What they should know...

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.
Quite an emotional topic for me. Recently I have had quite an upsetting time with other peoples thoughts and opinions on my condition! A complaint about my blood kit has meant a lot of questions have been asked and for various reasons I held back and failed to say anything. So what should those small minded people know?

This isn't something I opted for!! I didn't sign up for it or volunteer it just developed inside me and its horrible some days! Occasionally its possible to forget its there but its for fleeting seconds because EVERYTHING affects my blood sugars, stress, happiness, emotion, exercise, arguments...EVERYTHING (Shoe shopping is a nightmare!).

I'm not a grouchy or argumentative person because I don't like life or people. Its normally because I've got a high BM or am recovering from a low BM or worse still I've been suffering through the night and you've caught me on minus 3 hours sleep.

I can do pretty much anything you can do. It just takes good planning hence if we make plans and they change at the last minute don't be mad or upset that I'm angry/upset - I've planned for this.

If I don't want to do something because my BM is high/low don't judge me, help me, smile and then let me be! I need 5 minutes some days and two hours others to get over a bad BM.

I'm kept alive everyday because I administer insulin and test my blood sugars, if i didn't I'd die. Its that simple. So please try not to be rude or nasty if on occasion I sit at the table and test my blood or change my cannula in public, I'm not ashamed, if you're uncomfortable look the other way. Why should i have to confine myself to an unhygienic toilet to make other people more comfortable?

For my friends it would be something as simple as understanding that although ~I don't let on somedays I'm aware that I'm different. Its nice occasionally for people to show support just because they can.

The main thing that everyone should know as far as I'm concerned 'ignorance IS NOT a reason for intolerance'!!

There are hundreds more things I could say but they ll do for now =)

Oh aside from if you are someone who has complained/thinks about complaining in the future have the nerve to say it to my face and not behind my back!!