Education on Diabetic Stereotypes

Just before I was sent to the hospital and diagnosed with diabetes, I - like any seven-year-old who needed to read books for school - was starting to read The Baby-Sitter's Club.

Oh yeah, you have no idea where I'm going with this, right?

I love the Baby-Sitters Club novels, I do.  They were really fun to read and they're fun to look back on and laugh at because of how unrealistic they are.  But it's not just the scenarios they were in that were unrealistic.  But rather...one particular character; you probably don't even know who I'm talking about.  She was pretty minor.  But she had this disease...really no big deal.

Ok, ok, time to be (a bit more) serious.  For those of you without 90's roots, the BSC novels had a main character named Stacey,  who was the 'city girl' of the gang.  But, as we all know, Stacey was diabetic.  And - OMG, that's like the worst thing ever to be diagnosed with!  No sugar, no good food, having to take shots all day and survive off of chicken and bread!  How did you live!

When some of my classmates found out I had diabetes, a few of them assumed I was just like Stacey from the Baby-Sitters Club (except...you know; younger and not from NY).  I know they were just trying to be friendly about it, and I suppose I appreciate it on that level.  But on the other hand...ugh.

Thankfully, my teacher that year had a son who was diabetic, so she was able to straighten everybody in the class out.  While I was glad my third-grade nightmare was over, she warned me this would happen again.  And boy, was she right.

Half the time, I don't think people mean to ask such stereotypical questions; they honestly have no knowledge of the disease, and the media does little to show the difference between Type 1 and 2 diabetes.  And usually you don't mind answering these questions, especially if it saves another diabetic the trouble of answering them.  But going on to my 9th year of the disease, I will admit I'm getting less and less...descriptive when answering.  In fact, in my P.E. class this year, I was reminded just how annoying those questions were, as my conversations with a particular girl usually went like this;

Girl: Oh hey, what is that?

Me: Just my meter.  I'm diabetic.

Girl: Ooooh.  So what are you doing with it?

Me: ...Testing my blood sugar.  I'm pretty sure I'm low.

Girl: Is that good or bad?

Me: ...Bad.

Girl: Oh.  *pause* Can I watch you take your blood pressure?

Me: Blood sugar.  And sure...I guess *pricks finger*

Girl: Ahhhh!  I didn't know you were going to bleed!  Doesn't that hurt?

...Yeah.  Don't pretend that's never happened; you know they've asked!  And you've gotten annoyed!  So that leaves the question; what are you to do?

Firstly, like I said earlier, most of these people are not trying to be annoying.  They're genuinely curious what that cell-phone looking thing is and why that pen just made you bleed...they don't mean harm.  Now I know that doesn't make it less annoying, but I always try to remember it when people are asking me questions.  Usually I can get through it.

Now, this leads to another question, often asked by my peers and the occasional teacher; what are bad diabetic questions - because I don't want to make you upset.  Well...I don't think there are bad questions.  But there are dumbs ones I get tired of hearing.  And instead of listing them all out, I've turned to a more...reliable source; YouTube!

Remember a few months ago, when those "Sh*t *insert broad stereotype here* Say" were so popular?  Well don't think we got left out!  The following video is done by another diabetic, and contains every question that has ever made me want to punch a perfectly nice person in the face.  Not because they aren't nice, but because asking three or four of these in under a minute is really annoying.  Along with the 'Sh*t People Say to Diabetics' video, there is also another one, 'Sh*t Diabetics Say'.  And I'd be lying if I said I haven't uttered some of those phrases before.

Sh*t People Say to Diabetics:

Sh*t Diabetics Say: (Warning* - the video below contains mild swearing...but it's oh-so true.)

That about does it.  If there are any other stereotypical questions that have been left out, please feel free to vent to your fellow diabetics below.  Have a good week, everyone!

Support Systems and You

...Yes, that is meant to sound like one of those self-help books.  (These are the jokes, people)

I've recently been talking to some other diabetic teens around the country, which I think is awesome (the more the merrier, right?), but I was really interested when one of them told me it was great to meet another diabetic kid.  Confused, I asked if there were any other diabetic kids around at school or in the neighborhood.  They said no.  And that got me thinking.

Maybe I'm a bit spoiled;

I'm part of a group called the JDRF Youth Ambassadors.  That's how I met amazing people like Alexis (the author of the amazing blog, Chronicles of D-Boy and Ribbon, but I'm wasting my time; you've all heard of her, right?).  We all help out around our community, and we're all best friends.  The picture above was from our last big thing, where we painting a picture to be sold at the JDRF 2012 Gala (yes, that picture there.  Are we talented or what?).  And maybe the coolest part?  Every kid in that picture up there is a diabetic.

Support is such a huge part of the diabetes experience.  It is virtually impossible to get the upper hand on this disease without support.  I compare it to it's easier to scare people with a big group behind you that looks equally pissed at whoever you're pissed at.  There's strength in numbers.  And this is one number in diabetes that can be as large as you want and it's still good.

Now most diabetics usually have a great support system in their families.  That's important too.  I've had so much support from my parents and aunts and uncles and cousins, I can't begin to thank them enough.  But yet, there's something about being at the same level as your peers, and being able to find new friends with your same interests who have to deal with the same disease you do.  Plus its kind of fun to have a group where you can all rant about those annoying teachers who just don't get diabetes.

I feel like I've made so many new friends in the Youth Ambassadors, and we have a great time at events (just so long as we keep the boys separated; they could tear a room apart in two minutes flat).  And if I've learned anything from them, it's that support from your peers as well as your family is so important.  Now I'm not going to tell you to go sign your kid up to the Youth Ambassador program, and tell you how happy they'll be when they do.  Everyone's different.  But based on my personal experience, it seems like the diabetic kids are the coolest around.

I feel like that's also a part of why I'm doing this blog.  I want to make it something that people can relate to.  I can sit here and type out all the random crap I can about diabetes like some 'professional' websites do, but I feel like that doesn't reach you as much as personal stories and experiences, especially from kids.  When you see those advertisements for the no finger blood sugar meters (which does not mean no blood; I'd love to see them include that in the ad), do you see any teenagers in there?  Any kid or young adult?  What about the 'instructional videos' talking about how diabetes is not the end of the world.  They don't show what a struggle this is.  They don't tell you there will be days where your blood sugar just won't come down no matter how much insulin you give.  That some nights you'll be up every hour checking blood sugars.  That things you used to eat every day will become special occasion foods.

This.  Is.  A.  Struggle.

And having people to talk to about it is important.  Keeping those emotions bottled up is not good.  Trust me, I know.  And when you meet people going trough the same thing, it becomes a little easier.

Before I sign off on this post, there's one more thing I wanted to share.  I recently got this book, No-Sugar Added Poetry.  It's filled with poems from different people all over the world with one thing in common; diabetes.  Some of them are dark, some of them make you think, but it speaks to you.  I think it's something all diabetics need to look at at least once.  If you're interested in the book, check it out here.

Support; the one diabetic number that keeps growing and won't hurt you.

That One Teacher (You Know Who I Mean)

My blood sugar has been hovering in the high 200s to low 300s range today, and nothing I do seems to be able to bring it down.  Add in my keytones and *boom!* I'm out of school for the day.  Now these things happen from time to time.  There are just those days when your blood sugar doesn't want to cooperate and you'd be better off at home rather than staring at the board all day, trying to pay attention but just letting your mind wonder.

Some of my teachers have yet to get this.

In elementary school, it's not as difficult.  But when you hit middle school, and every year after, you find them; it's inevitable.  Every year, there's that one teacher.  Maybe they start out nice, maybe they don't.  But one thing's for sure; when you start missing their class because you have problems with your blood sugar, you'd better believe there's some hell to pay.

I decide to write about this now as I'm currently dealing with this teacher.  He started out perfectly nice; pretty funny, laid back guy even.  And all was well until the beginning of the second semester, when my blood sugar started acting up on me.  And boy oh boy, did that attitude suddenly change.  The conversation I had went something like this;

Teacher: You missed my class twice last week, Reed.
Me: Yeah I know; I'm sorry.  I had some problems with my blood sugar, but it seems to be doing better now.
Teacher: Hmm...alright.  Well there's a test tomorrow, and I expect you take it.  Also, these homework assignments need to be made up by Friday or they're worth half credit.

...I'm sorry, what?

I find it extremely annoying when these teachers assume that when we're out of class for high blood sugar, we're just sitting in the nurses office lounging our day away.  I swear it seems like I have ADD when I'm high, because it's impossible to focus on one particular thing for an extended amount of time (Also I talk a lot).  We are not not having a fun time.  The way I describe a bad high blood sugar is that tingly feeling you get during a sugar rush.  The only difference is that it doesn't go away, and after a while that feeling starts getting really uncomfortable.

Another thing that I don't think he realizes is that when you're blood sugar finally levels out after being so high for so long, you are tired.  When the school sends you home, you aren't going to do homework.  You're going to take a nap and worry about it later, because it feels like you just ran a marathon.

I'm very thankful to be in a school with block classes, so that if something like this happens, I can always do my homework the next day.  Other kids aren't so lucky, and I've heard some interesting stories from some of my diabetic friends.  The important thing to remember is that if things aren't going well, you have a right to step back and take a breath.  Get a 504 plan to help you out if you're missing a lot of class (it's saved me on a few occasions).

I suppose my teacher and I are on better terms now, but he still doesn't like me missing lessons.  I heard from some friends he'll make jokes about me in class sometimes, saying that I need to lay off the sugar.  My response to that is this; here's a list of all the diabetic research organizations in the country.  Get out your phone, call them, and make a donation to help cure this.  Then I'll for sure stop missing your class, and every other teacher who's complaining about something they can't even begin to understand will lay off, too.

I'm still waiting for him to make that call, by the way.

Another thing these teachers don't seem to realize is that you need to watch those kinds of comments.  Because the only thing worse than getting a diabetic student mad at you, is getting a diabetic parent mad at you.  Take it from me; they will find you, they will not be happy, and you will regret any bad thought you ever had.  Am I right?

So to all those teachers who think their diabetic students are slackers, and that the parents need to tell them buck it up and just go to class...I would lock your windows from now on.  You know, just in case.