Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by smidgen on December 20, 2010 at 5:15am

Hey Sharon, I just have to say you have a wonderful name! My name is Sharon too! Having Diabetes is very hard and the emotional baggage is sometimes the worse to handle at times. Being a Diabetic (type 2) for 14 years now I know the importance of testing especially after exercising because you can feel so many things. Dizziness is a big one! No one knows what it means to keep "tight control" of your Diabetes except other Diabetics so at times it is tough to educate others your daily routine to others. That is if you have the energy to do so? Sometimes it is like talking to a dead brick wall when it comes to others who don't have the disease. This is when a spouse can help you tell his relative what is going on to his wife. If there is any consolation, I think all Diabetics get this type of emotional insensitivity from other family members, so you are not alone. I know that I do! This is what I do in my situation, I get this a lot too BUT I just learn to say to them, "unless you are walking in MY shoes and are going through the same things that I am, you do NOT know what I am feeling." I have also learned how to not read so much into their sighs and eye rolling when I test because it honestly made me a emotional wreck. I have learned to toughen up about my Diabetes and the emotions that go along with it. Maybe if it is really bad you need to have a one-on-one with the sister-in-law and tell her about how it is important for you to be in control about your Diabetes and to be in control of it means that you need to test. I hope that this helps a little?

Permalink Reply by Courtney on May 23, 2011 at 7:48pm

I know this is an old post, but I just read it, and let me say, I can TOTALLY relate! I got married 1 1/2 years ago and my in-laws had a 'discussion' with my husband before the wedding, saying that he should "really think hard about marrying me because of all the medical responsibility he's taking on, etc." I will never have a good relationship with my inlaws because of that. They're the type of people who never get colds and have never had anything medical happen to them, so it's amazingly difficult to "be diabetic" around them. I wish people would just understand that we didn't choose it. We didn't wake up one day and say, "Hey, wouldn't being diabetic be awesome?!?" Right. Good luck,...5 months later! :)

Permalink Reply by Sharon Fung on May 23, 2011 at 7:52pm

Yep my in-laws are also exactly like that-they had and still have MAJOR reservations about me as a suitable partner for my husband because of my diabetes. I'm 9 weeks pregnant now and when we told them all they could say was how worried they were for the baby because my body doesn't work right. No congratulations or anything-just "worried". My poor husband is so annoyed by them but also sad because they can't share in our joy.

Permalink Reply by Courtney on May 23, 2011 at 8:10pm

Ugh. That's so frustrating. I can't even say anything else, because I'm so frustrated for you. I think I would crack one day and say, "I hope you get diagnosed with diabetes so I can tell you that you aren't a suitable parent for my husband." Haha... although, it's much easier for me to say it than you.