Diabetes Blog Week 2016: Message Monday

Today kicks off the seventh annual Diabetes Blog Week. Thanks as always to the lovely Karen at bittersweetdiabetes.com for hosting this event. I’ll be doing the 5-day post schedule rather than 7 this year.

Day One is Message Monday "Lets kick off the week by talking about why we are here, in the diabetes blog space. What is the most important diabetes awareness message to you? Why is that message important for you, and what are you trying to accomplish by sharing it on your blog?

Interesting topic. My blog is sometimes a laugh, sometimes educational, and sometimes a massive rant-fest. But I think there’s still a common theme through all of it.

No one deserves a chronic illness. No one deserves to be told they brought it on themselves. No one deserves to have such an enormous part of their life judged, minimised, or made into a joke.

Like so many others I’ve heard everything you can think of about Type 1. It’s like people have no filter.

“Guess you should have eaten less sugar”
“Don’t eat that”
“Why are you eating that?”
“Good diet and exercise cures that, why don’t you just do that?”
“My relative had that, *insert horror story here*”

Plus the ultimate kicker
“At least it’s not cancer”

So the aim of my blog was to address these things. Yes, I talk about my diabetes a lot, here and in person. I know a few people back in high school thought I talked about it too much, especially when I was diagnosed.

You know what? I don’t give a crap

Yep, I talk about it. It comes up pretty often!

You know why?

Because odds are if you spend time with me I’ll be checking my blood sugar. Have a meal with me and I’ll do it. Ask me if I want to go for a walk and I’ll check it first. If I drive you somewhere I’ll be checking it first. Want to see a movie? I’ll check it before! Going out for drinks? I’ll be doing (usually dodgy) calculations to work out insulin settings. Sleeping over? I’ll usually be up at 3am to check because my routine has changed.

Do I inform everyone of my level? No, my parents don’t even hear that. I’m the only person who knows what my levels have been like that day. Do I tell my friends what it is when they ask? Sure. Do I let myself react to my sugars? Um yes. I’m allowed to sigh, I’m allowed to have a whispered whine to myself about it. I’m allowed to be tired and say why.

I refuse to pretend it doesn’t exist and say nothing about it. Now I’m a bit older, I also refuse to feel guilty for talking about such a big part of my life.  


So I talk about it. I answer every question I get about it in the hope that should that person encounter someone else with type 1, they’ll know enough to avoid saying those stupid things. How can we expect someone to know about type 1 if no one has ever openly talked about it? That's what awareness is to me, talking about it. 

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adiabeticsrollercoaster 

Comments

  1. It is a huge part of our life! My son is only 8, but sometimes I think about what we would focus on if we did not have diabetes in our life.. late to school due to insertion site change this morning... he could eat, or not eat... It is almost one of the main threads in a Type 1's life! So good for you for talking so candidly about it!

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    1. It really is a big part. Not the only part, but a big one! Oh that's annoying with the site change :/ Thanks for your comment!

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  2. This is great! Made me smile when you mentioned when you check...like all the time...I so look forward to reading more

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    1. Glad you liked it! I think the constant checking/thinking about checking is a common theme for a lot of us :)

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  3. I love this Bec! What a great attitude. I keep my levels to myself most of the time, too. Look forward to reading this week.

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    1. Thanks Frank! I think keeping levels to yourself (outside of emergencies of course and when you need some help managing) isn't a bad thing at all.

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  4. lovely post Bec looking Forward to the rest of the week =D.

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  5. Yes yes yes!!!! I could not agree with you more!! Thank you for everything you do and all of the awareness and education you spread by talking about diabetes.

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    1. Thanks Karen! Thank you for creating this space to bring us all together :)

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  6. Great message. I love your sentence "Now I’m a bit older, I also refuse to feel guilty for talking about such a big part of my life" That's exactly how I feel!

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    1. Thanks Kelley! Glad you feel the same, there's no need for guilt :)

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  7. I love your message and your outlook! And also I am now craving jelly beans.

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    1. Thank you! Haha you're welcome.
      Keen to check out your blog, I'm gf as well!

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  8. Glad you're back this year. I always loved your past posts ��

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  9. Awesome - I am so open about diabetes these days I wonder that any of my non-D friends even post to my Facebook page anymore. I thought for sure they were all bored of seeing it. Know what? Sometimes they ask me questions! And I love answering them. Great post - Can't wait to see the next one!

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    1. Questions are brilliant! Thanks so much :)

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  10. AS always, hitting the nail on the head. Often I feel guilty for bringing diabetes into conversations, even though its such a huge part of my life (read: it involves itself in every part of my life, even if just to be a hum in the background) and I should be able to speak freely about having diabetes.

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    1. YES that is the best way to describe it. A hum in the background. Like tinnitus but potentially more annoying.

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  11. Bec, I meant to check this last evening and missed it. I agree with you. I am pretty much out there with diabetes.

    I referred your blog to the TUDiabetes blog page for the week of May 16, 2016.

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    1. Thanks Rick! Glad you're out there with it :)

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  12. Nice post. Answering questions is one of the best ways to advocate!

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