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

[ailbhe]

My mother has type 2 diabetes and hasn't been told *anything* about how to manage it; her GP said "cut down on sugar and fruit" and that was *it*. She can't afford medical care, so she doesn't get any.

[firecat]

Yeah, there's that kind of attitude about it, too.

If you would like some resources to pass on to her, I can probably dig up some.