Today let’s borrow a topic from a #dsma chat held last September. The tweet asked “What is one thing you would tell someone that doesn’t have diabetes about living with diabetes?”. Let’s do a little advocating and post what we wish people knew about diabetes. Have more than one thing you wish people knew? Go ahead and tell us everything.
There are so many things that I wish people knew about diabetes. I'd love for people to know that "curing" diabetes isn't as easy as eating healthy & exercising. I'd love people to know that I didn't ask for diabetes. I'd really love for people to understand that NO ONE asked for diabetes, regardless of their type of diabetes.
But mostly, I think I'd like people to understand how exhausting diabetes can be. Having diabetes is like having an infant and a hormonal teenager attacking your body at all times. Some days I'm just TIRED. While my blood sugar may get back into range after a low, my body doesn't recover as quickly.
After a low earlier this week, my blood sugar was back in range within half an hour. But my body was exhausted and I had a headache for most of the rest of that day. I wanted a nap and an aspirin. But I couldn't get either. Because even though diabetes attacks me, the world doesn't stop. I still had to work, go get my hair done, blog, and meet my family for dinner.
After a day of high blood sugars, it's much of the same. Exhausted. Sluggish. Sometimes I think my poor body just wants a break.
I don't like to talk about diabetes being difficult. I don't like to complain. I don't want people to think that my highs and lows are my fault. I don't like people to worry about me. But the fact remains that diabetes can keep you up nights, make you want to sleep during the day, make you feel like you've been run over by a truck, and make you not trust your own body.
So while the general public is blaming people with diabetes for bringing it on themselves, we are living with this every day. Do you think that if we could escape the constant annoyance and exhaustion that we wouldn't do it? Of course not. We'd do whatever we could to get rid of diabetes. If it were possible.
And while I agree that some diabetes (not mine) can be treated with diet and exercise, not all can be treated that way. No Type 1 can treat this way, and only SOME Type 2s can treat their diabetes by this method.
So take into account all the things that people with diabetes are living with and dealing with every single minute of every day and withhold judgement. NO one wants diabetes. No one.
Remember, you can read more blog posts on today's topic by clicking HERE.
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