Type 2 Diabetes

Torry_Quine

As others have said impotence should be far down your list of concerns for someone who is diabetic! The risks of eye problems, infections and limb amputations etc are far more serious and of concern. If someone is imptent then it's a sign of problems with circulation generally.

You're being very naive here.

*max*

Before anyone (else) jumps on the bandwagon, OP is obviously quite young, as is the relationship (I'm guessing?). Having concerns about the sexual side of the relationship is perfectly valid, although I think it was phrased very abruptly. I would hope impotence isn't her only concern, nor her first. But it cannot be dismissed as trivial either.

tori.k

There really is no need to worry there are meds like Tadalafil that can be given if their is an issue along with his regular meds. if he has good diabetic support and take's care of himself it should have little impact on your sex life.

totheleft

Hey.

Thanks for the replies.

Impotence isn't my concern to be honest, it's one of his. It something he mentioned to me. I didn't even know it was a side effect.
I hardly know much about Diabetes hence why I posted here. Obviously I can see from the posts here that there are so much worse things.

Well we went on a date last night, he's actually been hiding it from me. He was actually diagnosed when he was 22.

We've only been going out 6 months. He's very slim and exercises but he doesn't talk much about it. I asked him if he eats well etc and he says yes and brushes it under the carpet.

I really like him but I have never met a young diabetic before so I don't know what the implications are long term and if he is actually takng care of himself.

sweaty_betty

Fwiw I was diagnosed with type 2 when I was 28. No real reason, I was slightly overweight but losing/gaining weight has made no difference to my blood sugar control, so I'm guessing its just one of those things (also have family history - lucky me!)

It's a scary thing to deal with, I didn't want to tell anyone for quite a while (although I was still trying to get it under control).

10 years down the line I'm trying to stay in control of my blood sugar as much as possible to reduce the risk of complications (of which there are many). Where possible I avoid eating carbs such as wheat etc as I know that really affects me, I minimise sweet things and eat mainly protein and veg (non-root veg). When I was on strictly low carb I lost weight and my blood sugar was vastly improved, so i'd advise your boyfriend to consider trying that. As a previous poster has said, the official guidance for diet is, in my experience, not helpful. Also its worth him testing his blood regularly after meals so he can identify if particular foods affect him more than others.

I take insulin (started when I was pregnant with my first child) and that actually allows me to stay in control so that I know I'm doing all I can to keep things stable and reduce the risks.

It's a hard thing to come to terms with, especially when so (relatively) young (& not helped by the media blaming individuals - labelling it as a fat persons illness when this isn't necessarily the case). But if he can take control early on, he will know he's done his best to avoid/delay any of the side effects/complications as much as and for as long as possible.

FBaby

Are you sure it is type 2? Type 1 would be more common at this age. It is normal that he should worry about his future. There are education programmes available on the NHS that would answer all these questions and help him manage his condition best to avoid complications. He should ask his consultant about it.

peachyprice

Being in denial seems to be quite common, we've never been told FIL has it, we only know because DD overheard them talking about it when she was there.

Whenever they come I try to make sure I cater to his needs, but everytime we ask what he can and cant have he just says he can have anything, it makes it very hard to help him when he won't even help himself. I know he has his meds but surely they aren't a licence to carry on as if it doesn't exist.

tyllwyd

My OH was diagnosed with a chronic condition (not diabetes) when we were both in our early 20s and had only been going out for a few months. It was a huge shock and I did wonder if I should walk away rather than get involved.

Twenty years down the line, we are married with a couple of kids. We've had some pretty rough times with his health but we've got through everything so far. We both have friends of a similar whose partners have fallen seriously ill or died in that time, or whose marriages have fallen apart.

What I am trying to say is that it is your relationship that is the most important thing. If you love and look after each other, that's what's going to give you the best chance of being happy long term.

fluffnutter

Chronic illness can put a tremendous strain on relationships. But even so, I couldn't dump someone because they were poorly. If he was diagnosed five years ago and you've never noticed, sounds like he's got it under control. Read up on it.

ciderwithrosie_2

He's been a bit silly in keeping it from you tbh. My OH told me on our first date because as he says hypos can be confused with being drunk or stoned, so to leave someone to 'sleep it off' when they were actually hypo could be fatal.