Are you Embarrassed

 

I do not care who knows either.  Of course, I grew up in a town where 3/4 of the residents knew about it and I was never teased/ignored about it by anyone plus I've had it a long time also and was not bothered about it.  Okay, except I can't donate blood.  That othered me. :(

I do understand newly diagnosed People since they are unsure of how they will be treated by others.  It can take years to accept it themselves.  Some Employers, Teams, Insurances, etc. prefer not to employ, insure or play with Diabetics because they are afraid something bad will happen. 

I'd rather people knowing cuz if something happens, I get help. For example, I had a migraine awhile back and I went to my grief counceling (was in for 2 years after my brother was killed in action in Iraq) and what does a person with a migraine do? Not eat. Not good for a diabetic. So I figured after my session I was sick and tired of my migraine, and my PCP was in the same parking lot, just a different building. I did a walk in appointment, and in the hour I was waiting I fell asleep and had a hard time waking up. I recall the nurse shaking me and saying to come on back. I remember when we got to the room me yawning and saying "don't forget to check my bloodsugar, I'm going to take a nap." I fell back to sleep as she pricked me. Next I know I was slugged in my shoulder and the nurse with a distinct voice (so does my doctor) is saying "whatever you do don't go to sleep". I said ok. I hear in the hall "Doctor she's 33" "are you serious" "yes and I brought the machine so you'd believe me" "oh sh****" Next I know 2 doctors and 3 nurses are in my room. I looked at him and said "I'm not 33, I'm 30 but why the heck do you need to know my age?And your too old for me. Can I go back to sleep now?" My doctor looked at the other doctor and said "I can't believe she's awake". Next I knew they were puting some glucose gel down my throat and saying swallow. When I came coherent, I looked right at my doctor and said "what the heck did I do to get all of you in here?" I was told what happened after I was back to 98 from a nurse. The point is, I don't care who knows, I've had my life saved by it. There was another time too, when I somehow recognized I was going into diabetic shock while I was on a city bus and told the driver to call 911 and say diabetic. I went into shock, and I was only semi concious by the time medics arrived. I couldn't speak, couldn't move or anything. I only remember them shoving me backwards and someone grabbing my hand. I only heard "shes 33 30 give her more shes 24". I remember something in my mouth, but I dont know what. But after someone has that happen, I don't care who they are, I'm sure they'd be like me and not give a dime who knows I'm diabetic. It can save lives. Speaking of saving lives.... I was on the bus the other day, and another passenger started to act a little "drunk". I looked right at them and said "are you a diabetic?" They said yes so I said do you have your meter, they didn't know. So I grabbed mine from my purse and changed out the needle and ran their test. They were down to 49. I told the driver to summon the medics and to say "first responder on scene". I opened my purse and got out my glucose gel and tablets. I pulled them up enough by the medics came to where they knew what was up. Then afterwards, I told the driver, "for future reference if you see someone acting drunk instead of assuming they are like you did make sure they aren't a diabetic". Then I told him the story of the bus driver who drove all around with a corpse on her bus last year. The supervisor thought he was drunk, and told the driver "let him sleep it off." When the bus hit a bump, the body fell over which caught the drivers attention, and found out he was dead, not drunk. Mods, that was for education purposes only. It is based on a true story.

I don't care who knows about any of my illnesses...including my ostomy.  I use my illnesses to help other people.  I can teach them and help them have a better quality of life.  This helps me, too, because it gives me a reason why I am dealing with all these problems and it makes me happy and gives me peace. 

 

Sherrine

Maybe there are reasons like being denied life insurance. Type 2 diabetics hear how its their own fault for being obese. I am type 2, yes I am obese , I am 3rd generation diabetic and I know I am frowned upon for being a burden on our health care system. Imagine that!!

LOL Judy. I understand exactly what you mean.

Good point, Jim.  I have fibromyalgia, a chronic pain illness, and I don't mention it to others because they usually don't understand and they think we sufferers are just whining.  So I just don't talk about it, unless someone asks me, and go about enjoying my life.

 

Sherrine

That's great!