[MikeRoyer]

Hello everyone. I'm new the forum and relatively new to the diabetes world.

I met and fell in love 9 months ago with a type 1 diabetic. Her name is Andi and we are both in College. She was diagnosed when she was 12 and is now 22. We plan on moving out to California (we are from Indiana) once we graduate in a year.

I joined this forum because I've been thinking about our future more and more lately. I've started to realize that she will not be around as long as I will (sorry for being so morbid) so I think I'm going to start living our lives by this motto:

"The years in the life are not as important as the life in the years".

This quote is really helpful for me and I was wondering if this forum had any words of advice for a young person wanting to spend the rest of their life with a diabetic they are in love with.

 

[Sabrina]

Welcome! So you think having diabetes means a shorter life and that you will definitely outlive her? Look at how many people are killed in car accidents daily. No one is guaranteed tomorrow, regardless of if we're diabetic or not.

Mr. Richard here on the forums has been T1 for a LONG time with no complications. There's no reason to feel your girlfriend shouldn't have a normal lifespan.

 

[onaughmae]

Hello everyone. I'm new the forum and relatively new to the diabetes world.

I met and fell in love 9 months ago with a type 1 diabetic. Her name is Andi and we are both in College. She was diagnosed when she was 12 and is now 22. We plan on moving out to California (we are from Indiana) once we graduate in a year.

I joined this forum because I've been thinking about our future more and more lately. I've started to realize that she will not be around as long as I will (sorry for being so morbid) so I think I'm going to start living our lives by this motto:

"The years in the life are not as important as the life in the years".

This quote is really helpful for me and I was wondering if this forum had any words of advice for a young person wanting to spend the rest of their life with a diabetic they are in love with.

First of all...welcome I think its great that you want to support your girlfriend as much as possible!

Just because she has diabetes does not mean that she is going to have a shorter life span than yours. If she takes really good care of herself and stays healthy she could outlive you Many diabetics live long and healthy lives as long as they take care of themselves properly.

The best support you can be for her is to learn as much as you can about diabetes. The help her when she needs it....listen to her complain about it when she needs to...maybe get some exercise with her. Keeping her healthy is going to keep you healthy too

Good luck to you and please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

 

[Richard157]

Hello Mike, welcome to our community! I agree with every word Sabrina posted. There is no reason to think Andi cannot live a long, healthy life as long as she has good control of her diabetes. I have been Type 1 for 64 years and I am very healthy. There are hundreds of Type 1 diabetics in the US who have lived for more than 50 years with their diabetes. Look at the thread near the top of the Diabetes forum and read about the Joslin Medal.

I do love that motto!

Richard

 

[MikeRoyer]

Thanks so much for the words of wisdom everyone!

I hope to learn a lot by read/visiting/posting with this forum.

 

[Shanny]

Welcome aboard Mike! Thanks for joining us! If your girlfriend would like to join up, we'd welcome her too!

take care & hurry back!

 

[Jen]

Hi Mike. Like the others, I think you may need to adjust your thinking on the longevity issue. New treatments and better monitoring have made T1 a very manageable condition. My own thought is that I'm actually healthier now than before the diagnosis because I'm very aware of what I eat and how I exercise. Yes, there are things that are inconvenient (shots, tests...you know the drill). But my life continues as it was before...I work, see friends, travel, canoe, hike, enjoy wine and dinners out. It's a full and wonderful life. I wish the same for you and your girlfriend.

Jen

 

[breezeonby]

Thanks so much for the words of wisdom everyone!

I hope to learn a lot by read/visiting/posting with this forum.

Hi Mike and welcome to our forum. This is a wonderful place to come to for support. Supporting your friend is one of the best things you can do to show you care. Visit often and invite your friend to join as well!

 

[righteousdude2]

Learn to Be Her Biggest Enabler

Should the two of you go further than boyfriend-girlfriend, you will need to be your lady's number one man. She'll need your full support, if she is to be successful in her fight against this disease.

I'd suggest that you attend all of the classes she goes to. Learn as much as you can about diabetes, and this forum is a great place to begin your learning process.

You need to be her life time enabler. You need to be able to enable her to live with this disease, and be able to stay on target with keeping the diabetes under control. This will assure the two of you a long, happy, and healthier life.

God bless you both...
Shalom,

Pastor Paul

 

[Chow Mein]

in a position I'm all to familiar with

hi Mike, i can understand your worry about the life span thing, but after doing my own searching on the net, it seems that many type 1'ers due to a strict conscious effort to keep blood sugars normal, especially with the advancement of insulin pumps, my fiance, is currently on the animas pump, and with a good diet, healthy excercise, and the love from you, im sure you can beat any odds, the real question, is
what are you doing to strengthen your relationship now, so that when hard times do come, your able to be the one to know how to take care of her when she needs you the most, brother, me and you are on the same boat, but if you truly love her, that will motivate you to want to learn everything you can. and being on the forum is a great place to ask questions and share so that we can all benefit.

take care and i hope all the best,
CM

 

[DiabeticGuy]

short life?

Life span concern. I was born Aug 5, 1967, I was diagnosed with type one Oct 1969. I have had diabetes 42+ years. I still have 10 fingers/toes, see 20/20 uncorrected and have no ED problems. Life span regarding diabetes is determined by her life style and focus on control, not a default X number of years less. That thought is a very old sterotype that existed before the technology to control diabetes became what it is today. For example pure insulin, blood sugar monitors and insulin pumps. I used to pee on litmus paper to check my "Sugar" (not blood sugar), take beef/pork insulin four times a day with a glass syringe that was stored in an alcohol dish and used for six months at a time. The caution I leave you with is diabetic depression. If diabetics become depressed the two CAN spiral through each other until the diabetic gives up or suffers a life altering change. Notice I said CAN not will. So forget that old manure about short terrible lives.

 

[Richard157]

Hello Diabetic Guy, welcome aboard! I can identify with everything you said. I have been type 1 for 66 years now, and am very healthy. Hold on to your positive attitude and good control. When you reach 50 years you can apply for the Joslin medal. See the discussion near the top of the type 1 forum.

Richard

 

[DiabeticGuy]

Richard,
Great to hear, I'm not used to talking/meeting people who have had diabetes longer than me and are still healthy. If I may ask how old were you when you were first diagnosed?
When you were diagnosed was the techniques for controling it about the same as mine 40 years ago, or was it different?
Unfortunately my A1Cs have been high 7.2 & 7.4 over the last two years. With my two daughters in their teen years I seem to be running around a lot when I should be eating. Then I eat not so good stuff way late. I have focused on better snacking when that happens and salads, and I am feeling much better now. I recently had an A1C drawn but have not heard the results yet.
Glad to meet you.
DiabeticGuy (Matt)

 

[Richard157]

Matt, you were diagnosed in 1969 so you were using animal insulin, testing your urine instead of your blood, and probably did not know you should restrict your carbs and avoid eating so many fast acting carbs. Is that right? It was that way for me in 1945, when I was 6. My doctor back then gave my parents no advice except to not let me eat sugar. I did not know about carbs until 1988.

Did you use a glass syringe and have to boil needles to sterilize them? You probably had disposable syringes in 1969, so that was a definite improvement. The animal insulin was much improved by 1969 too. those are the only differences that come to mind at the moment.

Feel free to ask any other questions you want.

Richard

 

[DiabeticGuy]

Richard, Did you ever get messed up with the older insulin being two strengths U-40 and U-100. I wound up in the hospital twice back when animal insulin had two strengths.
As far as glass syringes go, yes I started with those and did not start with the B.D. disposable syringes untill about 1973-74 (if memory serves me correctly) and yes disposable were a vast improvement.
The advice my parent got was the same as yours. No sugar. That was it. No mention of balanced diet, carbs, fiber, appropriate before bed snacks or anything. I don't know about advise on exercise but I was a spastic kid so luckily it wasn't needed. I also, as you would, remember when insulin was $0.59 a bottle. Curious what did it cost when you were diagnosed?
Matt

 

[Richard157]

Matt, I don't remember prices back then. Too long ago. There are many things I do remember though, and some I wish I could forget too. I'm glad I did not have a problem with the strengths of the insulins. I have always used U-100.

I used to have a lot of seizures. When I started pumping in 2007 the seizures stopped. I have not needed help with a hypo since July of that year.

 

[Jen]

Oh man! My life with diabetes has really been a walk in the park compared to you guys. I was diagnosed T1 in 2007 (at age 53!). I've used Novolog and Levemir since I emerged from the hospital to my new world and am thankful every single day for the work and experimentation that you long-timers did to make this all possible.

(Guess I'll just have to live 'til I'm 103 to get my Joslin medal!!!! I intend to stay healthy and happy for many, many years.)

Jen

 

[Richard157]

Jen, with that attitude and determination, you may reach 103. We all do the best we can!

 

[hyptomyheart]

I've had diabetes almost the same amount of time she has, I plan to live in till I'm at least 100 years old Diabetes isn't a death sentence anymore that being said the better care you take of yourself the better things tend to go.....I also plan on having baby's as a female with diabetes I see nothing stopping me The non-longevity of people with diabetes is more of a thing of the past.....

 

[Richard157]

Very wise, and very true words, hyptomyheart!!