Comment by Jan on February 3, 2011 at 6:44am

My neice is not embarassed but wants to be exactly like everyone else and does not like anyone outside of her friends to know; wants to carry on with her life as if she does not have it. She does not want to explain about D constantly. She wears skinny jeans and tucks the pump to the waistband of her underpants (MM Revel has a clip attached to pump and Animas has an even thinner clip). Tubing is stuffed into the front of her jeans. She is super thin, her jeans are super tight and you cannot tell she is wearing a pump. Carries individually wrapped Lifesavers in he pockets for lows. Plenty of places she can test and bolus in private, but she is not at all shy about testing BG in public anywhere. She can go to the restroom to check and bolus or another private place if need be if she is with a crowd and does not want to do this in public. It's up to her. It's not embarrassment; it's more annoyance about having to explain when she does not want to bother to do so. It's up to you. How you feel at the moment. I think what you are feeling is normal.

Comment by linda on February 3, 2011 at 8:16am

While I realize that ya'll are dealing with Type 1, may I comment also? Honestly, this struck such an emotional response in my heart....frankly, I feel that people with T1 should never, ever feel embarrassed or ostracized due to a clearly medical situation which is not caused by anything they have, or have not, done. What I deal with is the almost constant shameful feelings of having T2 because this is something which I have "done" to myself by not living a healthier lifestyle. At least that's the biggest response I get from others. My physician isn't judgmental but after two incredibly difficult pregnancies and dealing with insulin and gestational diabetes, I should have been more careful. Frankly, though, 20 years ago my doctors mentioned that I would be at a higher risk but never told me to have checkups or any type of monitoring. Off I went into my life as a mom and never really worried again.....nor did I lose much of the extra weight. Now I deal with the fallout. That's definitely an embarrassment....there's no way to get around the fact that this is all my fault.
You, my dear, should have nothing to feel embarrassed about!! Still, I do understand not wanting to check your sugars in front of people you aren't comfortable with. I wish for you to be surrounded by lots of wonderfully supportive and comforting friends!

Comment by LaGuitariste on February 3, 2011 at 9:23am

"You, my dear, should have nothing to feel embarrassed about!! " NO diabetic has anything to be embarrassed about regarding having diabetes. It's a GENETIC disease -- so unless you chose your parents, then no, it's not your "fault". BILLIONS of people eat imperfectly and they don't have diabetes. We do. Not because we're imperfect in our behavior, but because we have defective genes.

Stop apologizing for being a type II and tell the ignorant to kiss your hind foot. You're no more "responsible" for your diabetes than for your natural hair color, your natural eye color, or the shape of your ears. It's genetic.

Comment by Anonymous Jim on February 3, 2011 at 9:33am

JeanV or how I wish I could of choose my parents. My family is so genetically messed up.

Comment by Cara on February 3, 2011 at 1:52pm

I've never been embarassed by my diabetes, and in fact, I use the questions as a opportunity to educate people. But I can understand feeling different can be an issue. Hopefully you can find a way to move past this, because if something happens to you and people don't know you're a diabetic, it could be dangerous.

Comment by SuFu, Ph.D. on February 3, 2011 at 2:47pm

At first I was. Now it's just a whatever type of thing. I had to get used to it quick in public. I was diagnosed in the middle of the baseball season and I umpire 300 baseball games/summer so I ended up testing everywhere and anywhere I could when I'm out on the field. If I'm out to dinner or at another person's house I will excuse myself and go the restroom to check and inject. If it's around people I know, I could care less. The majority of people are so used to seeing diabetics anymore that they could really care less, especially since you have a pump and you're not stabbing yourself with a needle. The majority of people are really cool about it in my experience. Very few people freak out and if they do, tell them to go screw themselves. Literally, it usually shuts them up quick.

SuFu

Comment by Osob on February 3, 2011 at 3:32pm

honestly Kandace yes I have felt like you and even hidden my diabetes but then for some reason I changed I guess it was the worry of if anything was to happen ppl would not know wat to do so to prevent it I opened up and a lot of the time ppl do not always react how we imagine they will.

Comment by Leah D. Rogers on February 3, 2011 at 8:43pm

Just a thought.........ANYONE can have an iphone, but not everyone can have an insulin pump! :) Keep pumping!!

Comment by Ryan on February 4, 2011 at 2:04pm

I've never felt embarrassed about having diabetes..BUT..I do get irritated when trying to explain what diabetes is to someone that doesn't know what it is. When someone finds out I have diabetes the usual response I get is, "Oh wow, I guess you had too much sugar when you were younger." At first, I use to get defensive but eventually as I got older I learned to accept that people who don't know, well, just don't know. I don't think they mean to be offensive, they're just basing their opinion on false information. So, no I don't feel embarrassed about being a diabetic, but I don't walk up to random people and say "Hi I'm a diabetic!!" if they see me testing my BG then they see me testing my BG, if they want to ask me what I'm doing- cool. If they want to assume I'm some type of weirdo- cool. haha, I learned to accept that not everyone knows what diabetes is.

I'm not saying what you're feeling is wrong, everyone is different. Some don't mind being open about their diabetes, others keep it on the low. Just do you, and if people can't accept you for you then tell them to GET WIT IT OR GET GONE!!

Comment by Chadd on February 5, 2011 at 2:08am

I'm not embarressed about having diabetes, what I'm embarrassed about it is having lows in public. I know that is an oxymoron statement. Although, I don't hide my pump or other items from public view. I'm embarrassed in needing assistance at times in public when having lows, that is the only part I hate.

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