And while we're ranting...

[firecat]

Via susanstinson, some fabulous information about what it's like to be diabetic. This person has type 1 and I have type 2, but about 80% of what she says, especially about how she reacts to what other people say to her, is true for me as well.

http://www.queeringdiabetes.org/substance/invalid.html

(note, about 2/3 of the way down the page there is a photo that might be disturbing and/or unworksafe)

And these quotes from http://www.queeringdiabetes.org/sicko_journal/020722_bloodsugar_theories.htm ring pretty true, too:

The thing is that over time, learning about diabetes has started to feel like a Monty Python sketch.  "There are three things that will affect your bloodsugar level: food, insulin, and exercise.  No, I mean, four!  There are four things that will affect your bloodsugar level: food, insulin, exercise, and stress.  Yes, four things.  Well, no five really, five things that will affect your bloodsugar level: food, insulin, exercise, stress, and your menstrual cycle.  Right, five things."  And as diabetics have been testing our bloodsugars more frequently, we and medical professionals have been looking for patterns to figure out what else might be going on, developing theories (that's inductive research for you methods geeks out there), adding to the list... "Did I say five?  I meant six..."

and this one:

There is a nasty shaming voice in my head, and I hope it's not yours, saying "Well, if you knew that this would cause problems, then why did you do it?!?  Stupid girl.  Bad diabetic.  Bad."  Sad smile.  That's some f*cked up shit that "Bad diabetic" stuff, huh?  Not a lot of fun to carry around all by myself, I can tell you that much

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

[nod]. I bet she gets really tired of hearing people say "low blood sugar" when they CAN, as she put it, go on hiking or whatever else. (I can't, when I'm low. I fall down go boom. I carry glucose tabs.) That must feel like it's completely ignoring what her body's doing when her sugars are low.

I appreciate hearing the frequent reminders that playing armchair doctor is really annoying. mactavish has linked to similar information from people with rheumatoid arthritis. Both diabetes and arthritis are things that are just common ENOUGH that people who don't have them -- like me (so far) -- have still heard a lot of tidbits about them. It's good to remind myself that people who DO have them have heard a lot more than just tidbits, and while they might appreciate my support they probably don't need my medical advice. :-)

[firecat]

And even if you do go boom from hypoglycemia, you don't risk going boom every day from the exact substance that you are injecting in order to survive but that will also kill you if you're not vigilant enough. You have to be vigilant about what you eat, but not as constantly vigilant as someone who has to take multiple injections a day.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh, definitely; all of that is also true.