Misconceptions & Frustrations

Tonight I am pretty fired up.  I've had one hell of a day trying to figure out a ton of things in my head and online.

People have a ton of misconceptions about diabetes.  Many people think that anyone with diabetes ate too much sugar and now can't eat it.  Even before Lil' Man was diagnosed, the aforementioned notion was laughable.  Who could think that anyone can survive without sugar.  We need it to live and sugar (good and not so good sugars) are in everything we eat. Now, it angers me.  Normally, I am pretty easy going when it comes to cartoons and the funny things that others post on Facebook but I saw this cartoon/laughable/whatchamacallit on Facebook today and it pissed me off.  Mainly because people don't think twice about this. Pure ignorance or just plain insensitivity?

Then again, there are cute ones like this:

I talk about diabetes wherever I go (when it comes up in conversation - I don't think I steer it) and I like to inform people about the differences between Type 1 and Type 2, albeit, in short form.

Granted, before September I had my own misconceptions about this disease.  I have a friend who has had Type 1 since he was 13 and I learned a little bit from him.  Unfortunately, he did not manage it very well and he had part of one of his legs amputated, along with the toes on the other foot and some fingers.  Now, it take quite a long time to get like that.  It won't happen overnight but it can happen if you don't manage your diabetes.

Amputations are one of two nightmares I have nightly, the other is where Lil' Man looses his life.  I wake up in tears with my pillow soaking wet.  It goes without saying but no parents want to out live their child(ren).  I haven't slept a whole nights since September 18 (the day he was diagnosed).  I can handle the twice daily insulin injections, the many finger pokes to vacuum the blood but the thought of either of those things (amputations or death) happening to my baby scares the hell out of me.  The thought of that happening to anyone's child scares me.  I know that death is inevitable but he should be able to get another 90+ years out of his body.

I have felt for some time now that something isn't working well with the awareness of diabetes.  November is Diabetes Awareness month but the only thing that I have heard in the regular press (my diabetes Twitter people don't count here) is November 14 - World Diabetes Day and sadly it came from the Chapters-Indigo Twitter account.  Everything this month has been Movember and they have marketed the hell out of.  Why else would growing facial hair for Prostate cancer be so popular? I mean no disrespect but the people who marketed this are brilliant, diabetes needs these people.

As much as I love the information found on JDRF Canada, JDRF and Canadian Diabetes Association websites, I think more could be done.  November is Diabetes Awareness month and yet I am trying to figure out why our stores aren't plastered blue and/or grey for this month like they are plastered pink for the month of October.  October is for Breast Cancer Awareness and everyone knows that.  You can get pajamas, storage containers, travel mugs, pens, magnets, note pads, sweaters, sweat pants, jackets, t-shirts, toques, mittens, car scrapers, etc. all to help support breast cancer.  Is this world full of consumers trying to tell me that people who have diabetes aren't suffering enough to have the above mentioned items out there to help support them?

Lance Armstrong has a full line of items from Nike to help raise awareness for cancer.  Lance's Livestrong is even participating in Movember (I'm not knocking it, it is a worthwhile cause).

Something has to be done. All of this is out of the frustration that I can't purchase clothing to help diabetes.  All I want to do is have something to wear that has people asking where they can get one because a) they want to help support diabetes too and b) because they like it.  Is that so wrong?

This whole thing sparked because I woke up for the first time this morning not in tears but with an image of my son designing his own Adidas track suit  to help support diabetes where 10% of the proceeds of each sale went to JDRF Canada and Canadian Diabetes Association.  My son LOVES Adidas, he requests demands his soccer uniform to be all Adidas with the exception of his Tim Horton's uniform jersey and his underwear.

I just want the general population to gain more awareness and insight to diabetes and possibly gain some cool clothing to help spread awareness while we find a cure.

Remember: Insulin is not a cure but it is life support.  We NEED to find a cure for this disease.  They are counting on us.