DBW- Wednesday- Language and Diabetes

There is an old saying that states “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. I'm willing to bet we've all disagreed with this at some point, and especially when it comes to diabetes. Many advocate for the importance of using non-stigmatizing, inclusive and non-judgmental language when speaking about or to people with diabetes. For some, they don't care, others care passionately. Where do you stand when it comes to “person with diabetes” versus “diabetic”, or “checking” blood sugar versus “testing”, or any of the tons of other examples? Let's explore the power of words, but please remember to keep things respectful.

As I've said in earlier posts, I'm a different, or unique person who hos juvenile onset diabetes.  If I say something on my blog that upsets someone, why should I be upset? That right there upsets me because after all it this is MY BLOG.  I have a comment place where anyone can tell me that they don't like what I've written and why they don't like it, they think I'm crazy, they think I'm being obnoxious, they think I should stop writing, whatever they want.  But they'd better have a thick skin. I will reply to any comment. I will try to explain why I write what I do. I won't be mean, but I will be honest. I created this blog for me because I don't have anyone to talk with and this is my wait to VENT.

When I was on the vial and syringe, which I understand a lot of diabetics put under the term MIDI, with the pen.  Okay that's fine.  I've never used a pen, never wanted to.  I thought, still do think, it was stupid and dumb to call it MIDI. I guess that's because I generally don't use abbreviations, which MIDI is. But when I used the syringe, I never would say I'm going to have my insulin injection.  EWE.  How medical can one get.  I'd say, I'm going to have my shot.  My family and friends all knew that I was going to go have my insulin. No big deal.

When I was diagnosed back on September 17, 1965, I didn't have a home glucose meter. Nope, I had to test my urine like all the other juvenile diabetics out there had to do.  Lots of fun there, let me tell you.  I didn't say, time to check my urine for my sugar and ketone levels.  Nope, I didn't say anything. I just went to do it. .

Even today, most of the time I don't say anything about going to check my blood sugar. Although if I feel low, or the CGM on my pump is beeping at me, I figure I have to see how far off it is. Then I say I'm going to check my blood sugar.

I prefer to say I have juvenile onset rather than type 1 diabetes simply because when I was diagnosed back in 1965, that is what they told me I had.  So I still say I have juvenile onset diabetes. Most of the time I have to clarify to most people what juvenile onset diabetes is. That's fine with me.

I don't mention the lancets because I just don't. If someone sees me using a "poker" I tell them that it's called a lancet. I have used several different infusion sets for my pump and I call them all insets, I don't refer to them by the type of infusion set they are..

I don't refer to my pump as the Tandem T:slim G4, what a mouthful! Instead I call it the G4. I call my Dexcom receiver the Dexcom when I'm wearing both the G4 and the Dexcom. When I only have one CGM or the CGM on my G4, I refer to it as a CGM. Okay this is an abbreviation but this is one I can live with. Who wants to say continuous glucose monitor all the time?

I had been using the Contour glucose meter. But Bayer wanted me to switch because the meters I had were over 10 years old and THEY decided they were too old. Their readings were fine, agreed close enough with my endos office. But when they suggested I switch, I did. I'm now using the Contour Next. I refer to those, I have three of them, as my Contours. The thing I don't like about the Next is, they only come in one color. The old Contours I had a Blue, Green and Black one.