Saturday, October 25, 2014

A Matter of Perspective

A conversation that I recently had:
Pharmacist:  You are on only two medications! That’s amazing!! 
Me: Actually, it’s three. 
Pharmacist:  ????  Two.  
Me:  Don’t forget the Insulin. 
Pharmacist:   Oh, right!!! But you are like a rock star diabetic! Nobody is on just two meds! 

Now, it did feel good to be called a rock star diabetic. Because nobody has ever EVER called me that. 

Credit: Valerei

This conversation came 26 years - almost 10,000 days - after my diagnosis, and it did make me feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside. But I would bet there are lots of PWD - People With Diabetes - who are not on other meds, like children for example. But I’m not going to argue that point. 

Because what strikes me is this:

Has insulin become so ubiquitous in our culture, that it is no longer seen as a medication with its own challenges? 

Is this why people shrug diabetes off? Is it why people tend to think that all you need to do is eat well, take your insulin, take your meds, and all will be well? 

Does it take a diagnosis of diabetes, and living with diabetes for a while to understand that insulin is not a cure? That even with the modern advances of better insulins and technology, that there are still many challenges for those who inject or pump it everyday?

Insulin is not a cure, and it is not easy to manage. But I do my best to manage it. Every day. 

And that makes me a Rock Star. And if you are a Person With Diabetes, that makes you a Rock Star too. 

So when you're not feeling much like a Rock Star, and it will happen from time to time, remember that it's a matter of perspective.

When it rains, look for rainbows
When it's dark, look for stars
                                               
                                                                          Esther Comau

2 comments:

  1. Sometimes it takes a complete stranger to make an observation about us that we've been unable to see in ourselves. Glad to see that someone else saw your Rock Star status!

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  2. I think it's often overlooked because we see it as replacing something missing; our body is supposed to produce it, so we see it as "natural" rather than "chemical." Of course, anyone who's encountered a natural poison can tell you that "natural" doesn't mean "not dangerous." Insulin is way more dangerous than a low dose of blood pressure medication, for instance. Also, 26 years definitely makes you a rock star. I hit 18 today and I can't believe it.

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