Diabetes Blog Week: Day Five - Freaky Friday

Just like in the movie, today we’re doing a swap. If you could switch chronic diseases, which one would you choose to deal with instead of diabetes? And while we’re considering other chronic conditions, do you think your participation in the DOC has affected how you treat friends and acquaintances with other medical conditions?

Well, my first thought when I read this topic was 'seriously?'. 

Then I decided to play along and think seriously about trading chronic diseases. I even googled chronic diseases to see what my options where. 

Some of the fun things that popped up were: 

- Crohn's disease

- epilepsy

- rheumatoid arthritis

- muscular sclerosis

- schizophrenia 

- ulcerative lupus 

- alzheimer's

- celiac disease 

- grave's disease

- fibromyalgia

ummm, no thanks. 

Let's be honest, I wouldn't pick type one diabetes off the list either but I have it and have made my peace with it. Even more, I have managed to turn it into an ally who takes me on adventures and helps me make memories. 

But seriously, would I give it back if I could? Hell yes. 

I know at least one person who puts a real face to each of the chronic diseases listed above. Family members, friends, co-workers and people I support. None of those diagnoses are easy to live with nor are they diseases they would have chosen. Each person faced their diagnosis bravely, with tears in their eyes. Each of them has great days and days where they wish they could make it all go away. 

I would only trade my diabetes for one thing and that is a cure. Otherwise, as my grandmother says, better the devil you know than the devil you don't.