Comment by Sugar free is me! on February 23, 2013 at 6:51am

Thanks for the POSITIVE reinforcement. You are so right, People are so quick to blame and point fingers and thats what causes a lot of it.
As you can see from my picture I am not a small skinny person.
What you cant see is that I LOOK like I am in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy! Thanks to Die or beat this! aka diabetes.
I am predisposed to a large middrift -thanks to mom and both grandmas-I am doomed.
Hello Men - o -pause! Now its worse -I have comments from total strangers
"oh when are you due?" "That must have been a oops!" and they have touched my stomach. Really!!! While wearing my medical bracelet -I have had comments like" Ya know if you loose some weight you won't be diabetic anymore!"
Call AMA they found a cure !!! lol....
We celebrate birthdays in our large office of 25 people - of course w/ cake and frosting. The kids in my office actually said we didnt bring you cake because you shouldn't have sugar! Once having a low episode -very rare for me-I choose to eat a fun size snickers.... the girls next to me actually said "why are you eating that!" So I have come to the conclusion that it's not shame - I am feeling just ignorant people who just dont get it !!!! Stemwinder I AGREE WITH YOU AND I THINK YOUR BLOG IS AWESOME! Thanks for sharing!!!!

Comment by Betty J on February 23, 2013 at 10:19am

What you say is so true. I've lived with T1 since childhood and even then I was told not to tell anyone I had it, as if I should have been ashamed. I don't know how many diseases carry such a stigma but I know Diabetes does and for what reason that I don't know.

Comment by Doris D on February 23, 2013 at 11:19am

ugh gary i did when i was a kid but now i dare anyone to make me feel embarrased about it lol

Comment by Kathy on February 23, 2013 at 12:13pm

I was dx'd in 1974 at age 21 and yes, felt deeply ashamed. All of the people in my college dorm were whispering about it (oh man, it is making me cry to this day). I felt like a total and absolute freak. It didn't help that I went to a family practitioner who knew nothing about db and when I went for my 3 month fasting bg and it was elevated, he'd call my mother and tell her I was "sneaking candy bars".
I always felt like I was on the outside, looking in at those people who were in good health. It was terrible. When I got out of college, the Americans With Disabilities Act had not yet gone through and most job applications asked if you had cancer, diabetes, or mental illness. I got so tired of being rejected that I started lying and didn't check the box, and was hired soon after.
But, current times have helped me with this a great deal. When I saw people online who graciously "own" their diabetes and lead active and productive lives, I
thought "well, if they can do it, so can I".
I have many complications and sometimes I'm ashamed of them. But, currently they are all stable and I am living an amazing vibrant and enjoyable life. I am very proud of that.
I still don't go blabbing around that I have it, but if it comes up in conversation I'll certainly talk about it.

Comment by David (dns) on February 24, 2013 at 10:50am

I have never felt ashamed of being PWD. Angry, resentful, defiant, all the usual emotions one cycles through after dx -- but never ashamed. Once I reached the point where I could view it calmly, it became simply a problem to be solved. A life-changing one, to be sure.

Comment