Diabetes Week: Sweetness is my Weakness

I interrupt this blog of all things Glasgow to bring you a public health notice. Tales of my fine city will resume shortly.

Having been pancreatically challenged for the best part of seven years now I feel I should draw attention to the fact that 12-18 June is Diabetes Week. We all sit around and eat cakes in celebration.

I joke.

Those good old chaps and chapettes at Diabetes UK are encouraging everyone to talk about their experiences of diabetes whether direct or indirect. This can only be a good thing. Raising awareness is the best way to erase ignorance of what continues to be a hugely misunderstood condition.

A recent survey exposed a worrying truth that 1 million people in the UK feel under pressure to hide their condition from friends and colleagues. Now considering there are an estimated 2.8 million people in the UK with diabetes that’s quite a percentage (I’m rubbish at maths or else I’d work out said percentage). The survey revealed that many people missed their insulin injections out of worry of drawing attention to themselves – many were concerned that diabetes would affect their employment chances or that others would instantly assume they had brought the condition on themselves. Although saddened by this I can’t say I’m entirely surprised.

I have lost count of the times I have wanted to rip up a newspaper or throw my slow-release- carbohydrate-snack at the TV for the audacity of giving airtime to ignorant pundits or poorly researched documentaries and adverts. Greater differentiation between Type 1 and Type 2 must be made, the types are very different both in source and treatment, there is even a camp that would like to see the types given different names...all suggestions welcome.

Type 1 is an auto immune disease and should be treated as such, it is in no way lifestyle related. Yes, we all know Type 2 can be caused by numerous factors including poor diet and inactivity but it should also be pointed out that this is not true of all cases. The media’s portrayal of the person with diabetes as , please excuse my French, a fat ba*t#rd and a drain on the NHS, is not at all helpful and only fuels prejudice.

I’ve always been very lucky, the ‘betes is not something I have felt I have needed to hide, yes I’ve had the odd stare when shooting up in public, I’ve had the occasional comment that I don’t ‘look diabetic’ and I’ve had hypos in the most inconvenient of places – the Debenhams lingerie department springs to mind, but I don’t have an issue with people knowing I have diabetes and I reckon if we raise greater awareness about the condition any stigma attached will start to diminish.

I, like many others, work hard to manage my condition and this is apparent to the people around me. I lead a normal, active life and have refused to let diabetes hold me back. I always remind myself that, at the end of the day, it is a manageable condition, frustrating as hell at times yes, but it really could be a lot be worse.

So, there you go, those are my thoughts. I hope this year’s Diabetes Week encourages other people to talk more openly about their experiences and helps to improve understanding. Negative stereotypes be gone!