It’s GREAT having diabetes! Bear with me… If you have diabetes, no doubt you’ll have read the many things that can go wrong with you. It’s depressing. And in my 20s when I didn’t bother looking after myself, being told what could go wrong didn’t motivate me.
Most of us are carrots, not sticks people.
I’ve done this exercise before, but it’s worth repeating. Here is what I think makes having diabetes amazing…
I am a special wee snowflake. Yes, I am. Not that many people have type 1 diabetes. We’re in an exclusive gang. We like people with type 2 diabetes too. They can join our gang any day!
I’m very organised. You have to be with diabetes. Daily life needs to be organised around it – working out what medication you need, when and if prescriptions need to be picked up, working out your food choices for the day, scheduling in exercise, and taking everything you need with you when you go out. Do employers look for people with superb organisational skills? You bet they do.
I get regular health checks. People without diabetes can live with conditions for a long time, but my HbA1 levels and kidney function are tested every six months, my liver function and the nerves on my feet every year, and my retinas are screened twice a year. I’ve probably left something out, but I think you can agree I’m subject to regular checks that can pick up issues at an early stage.
I get to be obsessed with food, legitimately. While making food the primary focus in your life isn’t the best idea, I do get to spend a reasonable time Googling recipes and working out meal plans because that helps my health and well-being. I can also be fussy about what and where I eat, again because what I eat is crucial to my health and not because I’m an awkward wee sod.
I have a high pain threshold. I must have, right? I inject myself every day, and people are always taking blood out of my arm (see above!). A high pain threshold is handy if you want to get your legs waxed*.
I have a ready-made excuse. I try not to play the diabetic card, but it does come in useful from time to time. Need to get out of something and stuck for an excuse? High blood sugar levels are a legitimate way to wriggle out of anything…
Finally, here’s my favourite one as suggested by the comedian Arthur Smith, himself a type 2 diabetic. As I have diabetes, that is yet another thing that differentiates me from Donald Trump. Hooray!
*Okay, I’m scraping the barrel now.
Diabetes Diet 
I only attempted to wax my leg once. I put on ONE little strip and it took me half an hour to get it off. Never again! I haven’t even had my ears pierced I’m so pain averse!
You can sometimes get your food delivered quicker in a restaurant if there is a type one in your party. Also you won’t get drafted into the armed forces. I have heard that you can get quicker passes for rides at some theme parks. I think the fast pass system that you can buy may have put an end to that “perk” though.
One perk is that if you are treating a hypo, you CAN feel virtuous about eating sugar! Everyone else just feels guilty EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Also a little bit of booze at night can help with the dawn phenomenon. Another little perk.
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Yes, I tell my nephews and niece that jelly babies are my medicine and they look at me dubiously… You have to get someone else to wax your legs 😉
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My favorite thing is the wonderful people I have met along the way during these 42 years. These are the very best buddies and fellow criers I have in my life.
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Nice point, Rick!
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