1. I don't know if I'm diving into a snake pit by saying this, but I think people with type 1 diabetes would trade places with type 2 diabetics if it meant that a lifestyle change would cure their disease. No matter how well people with type 1 take care of themselves, they'll always have the disease.

Posted at 4:17PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Shannon Lewis

2. First off, there is no way to be 'not diabetic' once you are diagnosed. It's still there, the fact that your pancreas is not doing exactly what a normal person's does. The symptoms may get better or even go away, but it's like cancer in remission, still there, needing constant vigilance.

Secondly, not all Type II's are 'wasting' their health via their lifestyle. I personally transitioned from a desk job to a very active (package courier) job within 3 months of being diagnosed with diabetes. I lost close to 30 pounds within 5 months. I've had a few things happen since then that have been setbacks (gaining weight during pregnancy, etc.), but there are quite a few of us 2s that want to live a while longer.

I agree that there is a stigma associated with Type II's however. I personally feel that this is an extension of the stigma people associate with 'fat' people. Society at large seems to think that most fat people are fat because they eat like pigs. Extend this one step further, and fat people get diabetes (a punishment) because they are fat. Most uninitiated people associate diabetes (as a general term) with Type II. Carry that to its logical end, and when a Type I says 'I have diabetes' the average person has a thought process something like 'they got the fat people's AIDS' (yes I'm exaggerating/overgeneralising).

I personally feel that there should be a movement in the medical community to separate treatment and possibly even the naming of Type I vs. Type II. This would help the public to differentiate the two, and also in the long run might help Type IIs to not become complacent, with thoughts like 'Oh, I have the same disease some people are born with.'.

Posted at 4:17PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Mellissa Pottle

3. Unfortunately I can't use a trackback here, so please see my POST on this topic today, "Diabetes: Two Diseases in One" at www.diabetesmine.com.

(Permalink: http://amy_tenderich.typepad.com/diabetes_mine/
2005/04/diabetes_two_di.html)

- Amy

Posted at 4:17PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Amy Tenderich

4. I understand your feelings, but offer a different viewpoint. I was diagnosed at the age of 42. At the time I was running 50+ miles a week. Three months later I would run my first marathon in 4hrs, 17 minutes. I had a 29 inch waist. I've never been more than five pounds overweight, have been active and exercised consistently since my early twenties.

I requested an H1C test and my pancreas was producing less than a third of normal. I'm sure that it's producing nothing now.

My point is that my charts show that I'm a type II diabetic, but that's because of my age when I was diagnosed. When it's all said and done, it's nothing but a title. It says nothing about me, my habits or what I was dealt.

Posted at 4:17PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Andy Lopez

5. My daughter has Type 1 diabetes, diagnosed at age 4. I know she gets furious every time she reads an article about it because diabetes is never mentioned alone. The very next word in any article is obesity. So naturally people who are not educated on the subject think they go hand in hand. If she were very thin maybe it would not bother her as much, but she is by no means obese. I know she gets angry at the 2's but it is not their fault...it is the way the media reports it.

Posted at 7:31PM on Jun 19th 2005 by Clay

6. I've had negative feelings about type-2s for a while now. But I think it's sort of like watching rich people waste money. I'd probably do the same if I were rich, but as I'm not, it's annoying to see them waste something I'd love to have. In the case of type-2s, that something is the opportunity to not be diabetic, which to me is more valuable than money. But it never occurred to me that non-diabetics might feel the same way because they also have that something I'd love to have, so I wouldn't think it would bother them so much to see it wasted.

Posted at 5:32PM on Jul 6th 2005 by Scott Reynen

7. I thought I was non-diabetic for a while but then I was diagnosed.

Posted at 7:14AM on Aug 31st 2005 by Mcgill

8. I'm a type 1 diabetic and I have no personal animosity towards type 2s. However, I do get frustrated when I say I'm diabetic and then someone says "oh my grandfather has it and his doctor says he should loose weight." Then they look me up and down and conclude that I too need to go to Weight Watchers. It's annoying and I have to point out that I have type 1 diabetes and even if I were as skinny as a supermodel, I'd still have it.

I realize the people saying this are simply ignorant about diabetes and I try not to have bad feelings for type 2s, but I admit, it's difficult. Since type 1s are such a small section of diabetics I do feel we don't get our fair amount of press and no one seems to get the difference. As someone wrote above, if diet and exercise could jump start my pancreas, I'd live at the gym.

Posted at 12:51AM on Nov 21st 2005 by Regina