Hey y'all!
This is gonna be a bit of a shorter post because writer's block has made a permanent home inside my brain, so I'm just gonna tell y'all a bit about CC. This is going to be the first of several CC posts over the coming months as we get ready for the Big Week. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's backtrack a little.
For those of you who don't know, JDRF (an awesome organizations dedicated to treatment, prevention, and cures for T1D) holds an event every 2 years called Children's Congress (or CC). 150 kids and teens from the US are selected to travel to Washington, DC in July and meet with members of Congress to tell our stories and ask for funding for research. It's a BIG deal. And this year, after 2 unsuccessful applications, I was selected to be a member of Children's Congress!
Being a CC delegate is a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work. Over the next few months, I'll complete a series of projects to prepare for my trip to DC. A few weeks ago, I got my first assignment: my delegate video! Basically, I have to make a 1-2 minute video introducing myself and discussing how T1D has affected me. Easy, right?
Ya know, the funny thing about an assignment like that: You look at it and you think "oh, that looks fun! I'll be able to do that super quickly!" And then you wait a few weeks because school doesn't allow time for anything. And then everyone else starts publishing their videos and you're like, "Wait a second, I have no clue how to introduce myself! What are words? How do I English?"
Long story short, I recruited my amazing brother (shoutout to El even though he doesn't read my blog) to help. We've spent the past week or so filming short standups in various places around the city, and today we're editing and putting it all together. (Or rather, he is. I'm at work, writing my blog and texting him pictures of bunnies to help him focus.)
Within the next week or so, my CC delegate page will (hopefully) go live! When it does, I'll make sure to post it here. In the meantime, feel free to go to cc.jdrf.org to see a bunch of cool stuff from the last Children's Congress.
Have a good spring break everyone!! Me and my writer's block are gonna go finish that video now.
Oh--a question for y'all: Should I post my CC application letter on here? Is that something people do on blogs? Is that something y'all wanna see? Does anyone even read this blog, or am I talking to myself? Comment below!!!
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Sunday, March 17, 2019
15 things you should NEVER say to a PWD
Hey y'all! It's been a minute since I've posted anything (tech week was pretty hectic). Hope everyone's doing ok!
This post is gonna double as a sort of PSA/rant. I try not to rant *too* much about stuff like this, but people make some pretty misguided comments and it can get frustrating. So here's a short-ish list of things that PWD are tired of hearing. (And yes, these are all things that I've actually had people say to me.)
1. "But you don't *look* diabetic!"
Wow, thanks. Not only is this pretty insulting to people who do have T2D, it's also promoting the stereotype that all PWD (including Type 1) are overweight.
2. "My grandma's sister's daughter's husband has diabetes, and he had two toes amputated/lost a kidney/went blind/died."
This one is twofold. First of all, unless you have a close relative or friend with Type ONE, or some sort of story that relates to our situation, we probably don't care all that much. Second, you really don't need to tell us about all of the terrifying complications that T1D causes. I promise, we've heard them all a million times.
3. "Ya know, if you just try this miracle pill/cinnamon/new exercise plan, it'll cure your diabetes!"
Nope. T1D has no cure. Seriously. I don't care what you heard in that infomercial--there is no cure.
4. "You shouldn't be eating that. It'll make your diabetes worse."
Sigh. That's not how T1D works. And regardless, it's not really your job to tell me what I can or can't eat. I've been living with this condition for a pretty long time; I think I know how to handle it.
5. "I could NEVER inject myself!"
Good for you, I guess? News flash: If I don't take insulin, I die. So I don't really have much of a choice.
(Side note: this is even worse if you say it to a mom. "I could never give my kid a shot!" It's really hard for parents to give their kids injections, and comments like that just make them feel worse. So just don't say it.)
6. "Can't you just stop eating sugar?"
No. No, I can't.
7. "At least it's not cancer."
People say this about a lot of chronic illnesses, T1D included. And guess what? As grateful as I am that I don't have cancer, it doesn't make T1D any less difficult to deal with. All chronic conditions suck. It's a fact.
8. "Wait, you're still diabetic?"
Again--THERE. IS. NO. CURE.
9. "Do you have to do that here? I don't like looking at needles."
Look, I'm sorry that you don't like seeing me take my lifesaving medication, but I'm not gonna put my health on hold for your comfort. Look away if you have to; I don't mind. But don't ask me to make accommodations for you.
10. "Does it hurt?"
I'll be honest--this one doesn't bother me as much as some of the others, because there are times when the person asking is genuinely curious. But I mean... it's a needle. Of course it hurts. Common sense, y'all.
11. "You should get an insulin pump instead of taking injections."
Again, this one might be well-meaning. But every PWD handles treatment differently, and there are countless reasons why some of us choose MDIs over a pump. Chances are we've already discussed it with our care team, so your "advice" probably isn't gonna change our minds.
12. "Aren't you worried about *insert morbid complication here*?"
Yes. Every PWD knows the risks of living with this condition. But talking about it isn't gonna change anything; it's just gonna remind us of the dangers we're facing.
13. "Do you have the good type or the bad type?"
Guys. No. This is a chronic illness we're talking about. There is no "good type".
14. "If you hadn't eaten so much sugar as a kid, you wouldn't be a diabetic."
Just... keep your mouth shut. Please. Even if this *was* true, which it's NOT, what's the point of saying it? As it is, you're just kinda making yourself look stupid.
(Also--don't refer to a PWD as "a diabetic". Some of us are ok with the term; most of us are not. You're reducing us to just our condition. When in doubt, say "person with diabetes".)
15. "Oh, your blood sugar is high. What did you do?"
There are so many factors that contribute to high or low blood sugar, and plenty of them are outside our control. Scolding a PWD for their blood sugar is a surefire way to make them feel worse. We're doing our best to manage a condition that's really, really difficult to live with. If something goes wrong and we end up with a number we don't like, the last thing we need is someone telling us it's our fault.
(Just one last note: If you've said this stuff in the past, I'm not blaming you. I realize most people don't know a lot about T1D, and it's easy to get confused and say the wrong thing. I'm glad y'all are reading this and hopefully learning a lil something! Please comment below if I missed anything or if you have any questions/reactions.)
This post is gonna double as a sort of PSA/rant. I try not to rant *too* much about stuff like this, but people make some pretty misguided comments and it can get frustrating. So here's a short-ish list of things that PWD are tired of hearing. (And yes, these are all things that I've actually had people say to me.)
1. "But you don't *look* diabetic!"
Wow, thanks. Not only is this pretty insulting to people who do have T2D, it's also promoting the stereotype that all PWD (including Type 1) are overweight.
2. "My grandma's sister's daughter's husband has diabetes, and he had two toes amputated/lost a kidney/went blind/died."
This one is twofold. First of all, unless you have a close relative or friend with Type ONE, or some sort of story that relates to our situation, we probably don't care all that much. Second, you really don't need to tell us about all of the terrifying complications that T1D causes. I promise, we've heard them all a million times.
3. "Ya know, if you just try this miracle pill/cinnamon/new exercise plan, it'll cure your diabetes!"
Nope. T1D has no cure. Seriously. I don't care what you heard in that infomercial--there is no cure.
4. "You shouldn't be eating that. It'll make your diabetes worse."
Sigh. That's not how T1D works. And regardless, it's not really your job to tell me what I can or can't eat. I've been living with this condition for a pretty long time; I think I know how to handle it.
5. "I could NEVER inject myself!"
Good for you, I guess? News flash: If I don't take insulin, I die. So I don't really have much of a choice.
(Side note: this is even worse if you say it to a mom. "I could never give my kid a shot!" It's really hard for parents to give their kids injections, and comments like that just make them feel worse. So just don't say it.)
6. "Can't you just stop eating sugar?"
No. No, I can't.
7. "At least it's not cancer."
People say this about a lot of chronic illnesses, T1D included. And guess what? As grateful as I am that I don't have cancer, it doesn't make T1D any less difficult to deal with. All chronic conditions suck. It's a fact.
8. "Wait, you're still diabetic?"
Again--THERE. IS. NO. CURE.
9. "Do you have to do that here? I don't like looking at needles."
Look, I'm sorry that you don't like seeing me take my lifesaving medication, but I'm not gonna put my health on hold for your comfort. Look away if you have to; I don't mind. But don't ask me to make accommodations for you.
10. "Does it hurt?"
I'll be honest--this one doesn't bother me as much as some of the others, because there are times when the person asking is genuinely curious. But I mean... it's a needle. Of course it hurts. Common sense, y'all.
11. "You should get an insulin pump instead of taking injections."
Again, this one might be well-meaning. But every PWD handles treatment differently, and there are countless reasons why some of us choose MDIs over a pump. Chances are we've already discussed it with our care team, so your "advice" probably isn't gonna change our minds.
12. "Aren't you worried about *insert morbid complication here*?"
Yes. Every PWD knows the risks of living with this condition. But talking about it isn't gonna change anything; it's just gonna remind us of the dangers we're facing.
13. "Do you have the good type or the bad type?"
Guys. No. This is a chronic illness we're talking about. There is no "good type".
14. "If you hadn't eaten so much sugar as a kid, you wouldn't be a diabetic."
Just... keep your mouth shut. Please. Even if this *was* true, which it's NOT, what's the point of saying it? As it is, you're just kinda making yourself look stupid.
(Also--don't refer to a PWD as "a diabetic". Some of us are ok with the term; most of us are not. You're reducing us to just our condition. When in doubt, say "person with diabetes".)
15. "Oh, your blood sugar is high. What did you do?"
There are so many factors that contribute to high or low blood sugar, and plenty of them are outside our control. Scolding a PWD for their blood sugar is a surefire way to make them feel worse. We're doing our best to manage a condition that's really, really difficult to live with. If something goes wrong and we end up with a number we don't like, the last thing we need is someone telling us it's our fault.
(Just one last note: If you've said this stuff in the past, I'm not blaming you. I realize most people don't know a lot about T1D, and it's easy to get confused and say the wrong thing. I'm glad y'all are reading this and hopefully learning a lil something! Please comment below if I missed anything or if you have any questions/reactions.)
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