DIabetes...shamed or shame on you?

[juliedevos]

SO I was walking with a friend and her friend yesterday and we passed by one of my professors. The three of us starting to comment on how good looking he is. He is actually very good looking, like movie star good looking...not often you find a prof who's funny AND good looking...ANYWAYS we started talking about how he looked sweaty even though he was in an air conditioned building. I said that I know he works out during his lunch break at the school gym. SO we talked about that for a bit and then the friend of the friend said "Ohhh do you know he has juvenille diabetes?"

And it sort of made me mad the way she said it. Like "Did you know his wife is having an affair and he caught them" kind of tone.

I thought to myself 1. why would he be ashamed of it and 2. why is it this big hush hush secret

So I piped in and said "I'm a type one" and she said "Ohhh"

I mean its annoying but its not the end of the world. There are far worse things out there. Like cancer or ALS and some you arent sure whether or not you will make it.

Anyways that is my little story from yesterday.

The moral of the story....it shouldnt be something you or other people are ashamed of. And why keep it a secret? You never know who else is right there with you in the battle. Why not find out?

Julie

[Gemstone]

I agree, it's not a shame nor something taboo not to talk about.

Here is my little story:

Two years ago I was very very strict on my diet which means that during 2 years, I NEVER cheated once. I was on Atkins, eating less than 20 grams of carbs daily so I had perfect control. MY neighbor wanted to give a little gift as we picked his mail while he was on vacation. He asked my son about giving us a bottle of wine, if we were drinking red or white. My son told him we were not having wine at all because we both had diabetes. Next day we were on the patio when the neighbor came to talk to us, explaining that him too had diabetes and he was drinking wine and it was okay, his dietician told him. He then invited us to have a piece of pie with him. I tried explaining that no, my diet wouldn't allow it and of course, he couldn't understand why. I encountered the same situation many times with other diabetics who indulged themselves in cakes, potatoes, cereals, bread which is allowed on a normal diet but which I never ate. They do not understand my way of eating, think I am mad or something.

So all this to say that now, I won't talk about it even with people who have diabetes except if I know they'll be open enough to admit and understand that *your milleage may vary* . I haven't met many such people yet.

[Anita]

[quote:1175bda095="juliedevos"]And it sort of made me mad the way she said it. Like "Did you know his wife is having an affair and he caught them" kind of tone.

I thought to myself 1. why would he be ashamed of it and 2. why is it this big hush hush secret[/quote:1175bda095]
mmm... I'm not sure it's the same, at least for me, from some reason.

Having people know I'm diabetic - I don't mind.
Having people know an affair story related to me or my husband - well, that's a different story... It's just something I rather would not have happen. Maybe it's because I don't see in the diabetes anything related to my fault, and in an affair maybe there is :?:

[juliedevos]

Anita,
The affair thing was meant so you understand the tone in which she said "Did you know he has diabetes"

The story had nothing to do with an affair...sorry for the ocnfusion.
Julie

[Anita]

Got you :-)

[Vytautas]

I totaly agree. I always tell those that are with me that i have diabetes and warn them if things were to get out of control (not that they do often, but just as a precaution) what they should do. I've got several realy good friends with whom i celebrated a friends birthday party and needless to say there was alcohol. I wouldn't even have to had to take care of how much i drink for my friends always kept reminding me so i don't forget since i've learnt to live with it with ease.
So i don't see the shame in having diabetes, though i've noticed that there is a lesson about diabetes in the 10th grade (according to the book) but only in the 11th grade are the students introduced with the subject and yet only those that took advanced biology, so i gues that if the situation is similar everywhere else then it is understandable that people say about having diabetes in such a tone juliedevos mentioned: they do not know about diabetes much and thing it to be something more horrible, like a dissease you can catch by interacting with a person that has it...