Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jessica05 on November 19, 2010 at 7:01pm

I am a Christian Mama to my little girl with Type 1 and we have not experienced this type of prejudice. It sounds like your church needs some serious education on Diabetes and if they're not open to it, I would find another place to worship. The people who say it's up to your faith to be healed are mistaken....yes, we need to have faith in God's ability to heal, but it's up to God to heal and His decision alone to make. Illness and other hardships in life are part of living in an imperfect world. Hope this helps! Feel free to message me. God bless you~ Jessica

Permalink Reply by Anthony on November 19, 2010 at 7:15pm

Dear Latvianchick -

I like your name. Does your family hail from Latvia? I was in Europe recently and met some great Catholic priests from there. Because we did not speak Italian, we would get together and help each other translate. It was fun.

As to your question about prejudices, I am so sorry that you are experiencing this from your brothers and sisters in the Lord. I also sought healing from the Lord. I always thought it weird when someone questioned my faith - it is as if they thought faith is magic. Faith is more real than that. The Lord showed me that through this disease he was entrusting me with the mystery of his Cross. So, while I would rejoice in any kind of healing - and earnestly ask for it, I rejoice even more because the Lord trusts me with this trial.

It is a normal part of the Christian life to be misunderstood, and rejected, and to suffer all other kinds of persecutions - we cannot love the Lord except at our own expense. But I doubt this is consoling to you - especially in the heat of the moment. Yet so little is known about our disease, people often misjudge what is really going on. The worst persecution, rejection and betrayal always comes from those we most love, the ones we hope would most be on our side. Bearing with this disease for the glory of God is extremely difficult without the encouragement of good friends - but when these friends whom we rely on grow impatient, a difficult situation becomes impossible. Here, however, is the great mystery - if we endure our disease patiently and with joy for the glory of God, God uses our feeble efforts to accomplish his Divine Plan. This is what James commands us to do (5:8-11). If we consider the life of Paul (2 Cor. 12: 7-10), we see that God loves to allow us to go into impossible situations - it is at these moments that his power shines through our weakness, that the glory of the Cross is manifest and the hearts of many are laid bear. Do not be discouraged when your Heavenly Father allows you to be treated like his Son. Hope in God - He hopes even more in you.

Permalink Reply by newtoheaven on November 19, 2010 at 9:12pm

I've never dealt with this from Christians. I have dealt with it from some doctors and nurses who do not specialize in diabetes (and it very well showed), so I don't go to their hospital anymore or request someone else to take care of me.

That is horrible that the people who call themselves "Christians" would treat you in that manner! First, they seem to have no desire to educate themselves on the disease (it's understandable that it can be a hard disease to grasp, but at least show some interest in trying to learn!). Second, what if you were, in fact, a drunk???!! They seem to have no interest in helping you and have more interest in excluding you from building deeper relationships within the church body! How twisted is that???

Please seek out those who have your best interest at heart. If that means starting over with a new church family, by all means, do! Not only do you have to take care of yourself physically, you have to take care of yourself spiritually.

Permalink Reply by latvianchick on November 19, 2010 at 11:37pm

Hi, yes, I am Latvian. My mother came to UK as a refugee in 1951 after her village was decimated - only her family survived and my grandmother was the unofficial midwife of the village, brought the rest into the world - and then had to hastily bury them all! She went to a Displaced Person's camp in Germany and a group of 6th Form teachers and students saw a TV programme about the camps and decided to invite 6 of them over for a holiday.

When it came to taking them back one of the teachers was ill so someone escorted them back to Germany, saw the conditions they were living under and brought them back to give them an education. That was the start of a refugee organisation called the Ockenden Venture - named after the house in which they lived before the venture expanded, then they brought people from many war torn countries. I am what was once termed the first Ockenden grandchild. The first to be born from that first group. That was a hard title to live with when I worked with the organisation years later, but on the whole it gave me a good grounding to work there.

But, enough of that. You are right about the Christians but I have many friends there and also do not feel a call to leave. I hope it will not come to that but I guess if the Lord calls me out I will have to go.

I was a diabetic for at least 10 years before I was accidentally diagnosed - and they insisted I was a drunk even then (obviously!). I do go now - only recently to a brilliant hospital for which I have to travel 35 miles - where they do not mind me being on pork insulin and understand how it works. My local one did not and insisted they knew better and put me on higher and higher doses of human insulin which nearly killed me - hypoing up to 7 times a day! How I got to go on pork was a long drawn out affair but a true miracle! A stranger saw me sitting on the font of a local church (not my own) stuffing sweets in as fast as I could and without being asked told me I was on human insulin and that it was likely that it was dangerous for me. It took another 4 years for me to get on pork and then the hospital dropped me. Seems like even doctors and nurses over here are not willing to understand that some things do not work for some people.

To go back to the church, I was doing a councelling course and was suddenly called into the office for an interview with my tutor and a pastor. They accused me of turning up drunk at a lesson and said that they were sorry but I would have to stop doing the course until I had sorted out my problem. Understandable if you are not a nurse or doctor, but get this. The tutor was an ex nurse!!!!!

I offered to undergo a private blood test to prove that I was not a drinker - if the church or the tutor paid for it as I am unemployed - and they immediately backed down! I continued the course and when I handed in my course work for marking and assessment the examiners thought I was already stage 3! Unfortunately the tutor fell out with the Pastor and I have no more money to continue my education so life goes on. Still with the same old prejudices.

Permalink Reply by Anthony on November 20, 2010 at 11:04pm

Latvianchick - You are a real fighter - for the glory of God. I am sorry that you have been so misunderstood. But maybe you have a gift for counseling, I hope you get to use it. Thanks for telling me about the "the Ockenden Venture" - I had not heard of it before. - thanks also for starting a really good discussion.
Anthony

Permalink Reply by pinkyspurse on February 17, 2011 at 10:36am

Since starting Metformin, I now react to sugar like normal people do to alcohol. Funny thing is I'm hypersensitive to alcohol, so I can't touch the stuff unless it's cooked. I often get sick just smelling alcohol. Yesterday I was having multiple hypo sensations, so I know how you feel. Hang in there!

Permalink Reply by Cynthia on November 19, 2010 at 11:16pm

Many times people respond this way because of their own fear or what is going on inside of them.
Jesus was always pointing out to his disciples their lack of faith, but it was not to make them feel low or belittle them, it was to show them they couldn't do it....Jesus was fulfilling the Law..putting and end to the Law.
And they (the disciples)did not have the power or Faith til he resurrected and the Holy Spirit came to live inside of them.

Churches who always focus on what we are doing instead of what Christ did on the Cross are very works based, and will extend very little "Grace" to a person.
But I pray Latvian chick that God surrounds you with people of Grace, it sounds like you could sure use some friends like this about now.
God Loves You,
And God has given Type I Diabetics wisdom, knowledge, Dr's, and many other things to survive and even thrive with Type I( or Juvenille) Diabetes.
Those who are pointing out to you your lack of faith probably have very little of their own to begin with.
It seems like we are always having to forever educate others..
I wish they would call Type I Diabetes something else...
This was mistake #1 in the medical community when they first named Type I Diabetes
Seems like we have to always be an educator on top of being our own Dr.s, dietitians, nurses, etc, etc.
I think your feeling a bit depressed is natural...sometimes we can feel very alone in this..
But Jesus knows our suffering...
I pray you are strengthened and feel Gods loves and his Arms around You :)
Strengthening you while you sleep.
Blessings..

Permalink Reply by latvianchick on November 19, 2010 at 11:54pm

Aw thanks Cynthia. It is a heavy cross to bear but I try to stay positive. As I have said previously I do have some very good friends who do accept that I am ill and I try to stay positive but sometimes it is hard! Guess that is why I am a bit of a comedienne and can quite often laugh at the predicaments!

I have other problems including a hearing problem. Even those friends were shocked at me the other week when the Pastor was announcing something about a missionary from our church organisation and I thought he said that the missionary had CHEATED death! Of course I was delighted and praised the Lord, said Hallelujah etc. The whole church turned on me! What???? The woman next to me said that I had misheard what was being said and that really what the Pastor said was that "... he was BEATEN to death!" Ooops!

Result is that next week I go for my first appointment to fit hearing aids!!! Hopefully no more gaffs like that! Actually I knew for years that I had a bit of a problem with certain sounds but doctors kept saying "Well, you can hear what I am saying so there cannot be a problem." Yeah that is fine one on one in a quiet room but put me in a position where there is a lot of background noise and I am hopeless! For interest one day in the church I asked to try the loop headphones for those with hearing problems and heard music (before the service). I said to the man, where did that come from? He said that it was always played before a service and I have never heard it once in all the 15 years I have been coming to the church!!!

But, I will survive. Yes, depression is a real burden - especially at this time of year - but I try to remind myself regularly that God knows and that there are others with worse problems,

Permalink Reply by Cynthia on November 20, 2010 at 6:02am

One of the hardest things is being misunderstood, Just last week I was in the hospital 2 times in 2 different hospitals.
The 1st hospital did not give me my baseline insulin....a 24 hour insulin(Levemir)
I was taken by ambulance to the hospital, the needle from my pump needed to be changed out that night, but I did not have my pump supplies with me...so I thought for sure they would give me my baseline insulin once I informed the nurse I was having to take off my pump...some 6 hours later I still had no baseline insulin and my sugars were going up to 500....
I had a friend with me, but she didn't know that much about Type I. All they had given me in the hospital was 6 units of quick acting.
I started to yell at the nurses asking what was going on..and why wasn't anyone giving me my baseline insulin..
My friend said to me later over the phone..."Well if you will just be nice to the nursing staff maybe it would go differently for you"
But it had nothing to do with being nice, and everything to do with getting my insulin......
turns out my Diabetes Dr. was not in the with the Hospital system that I was admitted to....
so without Dr's order from the admitting physician I could not get my baseline insulin..
I called my friend and asked her to go get me extra supplies to my pump and my Novolog insulin..
It saved my life..Also ironically the hospital did not carry Novolog insulin.

But the point I am trying to make is this..
My friend thought that I was being rude,however, I was being desperate, I was hurting, It hurts to go into a high blood sugar coma..I was yelling to save my life.
I haven't had a chance to sit down and explain to her what was really happening.....and that she can't expect something from me I can't deliver.
I think the problem is we look normal, and don't wear the illness on the outside, so therefore people misunderstand.
That part is very hard to deal with...I certainly find that part difficult too.

Permalink Reply by latvianchick on November 20, 2010 at 3:30pm

Cynthia! Where are you? E:mail me on katrinaegarner1963@yahoo.co.uk and I will send you something that has come out recently - a Hospital Diabetes Passport. In it you need to write in all the sections what YOU need and what you WANT in order to continue your diabetes regime in hospital. This was brought out because in the UK there have been a number of deaths because of ignorance, lack of communication and doctors and nurses who do not know enough about diabetes thinking they know better!

I wanted to continue with my pork insulin as am way to sensitive/allergic to the human insulins - but the doctors insisted that pork insulin could not be given through a pump which they wanted to hook me up to! Result, I hypoed 7 times each day and night I was there and they had the nerve to write on my notes that I was either deliberately purging or secretly giving myself extra insulin in order to gain attention! I was not purging. I could not eat because I had had 5 teeth removed!

There is every likelihood that I will need another operation on something else before Christmas and I will be definitely taking my passport with me!

Permalink Reply by Cynthia on November 20, 2010 at 7:57pm

Latvianchick...
I live in the U.S. --I am will be writing a story on what happened to me in the Hospital---I have some journalism experience.
I have interviewed two other people,
The name of my article will be ----
"When going into the hospital could cost you your life"
I will be writing about my experience and the experience of two other diabetics who would have gone into high blood sugar comas if they had not taken matters into their own hands to save their life in a hospital. .
I will post the piece here on TUDiabetes..
Basically It has to do with Dr's communicating in Hospitals,
The admitting Dr. has to write an Dr. order for you to go on base line Insulin
---and unfortunately you have to make sure your Dr. write a prescription for you to manage your pump while you are in the hospital.
The Admitting Dr and the Diabetes Dr (or endocrinologist) don't always communicate.
You have to make sure you have your baseline insulin in your purse
If not you have to make sure you have a friend you can call.
Had my friend not gone home to get my Insulin for my pump and my diabetic supplies to my pump when I was in the first hospital I would have gone into a high blood sugar coma if I had waited on them to get Dr's orders...
The nurses were acting like I was over-reacting---They were treating me like a Type II Diabetic... .
And had I not had extra pump supplies on me as well as my Novolog in my purse, I would have gone into a high blood sugar coma in the 2nd hospital too.

The nurses asked me if I had insulin in my purse when I was admitted to the 2nd hospital and I said "No"...
I forgot that I actually had Novolog in my purse...Thank God I did !!!because because several hours later they were taking me in for a heart test...I disconnected my pump(took it off) thinking surely they would give me my baseline insulin..
and the same thing happened to me again..as in the 1st hospital.

I kept asking the nurses to give me my baseline insulin(24 hour) and they said they did not have Dr's orders..
that is when I looked in my purse and saw that my Novolog was in my purse..
So I hooked back up ----at that point my sugars were already 486---
We have just as many ignorant Dr's and nurses here in the U.S.in the hospital when it comes to handling Type I Diabetes..
You have to be your own Dr., Nurse, dietitian, physical therapist,.etc..etc..
Here in the U.S. Latviachick you have to have a Drs order to work your pump in a hospital --
I sat both Dr's down in my room ---the Admitting Dr. and the Endroconologist ---
It has been straightened out now..
And once my article is published, I am sure they will be even more careful to give Type I Diabetics the right care.
USA today just came out with an article about how many people are dying in hospitals due to Hospital Error.
It was a Govt study..

Permalink Reply by Cynthia on November 20, 2010 at 8:01pm

Anthony Thank you for you excellent Reply! I love what you said...

"Faith is more real than that. The Lord showed me that through this disease he was entrusting me with the mystery of his Cross. So, while I would rejoice in any kind of healing - and earnestly ask for it, I rejoice even more because the Lord trusts me with this trial."

Such a witness in my spirit when I read your reply---God Bless you!

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