The word ‘diabetes’ used to bug me. I didn’t mind saying “I am a diabetic”, but I seriously avoided saying “I have diabetes”. I know, right? Good news, I got over it. So I’m wondering, was I alone? Please tell me I wasn’t the only one with ‘d’-related word aversions growing up.
Yeah, I got over it too.
I’m not sure how long ago you were diagnosed but there was a real small-minded stigma when I was diagnosed as a kid 30 years ago. I’m not saying it’s gone, but it’s not as obvious today.
One word I now avoid saying is diabetic. I’ve lived with D most of my life and feel like diabetic defines what I am and I’m more then that. David Mendosa has a e-newsletter that I’ve gotten for years and once he mentioned being called a diabetic. It started me to thinking about why we’re called diabetics and no one with other diseases are defined by their disease. So I refuse to refer to myself and others with D as diabetic.
Two years after diagnosis and I still refers to it as my blood sugar problem. lol. Ya having a hard time with the D word.
I used to dislike the word “excursion” to describe highs and lows because it made them sound like more fun than it is! I’ve started using the term myself and have grown pretty accustomed to it…