The Fault in Our Stars.. Diabetes perspective

I like every other teenage girl on the planet have a great love for romantic movies. TFIOS is one the greatest love stories on the planet. Hazel bumped into Gus by pure accident almost running him into a door! This would soon become one of the most important things to ever happen to her and him also. This shows that not everything begins perfectly. You may have had a rocky start to your diabetic life but it doesn't need to carry on this way, it could become a strength rather than a weakness. My diabetes is my stregth in times when I think i've hit the floor but i'm able to think of the times when things were worse and pick myself up. When I see all the hard times i've come through and the battles ive fought against my own body I know that everything will be ok.

In TFIOS Hazel and Gus have a great love for a book called 'An Imperial Afliction'. A line in this book that seems to have stuck with me is one that Gus quoted to Hazel. He said 'pain is meant to be felt'. This is an important message to all diabetics. If you're having a bad day and sugars just aren't going your way its ok to curl up a little ball and cry for a while because pain like this cannot be bottled up it has to be felt in order to be relieved. Whether it be through talking to someone, crying for a while or having a go at a punch bag then let it go! Scream from the highest heavens if thats what you feel like because you need to release that pain in order to relieve it.

The relationship between Hazel and Gus was a relationship of understanding and care. Although their cancers were so different they understood that common pain of not having control over your body, a pain we all feel having diabetes also. A relationship of care is important as a young person living with diabetes. You dont want someone who is going to take you out and get you drunk not knowing what it'll do to your blood sugars. You need someone who understands when you're low or high and that you are doing all you can to solve it with as little fuss as possible. You need them to understand not to make a fuss and an ordeal because at the end of the day we all just want to be 'normal' and blend in. This type of care is obvious when Hazel first goes to Gus' house. She makes her way down the stairs and is completely out of breath. Gus simply places his hand on her back and says 'are you ok?' Although she clearly wasnt she said she was and he simply carried on with the conversation.
Another thing I find vital in a relationship with diabetes is the ability to laugh it off and make jokes about your diabetes. Dont let it be a taboo factor in your relationship. Don't have your boyfriend/girlfriend afraid to talk about it. My favourite example of this in TFIOS is when Gus feels Hazels hand and it is freezing and she says 'it's not cold, rather deoxygenated' and he replies with 'I love it when you talk medical to me' and the pair laugh it off.

So my message really, although disguised as TFIOS, is that we all have the right to happiness and just because God has thrown this curveball in our paths doesnt mean we can't use it to our advantage. We all have to right to live life the way its supposed to be done (to the fullest). Dont let diabetes get you down just release that emotion and it will pass! Love life and the people in it because they are all there for a reason!

Lots of love from your friend,
Sara-Louise xxx

P.S Feel free to message me privately about any of these answers if you would rather not comment. Whether you're male or female and want to disguss the points made in this blog or just want someone to talk to im only a message away. I am your friend and am more than wiling to help you through the tough times. Also if you want me to do a blog on a specific topic or want my opinion on a subject matter then feel free to drop me a message!

I read it when it came out. It sure is a tear-jerker!

I kinda contrast that with the same author's "An Abundance of Katherines". That was as fun as heck.

I myself tried to draw parallels between the TFIOS and my life with diabetes (including when I was a kid) and I think the link is kinda tenuous. Yeah I spent some time in the hospital as a kid and have spent a huge chunk of my life making appointments and dragging around medical equipment but I don't think it's the same.

Now that I have kids who are high-school aged, I think I often end up putting myself in the parent's position in these YA stories, but sometimes I find myself jumping between the kids and the parents. For example when I saw the movie Juno, it was filmed in British Columbia where my wife and I were living when we were expectant parents and it sure as heck drove me to Juno's viewpoints. Then whoosh, next thing I know I'm a dad with a teenage daughter and now I see it from Juno's dad's viewpoint, hoping I had the wisdom and patience he had.

I’m not really trying to make out that diabetes and cancer are the same. NO WAY! But rather that there is a mutual pain in not having the control over your body and not knowing what is around the corner.

Sara, I agree with the lose of control statement. I saw the film and have not read the book so my impressions might be a little misguided.

I do think media often reflects us in many different ways. The loss of control being the main instigator of disease melancholy. What I see though in TFIOS is a much broader of characters who take back control over their life. To me that is the diabetic parallel especially for children. In a way insulin is the way we regain control. As flawed as it is I see a parallel in insulin and Amsterdam as portrayed in the movie.

Incidentally if you like movies (I know way off subject) please consider joining our group 'dinner and a movie' Where all members are able to movie reviews. I really enjoyed your writing and encourage you to continue to blog with us. In addition i know I would adore you movie reviews. I hope you and anyone else on TUD who enjoys movies will join us. One does not need to write reviews in order to be a member, but most of our folks do really enjoy movies. If you do, or if you just want a amateur critics tell you what they did or did not like about movies, please join:

http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/dinnerandamovie

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