Stress? Who ME? Yes, but only after 50 years of Diabetes.

I have seen several posts about whether it is best to be diagnosed at a young, or at an older age. I was diagnosed when I was barely 6, and cannot remember very much of my life before that. There were no "types" back then, all of us were given animal insulin, told to not eat sugar, and that was it. There were no other rules to follow. I w

as so young that it seems now like my life was just beginning then. I feel that was an advantage for me since I was very healthy back then, without any complications. I tested my urine and took one injection before breakfast. I ate anything I wanted all day long, as long as it did not contain sugar. There was no more urine testing or injections until the next morning. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It WAS simple, and so much less trouble than today's management routine. I was never stressed about my D in the old days, because there were no complications.

I became stressed in the 1990s, 50 years after my dx. I was forced to stop animal insulin and started using synthetic insulins. There was carb counting, basal/bolus control, testing many times each day, and MDI. What a BIG change! I adjusted to that, but I was also diagnosed with neuropathy, retinopathy, frozen shoulders, carpal tunnel, cataracts, arthritis, and a few other things. I was extremely stressed! I thought things were supposed to be better with the modern day devices, insulins, and knowledge about how we should control our D. I felt everything had backfired, and I was going downhill fast. I feared for my life!! Then I joined online D sites and found others like me. My new friends convinced me to use a pump. That is what turned things around. My complications no longer bother me because my numbers were much more stable. I had gained weight during the years I was so stressed, and insulin resistance entered the picture. I am now using Metformin along with my insulin, I am not overweight, my health is great, and I will live forever!!! <wink>