Diabetes is hearing about other people's fear of needles

Type 1 and LADA
#1

Thought I’d share this HuffPo article–basically sums up what it’s like to live with T1D:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kylah-goodfellow-klinge/diabetes-is-carrying-on_b_8539056.html

Diabetes is hearing about other people’s fear of needles. And love of desserts. And hemp seed treatments. And footless, blind diabetic great aunts.
Diabetes is being subject to stranger’s assumptions-as-questions: “Did you eat too much sugar as a kid?” “Do you have the bad kind?” “How are you thin?” "Can you eat that?"
Diabetes is wanting to say: “No, you’re right, I shouldn’t eat this; I may die. I had forgotten.” Diabetes is educating instead.

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#2

Any you’d add? I might add something about bruised fingers.

#3

Diabetes is endless continuing education about subjects that your life plan really didn’t include becoming an expert in.

1 Like
#4

Haha, exactly.

#6

Are you saying that one can “escalate” from Type 2 to Type 1? While some people with Type 2 require treatment with injected insulin, this is not because their diabetes “escalated” from Type 2 to Type 1. Type 1 isn’t “the bad” kind of diabetes, nor is it “worse” than Type 2. Diabetes sucks regardless of Type, period.

Instead of offering help, you need to re-learn “Diabetes 101”…

#7

Diabetes is resisting the urge to google ‘diabetes and fingernails’ because I read about it in an article on HuffPo. :smile:

For me, diabetes is riding a unicycle. It’s balance, it’s moving forward, and backward, it’s twisting and turning, and it’s always attracting attention. Sometimes I fall off, and sometimes that fall is spectacular. That fall doesn’t mean I’m going to be off forever; I climb back on and keep pedaling. Sometimes I make it all the way round the block, over the broken sidewalk, around the curious dog, and that tricky curb. Today, my balance seems really good; much better than yesterday. I don’t understand why that is so, but I’m thankful for it as I prepare to pedal round the block tomorrow.

6 Likes
#8

Beautiful metaphor. Really lovely.

#9

And wanting to take a hacksaw to your fingers because they are so calloused the blood won’t come out anymore!!! And trying to explain to people how you have a weak stomach for all things medical things medical but you have no problem licking the blood off your fingers (when you can get some) after testing…