A few weeks ago M & I went to a talk about D-complications, mainly retinopathy.
“VisualEYES the Risks: Managing Your Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy” was organised by Diabetes Ireland and had a panel of experts discussing D.
When we arrived i was struck by the age of the attendees. We were part of the small handful of non-greys in the audience (okay, i'm part grey, and part greying more quickly than i'd like, but we were still very much dragging the average age downwards).
It was obvious that this was a talk that had interested type 2s more than type 1's, but that is probably just an obvious result of statistics rather than any indication of interest on the part of the endurers of this.......condition (and i had to delete the first description of D i wrote down).
Before K's diagnosis i knew nothing of D. After diagnosis i have often fallen into the trap of feeling less sympathy for type 2's than type 1's.
This, i know, is unfair. It was the ignorant result of an unthinking mind. I have very little exposure to type 2 (one uncle developed type 2 a few years ago, lost a lot of weight, ate healthily, and seems to be managing his condition well).
My only other exposure to D was my daughter developing this disease in young childhood through no fault of her own, and having to undergo daily injections and the danger of serious complications in her young years with no ability to control it through exercise and diet.
So I think, subconsciously, that i was perhaps bitter about the difference between type 1 & 2 and the misunderstanding in the wider world of type 1 and the seriousness of it.
(K herself has little sympathy of type 2, but, to any type 2 reading this, please understand that she is a young child who can no longer enjoy Halloween, or chocolate eggs at Easter, and can have a slice of cake on her birthday...but only if her BG is at the right level....).
But, during this meeting, i finally had an epiphany. All around me were human beings; people living each day with this condition, not aware of their suffering of it for years before diagnosis; and now fearing complications, or, even worse, already suffering from them. I finally saw the faces behind the dry statistics, and i finally realised how shortsighted i had been in my earlier blind spot around type 2....
The room was full of people trying to understand this condition. I wondered whether, being mainly retirees, if the resources of the internet are mainly closed to them (i hope this doesnt sound condescending, its just an observation, and its late, so my self censorship button probably isnt as effective as i'd like it to be).
So i've had to make a mental note to be more aware of the people behind all those masses of statistics that are quoted about this illness, to see the wider angle as it were....
Separately to this, as a parent of a type one there was one bad point to the presentation and one very good point.
The bad point - after a presentation explaining that retinopathy may only affect 5% of diabetics (i may be wrong on the statistic, please dont quote me or shoot me for my error, it was a very low % anyway), i asked the presenting specialist about the relevant statistics for type1's only - he didnt have figures but his body language and tone werent very reassuring as he spoke about the effect of the long term nature of type 1.....
But the good point - a man asked a question, but began by explaining he has had type 1 for 53 years without complications until recently....when i think about the level of care he received all that time ago and the advances since then i take some small amount of reassurance for the future,.
“VisualEYES the Risks: Managing Your Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy” was organised by Diabetes Ireland and had a panel of experts discussing D.
When we arrived i was struck by the age of the attendees. We were part of the small handful of non-greys in the audience (okay, i'm part grey, and part greying more quickly than i'd like, but we were still very much dragging the average age downwards).
It was obvious that this was a talk that had interested type 2s more than type 1's, but that is probably just an obvious result of statistics rather than any indication of interest on the part of the endurers of this.......condition (and i had to delete the first description of D i wrote down).
Before K's diagnosis i knew nothing of D. After diagnosis i have often fallen into the trap of feeling less sympathy for type 2's than type 1's.
This, i know, is unfair. It was the ignorant result of an unthinking mind. I have very little exposure to type 2 (one uncle developed type 2 a few years ago, lost a lot of weight, ate healthily, and seems to be managing his condition well).
My only other exposure to D was my daughter developing this disease in young childhood through no fault of her own, and having to undergo daily injections and the danger of serious complications in her young years with no ability to control it through exercise and diet.
So I think, subconsciously, that i was perhaps bitter about the difference between type 1 & 2 and the misunderstanding in the wider world of type 1 and the seriousness of it.
(K herself has little sympathy of type 2, but, to any type 2 reading this, please understand that she is a young child who can no longer enjoy Halloween, or chocolate eggs at Easter, and can have a slice of cake on her birthday...but only if her BG is at the right level....).
But, during this meeting, i finally had an epiphany. All around me were human beings; people living each day with this condition, not aware of their suffering of it for years before diagnosis; and now fearing complications, or, even worse, already suffering from them. I finally saw the faces behind the dry statistics, and i finally realised how shortsighted i had been in my earlier blind spot around type 2....
The room was full of people trying to understand this condition. I wondered whether, being mainly retirees, if the resources of the internet are mainly closed to them (i hope this doesnt sound condescending, its just an observation, and its late, so my self censorship button probably isnt as effective as i'd like it to be).
So i've had to make a mental note to be more aware of the people behind all those masses of statistics that are quoted about this illness, to see the wider angle as it were....
Separately to this, as a parent of a type one there was one bad point to the presentation and one very good point.
The bad point - after a presentation explaining that retinopathy may only affect 5% of diabetics (i may be wrong on the statistic, please dont quote me or shoot me for my error, it was a very low % anyway), i asked the presenting specialist about the relevant statistics for type1's only - he didnt have figures but his body language and tone werent very reassuring as he spoke about the effect of the long term nature of type 1.....
But the good point - a man asked a question, but began by explaining he has had type 1 for 53 years without complications until recently....when i think about the level of care he received all that time ago and the advances since then i take some small amount of reassurance for the future,.
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