School Starts

School Starts


Well around my town school is underway in a big way. By and large parents rejected the idea of year round school, but do not mind earlier starts with more vacations. In other words they like year round school just not the name, year round school. Starting before Labor Day and getting out in mid-June with a 4-5 week summer vacation is fine and is precisely what the concept of year round school has always been about. I used to say we can do most anything so long as we give it the right name.

Now before we condemn that attitude remember it is the same for many of us. Our diabetic care can be almost anything so long as it is named correctly. I know a diabetic, she has been type 1 for over 30 years and she saw me in the yard. She was so angry at her doctor. She had gained some weight and was taking more insulin and the doctor was after her to lose weight.

Ok so far so good. Her issue was not out of the clear blue, she acknowledged the weight gain. But then the doctor called her a type 1 and type 2 diabetic she was so angry. She understood being a type 1 who needs to lose weight, but she was incensed that she is now a type 2 as well. To me calling her a type 2 was a poor turn of phrase. I have no idea about the weight issue; I do know she has many health issues, and that recently her mobility has decreased, but a type 2?

So this dual type diabetic statement is a new concept and is used to impress on type 1’s the idea that they need to lose weight. I doubt anyone really argues the benefits of losing weight, but is it productive to toss a label on top of type 1? One has to wonder when this label is used, how many type 1’s walk out of the office in total defeat maybe to other less productive activities? Does it ever lead to weight loss? Is it empowerment? Maybe it is just me but somehow I doubt telling a type 1 they have type 2 leads to productive outcomes, again just my opinion.

So are we humans really change adverse? Or are we really change burned out? It is hard to know. The world is evolving so quickly in ways we can barely fathom and because of that we tend to hold on to the old, even if the old may be counterproductive.

To combat that we dream up words to name change which that for whatever reason will not frighten us. We are not doing year round school; we are using the modified calendar. We are not building an auxiliary gym, we are building a multipurpose facility. We are not starting school earlier in the morning we are increasing learning opportunities. The list is endless and it should remind us that for many it is all in a name.

So instead of more testing, we should have more short duration monitoring? How about instead of tighter control we see less volatility in our blood sugars? Maybe instead of more injections we seek more frequent corrections? I mean I don’t know all the various ideas that really scare folks away. But I know who does know these secrets. The drug companies do.

Look on TV and watch the new type 2 drugs. They are not insulin, but a mechanism to force sugar to be used more readily. They don’t create spilling into the urine (a problem 40 years ago) instead they allow the body to divert more glucose to the bladder. The new drugs do not help you lose weight, but you may have weight loss.

Sometimes I want to yell say what you mean in the language I grew up with. But no if they did say it as I grew up with it, no one buy the stuff, it would be just too scary. So we invent language as our outcomes change. We no longer tell people drink no beer, we instead tell them to drink low carb beer. (Incidentally almost all American beer is low carb). Which reminds me: of the great catch words: “less filling, tastes great”.

Yes summer is nearly over, and the balanced calendar, extended schedule, learning efficient, time off adverse, calendar has the kids in school. Frankly when I go out during the day I miss the kids, whatever they call the calendar.

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