As I have started paying more interest in managing my diabetes, I have started to realise how alone I am. Or how alone I have been. I have spent nearly 19 years dealing with this pretty much on my own...I know I've had health teams and family, but the thing I'm realising that I really missed out on, was not socialising or being friends with any other diabetics. I didn't set out to befriend any as that kinda seemed weird, but I also didn't really meet any diabetics either. As such, I've spent a lot of my time trying to live the same lives as my friends and not really talking about my diabetes at all. I always made sure my friends knew what to do in an emergency, but I had no-one to discuss life with diabetes with, no-one to discuss issues, or even just to remind me that I had diabetes and what I probably should or shouldn't be doing to look after myself.
It's only been in the last year where I've started becoming intrigued by my diabetes more, and realising there's a whole 'nother world out there. The diabetic online community (DOC) is huge. It was reading things in various support forums that I realised I needed to go back to diabetes school. I had no clue even on what treatment was available! I didn't even know people could have pumps now (quite ashamed to admit that).
I'm not one to make friends just because, say, they are diabetic, but I was starting to realise the benefits and also really a need for having someone to talk to who was also T1. Some people can do this, and that's great if they can, but it's just not for me. I have however, started talking to a guy at my work who is diabetic (I used to talk to him anyway, but we never spoke about diabetes). It's amazing how many of the same problems we have, and it's refreshing that in a lot of respects we are going through the same thing. Talking about things and realising I'm not weird and that it's ok not to be the model diabetic is like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
Small but very rewarding steps :)
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