Diabetes Blog Week Day 2 - We, the Undersigned

Recently various petitions have been circulating the Diabetes Online Community, so todaylet’s pretend to write our own. Tell us who you would write the petition to – a person, an organization, even an object (animate or inanimate) - get creative!! What are you trying to change and what have you experienced that makes you want this change? (Thanks to Briley ofinDpendence for this topic suggestion.)

When I read today's topic, I thought it had me stumped. I thought I couldn't do this. Obviously, I have an interest in the politics surrounding my disease, like access to new technologies (CGMS, the pod pump), laws that affect what we can and can't do (driving, certain jobs), how the health insurance and other companies treat us. But I don't want to, I'm sure they will get covered by other people who have spent longer looking at those issues and actually know what they are talking about.

So I would petition diabetics. To gain that knowledge about diabetes to be able to change diabetes in Australia.

I read an article recently in one of medical journals at work, where a study suggested only 4% of diabetics had more than a basic knowledge of their disease. How can we properly educate the people making policies regarding our disease if we don't know our own disease. It seems now like an 'every man for himself' situation when it comes to standing up for what we want, and I believe its because we don't have enough knowledge to understand the full impact across the whole diabetic community. If we all took the time to learn as much as we could about our lifelong disease things like Type 2 Bashing wouldn't happen (yep, I'm calling it. I've seen it done in the past few weeks and it's horrible. I would hate to be on the receiving end of that from people who have the same disease with a different number as me. We're all in this together).  The number of T2 diabetics with a genetic cause far outnumber the amount of type 1 diabetics hanging around. The difference between us? The way our pancreas handled it. For a type 1 it packs in straight away, for a type 2 it might show up as less insulin production than needed for what is consumed, or insulin resistance. How much more could we change if we recognized the facts of both major types of diabetes (and even those lesser ones, likeCFRD, which I discovered the other day and then hounded my boss for information on) and helped each other face the world?

If we are educated, other people will be educated. We might not get so many dumb questions or things said to us. Perhaps those hapless members of the fully-functioning pancreas club have gotten their information from what they consider a reliable source - another diabetic? Yes, it happens. Just after I was diagnosed, I had a fellow diabetic rag on Type 1's, thinking that we had diabetes 'so bad' that it required insulin. Then a few months later got a similar story from an elderly T2 gentleman that I had met. He apparantley had another T2 friend who got sick, went into hospital and his diagnosis was magically changed from Type 2 to Type 1 because they had started him on insulin in addition to his oral hypoglycaemic agents. These silly comments burst from the mouths of diabetics more than you think.

So, I the undersigned, petition everyone to pick up a book, or your endo's brains and gobble up information on our disease faster than we would a massive piece of chocolate cake on a newly filled reservoir. It can only help your health.

Diabetes Blog Day 1 - Share or Not Share

I joined up for Diabetes blog week. Fun stuff. Read about it here.

So for today's topic, we were asked to pretend our medical team were reading our blogs. Imagine that! Getting to know us instead of the numbers.

I guess some people might find it confrontational to share more than their numbers with their healthcare professionals. You go to your endo maybe 4 times a year, talk HbA1c, talk lipid profile, talk BGs.  You see your educator and they teach you how to push the buttons on the latest gadget they can give you and talk even more numbers, insulin dosages, correction factors. So people might not necessarily offer up themselves, as people, owning their diabetes. All they do when they visit their HCPs is present the disease.

How would I feel about my HCPs reading my blog? I'm in a unique situation. I work for my endocrinologist, my main HCP. I was already working for her when I was diagnosed. So before she knew my numbers, she knew me. We're both massive movie buffs and happily advise each other on what we've seen cinema wise. We take lunch at the same time and talk about holidays, our partners, our mothers-in-laws (or for me, my future mother-in-law). I have no issues with her seeing anything. We have a policy where I just leave my log book on my desk, on the current week. She can see it anytime. She knows if I don't leave it out, I'm having problems, but she lets me get on with it quietly. She knows I like to figure out and play around with things myself first. She also knows I will ask if I need help. Like I will just blurt out any random thought I have, in front of anyone. I'm sure she hates it. So for me, I don't think I would have any problems sharing my blog with her. I don't even think I mention her, unless I say how awesome she is. I love her as a person before I love her as my endo.

My DE is a little different. I didn't know her before I saw her. I knew of her, because she is who we refer to. But I had only ever emailed information regarding mutual patients. On my 1st visit she treated me in that same clinical way that my GP used to treat me (please note the used to. Last time I was seeing the practice nurse for an updates care plan, he saw my name on the practice software and pulled me in for an impromptu consult JUST to wish me a happy easter). Halfway through my consult with my DE she asked where I worked. Endo revealed. The consult changed. It became so much more about what was best for me as a person, and not me as a patient. Because we clicked over something,  I felt I could be more open with her.

I think thats important. Be open with your healthcare professionals. Blogs are open, a public forum. You can pour your soul into a blog, and you can get to know someone 76965km away through their blogs. So why would I not award that same courtesy, of seeing who I am as a person, and not just as a disease, to my healthcare professionals? How can they possibly do their very best by you, if you don't want to let them know whats important in your life for your health management?

I love my HCPs, all 3 of them, and would never say anything bad about them. If I have an issue with a decision they have made for me, I will tell them straight up, so it never even makes it to my blog. So me? I'm happy to be an open book. I think if you want the best from your healthcare professionals, you have to let them into your life. If you lie and hide your true feelings about your health, they can only help you based off that misinformation, and that's not going to help you. Respect that they have spent years studying how to help you, don't waste that.

Double Trouble

For the past week Lewis has been angrily beeping at me from deep within my underwear drawer (buried in between my bras and socks, hoping to muffle the noise). As my Private Health Insurance is just about to kick in, I was given the opportunity to trial an Animas Vibe pump (Whom I nicknamed Bastille; a name that I have decided to call my future obese cat) and the new Dexcom CGM before making my final decision.

Animatronic

For starters, I think its necessary to point out that I am on an older version of a Medtronic pump. The new one has features on which I cannot yet comment, like the capture event menu, which I did add to my list of pros for Medtronic anyway, because it sounds awesome. Similarly Animas have the Diasend food database which I didn't use whilst trialing, and it sounds awesome as I can never ever ever remember the carb counts to anything, even foods I eat everyday. Except kit Kat Chunky's. Those are worth 36gm or 44gm carb for the king size ones. Guess who eats too many Kit Kat Chunky's?

I also think its necessary to disclaim that I was only given the loaner pumps for the purposes of seeing which one I want for realsies now my PHI can't money-suck aimlessly anymore; not for rambling reviews. Which I will do anyway.

Be warned, this is a large slice of blog-pie. You can find the fat-free (condensed) comparison list below:

The short version of my comparison - because the long version really is long

THE COMPARISON

I have lived with a Medtronic pump for the last 8 months. It would be an understatement to say I was a little bit emotionally attached to Lewis. So bear with me as I try to see clearly through my rose-tinted glasses. Originally as I was trying to decide on my loaner pump it all ended up coming down to 1 major point for each - Animas was waterproof. Medtronic wasn't. Medtronic had CGM. Animas didn't. CGM won because I was more interested in getting a better HbA1c than going swimming with my pump.

I also thought the Medtronic pump was just that little bit easier on the eyes. In saying that, now that I've had the Animas for a week I'm beginning to think its rather a little cutie, and am confused at my earlier thoughts that it was an uggasauras. Although I have got the plain black one, and I do still think the green version of Animas is reminiscent of one of the many cane toads that used to inhabit the toilet at our farmhouse when I was younger.

I'm already set up for Enlite CGM with Medtronic, having taken advantage of their recent 'Oh-crap-animashavecgmnow-eeeep-competitors' promotion. My 1st experience with Medtronic was more than disappointing, with the ISIG dropping out completely after only 4 hours of use.  Medtronic CGM drops out a lot. Maybe its to do with the extra-long showers that I intend to indulge in, but I am forever having to 'Find Lost Sensor'. The Animas Dexcom on the other hand hasn't dropped out at all. Of the 2 Animas Dexcom is easiest to insert, with a simple push down, click, pull up inserting mechanism. I think the insertion mechanism might be the reason why I had a bent cannula with my 1st Medtronic Enlite sensor, it is much more complex to use and can only be done on a super flat surface or it fails miserably. The graphs for both CGM's are much of a muchness; Medtronic wins me over by the smallest fraction, as you can scan backwards through your graph to see the exact readings every 5 minutes, whilst Animas only shows the overall graphs. Neither CGM stands up well for night-time tracking and I fought hard to try to calibrate both for correct night-time readings to no avail. CGM are really only good for trend tracking, not spot-on readings. I found with the Enlite CGM that the less calibrations I did, the more accurate it was. For the Dexcom I need to do more calibrations to keep it accurate.

CGM costs a pretty penny either way, but Medtronic wins hands down in the price department, especially if you take part in the current $375 starter kit option. Basically you get 5 sensors, serter, transmitter & charger for the price of only 5 sensors, but I don't know how long it is running for. Replacement sensors cost $375 for a box of 5. Animas costings are at $440 for a box of ?5, and you have to buy start up for setting up cost of approx $1000. They are also doing deals at the moment, but I'm not positive on what they are.

About 75% of the time that I am actually using my pump (i.e, the hands on part) is when I am bolusing. Medtronic has the quick bolus button that incorporates their bolus wizard. You can basically access it in 1 click. For me this is definitely a big consideration. I'm lazy. To bolus with the Animas Vibe you have to go in through the main menu and it is a little bit harder to navigate. For example the 2 hour post-meal BGL reminder for the Medtronic is selected before you confirm bolus, whereas with Animas you bolus 1st and then select to give the 2 hour reminder, which so far means I am accidentally putting my pump away during bolus delivery and then having to bring it out again to remember to say yes to reminder. Animas pumps bolus faster than Medtronic, which seems to mean more efficient insulin use via absorption. The other day I successfully ate a piece of banana bread and ended up on 7.5, which I have never been able to do with my Medtronic. Supposedly this faster bolus delivery can 'sting' (They have an option to change it to a slower speed to combat this) but I haven't felt any pain so far. I generally don't bolus more than 6u at a time. Animas have the quick option to cancel a bolus in progress, which is a feature I love. There have been a few instances where I have realised that I have overbolused, and being unable to cancel, have had to deal with the resulting hypo. Its a very 'safe' feature.

In the past week I have seen 2 movies in theaters (Warm Bodies, which I recommend and Oblivion, which I don't recommend) and the bright, colourful screen of the Animas pump was very apparent in this situation. I was able to illuminate and read the carb count off my chip packet using the light cast off from the pump screen. Medtronic has a green back light with black writing. In terms of screens I love the Animas. So pretty to look at and much bigger writing for those with sight difficulties.

Reservoir sizes don't make much of a difference to me as I use a max of 40u total per day.Medtronic have 2 reservoir sizes at 180 or 300 units which could cater to people with more insulin resistance (or those who shovel down the carbs by the bucketful). Animas have a happy medium at 200. The Animas reservoirs are a little poorly designed in that the needle used to take insulin from your cartridge is too long, and you are unable to get the last 5 or so units into the reservoir without a lot of fiddling about. On the other hand they seem to allow less air bubbles into the reservoir.

Both pumps are amazing and I have enjoyed them both immensely. I will be happy with whichever I choose in the end (oh damn, decision time!). They each have individual characteristics for different people and everyone's individual needs and wants. 

If I had to sum them up in 1 sentence each:

Medtronic is easier to navigate and very user friendly, with a more cost effective CGM and possibly aimed at lazier of the Type 1 species.

Animas has lots of safety features (such as waterproof, cancel bolus, and you have to confirm everything you do) and would suit younger children and those who are very visual in their methods.

I took Bastille into the shower. And went low. So my guess is I probably dont need it in the shower then anyway.

Have Sugar, Will Devour

"Hi Chris, I'm low, I need sugar".

Today my partner, Hugh, and I collected his father from the Brisbane airport. Fresh off the plane from England. We had asked him to meet us at arrivals 5 min parking pick-up. His plane got in a little later than we expected and we ended up having to do a loop (Which at Brisbane domestics is no easy feat. It's a fair few km for the loop). As we drove through the 2nd time looking for a spot to park in, among all the chaos of dodging attempted ram raids by elderly and foreign drivers, we spotted him in the distance, walking in the opposite direction. Being the passenger it was decided I would get out and wait with Chris so he didn't wander too far away looking for us. We were caught behind a man very slowly trying to manouvre his way into a reverse park position.

So I get out of the car and leg it towards Chris, whilst Hugh drove off to do another lap as we had by this stage reached the end of the 5 min parking area. First words out of my mouth once I had caught up with Chris weren't "hello, how was your long haul flight?" or any other pleasantries. They were "I'm low, I need sugar". I didn't realise it until I had gotten up, but once I was up and standing, I felt it. My badly blurred vision and inability to answer Chris' following questions suggested that I was probably in the mid 2's at best. I felt like I wanted to fall down and die.

I didn't have sugar or my meter on me. They were in the car. I didn't have my phone on me. It was in the car. And I didn't have my wallet on me. That was in the car as well. Chris' plan was to urgently call Hugh to tell him to high-tail it back as fast as possible whilst he apparently scanned the crowds for anyone eating a chocolate bar that he could steal. My plan wasn't anything. It was to go ballistic in my head at myself for being so stupid as to not grab my jellybeans on my way out of the car.

I think Hugh may have sped as he reached us in record time, just as I was preparing to make the dash of my life back into the airport terminus (which was a good few hundred meters away) and beg a sugar sachet from security. At least I was wearing my medical ID to corroborate my story that I needed sugar.

Never have I been more relieved to see car juice before. I call it car juice because I keep juice boxes in my car for hypo's. Said juice boxes have all been sitting in my car for many many months and have heated up the point where they have probably fermented. They're probably alcoholic by now.

This whole episode ruined my day and I spent the car ride home having an internal screaming match with Morty. Just one of those days when the little things about D tick you off. Today it was the fact that I despise having to take a pharmacy with me everywhere I go, just in case, even for 5 minutes. Tomorrow I'll be careful and carry pocketfuls of jellybeans with me around the house. Just in case.

Finger Pricks Are Fun

Rainbow Cake

This past Saturday, I made it to a year with D. The plan was to go and get a celebratory helix piercing. I went to the effort of asking the cool kids down at MyD if there was anything I needed to worry about or do differently.  Morty didn't agree, threw a gigantic tantrum, and demanded the intake of enough food to last a large bear through hibernation. With little to nil insulin. I'm attempting making it to the piercists again tomorrow. Shhhh, no-one tell Morty.

After Saturday's explosion he settled down, staying on a happy 5 - 6 the whole next day. I even managed to attend a 2 year old's birthday party, eat pizza (low carb from Dominoes), a slice of this monster, and be on 5.9 afterwards.

On Monday Morty was tired of his good behavior and was back to his usual habits. Trying to sneak highs in when he thought my mind was elsewhere. What Morty doesn't realise is that after a year, my mind is never anywhere else. For the past few days I have had hypos at night, about 1 hour after dinner, after daytime filled with higher BGLs. Another positive for the whole 'lived with it for a year' thing: I can identify that there are different hypos. Daytime hypos feel like death at 4.0 with sweating, shaking, confusion and extreme hunger straight up. Exercise hypos are basically invisible save for loss of eyesight. And after dinner hypos I don't feel until I stand up. . Once I stand up I generally want to die instantaneously. I've usually hit mid 2's and going down hard (all that extra insulin...fun stuff).

Again, last night Morty tried the old after dinner hypo trick. Ivy, my CGM, told me to go check my BGLs because it was reading me as low.  I had JUST eaten dinner and didn't want food. So my lovely, lovely partner forced me to drink juice. It worked a little. Then he had me eat jellybeans. There was 1 left in the packet afterwards. I still felt low, but flatly refused to eat any more of the magical beans on the basis of "My mouth is too tired to chew". So my man picked it up and ate it. Later that night, after I had recovered from my hypo, I felt a desperate need to shame him like one of those dogs whose necks you hang the placard around. It would have read: "My girlfriend had a hypo and I ate her last jellybean". Only unlike the dogs he wouldn't look guilty. He'd be smiling.

So tomorrow I have to remember to buy more jellybeans, which I should have done today when I was buying test strips. Which I discovered I could have had for free because one of the doctors I work for had expired ones in her cupboard. Screw the 2 year past expiry date, I tested them and they worked fine. Probably don't try this at home. I don't recommend it. Always use in stock testing strips. Only problem is, they work for the meter that has just been recalled. Which is my favourite meter EVER. So sad. Maybe I can just refuse to check my BGLs. Or you know, go back to using its predecessor. That might work.

Now all that's left on my 1 year checklist of diabetes is to get Morty back under control and I'm set to go. Where, I don't know. Onward with life I guess. I survived 1 year, whats 60 more? Alot of maths and insulin, that's what.

Harry Potter Meets D

Hugh's brother thinks I'm a diabetic Nazi. This is very likely true. I don't really know how else to be when it comes to my Diabetes. I don't really think that it's fair to expect me just take all the really annoying, critical and misinformed things people say about my diabetes lying down. This will only encourage people to say stupid things. And one day soon, my tolerance for stupid might rupture and smash, and screaming shards of Ashleigh will rain down on all the stupid people who have said or done stupid things in regards to my diabetes.

 I am very assertive when it comes to my D, because I can't escape it. D is like having another, very immature, attention seeking person trapped in my body. Let's call him Shane. Actually my uncle Shane was one of the 1st people to say something incredibly dumb about my D: He told me that I had eaten too much sugar and needed to exercise more. I vaguely wondered whether he realised that I was in better shape than him, or if he had actually met me before. Perhaps my whole childhood was an illusion and we never actually encountered each other. Maybe let's not call my diabetes Shane. We'll call it Morty. Sort of short for Voldemort.

Morty is an ever-present, cruel and twisted person. He took over my body without asking first. Kind of just sidled in there whilst I was sleeping. During the take-over he was subtle, throwing me off his scent by blending his attributes with the familiar side effects of a cold. When he was certain he could win, and that I could no longer fight back he deftly dealt a killing blow to my beta cells, killing them off forever. Making me dependent on his every whim, need and want.

Since that day I have had a very long time to get to know Morty. His childish behavior is worse than that of Brangelina's large and neglected troupe. If you ask him to do something, he may well just do the opposite to prove to you that he's in charge.  I have given him many stern talking-to's about such behavior, to which his reply is a sullen look and pout of defiance. Like any 3 year old, he can be cajoled into good behavior if you give him what he wants for a while. But again, like any 3 year old, he grows bored quickly and its back to the drawing board on how to reign control of him.

Morty is evil and conniving. He's very bad at hiding this and these particular traits of his are as obvious as the lack of conk on his namesakes face (if you watch the special features for HP: GOF Ralph Fiennes refers often to his nose as a conk. Trust me, it's funny). I know exactly when he will attempt to finish the job and am learning the skills to combat these frequent attacks of his. They aren't as sneaky as he thinks they are. I know for a fact he will always try to snuff me out during exercise. This is usually when he calls on his goonies, the friendly guards of Azkaban. I believe JK Rowling directly linked our soul-less mates to depression. I think she's wrong. Doesn't matter that she wrote the books, she's wrong. They are merely vessels for Morty's hypo attacks. You can't tell me I'm wrong - They make you shake, break out in a cold clammy sweat, you become disoriented and confused. Harry Potter even passes out. They make you feel as though there is no hope left in the world. And of course, you treat a dementor attack with chocolate.

Morty is there all the time. When you want alone time, to go to the toilet, have sexy times. He's ALWAYS there. You can throw an invisibility cloak over him for a little while but even if he's being quiet and still Mrs. Norris will still manage to sniff him out, and Filch will come screaming around the corridor and it's all ruined. No quiet time with Morty.

I'm still learning more about Morty every day. I'm also learning that everything makes more sense when everyone and everything has to do with diabetes (Seriously - to the other D's out there you will hopefully understand. Anything that happens EVER can be explained by the person doing the stuff being Diabetic). And if I went to hogwarts I would invent an ever-lasting insulin potion. Or a spell like Carbiuscountius revealio. And if my D really was Voldemort, I guess I would be Harry Potter, my endo and educator Hermione and Ron. Neville is definitely my pump Lewis. And my all-wise, all seeing CGM would probably be Dumbledore. But he dies in the end so I'm not sure what that means.

And I don't think that Harry Potter defeating Voldemort is a cure. I think it just means that I will best Morty yet, and he will just have to take the back-seat to what I want to do in life.

More Support Than My B-Cup Bra Can Give

Yesterday morning I logged onto facebook at work. (Yes, I'm a little bit naughty like that. But it was technically 6 minutes before my work started). I saw I had been tagged in a post by TJ (the same lovely lady I am doing the fun run with).

I opened it and went into some sort of shock. TJ had signed up to do the jump for diabetes - for myself and all other T1 diabetics out there. She doesn't know anyone else with Type 1. I haven't seen her since before my diagnosis. I don't even know how she knew about this fundraiser! I was and still am deeply overwhelmed by it. I may have cried a little at work. Emily at work might have thought I was crazy, crying at facebook.

I don't really know how to describe what I felt when I read her post. I think it was the singular most beautiful moment since my diagnosis. It was the moment when I knew, really knew that I wasn't in this alone. That people cared. To someone suffering from a chronic illness, this sort of unprecedented support means a lot. Its hard not to feel alienated and a burden to everyone else when your whole life is now incorporated into some disease. Sometimes I feel like my life is this disease constantly. Its an amazing feeling when you realise other people care what you're going through, and you know you can escape for a little while, be with other people and be a normal, unaflicted human being.

It's bizarre the way an illness like diabetes can show you who you can rely on and who your biggest support is. TJ and I have a funny sort of relationship. We can go for many many years with only the occasional bit of contact, a short message to say happy birthday perhaps. But when we reconnect, there never seems to have been any time missed. We can pick up where we let off. She will always be one of my closest friends, no matter how long we don't see or talk to each other. She is an amazing, selfless, giving person, and I will adore her forever.

I don't know how to thank her, whether she raises the money needed or not (although I will try my hardest to help her get there), I am so grateful for what she has given to me and other diabetics already. I am so grateful for her for reminding me that life isn't all chronic illness - its a whole lot of love, friendship and happiness as well. And hope. That one day there will be a cure. When there is, I can turn to TJ and thank her for it.

Jess - love you forever sweetie!!

(PS - anyone wanting to donate can do so at this link: http://fundraise.teamcurediabetes.org.au/jessica_king_90)

Jess & I

Perhaps we need to get some updated pictures!!! 

Running? Ashleigh? Really?

Yesterday I commited myself to a challenge. I'm trying very hard to uphold my New Year's resolutions and am becoming a little bit of a 'Yes Man', if it means living a fuller, funner life.

So Travis Jesus, a girl I will love forever and ever and is simply amazing, had decided to do the Mother's Day Fun Run. Spontaneous me said yes. Thinking Ashleigh agreed with spontaneous Ashleigh and they are both very happy with their mutual decision. I hate exercising 'for no reason', so this will give me a reason.

Anyhow, seeing as the Fun Run actually includes running, I thought I should start training ASAP. Otherwise for me the fun run will be a fun hobble. Today I walked and jogged  (fartlek training I think its called) 3.8km in 30 mins. I think in fit people terms, this is probably terrible. But I'm not fit, so I was happy. 

I started working out the logistics of this fun run D-wise. First up, it became pretty apparant that I need to get some sort of running belt to hold all my D-crap. Like a Spi-Belt. Tomorrow I will drag Hugh out to some sort of sporting apparel store and he can buy me one for our anniversy (which he will be happy with becasue he won't have to think of what to get me). I think I will also go and see if I can swangle an Accu-Chek mobile from the rep next week, so I can have an all-in-one glucometer, lancing device and built in strips. Currently I have D-supplies exploding everywhere which won't make running any easier. 

As I build up my fitness (or so I hope) I will have to figure out my pump settings. Today in half an hour I dropped 4 points.

Exercise and BGLs

And thats where Ivy comes in. I kept my pump on, but on suspend during my walog (walk/jog), so that my CGM (Ivy) could continue to transmit exactly what was happening. It was a pretty steady decrease, which was good, instead of a sharp decrease. I'll continue on with Ivy and see what she tells me. Next time I'll carbo-load beforehand and see what happens, if I peak and drop or hold steady.

Ivy - The Face of Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring

And right about now TJ is probably wondering what she got herself into. Me? I'm excited as all hell!!! Bring it on.

Red is For Cranky

The big 'D' badge has opened my eyes to a lot of things in 10 short months. I know about and have thought about issues that I am sure I barely knew existed before my diagnosis. I know about healthcare and what and how I can claim things for free. I know about how to treat people, all people, who are suffering medical problems of their own - like real people. 

I also know a heck of a lot more about discrimination, and I know that it goes on in ways you wouldn't even realize. Everyone knows about racism, sexism, religious right, gay rights and working rights. But how much do people see past that? Do they think about the fact that old people are discriminated against at medical centers or supermarkets simply because they are old and slow have a lot of problems and therefore are 'hard to deal with'. Or perhaps that person with anxiety who's medical team dismiss them because its 'all in their head' and everything that happens to them ever is a symptom of their mental illness. Discrimination happens everywhere, all the time, and I'm fast learning that a whole lot happens in the medicine industry. Its in every industry.

I'm that person who is discriminated against, but I'm not old, or African, or gay. I'm that person because I tick the box that say's I have diabetes.

I am discriminated against medically. By professionals (although thankfully my team right now are brilliant and I wouldn't give them up for anything!) and non-professionals. Oh, you have diabetes? You must have eaten too much sugar and fatty foods and you don't exercise enough.  You have another problem? Its because of your poor control. No other explanation or tests necessary. Diabetics pay the higher item number, even if we're well controlled because we *might* get complications in the future.

I am discriminated against socially. Going somewhere? Let's not invite the type 1 because she might have a hypo and we don't want to deal with that. Or assume that when we go out to dinner we can't eat anything 'normal', and that's just too much effort.

I am discriminated against by the transport authorities, who make ridiculous judgement about my ability to drive. 

I know when I am being discriminated against and I can do something about it. But there are those that can't. And this whole post really is about the anger I felt last weekend hearing about discrimination to a young T1 boy. 

Last weekend I went out with a friend for her sister's birthday. The girl sitting across from me worked in daycare. She noticed me doing a small calculation and it was revealed I had diabetes. So as you do, she decides to tell me about the 3 year old at her daycare that has diabetes. And proceeded to blast the crap out of his mother for allowing him to go to daycare like any other kid. She held the belief that she shouldn't have to be the one pricking his fingers and giving his shots because it was disgusting and gross (honest to god, you work in daycare...do you not deal with kids crapping and peeing their pants all day?). 

Apparently his mother should just keep him at home every single day and not allow him to learn any social skills because for 5 minutes  a day, it was a mild inconvenience for her to have to take care of him. Bitch, you're being paid to do this. His mother isn't, and this is a full-time job for her every minute she's with him. Not being allowed to go to daycare because you don't want to have to take 2 seconds to take a BGL is ridiculous. She immediately thought less of this child, of his mother because he has diabetes. He is not worth her time because he takes that little bit of extra attention.

He will face this when he goes to school. When he enters the work force and he has to hide his diabetes during his interviews. When he has kids his ability to be a good father may be questioned when he has a hypo and his attention lapses for a second. 

And I wish he didn't face it. Diabetes is hard enough, without people making access to normal things harder than it is to any other person.