I agree with Terry. I get really frustrated, in my older years, because I think I see more how people can be be incredibly exploitative of my illness, at times, when it suits them. It really bothers me a lot when I see it, but I don't know what to do about it. Hate to play so many sides of the same coin, but everybody makes so many valid points.
What DrBB said!
Iāll start off my comment by identifying my perspective. I do not have T1D, but I am the parent of a 12-year-old with T1D. Iām also a physician and have witnessed first-hand some of the many and sometimes unexpected, ālow incidenceā ways in which people die. That being said, while I did find the video to be a bit dramatic at times, I didnāt think it was over-the-top melodramatic in an emo sort of way. A big part of me believes the overall tone of the video was a necessary means to an end: if we want to raise awareness of the seriousness of Type 1 and its all-too-often time-sucking and scary nature, and the need to fund research to find a cure, PSAs like this video HAVE to be on the intense side in order to be heard by the general non-diabetic population. Just my two cents.
I tend to get a little suspicious about the motives when theirs this level of emotional intensity. I think its less about diabetes and more about the emotional burden of diabetes on the diabetic child's family. A lot of being a kid with chronic illness is managing the emotional response of ones family to the illness, which can really increase the burden of the disease. I don't think its super uncommon, or unnatural, for the illness to be a big emotional burden on the family. Its much easier to manage the illness than it is to manage someone else's emotional reaction to the illness. But, that's all intertwined. Diabetic kids have to be able to do both.
When a child (or any family member for that matter) has a serious health condition...everyone in the family is affected. Moreover, children with such conditions, tend to mature faster than the average child...they must, as they claim the health condition "theirs".
It's interesting to me that a lot of the people who are OK with this video are people who grew up with Type 1 or are parents of kids with Type 1. It just reinforces my idea that growing up with Type 1 and being diagnosed as adults (which a majority on this site were) are very different experiences.
This infuriated me. Made it seem that T1D are on the brink of death. Ridiculous. And it was the NYT! And Sundance! For shame!
I presumme that you know what infuriated means. A little extreme if you ask me considering that you were dxd. 2 years ago, are in the honeymoon phase and are not anywhere near the age of a Child with Type 1 Diabetes nor are you a Parent of one. So what do you know about it Exactly? I knew of 2 Boys who died due to Diabetes while I was in school. Quite a number of Diabetics have passed since Tud began. Some were young. I particularly remember a "Cool" Kid named Jessie who's Mom was a member here. We saw his video that his Sister had made for her school project...2 weeks before he died. It broke my heart when I heard that. I still have the song he was dancing to on my puter.
My 2 Brothers died when they were 'still too young" Adults but dxd. as 4 year olds. Other Adults in our Family have died from Diabetes at an also too young an age.
Who should be ashamed????
You donāt get to belittle someone for having a different history or viewpoint than your own terrie.
Then no one has the right to belittle my history/viewpoint or others.
I want to write the girl and her mom a letter saying that it does even out, there is life after high school for diabetics, and the girl needs to learn to do everything herself so she can go to college on her own.
you said about the same thing that I would have said, except where do you get diabetic dogs. they cost more then a CGM would. lol I have a CGM that I pay out of pocket for. sigh. but gives me the ok to go to sleep and not worry.
A severely understandable but ENTIRELY irrational, and frankly very extreme-paranoid response in most respects. With the highest regret possible, this is the literal definition of pathetic in my experience/opinion.
Cut back on the freakin insulin guys, and everybody can sleep through the whole night with no problem. Serious psychological issues appear to be in her parents future.
Hello Dee....
But we are -gentle shrug- always. Diabetes can kill me at any time, in all kinds of ways, awake or asleep every second of every day. I do not fear that reality. One of many possibilities... myself, long as it does not happen "today" (sic. ever) I'm "content".
Nothing special or worthy of that degree of tragic fear though. It is a sneaky PR piece with a very specific purpose, and I fear the parents could very well may mean it... if so yikes
+1. You should write her, Leah. I feel like someone should. Don't get mad, everybody, think of the movie as 'art' more than 'reporting.'
Many many people have written to them at the NYT site. I don't know if you saw them, but earlier in this thread I shared comments from the mom & dad they posted in the comments section at the NYT site. They're very aware of what everyone is saying.
I believe it is also needed to be reminded that this is the perspective of the person doing the filming, they are the ones that layout what will be said and what will be shown.
By the way - this was not a news article in the Times, it was in the Opinion
section...so, yes, I agree with mohe0001, it should be viewed as art.
Had it been a news article, they would have researched it and gotten quotes from physicians, etc.
Yea, I saw it. Thanks for posting it. They sounded a little hostile, like they feel like their being attacked. Leah's message is so sweet and simple and hopeful, I think they need more of that.