it stops folk in their tracks if they try to be clever and just tell them the situation.

I should think similarly if you tell them you are diabetic and ask them if they are trying to get rid of you.


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## Northerner (Dec 18, 2008)

kojack said:


> Hi Iam an alcoholic and have managed to avoid the stuff since 11:10 p.m  on 24 February 1991
> I know that one drink and I shall be back to square one (1 litre+ whisky every evening)
> Have found it stops folk in their tracks if they try to be clever and just tell them the situation.
> 
> I should think similarly if you tell them you are diabetic and ask them if they are trying to get rid of you.



Well done John! I remember the date/time I stopped smoking - 9pm, January 9th 1995! Best thing I ever did for my health, particularly in light of my present condition.


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## Caroline (Dec 18, 2008)

Well done at giving up drinking and smoking. At the moment I have people telling me just one drink wont hurt. I'm never sure if I'm lucky or unlucky in having such a low tolerance to alcohol in the normal scheme of things. One and I'm happy, two and I'm drunk, three and I'm over the limit. I never tried beyond three...


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## lorrie (Dec 18, 2008)

when i went to new york my in flight meal was really lovely totaly diffrent to everybody else and i got alot more attention and the same on the way home.i did get a few looks from the other passengers but for once i didnt care


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## kojack (Dec 18, 2008)

Northerner said:


> Well done John! I remember the date/time I stopped smoking - 9pm, January 9th 1995! Best thing I ever did for my health, particularly in light of my present condition.



I left it a bit late! COPD struck. Smoked and inhaled a pipe for 52 years and stopped 08:10 16th October 2006 en route to hospital to have a rhinoplasty.
Hospital staff and subsequently my GP were most helpful; patches or lozenges provided. 
When it comes down to it, with addictions you have to want to do it.

Regret that diabetes you can't give up but you can in many cases keep the probs under control and still lead a full life.


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## Vicsetter (Dec 18, 2008)

One you survive is considerably better than one you don't.
I shared a ward with similar heart victims, one had to have a pacemaker, one a stent and I was sent home after a week of observation, so it was a lot better than some!


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## rhall92380 (Dec 28, 2008)

Since being diagnosed with Type 2 in 2005 the benefits for me include:

Finding healthy foods that I enjoy more than the sugar, fat and salt laden rubbish I used to eat. Its amazing how after a while not eating sugary sweet food and drink you don't enjoy them anymore.

Getting my diabetes and weight under control via healthy eating and exercise. I am now a healthy weight, having lost over 4 stones. I enjoy going to the gym and have taken up running. Did my first fun run - 10K - recently and completed it in uner 59 minutes. Fitter than I've ever been!

I look and feel much better. My HbA1cs prove the diet and exercise is working. It hasn't been easy, and I've had a lot of support from people like my Diabetes Specialist Dietician, but it has definitely been worth it.

Oh, and the free eye tests by an optometrist, occasional free lunches when I'm away from the office over lunch time 

I realise diabetes is progressive, but I aim to keep it under control. Keep positive. Life with diabetes can be good!

Cheers,
Richard


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## Caroline Wilson (Dec 28, 2008)

This year I told everyone no sweets or biscuits for me for Christmas. Buy me CDs, books, knickers anything but stuff full of sugar, I actually got presents I wanted from nearly everyone...


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## Charlotte_x (Dec 28, 2008)

Eating in lessons and every1 sayin your so luckii!


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## Viki (Dec 28, 2008)

Free prescriptions!!!


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## Copepod (Dec 28, 2008)

*free prescriptions*

Yes, free prescriptions are an advantage - in fact, I don't think I have bothered to pay for insulin when I first needed it. But, I can't be too unusual in having only needed about 2 prescriptions since turning 16 until diagnosis aged 30 years. Since then, I have tried to take as few prescribale items as possible - and have never had to dispose of anything due to being pst its use by date, due to careful stockkeeping. And I've only needed about 2 non diabetes related items in the 12 years since diagnosis.

Prescriptions are or will be free for many groups of of people eg all in Wales & Scotland, all on income support, those unable to leave house alone etc, as well as those with diabetes requiring medication, and a very few other medical conditions. There is no charge for oral contraceptive for anyone. For those who have to pay, annual or quarterly season tickets are single payments for all prescriptions in the period. Yet, people with many other ongoing requirements for medication do not get free prescriptions automatically due to their conditions eg those with mental health problems, cystic fibrosis, cancer, asthma and epilepsy. Cystic fibrosis and cancer in particular usually require multiple medications, and it's not ususual for people to need two or more different inhalers for asthma or tablets for epilepsy. The decision about which conditions automatically got free prescriptions was made some decades ago, when the situation was very different - to put things crudely, people with mental health problems and epilepsy stayed in hospital, and those born with cystic fibrosis did not live into adulthood.

So, I feel that people with diabetes need to very sensitive, rather than demanding, with regards to items on prescription.


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## kitemaster (Dec 29, 2008)

*An advantage from the past!*

When I was at school I was allowed to jump the dinner queue and also take a friend of my choice, hooray no lumpy mash and custard, LOL. 
The money I could of made so many people wanted to be my friend just so they could get hot dinners, ha ha!!!!


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## mikep1979 (May 5, 2009)

well mine is the fact that i eat 4 times a day (plus have snacks) and blame it all on my diabetes for making me want to eat all the time


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## DiabeticDave (May 5, 2009)

Getting to chat with you guys and gals.......................


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## coldclarity (May 5, 2009)

People falling over themselves when I say I need to eat 
Being forced to be healthy. 
A renewed appreciation for salad, and great food beyond the easy carb/fat laden stuff that used to come out of the freezer.


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## chezpez (May 5, 2009)

A positive side to diabetes is "you have to do that exercise regime"! what a great motivation boost!


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## AJL (May 5, 2009)

When my sugar goes low too many times in a week and I've completely and utterly had enough of Lucozade - the next low sugar is a  perfect excuse for a Cadburys Creme Egg eaten totally guilt free!


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## Caroline (May 7, 2009)

If I wasn't diabetic I wouldn't be using these forums. Also I have had a lot of sick and it is because of the diabetes that I have not had a formal warning for taking too much sick leave, Thanks everyone for being here.


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## Steff (May 7, 2009)

losing weight


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## bev (May 7, 2009)

On Alex's behalf :

Getting into legoland with a discount for a carer and getting to jump the queue!

More attention!

Meeting loads more people!


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## insulinaddict09 (May 7, 2009)

Umm well i hate to sound negative but i cant think of one positive thing about having diabetes....


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