Stable Ground
“Are you insulin dependent?” the woman sitting next to me on the plane asks. My kit is open on my lap, and experience has taught me that once the equipment is visible, people will ask you just about anything about your diabetes. I choose my words carefully to respond. Insulin dependent is a misnomer. People with Type 1 diabetes are always insulin dependent, and some Type 2s are as well. In fact, some Type 2s eventually lose all beta cell function, leaving them with the same useless pancreas as Type 1s. But because the genesis of the two diseases is so completely different and because of the slight chip on my shoulder, I don’t support the use of “insulin-dependent” as a categorization for my malady. An auto-immune disease attacked my beta cells when I was just 10 years old, forcing me to take artificial insulin for the rest of my life. I am a Type 1 diabetic.
“Yes, I’m a Type 1” I tell her, glancing back down to check the number on the glucose meter. 68mg/dL. I glance back up at the woman. She’s a blonde, kind-looking lady in her forties. We’re on a flight out of Indianapolis on the Friday before the Super Bowl, and she and her husband are decked out in Colts gear, heading to Miami to catch the game. Her brow furrows and a slight frown takes shape on her mouth as she begins to speak again.
“My friend’s son has diabetes,” she says. “He’s 15 years old and he’s so unstable. He plays high school football and he can be fine before a game and be 600 by the time he’s done. He’s just totally unstable.”
My blood begins to boil. I bristle at her use of the word “unstable.” As my jaw clenches I try to calm myself down before I respond. I think about that 15 year old boy, a kid I don’t know but in a way know completely. He’s 15. Hormones are raging, he’s trying to play school sports like his peers, probably dealing with the social issues of high school too and on top of it, he has diabetes? He’s just trying to learn how to be an adult, let alone manage his diabetes. I was there once, and it wasn’t always pretty.
I don’t know him personally; maybe this kid does have poor control, but for someone to call him “unstable” based on one anecdotal blood sugar is bullshit. It’s these random experiences that people take out of context and apply as a blanket understanding that make diabetes so misinterpreted. Anyone who’s had diabetes for a while has had at least one Steel Magnolias experience where they can’t believe the public understanding of diabetes. This is the exact reason stereotypes are perpetuated and people with diabetes are marginalized.
“Well, he may not be so much unstable as he is just trying to figure out the best way to control his diabetes. The teenage years are hard, as is exercise, so he may still be working out his care” I tell the woman, as calmly as possible.
“Oh no,” she fires back, “he’s soooooo unstable. His parents have to carry a cooler around everywhere they go. He’s really unstable.”
I stare at her blankly. His parents having a cooler is what makes him unstable. A cooler. A COOLER? So let me get this straight: this woman believes that because his parents bring a cooler to his football games, which I can guarantee carries 1.) snacks in case he goes low and 2.) in the summer, a cool place to keep his insulin, this kid and his diabetes are now unstable. A 15 year-old caring for one of the most complicated, unpredictable diseases in the world is doing a poor job because his parents, bless them, are kind enough to bring snacks to his game. I don’t know what to say to this woman. My urge to educate shuts down because I realize I’m dealing with someone whose idea is so warped about diabetes, she makes this guy look like a doctor.
“Hhhm. Oh.” Is all I say back, and I turn my attention back to my book, after reaching for a GU pack to treat the low that had crept up on me. Its one of about 1,000 diabetes management decisions I will make that day to remain “stable.” To that 15 year old out on the football field in Indianapolis, whoever you are, hang in there buddy, you’ll get the hang of it.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment