Diagnosis Age: Child or Adult. Which is more difficult?
Last night, during a marathon Twitter session, I was chatting with Michael Hoskins, who writes The Corner Booth. Our topic du jour: “misconceptions that longtime T1s are the same as adult T1s.”
Since I’m an adult T1, I was intrigued by what these so-called misconceptions might be. I mean, we all test (all the friggin time); we all take insulin; and we all think it sucks, right?
Sure, that’s all true, but there is so much more that goes into being a diabetic. I began to think about my own diagnosis and how it was almost like the destruction of my entire world. For my life (until then), I’d been able to live freely, eat what I wanted, and never give a thought to carbs and insulin. I was totally ignorant of things like A1cs and ketones. It was nice in my old world. I handled my needle phobia with kid gloves (i.e., I never encountered a needle unless in a life-or-death situation). I look back on my old world with fondness and longing.
I struggled with lots of different emotions after my diagnosis. The biggest was fear. But, not far off was the almost overwhelming weight of responsibility. I had to learn so much about my new life, and I had to do it mostly alone.
So, when Michael made that Twitter comment last night, I immediately felt my back go up. Was he implying that because I didn’t get diabetes while still in the single digits, I was somehow a lesser T1? Did he mean that my struggles weren’t as bad (if not worse) than a child’s?
I waited a few minutes and thought it through. Knowing Michael from the D-Community, I knew that he wasn’t an “us vs. them” type of person. He’d always been super-supportive of my blog. So, my initial feelings of being offended faded away quickly. Then, I became curious. I asked Michael what he meant and what he considered “longtime” to be. After all, it’s been 10 years since I got my bad news.
After some additional clarification, I went so far as to write that I feel like it is MORE difficult being diagnosed as an adult. Aside from the fact that lots of diabetics diagnosed as children never remember their former lives, there’s also the fact that they’ve got 24-hour support from their parents. The guidance and understanding (as well as some of the blame sharing) they receive makes for a better adjusted diabetic. IMHO.
So, I don’t want to turn this into a “who’s the sickest” contest. What I’d really like to read are some of your thoughts on this topic. Do you think it’s easier to be diagnosed as a child or an adult?
Themocracy
I think it was easier as an adult, definitely. I’d already been through growth spurts, teenage rebellion, dating, marriage, living abroad, and three pregnancies. My D is extremely difficult to control as is, I’m glad I never had to add it into the above list, too.
I’ve always called my early diagnosis a blessing in disguise. I was diagnosed at 3 and never had that transition period and I never really had a rebellion period. I’ve seen some of my friends who were diagnosed later have countless problems with simply accepting their diabetes. To me, diabetes is like breathing and eating. I don’t know any different!
I have wondered about this question, too. I was diagnosed at age four, and while it is true that I never really had that serious rebellion period, I could have lived without that low sugar reaction I had in the fourth grade in the lunchroom. And it would have been nice to go to a sleep over before I turned 8 because I couldn’t do my own shots. And Freshman prom when I forgot to take my dinner shot with me and my mom had to bring it to the restaurant? Could have done without that, too. And these complications? Maybe they would not have occurred yet if I hadn’t been fighting blood sugars for 27 years.
Who knows. All-in-all, I think diabetes just plain stinks whenever it hits you. We just have to do the best we can and try to keep it all in perspective. It could always be worse, right?
nici
A sweet journey to motherhood
Well, well… Thanks for the props and discussion-starter in the blogosphere, Shannon! (Sorry it took so long to post, but I was caught up in meetings this morning) This may not be as eloquent as I’d like, so please bear with me…
As you accurately point out: my intention behind the Tweet wasn’t an “Us v. Them” kinda thing. Not a slap at anyone who isn’t a Type 1 since childhood. Not an attempt at saying anyone’s Life With Diabetes is any less important or as bad as someone else’s experience. Not at all.
I assumed before even making the comment that it would trigger some to be offended. My hope was I’d likely hear from others personally/in Tweets/on blogs about what they think about the topic. That was my point. (I’ve heard from 3, by the way.)
My motivation comes from hearing comments and reading blogs from those uninformed PWDs, those on shows such as the supernanny where someone sees diabetes is a “death sentence,” where those newly-diagnosed adults and spouses think that all diabetics inevitably lie, get depressed, refuse adequate care, and have massive complications quickly that will ultimately result in disability and death. It’s that whole: you’re diabetic, so this is a reality for you because I know…
It’s these same individuals who spewed the same crap that I experienced as a child – someone would hear about my diabetes and say to my mom: “Oh, well if you would have made him eat better, then it wouldn’t have happened.” Basically, you caused this.
It should be noted that none of this can be blanketly applied across the board, that not everyone sees it this way or that they would “just because they’re an adult-Dxd Type 1 or Type 2. But there are those out there, and they make my blood boil the most and push me to write this. To say that not only do they not know what they’re talking about as far as overall D-research, but they have no idea what my D-Life entails or how it relates/differs to what they’ve experienced or heard about 4th-hand.
I am 30 years old. Diagnosed at age 5. Only son of a Type 1 Mom, who was also diagnosed at the same young age. Her lifelong fears became a reality when my diagnosis came, and it still haunts her without fail. It has become mine. BUT, this doesn’t mean I consider diabetes a death sentence or something that can’t be managed. In many ways, my experience growing up with diabetes makes it easier for me now, as an adult, to manage it and deal with it (not withstanding the same regular frustrations and issues we ALL deal with). Growing up with it, I learned to adjust starting at age 5. Didn’t have regular soda or candy a part of my life. Always meal portioned. Watched exercise, but knew I could do anything I wanted and wasn’t limited by my health if I didn’t want to be. Learned to cope with rebellion and depression as a teen, and the changing emotions that come with adolence of high school and college. All the stresses at every major point in life. It has always been.
As you say, Shannon, later onsets (1 and 2) means re-learning and a sense of “destruction” of the life you knew. Can’t imagine that, and I feel myself “lucky” (really??? can you feel that with this??)) that I didn’t have to re-structure my life as a teen or adult.
I certainly didn’t want to diminish anyone’s diabetic experiences, as we are all in this together in those shared daily D-Life aspects. But it’s the more personal mental and emotional elements that distinguish us and build the foundation for how we Live with Diabetes – individually and generally as Types go. Each of those deserve recognition and clarification so that Your Diabetes isn’t considered to be “the same” as mine, or mine “the same” as yours; but that in the end, we can recognize the similarities and differences and all work together in living, managing, coping, and someday curing.
Great comments, everyone. I guess I’m somewhere in between the two. I was old enough at diagnosis to be relatively set in my ways, but I was still too young to have dodged the d-related problems associated with dating, marriage, living abroad, and (hopefully) pregnancy (per Val’s list).
I love this discussion, though. And I appreciate everyone’s opinion and feedback!
I honestly do not think it matters when you get diabetes because it is a life changing no matter if your young or old,
there are negatives and postivies being diagnosed on either one.
Great post by the way.
I just found this site. Great. As to this discussion, I was diagnosed 3 years ago at age 60. I am all too aware what has happened to me and what I have lost. As an adult you know what you are missing and are all too cognizant of the consequences of anything and everything that you do or don’t do. This dx has destroyed me. I have lost any freedom that I had just to be. I’ve tried to calculate the odds of someone at this age contracting this curse-astronomical I know that but then math was never a strong point. My control is crap and I can never get any balance. And the endo said that I wasn’t a “true” type 1 and lkely wouldn’t qualify for a pump. I live in Ontario where adults can now obtain a pump through the government health plan (maybe! always that caveat in there) And I’m not in a position to buy one. I’m just so destroyed by this, that there is no getting away from it that I sometimes wonder why I even bother. It certainly isn’t worth it. Can’t even go to Timmy’s without constant worrying. So yeah I do think it is worse for an adult because we know what “normal” is and that we’ll never have it again.
I think it is harder being diagonsed as an adult as you have more awareness of the ramifications of the condition. As a child you have the hassles of the management but who thinks as a child you are not going to live forever. It hit me hard with the DX but I have come to terms with it, not always but most of the time.
I was Dxed at 57 as a T-2 but I am damm suspicious of the DX. I fit the non conforming DX for a T-2 from what I read. Lost 60 pounds, super thristy, peeing ketone’s and glucose, heavy breathing and super tired, BG 428 and A1C of 14, not typical. I am doing well on the Metformin but the more I read this has a temporary effect and I am struggling with highs in the morning and spikes at times on low carb meals. It is not the chineese restaurant effect either. I did get my doc to do a CPEP and am waiting for that.