Today's challenge from WEGO's National Health Blog Post Month is:
"Write about the weirdest thing about your health":
What's normal about diabetes?? But let's assume that we don't know much about diabetes. Let's pretend we are outsiders...oooh playtime!!
When you tell someone that you/your child/spouse/loved one/whomever has diabetes what kind of reaction do you get? Usually it's the "oh, is that the bad kind?" or the "my Grandma lost her leg because of diabetes." I could go on but you all know them all already! So what's weird about that? Nothing...but then everything!
First weird thing about D is that Diabetes covers both Type 1, Type 2, LADA and Gestational. All types require different treatments. Yet they are all put under this umbrella of Diabetes. Then their are the myths that swarm like mosquitoes about each type of D. It then becomes our duty (if you so feel inclined) to re-educate the misinformed but usually well meaning stranger/family member about your particular type that affects you. So if you are reading this post and know nothing of diabetes, or even if you THINK you know, please, PLEASE, when you are asking about diabetes, ASSUME nothing!!! Instead, ASK them about it. Don't feel the need to interject your lost limb Grandma. Just...LISTEN!!
Second weird thing about D is that Diabetes is not one size fits all. Even within the same Type of diabetes. For example, I have TWO Type 1 diabetic daughters. They both can have the same amount of breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack but they both have different insulin ratios. These ratios are the amount of insulin given per carbs eaten. They can both react differently, meaning one can go high or one can go low, even after eating the same thing. They have different insulin sensitivities and different target blood sugars. It's the same disease yet they are completely different and why Diabetes is weird!
