You Have Diabetes? Wicked!

Every once in a while someone will write a blog about the silly, offensive, awful, judgemental, close-minded and hilarious things people say to us about diabetes.

As an alternative, here is my list of things I would love people to say to me:

- oh, you have the pump? I'm impressed that taking care of yourself is so important to you.

- you test your blood sugar 10-15 time A DAY??!? Wow, you really do try hard to take care of yourself. I am SO impressed.

- are you sure you should be eating that cupcake? Your blood sugar was really good when you checked it, why not have two cupcakes.

- you have diabetes? So did my grandmother. She lived to the ripe old age of 104, her eyes were great, she was still living on her own and still ran 5 kilometres a day, every day. She died bungee jumping.

- you have diabetes? You should try eating cinnamon - it's delicious. Especially when sprinkled on French toast with lots of maple syrup.

- I think diabetes is so sexy. There is just something really hot about people who have calloused fingers and infusion sites. I mean really really hot.

- I noticed that you just checked your bloodsugar. I totally understand how personal that is and would never dream of asking what your number was. I just wanted to tell you how awesome you looked while testing. Particularly when you sucked the extra blood off your fingertip. Rock on!

- You have diabetes. I bet Steel Magnolias really pissed you off eh? What an awful way to misrepresent diabetes. It did nothing to help educate people about what diabetes is really all about.

- You have diabetes. As your friend (co-worker, lover, partner etc), I really want to understand it so I can share it with you and be there to help if you need me to. Will you teach me what I need to know?

- You have diabetes? That means you can do ANYTHING you want to do.