There’s a big diff between Diab & drug addicts
For anyone caring to read my rebuttal comparing diabetics to drug addicts from
the newspaper, it’s long, but I’ve retyped it here:
Julie Sellers, director of the Perinatal Exposure Prevention Project of the
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, stated in her Voice letter
June 3, concerning chemically-dependent pregnant women: "If we’re going to make
any progress with this population we need to recognize that they suffer from a
chronic disease not so different from diabetes or hypertension."
As a Type I juvenile diabetic for almost a half century, I want to take a loud
stand against being compared to a "druggie" harming her unborn baby.
There is a huge difference in chronic diabetes and self-inflicted addiction.
Everytime I stick a needle into myself (more than 14,000 injections, countless
lab tests, poking my own fingers 3-5 times a day, and wearing a needle 23-24
hours a day for the last 16 years), please know that I did not choose this
lifestyle. A drug addict makes the choice to inject.
The only enjoyment I ever got from a shot was sustaining 3 more days of living
and breathing. (My Dr. says the way for people who take insulin to tell if they
are a Type I or Type II is to stop taking shots; if they are dead in 3 days,
sure enough, they were Type I.) My joy does not depend on chemical abuse. While
I consider what goes into my mouth, a nicotine-addicted mom makes a choice to
put that "coffin nail" into her face. When I don’t drink alcohol and stay with
artificially-sweetened liquids, I make a choice for a better beverage.
It is extremely offensive to me to be compared with someone who had a choice in
the first place and took the wrong fork in the road. I went into a coma as a
child without any conscious (pardon the pun) decision of taking this path.
Sellers compares my dilemma to addicted pregnant women when she states, "Let’s
ask ourselves if we’re as judgmental about diabetics who can’t resist a piece of
birthday cake." She needs to also consider that when I want to enjoy a piece of
birthday cake, I can take a little extra insulin and eat the cake with a meal to
prolong the simple carbohydrate absorption. It may be a poor choice, but it is
not an addiction.
Most people want to lose weight to get into a bathing suit or wedding dress, and
continue to pop pieces of goodies into their mouths, or relish a piece of fresh
strawberry pie as they announce, "I start my diet tomorrow." Let’s compare them,
also, to chemically-dependent abusers. Perhaps diabetics should blame their
grandfathers for that first piece of Werthers Butter Candy that addicted us to
sweets. Ahh, if there were only an internal switch to flip to cut off what
childhood tastes did to all of us: well-intentioned dieters and diabetics.
Sellers states, "People who have never suffered from an addiction have trouble
sympathizing with women who can’t stop smoking, drinking or using illegal drugs
during pregnancy." I, myself, have not "sufferen" from an addiction. I have
trouble, however, sympathizing because I did not make the choice for my
lifestyle. To continue with her sentence, should we feel sympathetic after the
pregnancy when the mother is still using drugs?
While I’m on the topic of wrong comparisons, I know of a psychiatrist who was
treating a diabetic whose family had trouble accepting the forced lifestyle
changes. The person was told, "You are like my homosexual patients; they expect
their families to accept them, too." Excuuuse me! There are support groups for
recovering addicts, recovering homosexuals, or recovering alcoholics. How many
groups for recovering diabetics have you ever heard of? If I could "recover,"
I’m there!
To single out diabetics, Type I or Type II, and compare them to druggies is a
puzzle. That reveals there is a lack of knowledge about this chronic disease.
Are there also misconceptions about Jerry’s Kids, or the ones who deal daily
with epilepsy, or blindness? Many people think diabetes is a sugar allergy. We
are allowed to eat food; that is why registered dietitions work with a patient
to personalize a tolerable meal plan; birthday cake is allowed occasionally. I
was even criticized for eating a fresh pear that was too large. Talk about being
quick to judge! On my meal plan, however, I am allowed 2 fruit exchanges for
lunch, equaling a large pear. My critic was devouring a slice of lemon meringue
pie while finger wagging.
Almost all foods turn to sugar at some point. Simple sugar is immediate in the
body (that’s the reason candy or juice is given to recover from a low blood
sugar/insulin reaction); complex carbohydrates absorb later. Protein eventually
raises the blood sugar, making cheeses and nuts the better choice for
hypoglycemic individuals to snack on.
Mark Twain said, "The way to live a long life is to contract a chronic disease
and take care of it." I did not choose my chronic disease. Can addicts take care
of their "chronic disease" to live longer?
Being involved with a friend or relative who is a diabetic may somewhat your
lifestyle; please consider that it was not a chosen lot in life. Warnings are
posted against drugs, alcohol and nicotine; that’s the difference. An addictd
lifestyle is selected with the first action toward the substance. Just say,
"No!"
By Jan Hughey
April 21st, 2003 at 6:12 pm
EXCUSE ME! As a person with Diabetes who just *happens* to be homosexual, I
am greatly offended by the statements in your post. I did NOT choose this
lifestyle either. Do you honestly think I would choose to be beaten every
day in school, and denied housing or employment because of my CHOICE? I
cannot "recover" from my sexual preference any more than you can wake up
tomorrow and *decide* to change yours. THIS WAS NOT A CHOICE. This is who
and what I am, what GOD made me, what my DNA made me. My fundamentalist
father accepts and loves me. Your statements are ignorant and hurtful.
Please don’t hate me just because I am gay, your child may be as well.
David Type 1 {LADA} (who LOVES his MM 507c Insulin Pump)
Assimilated into the Borg Collective on May 3, 1999, at 1200 hours
There is a huge difference in chronic diabetes and self-inflicted addiction.
Everytime I stick a needle into myself (more than 14,000 injections,
countless lab tests, poking my own fingers 3-5 times a day, and wearing a
needle 23-24 hours a day for the last 16 years), please know that I did not
choose this lifestyle. A drug addict makes the choice to inject.
<snip>
While I’m on the topic of wrong comparisons, I know of a psychiatrist who
was treating a diabetic whose family had trouble accepting the forced
lifestyle changes. The person was told, "You are like my homosexual
patients; they expect their families to accept them, too." Excuuuse me!
There are support groups for recovering addicts, recovering homosexuals, or
recovering alcoholics. How many groups for recovering diabetics have you
ever heard of? If I could "recover," I’m there
<snip>EXCUSE
Being involved with a friend or relative who is a diabetic may somewhat your
lifestyle; please consider that it was not a chosen lot in life. Warnings
are posted against drugs, alcohol and nicotine; that’s the difference. An
addictd lifestyle is selected with the first action toward the substance.
Just say, "No!"
By Jan Hughey
April 22nd, 2003 at 3:20 am
Guys, can we please not start a war here. Please?!?!?! If you don’t or
can’t accept what or who you are then you can’t fully live. One of my
favorite quotes is "There is no future, there is no past. I live each
moment as my last. There’s no day but today". Ironic, that came from
RENT, which was about drug addiciton, HIV and homosexuality (for those who
didn’t know). Who cares if we are diabetic or what anyones sexual
preference is? It doesn’t change who we are or what we believe. I’m not
gay, but I have alot of gay friends. Does that change how people feel
about me? If so, I’m sorry. Because I hate to lose friends, but this is
your problem, not mine.
EXCUSE ME! As a person with Diabetes who just *happens* to be homosexual,
I
am greatly offended by the statements in your post. I did NOT choose this
lifestyle either. Do you honestly think I would choose to be beaten every
day in school, and denied housing or employment because of my CHOICE? I
cannot "recover" from my sexual preference any more than you can wake up
tomorrow and *decide* to change yours. THIS WAS NOT A CHOICE. This is who
and what I am, what GOD made me, what my DNA made me. My fundamentalist
father accepts and loves me. Your statements are ignorant and hurtful.
Please don’t hate me just because I am gay, your child may be as well.
David Type 1 {LADA} (who LOVES his MM 507c Insulin Pump)
Assimilated into the Borg Collective on May 3, 1999, at 1200 hours
There is a huge difference in chronic diabetes and self-inflicted
addiction.
Everytime I stick a needle into myself (more than 14,000 injections,
countless lab tests, poking my own fingers 3-5 times a day, and wearing a
needle 23-24 hours a day for the last 16 years), please know that I did not
choose this lifestyle. A drug addict makes the choice to inject.
<snip>
While I’m on the topic of wrong comparisons, I know of a psychiatrist who
was treating a diabetic whose family had trouble accepting the forced
lifestyle changes. The person was told, "You are like my homosexual
patients; they expect their families to accept them, too." Excuuuse me!
There are support groups for recovering addicts, recovering homosexuals, or
recovering alcoholics. How many groups for recovering diabetics have you
ever heard of? If I could "recover," I’m there
<snip>EXCUSE
Being involved with a friend or relative who is a diabetic may somewhat
your
lifestyle; please consider that it was not a chosen lot in life. Warnings
are posted against drugs, alcohol and nicotine; that’s the difference. An
addictd lifestyle is selected with the first action toward the substance.
Just say, "No!"
By Jan Hughey
————————— ONElist Sponsor —————————-
April 24th, 2003 at 12:45 pm
Dear Jan:
Congrats!!! couldn’t say it better!!! Joan:)
April 27th, 2003 at 2:04 am
Hey David, whats the Borg Collective? HUH?
fp
April 27th, 2003 at 10:12 am
How about this one…."Yesterdays History, Tomorrow’s a Mystery, Todays a
gift so make the best of it"
fp
April 30th, 2003 at 5:24 am
The Borg are a race of 90% or more machine 10% or less humanoid on star
trek. They take over other civilizations and turn them into themselves and
all function as one unit. Just a little star trek reference, since I am now
part machine…
David Type 1 {LADA} (who LOVES his MM 507c Insulin Pump)
Assimilated into the Borg Collective on May 3, 1999, at 1200 hours