I was in our pediatrician's waiting room yesterday with my boys, Will fell off the playground at school and landed on his wrist, and there was a tv or radio on featuring health stories. Will was sitting on my lap and perked up when he heard the word Diabetes on the program. "Hey Mom, you have Diabetes," he said. I nodded and smiled and tried to distract him with a book. The tv/radio voice had been listing all the negatives of diabetes such as, "diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, or diabetes increases heart disease in women....." the list went on and on and I didn't want Will to listen.
When we're at home, I don't want him to see the commercial with Patti LaBelle talking about diabetes complications. I don't want Will and Miles to associate these negative media images with me. I grew up afraid that I'd end up dead like Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias, isn't it time for the media image of diabetes to change? I don't want my boys to think that diabetes means death, cause it doesn't. Not even close. And I'd like to see a commercial for one touch test strips with Halle Berry or Bret Michaels (sp?) instead of Wilford Brimley. Come on already.
I totally agree. Wilford Brimley and Patti LaBelle? C’mon. How about someone with type 1 diabetes, too? Someone healthy and young talking about living well with diabetes. I wonder with Halle Berry’s pregnancy now if she’ll consent to giving her diabetes more press.
My son has type 1 diabetes and is 8 years old. I have yet to see or hear a positive diabetes ad. I would love to see one! I am very positive about Ryan’s diabetes. He can (and will) have a healthy happy life and we don’t need the negative. If you have or know about diabetes, you know the complications that can occur without proper maintenance. I don’t know if you run into this problem but, everyone I meet likes to tell me a horror story about a family member that has diabetes. It’s awful! Most of the time they say “he/she doesn’t take care of themselves”. Well thats the problem then. It’s frustrating. Thanks for posting your story!
It must be really frightening for your children to constantly hear about all the negative aspects of Diabetes. Sometimes it’s hard enough tryiing to be positibe yourself without all of those sort of reminders isn’t it?
And frustrating because those risks have nothing to do with those of us who work so hard to stay in tight control! I really wish type 1 and type 2 diabetes had different names, they really are different diseases…
Of course you don’t want your kids hearing about all the downsides/complications of diabetes. I have not personally experienced that with my daughter yet since she is only 4 and I have never used the word “diabetes” around her so she does not even know what it means. But I know that day is coming!
HOWEVER. Mentioning the complications and death rates associated with D are necessary in terms of gaining funding and making curing D a national priority. Look what the negative stories did in terms of AIDS awareness which affects a fraction of Americans compared to D and receives disproportionately greater funding. Positive media stories about people living with D don’t translate to more money being allocated for research.
I’m in total agreement with you, I’ve had it for 27 years now and I don’t like people to know, cause the next word out of their mouths is a horror story about someone they know who lost a body part. I’m new and I think it’s great in here, I’m here to get a positive edge and start giving it back too others. Research is good but do we have too hear about all the crap to get their dollars to help. i think not…
It’s very frustrating for me to hear the complications on tv and have my kids listen to it also…they are 9 & 10 now but have been asking questions all along…I tell them about how I keep trying my best to eat the right things, exercise, go the doctors to have good numbers and not that it is 100% warding off complications but lessons the chance…even SO …I still see the way my kids wonder…the gears turning in the minds as they think “is this what my mom has?”…
but yes need to get the word out about complications to so people take their numbers more seriously…
i have been living in fear my whole life… and im a healthy type one - for over 20 years- why do people only tell you the scary bad stuff that is only a possibility?
I am just amazed since joining this site at how many people with diabetes went on to gte married and have kids!!! It is amazing!! I was always told it was unwise for diabteics to marry and hence I decided when I was still in middle school to remain single and never have kids. I guess I just didnt want to burden anyone with my disease. I kinda felt most other diabetics thought that way, but since I joined this site I see my thinking was off!!
There needs to be a balance in the education of Type I Diabetes, this is where the education field of Type I Diabetes falls short. Some people do go on to experience complications of Diabetes, but it shouldn’t be a death sentence, it should be people understanding sometimes you just need a little help from those around you.
I agree it is very frustrating with all the negative stereotyping…and while Julia Roberts portrayed an accurate portrayal of what it is like to go into a diabetic coma at times; the movie failed to portray the Type I Diabetic living a full life just like everyone else. We are not that fragile, if anything we are tougher, compassionate, and more resilient. We may have to go about things differently at times, but we are just like everyone else when it comes to living life; we love to life life abundantly.
I have to respectfully disagree with many of you, including those who do not talk with their children about their diabetes. My mother, brother and I all have type 1 diabetes, diagnosed at completely different ages (37, 13 and 24, respectively). I grew up around diabetes and knew of the complications as my mom and brother had both been hospitalized and we talked about daily care and potential complications all the time.
I am taking the same approach with my daughter who is 3. She may not understand it at this age, but she knows what diabetes is, how to describe it (in English and spanish), she knows to show my bracelet if I am ever in need of help. She knows that there are hard times and it is not always an easy path but we make the best of it and live life. I would never want to keep my diabetes from her. When she is old enough, she will also learn of the other possible side effects, as my mom who is 68 and has been diabetic for nearly 35 years is having some complications. This is not to scare her, but to educate her.
I agree we need younger role models for type 1, but I can fill that role in my family My last A1c was 5.8 and this is not a death sentence- at all. But things happen, good control or not. We need those messages for the general public to understand that this is a very serious balancing act- every day. We just need to put a more youthful type 1 face on it.
I have to respectfully disagree with many of you, including those who do not talk with their children about their diabetes. My mother, brother and I all have type 1 diabetes, diagnosed at completely different ages (37, 13 and 24, respectively). I grew up around diabetes and knew of the complications as my mom and brother had both been hospitalized and we talked about daily care and potential complications all the time.
I am taking the same approach with my daughter who is 3. She may not understand it at this age, but she knows what diabetes is, how to describe it (in English and spanish), she knows to show my bracelet if I am ever in need of help. She knows that there are hard times and it is not always an easy path but we make the best of it and live life. I would never want to keep my diabetes from her. When she is old enough, she will also learn of the other possible side effects, as my mom who is 68 and has been diabetic for nearly 35 years is having some complications. This is not to scare her, but to educate her.
I agree we need younger role models for type 1, but I can fill that role in my family My last A1c was 5.8 and this is not a death sentence- at all. But things happen, good control or not. We need those messages for the general public to understand that this is a very serious balancing act- every day. We just need to put a more youthful type 1 face on it.
A different focus WOULD be nice…except for Halle Berry, who has self professed to have cured herself of diabetes.
But YES…people with diabetes are NOT weak!!! Quite the converse!!!
I grew up scared to death of Diabetes, as I saw my mom's condition deteriorate right before my eyes. In those days there were no commercials. But I understood exactly what you are saying. When I was DX'd i ran form my disease,and yes it probably just about killed me. A self fulling prophecy.
Today our moms are not living images of death. Steel Magnolias is not in our living room but it is on our TV's in these awful commercials. I agree with you. I was scared enough as a kid, I dont need it now and I do not want kids scared like I was. Your observation is right on the mark.
Thank you for writing it, I cannot believe I missed it all these years. If I had seen it, I would have blogged about it so I am a bit jealous, in a good way.
It’s time to lose the old image!
My last A1c was 5.8 and this is not a death sentence- at all. But things happen, good control or not. We need those messages for the general public to understand that this is a very serious balancing act- every day. We just need to put a more youthful type 1 face on it.