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Diabetes - Juvenile Community
This patient support community is for questions related to juvenile diabetes including celiac disease, depression, diabetic complications, hyperglycemia / diabetic keto-acidosis, hypoglycemia, islet cell transplantation, nutritional issues, parenting a diabetic child, pregnancy, pump therapy, school issues, and teens with diabetes.
Type I Diabetes and Marriage
by Mary031087, Oct 31, 2007 12:00AM
Is it advisable for people with juvenile-onset diabetes to get married? My parents are forcing me to break up with a diabetic because he is not "marriage material".. apparently diabetics who have had diabetes for a long time (this boy has had it since 17) begin complications really early.. my dad is an eye doctor and he says that he gets patients with diabetic complications in their eyes every single day, and that they get blind by their 40s if they even last that long.. not to mention all these other long-term complications... gangrenes, amputations, strokes, etc etc... are my parents being overprotective or do they have a point?
Doctor's Answer
by JDRF-VOL-RL, Oct 31, 2007 12:00AM
Hello, Mary. Of course people with diabetes can get married. Having diabetes is not a reason to avoid marriage. People with diabetes these days are doing much better with diabetes management, and the rate of complications in people who are using these management principles are dropping drammatically. 20 years ago, this wasn't the case, so the patients that your dad sees fall into that group, where they didn't have the tools and the knowledge that we have today. I'd have your significant other show that he can and does manage his diabetes well. Your parents need to understand that times have changed with respect to diabetes care, and there is no reason to break up with someone simply because of diabetes.
I have been a diabetic since I was 14. I am now 49.
I am very active and have no diabetic problems, but I do take care of myself.
I was diagnosed with diabetic retnepothy when I was 28 and according to my eye Dr. at last months visit it has not progressed since I was first in his office 21 years ago. In fact he told me he would be dead before I needed lasar on my eyes.
Your parents are wrong. Diabetics can have a very long and fulfilling life, but as with anyone healthy or not things can happen to us in our life that will shorten it, that is the chance you will have to take with anyone, diabetic or not.
Diabeties can be taken care of with the proper meds, diet and exorcise.
Bob
And are these patients your father sees Type 2 diabetics? Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas does not produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is most often diagnosed in people who are overweight, do not exercise and have a history of neglecting the needs of their bodies. Therefore Type 2 diabetics still produce insulin but their bodies do not use the insulin sufficiently or I could say properly.
Anyway, why don't you try talking to your parents, maybe there was some miscommunication.
I think that you parents are having some other issue, either with him or with the idea of you growing up. Plus, if you love him, then you love all of him. He may even be a lot healthier because a lot of people with diabetes take better care of themselves than other people!
Don't base your relationship decisions on diabetes! We are normal people :)
To me this is cheating and lying and hurts very much. But at the same time I know that he needs support from other people.
I am just soo lost and hurt and just wanted someone else who may know how to react to this.
I am in Love with a Type 1 diabetic.. and let me tell you it is the most wonderful thing to have known him. He is 25 and has recently been diagnoized type 1 a year ago.
He takes care of himself, eats the right thing at the right time, takes his shots regularly. and belive me life has been just beautiful, though we are not married now, but very soon want to. I think because of this 1 reason, love would not turn away. It has taught me one thing and that is to understand his needs and care for him and support him all way.
Life is still as beautiful as always. There is no reason that you should back out because this 1 reason. We have our medical experts to always guide us.. :)