Lizmari M. Collazo
Why Should I Care About Type 2 Diabetes?
by Lizmari Collazo
We recently introduced you to Lizmari in a recent blog post and we are thrilled to have Liz contribute to our NEW schedule for 'Type 2 Tuesday'. Here is her first contribution.
I
live with type 2 diabetes. The hardest part of this condition for me is not in
my management; not in my diet, exercise routine, medications, finger pricks or
injections. No. The hardest part of having type 2 diabetes for me is in the
lack of dignity. Having type 2 diabetes can be enormously frustrating: an
emotionally humbling disease, much like that ugly medical robe one has to wear
at the doctor’s office while fighting to keep one’s rear end from showing. If
one is overweight, it is especially embarrassing. It’s as though folks have one
view of you, and as soon as they learn you have type 2 diabetes, they have
another – like you just showed them your rear end. One minute you’re a jovial
person enjoying yourself at a party (like anyone else), and the next you’re the
irresponsible fatty who gave themselves diabetes.
You might say to yourself “Why should I care about what this
lady has to say?” It’s very tempting to roll our eyes at type 2 diabetes and
think “why should I care?” – “I don’t have type 2 diabetes – I didn’t give
myself diabetes, I lead a pretty good and healthy life, why should I care?”
“Why should I care about people who are so different than me?” Well, there are
a few compelling reasons why we should care…
It will helps us hone
our advocacy skills.
We can’t show others how important it is to learn and become
aware about or own type of diabetes, and its symptoms, if we ourselves are not
interested in other forms of diabetes. If people have even an inch of knowledge
about type 2, which you can correct, you can also take advantage of the moment
to give them information about your type.
But if we glaze our eyes at someone else’s journey, we should be prepared for
others to glaze their eyes at ours. In short, if they see we don’t care, they
won’t care. It doesn’t affect them. Advocacy and getting others to care is HARD
-- share that caring for others’ illnesses matters, leading by example.
It will help us
psychologically better manage diabetes burnout.
No human being is above reproach. No human being is perfect.
When we judge someone for their lifestyle choices, we are in many ways, judging
ourselves and demanding a certain standard of perfection from ourselves. This
is not healthy, and it can lead to enormous frustration when we fail. What we miss is that, often, many of the same
mechanisms that are at play within a person who struggles to make lifestyle
changes, are at the core of a person who has burned out from their diabetes
management routine. Many persons with type 2 diabetes already had a great
history of having attempted various lifestyle changes before diagnosis, without
additionally having an ‘invisible gun’ pointed at their heads in the form of a
chronic illness and its potential complications. In addition, while obesity may
not be the trigger of other forms of diabetes, it is still prevalent among all
forms of diabetes. Let’s face it, we should ALL make better life choices – but
the reality is that weight management can be a struggle for anyone, regardless.
Having empathy for those who struggle
making personal changes will help us better understand and appreciate when our
loved ones are stuck with diabetes burnout, as well as weight gain. It can also
help give ourselves some grace and forgiveness when we stumble making the best
of choices.
It helps increase
kindness and empathy in society.
The question of “why does this matter to me?” will always be
playing in people’s minds. Some will come with their own stigmas and biases, no
matter what. But when we take the time to learn about those struggling with
type 2 diabetes, we are able to see them as human beings – with kindness and
with dignity. And when we communicate kindness and dignity, we help lighten the
load of stigma for ALL persons with diabetes as a whole. When we show care and concern for other people with diabetes, those who
don’t have it will also learn our empathy and the language which we use to
honor each other– which may eventually, like a merry -go-round, come back to us
in kindness and understanding for our own journeys.
May your journey with diabetes be filled with understanding,
grace, kindness and dignity. Always.
