Diabetes does not define you | You don’t need to tell everything | Your attractiveness will not disappear | Don’t put a lot on your date | Change meal to activities | Have your diabetes kit | Don’t be with ignorant persons | Don’t be picky | Feel free | Do your routine | Think about the role of diabetes | Make clear the role of your date | To tell or not is your choice
You are on your first date, trying to get to know the person sitting in front of you. The evening is delightful, however, instead of waiting with anticipation for a farewell kiss or hug, all your thoughts are only about how and when to tell them that you have diabetes. And is it worth even mentioning? Or because of low blood sugar, it seems to you that you are behaving inappropriately, and the only way out is to talk about your disease. You hesitate because you don’t want to frighten off your potential love, do you?
Diabetes is with you 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. It would be great to take a day off from diabetes on an evening date, however this is not possible. Diabetes is not going anywhere.
Talking about your disease is not an easy task, despite the fact that there are no special instructions on how to do this, we offer some tips on how to smoothly switch from “very nice to meet you” to “I have diabetes.”
Diabetes does not define you
Diabetes does not define you but is an integral part of your life. If you yourself feel uncomfortable with your disease, it is difficult to expect that your date will feel differently. Questions such as: “is this not too strange for you?” or “will you date me even though I have diabetes?” will not help create a light atmosphere of casual conversation.
You don’t need to tell everything
Do not set yourself a time frame, thinking you need to tell them everything on the first date or through three dates. When you yourself feel that this is the right moment, and you feel confident in this situation then start the conversation. However, the longer you wait, the harder it will be to start this conversation.
Your attractiveness will not disappear
The biggest fear of people with diabetes is that as soon as they talk about their disease, then all their attractiveness will disappear. Indeed, there are people for whom such a burden may prove unbearable. These are the same people who in the future would surely leave you in any difficult life situation. You are lucky that you were able to weed out such people at an early stage of dating!
Don’t put a lot on your date
Your date does not need to know the device you use or how to count carbs. Remember how long it took you to learn all the intricacies of diabetes management. If you put such a huge stream of information on your date, you might scare them off. Just say that diabetes requires some action but is not overwhelming. Once your secret is revealed, your relationship will develop on their own.
Change meal to activities
If you do not want to cover the process of counting carbohydrates and administering insulin for food, offer your chosen one active entertainment. Go to the cinema, to the museum, to an exhibition. Sometimes it’s better than wondering how much you need to inject insulin on this dish and where to make the injection. For this meeting you will have time to decide whether to tell this person about your disease and generally continue to communicate with him.
Have your diabetes kit
Regardless of your plans to tell them or not tell them about your diabetes, you should always have everything with you to prevent an increase or decrease in blood glucose. Just because you have a date, diabetes will not go away. And it can present an unpleasant surprise at the most unexpected moment.
Don’t be with ignorant persons
If after you talked about your illness, your date asks if he / she could get infected from you, seriously think about the need for your further communication with such an ignorant person.
Don’t be picky
Do not be too picky, in the Us, people, as a rule, know little about their body, health and various diseases. Most likely, the only thing your date knows about diabetes is “my second cousin has diabetes and she cannot eat sweets.” Help them alleviate some misconceptions, but do not drag out the lecture for an hour.
Feel free
The more relaxed and drama-free you will talk about your diabetes, the easier it will be for your date one to receive this news.
Do your routine
Do your usual “diabetic routine”, measure your blood sugar, and inject insulin. Your date will appreciate the confidence and will support you!
If suddenly you find out that your date is terribly afraid of needles and nothing can be done about it. Consider whether dating them is worth it with the constant need to hide measuring blood glucose or administering insulin.
You don’t need to apologize to anyone that you have diabetes!
Think about the role of diabetes
Before telling another person about your illness, think about the role that diabetes plays in your life, whether he is an adversary or an ally. The relationship of your date to your disease will depend on your attitude to yourself.
Make clear the role of your date
Try to gently make it clear to your date what role you assign to him in your diabetes management. Do you want him to take an active part as much as possible or to remain an outside observer?
To tell or not is your choice
In the end, whether or not you tell others about your diabetes is entirely your choice. If you decide not to tell, then this is your choice. But to keep such an important and big part of your life a secret may not affect the development of your relationship in the best way and lead to poor control of diabetes. You have diabetes and there is nothing to be shy about. The right person will love you no matter what.