D-Blog Week Day #5 Freaky Friday

D-Blog Week Day #5

Freaky Friday - Friday 5/17
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? (Thanks to Jane of Jane K. Dickinson, RN, PhD, CDE and Bob of T Minus Two for this topic suggestion.)

This is a really hard one. I don’t know a whole lot about other chronic illnesses. I’ve googled and looked some up and I don’t know that I can say I would switcheroo. At first I thought about arthritis, but I hate pain so don’t know that I want to go there. Narcolepsy, yeah, I kinda like being able to drive and live a somewhat normal life, at least with “D” I can do “normal” probably better than if I was narcoleptic. Don’t get me wrong, I love sleep!  Heart conditions……Well, I have a really good friend who has heart problems and I have seen what she has gone through before getting pregnant, trying to get pregnant , with her pregnancy, and now that she has had little guy. I don’t really know that I would want to go through all of that.

 If there was a chronic disease that consisted of living off of chocolate, I think I could handle that. 

                                                                      Oh  Yeah!!!

Or not being able to grow hair on my legs or under my arms, how sweet would that be?! The chronic disease that keeps a woman from having to shave her legs and arm pits! Now that I would choose.

                       Unfortunately this would be me if I didn't shave every few days. :(  Gross!!!

 Both of those sound more like super powers though and we were not asked about what super power we would choose. We were asked about what actual chronic disease we would switch with. I’m sure that there has to be some sort of chronic disease out there that is better than diabetes, but I don’t know what that would be.

Second part of this…..Has the DOC (Diabetes online community) affected how I treat others with chronic conditions? I think for me that yes, a little. It’s been more of a combination of the DOC and taking my own health more seriously over the past few months and being reminded how I felt when I was first diagnosed. Starting on the pump just in February has brought all sorts of things to my attention and made me more aware and more sensitive to what people say to me, in turn I’m realizing that I need to be more sensitive to others who have chronic health issues that I know nothing about.  I know that I must have at some point in my 30 years of kickin it in this life of mine, I must have said something insensitive and offensive to someone about their health condition. For that, I am greatly sorry for and I wish I could take it back or go back and apologize if I knew what I had said that had hurt that person and who they are. Recently someone I know was getting some tests done for the possibility of pre-diabetes and cholesterol and a bunch of things. Turns out it was a vitamin D deficiency and high cholesterol. This person had posted stuff on Face Book about it, and I had initially asked questions before the test results came back. When they did come back, I wanted to say something, but was at a loss  because I didn't want to say anything that would be hurtful or insensitive even though I would definitely not intentionally say anything of the sort. I would want to say something encouraging and positive, but anything that came to mind just seemed too cheesy and dumb. So I said nothing.  Just because someone may have something going on with them that is not diabetes does not mean that it’s not serious or that it’s not something that really affects them. It may not be the same, but we all still need to be sensitive to others because we don’t understand. Sure, maybe I wanted to says, “Yay! It’s only a vitamin D deficiency and high cholesterol. “, but saying “it’s only”, not cool. I don’t ever want to say that to someone unless it’s like an ingrown toe nail! Maybe there are not shots involved, or a device hooked up to them at all times, maybe someone with another chronic health issue doesn't have to be as in tune with their body as I do, but that doesn't mean that there are no emotional affects to what they have and are going through. That’s what I am learning and trying me best to keep in mind. That I can’t see what they live with, that I can’t see how it affects them mentally, emotionally or physically. So sensitivity, YES!!! Yes to others, yes for me. Please and thank you!