Question: "I'm a diabetic" or "I have diabetes"?

Community
21

Apparently the ADA have guidlines now stating that you are officially a person with diabetes rather than a diabetics! I got quite sincerely chastised for saying I was diabtic. I went a bit mental and said well I as a DIABETIC must have missed that memo. Last time I checked I still had the right to own MY disease thank you very much

22

I use either one. Most often I say “I am diabetic.” I have been “pancreatically challenged” for 42 years and it is just aniother part of who I am. , not the total definition of who I am. I am also 55, African-American, fit, foxy and fabulous (LOL)

God Bless,
Brunetta

23

it’s just semantics.

i usually just say that i’m diabetic, simply because it is the most efficient ie, has the least number of characters.

24

Oh yeaaahhh. I’m definitely going to use that from now on

25

We say that my child has diabetes. I do not want him defined by his disease and “diabetic” has become a nails on the chalkboard kind of phrase to me. He has an issue with his pancreas but he is not the disease any more than a person with cancer is cancer-etic. But that is just us. As long as you get the awareness out there, I really won’t complain

26

I prefer “I’m a Diabetic”. Gives me a sense of ownership, as opposed to “I have Diabetes” which, to me, portrays that the Diabetes owns me.

27

I use “I have diabetes” more, because diabetes doesn’t make up all of who I am. But it’s not really a big deal, I say I’m a diabetic a lot, too. Most of what I say, though, is explaining what diabetes is!

28

lol, too true!
i don’t think i’ve ever been able to tell someone that i’m D without having to explain it as well!

29

With all due respect to everyone, it makes me wanna barf when people use the term “person with diabetes”. Try these out:

I’m a person with blindness.
I’m blind.

I’m a person with cancer.
I have cancer.

I’m a person with Tourette’s
Deleted.

30

It doesn’t matter to me, but saying I have diabetes makes me feel more in control of my situation. But as others have told you, it’s what makes you feel better and in power. I did tell a young girl today that I was allergic to the sugar in the ice cream…she was way to young to understand anything else. But I do like that one.