I can't believe how much people pry. I mean complete strangers asking me why I can't have a maple bar, or why I am returning a monstrous mini-fridge just barely after buying one.
So Friday before my appointment, I had to fill up with gas. I went in to get a soda, because I had a feeling that it was going to be a long day and I needed the caffeine to help me wake up a bit. As I was checking out, the attendant offered me a maple bar. I responded, "Oh no thank you. I can't have that." He then proceeded to pry into why I couldn't have it and just couldn't help but put his two cents in. I eventually told him that I have diabetes and that I was just barely diagnosed. Then he began to tell me his life story and about his daughter and how she was diagnosed when she was a little kid. Sorry, but not entirely the same thing. I'm not entirely sure why, but I was quite annoyed.
On Monday, among my various adventures with my dear best friend, we went shopping for a mini-fridge for my desk at work. I need to keep my insulin cold, and since I work 9 hour days, an ice pack in a cooler just isn't going to last. Anyway, we went to Wal-Mart and found a mini-fridge that was small, but could still hold more than I was looking for. I just wanted something very small. After we bought it, I seemed to remember a smaller one at Target. So we headed over to Target and sure enough there was something smaller and cheaper. SCORE! Back to Wal-mart we went with their mini-fridge to return it. The guy that helped me get the fridge from the back earlier that morning had wondered up to the front for returns at the exact same moment that I was returning the fridge. He looked at me and said "really!?". I just smiled and said, "Yes! I found something smaller and cheaper." He then began to pry: "Where did you find something smaller?" "Sounds like you just need a powered cooler." etc. all the way down to "What do you need something that small for?" To which I responded, "I need to keep my insulin cool at my desk at work." At this point, I was no longer amused and quite frustrated. I think that it was showing on my face, because after I had said that, the guy shut up and gave me the "oh... crap, I shouldn't have pried"-face.
WHY do people pry and then when I tell them that I have this disease they get uncomfortable? You're prying and prying to get me to tell you and then when I do, you become all awkward! Oh geez! I mean, Diabetes is not a death sentence unless I want to make it one. I have the choice to live a healthy rewarding life. Unfortunately it means that I'm shooting up insulin 4 times a day, but a small price to pay when I can have a rich rewarding life with family.
I'm also kind of tired of everyone feeling sorry for me. Yes it sucks! It sucks that I can't eat whenever and whatever I want to. It sucks that I have to stick myself 4 times a day in order for my body to do it's thing properly. It sucks, I get it. Yes, I also get that it's very rare for someone my age to be diagnosed with Type 1. Yes! I know! It's freaking ridiculous! I don't get it, I don't know why now. I don't know what triggered it. I just know that I need to make the best of this and I need to keep my spirits up no matter what.
So I guess my rant is mainly this. I'm fine; I'm dealing with this. I'm going to have good days and bad days. It's just what is going to happen. I'm having to relearn who I am (yes I know I'm exactly the same person as I was before) with this disease. So I don't need people to treat me like I'm dying or even giving me motivational speeches (unless I ask for one). I just need people to treat me like they always have. I still need to feel like a human being. That's the biggest thing you can do for me. Make me feel normal and like my disease does not rule my life.
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