Our topic this year is “six things you want people to know about diabetes”. Here is what I wish everybody knew . . .
- It’s not my fault that I have diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease, and there was nothing I could do to keep the insulin producing cells in my pancreas from being destroyed.
- It’s not anyone’s fault that they have diabetes. People with Type 2 diabetes don’t get it because they are fat or lazy or ate too much sugar. Women with gestational diabetes don’t get it because the babies they are carrying hate them. Diabetes isn’t anyone’s fault!
- High blood sugar and/or low blood sugars don’t mean I’ve done something wrong. I do my best to fill in for my pancreas. However, I am not an actual pancreas and I don’t have the skills needed to keep my blood sugars in range all the time. Blood sugar is affected by food, exercise, stress, amount of sleep, hormones, germs . . . the list goes on.
- An insulin pump does not fix everything. I once had a conversation about diabetes with someone and I mentioned that I was on an insulin pump. I was really surprised when she responded by saying “That’s really great, that means you don’t need to do anything, right?”. Wrong. My pump is helpful in dosing my insulin, but it takes a ton of work!!
- Insulin is not a punishment. Being on insulin doesn’t mean I, or anyone else with diabetes, has “really bad” diabetes. It simply means we need to take insulin to stay as healthy as we possibly can.
- Insulin is not a cure. No further explanation needed. INSULIN IS NOT A CURE.
Thank you for number 3. It's easy to forget that one.
ReplyDeleteI love this post. If I were to post 6 things about diabetes that I wanted people to know..these would be it! If you venture over to my blog today don't be surprised to find a post similar to yours!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Karen. I am so glad the diabetes blogosphere made us friends!!!
ReplyDelete(Oh, and the baby is wearing your sweater today! She's rocking it, reinforced buttons and all. :) )
HA! You have a pump so you don't have to do anything...HA HA HA HA HA....right.
ReplyDeleteAwesome list :)
Boy oh boy, number 4 is true. That's why we're back to MDI's.
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Karen. It's so great seeing so many of these posts... We can only list six, but the incredible number of people doing this today is so wonderfully awesome. Thanks for sharing yours!
ReplyDeleteStraight and to the point, very effectively written! I kind of got emotional and a little ranty. Great post!
ReplyDeleteawesome post. I miss you heaps.
ReplyDelete#4: my son's bus driver swears that he knows a kid who wears 'a machine that automatically checks his blood sugar and corrects it." Oy.
ReplyDeleteI was the lucky beneficiary today of, "it must not be so bad, because your son looks so healthy." And, "Is he a stable diabetic?"
ReplyDeleteGreat list!
I've had SO many people think that the insulin pump just "fixes everything." Sometimes even from PWDs themselves. It isn't. It won't. It can't. End of story.
ReplyDeleteAnd I concur with Kerri, I'm glad the DOC made us friends. :)
hi!This was a really marvelous topic!
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Also I get a lot in your blog really thank your very much i will come again
Great points Karen.
ReplyDelete