Is life expectancy limited for diabetics?

Thanks Marke,
A few slips will be inevitable I suppose. I had feared that repeated slips, say over a few hours a few times a week could cause an accumulative problem. That makes hypers seem more sinister than hypos to me.

I am still trying to get the balance right and have had too many mild hypos. Then with DAFNE that is normal. Being in my 'honeymoon' time my injections are normally so small that the change of regime with DAFNE meant that I am really upping my dosage at certain times which seems a bit racy.

There's no rush but getting recognition for good control after another 9 years will be nice. Definiteey no rush - lots of life to live before then!
Mike

Heya Mike,

Slips ups are definitely inevitable - to assume that everything will go smoothly all the time isn't the best way to think about this condition, especially if you're newly diagnosed.

I unfortunately cannot remember how things were when I was first diagnosed. I was 5 years old then and I'm 25 now - but from speaking to my parents, the honeymoon time is one of the most awkward because insulin is still being released. Once it stops, everything will calm down and you'll probably start to feel more in control when it comes to your future.

I hope DAFNE lets you skip the 'denial' phase. I had that during my teens (so double denial was likely) and I just refused to do blood tests. With this, I dread to think how long some of my high sugar levels periods went on for.

Saying that, I am glad I got my diabetes when I was young... has given me time to grow up with it.

I wish I had DAFNE from when I started but that's life for you. I'm sure you'll be okay, you keep up the good work! As many have said so far, it's mostly the long term high sugar levels you should be more concerned about in reference to the complications - as well as general illness in fact!

My doctor told me that if you keep your control reasonably stable, your body will respond to illness in a more 'normal person' standard, which is nice to know with all the flu warnings we get over the winter. Even more incentive to work with your body.

On that note, over the 20 years, I've lost track on how many times I've had to say "please body, just work with me please!" but I think DAFNE will help nip that sort of thing in the bud now. I've learnt so much and I'm sure you will too.

I had no idea about the 50 year medals - I look forward to getting mine in 30 years time!

~Jen

Thanks Jen,
I am a good bit older than you and yet you have 20 years experience already. I am a real L-plate diabetic! I like the idea of working 'with your body'. Good idea. I like the fact that we all should have a much better understanding of how our bodies work. DAFNE is great for that. I am lucky so far and the denial thingy hasn't hit me. I occasionally get those reality checks where I feel a little demoralised when I realise that this is a bit more than a game. The hospital were clear but gentle about my diagnosis last March. They just got me moving very quickly through the learning curve - so I have felt blessed by their great care rather than been left to feel morose and self-pitying. I have surprised myself really. It is a chance to make a fresh start and to deal with my condition properly from the start. A rare experience as you get older. So far so good.
Best of Luck Mike

From the sounds of it, you're well on your way to living a long life!
With that, best wishes to you too Mike.

Hi - just to add my own positive experience about this. Diabetes is really quite a "healthy" disease, in that we learn much more about our bodies and how to take care of them than other people. We don't smoke, eat and drink "reasonably", try to exercise and keep our weight down : we also have all these regular check-ups, examine our feet and eyes and take care of personal hygiene. We're so good ! In my own case I definitely take better care of myself since being diagnosed (>20 years ago : I'm now 55). After many years of working blindly, DAFNE 2 years ago was a revelation - it gave me the first feeling of control over my insulin/sugar/CP count. Now I know what to aim for and most importantly to be able to analyse anomalies as they occur, and not get too worried when they happen. After 2 years out after a back injury I'm running, skiing and playing football again - I get just as sore as before ! Just enjoy life, do all the good things you like to do, keep healthy and maintain the regular blood sugar monitoring, and don't get stressed about possible future complications. With best wishes, Paul