Hey all! Actually in a good mood for once, chilling with friends. But as I have wifi, I'm posting my first rant. I know the writing isn't so great, but this is a rant book, so what do you expect?! Hope you're all enjoying your long weekend!
Xoxo,
Dani
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My friend once told me that I ruined diabetes jokes for them. I think I was more offended than grateful, simply because they found them funny before. Simply because they didn't bother to self educate, and only laughed at diabetics. At me.
You know what I mean when I say diabetes jokes: "Nancy has five donuts, and eight more donuts. What does Nancy have now? Diabetes." Ha. Ha. Fucking ha.
Seriously, how is this funny? I get it, it goes with the stigma of diabetes. Images of overweight old people sitting at McDonald's and ordering an obscene amount of food. This stigma is wrong, and it makes me sick. It shows how uneducated, and how unrepentant people can be.
First off, the image people get, stated above, when people hear the word "diabetes" typically would "fit" under the category of type two diabetes. Type two, to be clear, is diagnosed in adulthood. It is (usually) due to lifestyle issues, after years of not exercising and eating unhealthily, amongst other factors.
Type one is more common. Diagnosed in CHILDHOOD, the reasons for this are not entirely known, but links have been found within GENETICS. So, you uneducated pieces of shit, just because you're diabetic does not mean you're fat or eat too much.
This is what I have. I can't tell you how many times I have heard either "you don't look fat" or "well, you are overweight" when people find out that I have diabetes. This irritates me to no end, and I hate that practically every single time I meet someone, I have to put this lengthy rant out there to hope they absorb some of it.
Two years ago, there was another diabetic in my math class. Type one, to be exact. His friend was sitting beside him, and talking to another kid, saying "He used to give away all his junk food when he was a kid! All he ate was veggies! He was the healthiest kid ever, and he has diabetes!" Of course, I interjected, and told this know it all, "He's type one. It isn't linked to diet or exercise. It's genetic." This guy, the diabetic's friend, gave me the dirtiest look. His voice was venomous as he said, "I've known Alex since we were little. I think I'd know more than you." I of course, started laughing, which didn't exactly help this guy's not so nice feelings toward me. I told him that I was diabetic as well, so I knew what I was talking about. Of course, he was silent, and then murmured, "You're not fat though..." as he turned away.
People are so uneducated. I'm thrilled that when we take biology class in the eleventh and twelfth grades we learn about diabetes. But all we learn is what it is, that the pancreas no longer produces insulin. Could we not learn why it occurs? It would reduce stigma so much. Educators know for a fact this stigma exists; it is their choice, wether it be the director of education not putting it in the curriculum or teachers not stating these facts in their lessons, to reduce this stigma. I wouldn't be surprised if these educators were making their own diabetes jokes in the lunchroom after lessons are taught.
The fact is, this stigma is everywhere, and it is not going away. It never fully will. I've had friends come up to me when I'm testing myself, and say that I'm "stabbing myself" or "cutting myself". I cannot begin to understand how people can link this disease, and trying to keep it under control, to self harm. The two acts have absolutely nothing in common. It is disgusting, and as both a diabetic and an individual with depression, I find it inaccurate and highly offensive.
I have also had friends of mine say to me, "I don't understand how you can do that." when I check my blood sugar. Being myself, I put it bluntly: "Well, it was this or die." To this, my friend laughs and says he would rather die.
HOW THE FUCK IS THIS STATEMENT ACCEPTABLE? I don't care how uneducated you are, but you do not say death would be a better option to someone who everyday is fighting death, just because of a pancreas that doesn't want to produce a necessary hormone. I can't even put it into words what this statement makes me feel. I've heard this multiple times, and each time the anger it brings me intensifies, to the point where I am restraining myself from beating this person up due to their ignorance. And yes, I have corrected them and explained this. Multiple times.
I didn't choose this. I never stuffed myself full of sugar and fat to have this condition. My dad's genetics just dealt me a shitty hand, and gave me this condition, leaving him to walk out of the hospital when I was diagnosed saying it was both my and my mother's problem.
What people don't understand was I just developed it, it was not a decision to live unhealthily. And now, thanks to this, I have a risk of going blind, losing my kidney function and being doomed to a life hooked up to dialysis so I can live. I even run the risk of losing a limb due to amputation if I get an infection, which is a huge risk if you want a tattoo. Which I so badly do.
Diabetes isn't a joke. It's a serious, lifelong condition. I wish people could understand this, and stop laughing over what used to be a death sentence before the discovery of insulin. Without Banting and his team, I would have died around the age of six. I wouldn't have gotten to experience all that I have. Every day to me is a blessing, and I refuse to waste it by keeping my mouth shut, especially about topics like this. I'm going to live my life to the fullest, and if I enlighten a few people, so be it.
I want you to go and research diabetes a little bit. Just learn about it. Learn what it was like before insulin was discovered, learn what causes diabetes, learn what it can do to destroy your body if you aren't careful. Learn how serious this is. And then, I want you to tell five people. Because this could do so much, even if I only have three reads. That's eighteen people educated.
We need to work together to stop the stigma. We need to stop laughing at diabetes, associating it with obesity and unhealthy diet, and likening it to self harm. We need to stop joking that death is more pleasurable. I'm sure it's not.
While we're on it, can we stop saying things like "cinnamon controls blood sugar, it can cure you!"? It can't. It can help stabilize me, but I need insulin. I will always need insulin to live.
However, insulin is only a treatment, and we now need a cure. People out there are trying for one. I am hopeful, but I believe the only way for diabetes to be cured is to go to the source: the pancreas. Perhaps by injecting or culturing stem cells, we can develop functional pancreases that can produce insulin. This is why I am pro stem cells for research purposes. Hopefully someone out there is on this idea. Maybe one of you, or someone you know will try it out. Please do. Diabetes sucks.
