Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Retro-BUDDIES...Perpetuating the MYTH...

My buttocks were frozen to the rink bench... (about 2 1/2 years ago...)

Four times a week, for a total of about 5 to 6 hours per week I am rink side. I am there. I am a Super Hero (Wonder Woman perhaps?) Pez Dispenser on "stand-by". I am an every 30 minute finger tip pricking, blood drop squeezing, test strip toting, glucometer sporting M-A-C-H-I-N-E. I place myself in pucks-way, while attending to Joe's diabetes rink-side. If I lose any teeth or end up with stitches due to this gig, I am gonna be one pissed off D Mama. However, it is what is required to keep my seven year old diabetic son safe while he plays travel hockey for our town program.

So, back to my bum cheeks...

Well, actually back to sitting rink-side....
 
I was accompanied by a woman whom I consider a friend. I don't know her very well, but have talked with her, on and off...here and there for the past five years, or so. She is kind-hearted, sensitive, compassionate. I have no beef with her. Still don't...even after this:

Scene: I have just returned to my popsicle-glute-inducing-seat after a blood glucose check 30 minutes into Joe's hockey practice. I had given him 2 glucose tablets for a 189. (He still had some Insulin On Board (IOB) from dinner and he still has another 30 minutes of practice)

She: "Is Joe OK?"

Me: "Yeah, he just needed a little sugar to "boost" him."

She: Something to the effect of "Wow, that is a lot of work"...

Me: "Yeah, it is a lot of work. Joe's activity level definitely adds in some outlying variables here and there."

She: "So, didn't your Mom have it?"

Me: "No...no one in our family has Type 1, except for Joe."

Me: Continuing on..."It is an Autoimmune Disorder...HLA types...predisposition...environmental stimulus...virus...T cells attacking beta cells...no insulin...blah...blah...blah.....and blah (an extra "blah" for good measure)."

She: "I always tell "blank" (her son, keeping it anonymous here) that if he keeps eating sugar that he will end up getting it."

Me: "That is not the cause of Type 1." (shoot, she missed something between HLA types and Autoimmune Disorder)

She: "I know, but if I tell him that maybe he won't eat so much junk food."

Me: "Well...jeez... don't tell him that! You are perpetuating a long-standing myth and stereotype. Stop it!" (in a jovial voice...with a hearty slug to her upper arm for good measure).

What to say?  I found it interesting that it was being used as a "scare tactic"... and sad.
 
A day-in-the-life of dispelling myths, even if it is one person at a time.

19 comments:

Meri said...

Unreal. That isn't right. And I can't believe she told you that too. She had to know that would bother you. Right? Maybe she is reflecting about it now. Good for you for keeping your cool!

Deanna said...

This convo really makes me want to cry, and not for lack of humor on your part (that part makes me lol). But the lack of understanding by people in our every day lives befuddles me. We have quite an uphill battle on our hands.

Stephanie said...

Wow. Just WOW. It is amazing for someone who has known you for 5 years that she is purposefully perpetuating that myth to her son.

Anonymous said...

I used to tell my kids the same things. I didn't know any better. It's all you hear about when it's not a part of your life.
I remember on the way to the doctor's office telling Camden that I was going to have them test him for diabetes. I told him that there were two kinds and this wasn't what I'd been talking about. I promised him that he didn't make himself this sick. (Meanwhile I encouraged him to finish the plum I grabbed for on the way...)
I'd never been so angry with myself for not knowing enough about something. I wish I'd had somebody to correct me earlier.

Joanne said...

Good for you for keeping it upbeat and just playfully slugging her on the arm instead of punching her in the face. Hmmm, I seem to be feeling a wee bit violent tonight...

LaLa said...

Hmmmm - that's all I got.
I don't know how I would have responded but I am going to go ahead and guess that you handled it better than I would have.

Good for you, Reyna! :)

Kelly said...

Oh man. I probably would have jumped out of my seat and screamed ITS NOTHING TO DO WITH SUGAR!!!

-Sigh- Educating once deaf person at a time I guess. Im gonna start carrying little cards to hand out to people with the FACTS!

Alexis Nicole said...

After the D day I had Ima shut my mouth. Wow. I love u. Thats it.

Scully said...

I'm not sure if I would have kept my cool. kudos to you.
and I know the frozen bum - its numb and hurts all at the same time!

Anonymous said...

Hey, this is Mom checking in with no D so far. It is really sad when anyone uses this to scare a child into eating the healthy food or to not over eat the wrong foods for there bodies. You can give her a punch for me. Great job dealing with this person.

XOXO

Sarah said...

stinks when poor parenting skills eeek in on the truths of d. Some people just can't be educated and are some how unable to also see how their comments effect others. Dumb people stink. Good for you responding in such an adult manner.

Unknown said...

I have to say...I get it...really I do. I know not all people understand how simple "false" comments can affect us and, more importantly, our plight for research funding. I have nothing bad to say about this lady. She is truly a nice person...and I really did...just give her a good ol' Reyna slug to the arm (I do this all the time).

Amy said...

Bad parenting. She needs some skills, Reyna! Kuddos to you for trying to set her straight, but after 5 years she sounds kind of stuck in her ways. Next time slug a little harder.

Speaking of sticking. YEEEOOOOUUUUCH. You know you should pour warm water over your ass cheeks if they get stuck to the metal bench, right? Or is this just your cheap way of getting a wax job without the tip?! ;)

Fiona said...

You know, I really connected with this post. I have some pretty severe "know-it-all" tendencies and since my diagnosis and learning of diabetes reality vs. diabetes myths/misconceptions, I've found myself a lot more cautious about making throwaway statements that are based on "conventional wisdom." It's natural human tendency and not usually malicious, but so often, the statements are wrong and you never know who or how it could hurt.

Jonah said...

My aunt asked me to tell her husband, who is morbidly obese, that he would get diabetes (any type) if he didn't lose weight.
I asked him if his parents were obese. He said yes, both of them. I asked him if either of his parents (both alive) developed diabetes. He said no. I asked if any of his siblings developed diabetes. He said no.
I said, You're not at high risk for type 2 or type 1 diabetes. Sorry.

Frankly, what I tell people who worry about candty and type 2 diabetes is that the greatest thing about diabetes is that candy is now good for me. It's my idea of sweet tooth heaven. I don't eat glucose tabs- studies show skittles and other candies to be just as effective plus much cheaper- and I go hypo lots!
I suggest you threaten to tell that to this woman's kid.

Heidi =) said...

I am impressed! You handled that very well, that's why I love you so much!

Mrs. Harer said...

What a great D-mom you are, my mom never hung out at the rink to test me!
I would not have handled that situation as well as you did. I am not surprised at all that parents use diabetes as a scare tactic considering the way the media portrays it.

Tracy1918 said...

Okay, Sweet Friend....I'm finally asking the question I've been DYING to know.....drumroll please.....

What is YOUR daily schedule? Not Joe's BG schedule....YOUR schedule.

9 times out of 10, the comments you post on my blog are at 4am. You recently posted something about it being the 4:00 hour and you were awake.

Do you ever sleep? Is that your secret?

Seriously, does getting up early help you get it all done? Any tips appreciated! : )

Liz said...

Ugh.....that comment is right up there with one my sister made "I was watching tv and they said that if you just take vitamin D, your diabetes will go away"! This coming from a 30+ year old. I couldn't believe it. If only it were true.