While diabetes may be considered an āinvisibleā illness, to people actually living with diabetes the symptoms are anything but. What people may not realize is that a person with diabetes is constantly monitoring the food theyāre eating, their blood glucose levels and the amount of insulin theyāre taking ā not to mention other daily activities that may affect their levels, like exercise. People likely donāt see everything you do all day long in order to keep your body functioning.
Diabetes is not always well-understood by onlookers, partly because people donāt know what diabetes ālooks likeā in practice. They might see your insulin pump and think itās a pager, or wonder why youāre choosing to drink soda instead of water. But the more people are educated about the reality of diabetes, hopefully the more support and less judgment you will receive. So we asked our Mighty community to share some things they do that people donāt realize theyāre doing because they have diabetes. Be sure to share what you would add in the comments below!
Hereās what our Mighty community told us:
- āAlways carrying a bag with me. I never leave without it. It has snacks, my pump/glucometer, glucagon, and anything else I might need that day.ā ā Jerica W.
- āI donāt spend money on things that are not necessities. The ever-fluctuatingĀ prices of insulin have caused me to think very carefully about when and where to spend money.ā ā Emily G.
- āPeeing all the time. If I eat too much sugar, I pee it out. I metabolize alcohol like that, too, especially beer. I pee it right out.ā ā Ashley T.
- āIām always thinking about āsparesā and where to put them. It may even mean Iām bringing more than people around me. Can I fit a spare pump site in my small crossbody bag to go tonight? Do I have enough low treatments at the office? Did I bring enough supplies on my trip?ā ā Mindy B.
- āAlso, when I go low, people might not realize that when I say I need a Coke or snack now, I absolutely mean now. I went to McDonaldās one time to get a Coke and food because I was going low, and they were really slow and questioning everything my mom was trying to order. Which was a small Coke and breakfast sandwich. She wound up saying we were in a hurry because I was having a medical emergency. One of the only times I didnāt have my own stuff⦠I canāt always explain why I need certain things right at that moment. If I say I need something, donāt question it. Iāll explain after.ā ā Jerica W.
- āChugging a regular soda when I have a low, and looking at a menu and carb counting in my mind the different meals before I choose what Iām going to eat.ā ā Devon M.
- āI carry juice on me at all times. I sometimes look silly walking into a professional meeting drinking out of a juice box, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do!ā ā Emily G.
- āWhen Iām at the gym standing there trying to determine if I took in enough carbs to do certain workouts without having to worry about drops in my sugar level.ā ā Audrianna B.
- āPeople donāt realize⦠that when I say Iām tired, Iām so very tired! I have had periods of waking up from low blood sugar every night for weeks before I could sort it out. The mental fatigue of trying to fix myself added to the physical fatigue of poor sleep can equal terrible, disabling exhaustion. When I go into work yawning and āsleepwalkā my way through the day, my colleagues will say āTired? Yeah, me tooā¦ā but really they have no idea!Ā So what people donāt realize Iām doing is sleepwalking my way through the day on autopilot.ā ā Becca W.
- āReading most nutritional labels in grocery stores.ā ā Liz W.
- āWhen Iām eating like Iām in the apocalypse and I found a room full of food, my blood sugar is probably low!ā ā Michelle A.
- āDue to the fact it takes so much energy to eat, I avoid foods that require excessive bite pressure or take a lot of chewing. I also get exhausted very quickly, usually two or three bites. Most people do not understand that I have to eat high protein foods or something that packs a lot of nutrition nutrition in a small amount. Chips or snack foods donāt have any value.ā ā Misty L.
- āIām constantly washing my hands. A few years ago a cold I caught quickly progressed into diabetic ketoacidosis and a week-long stay at the ICU fighting for my life. I now take every precaution possible to avoid germs.ā ā Emily G.
- āExtending and staring at my hands⦠to see if theyāre shaky.ā ā Liz W.
- āThe first thing that comes to mind is deciding whether itās worth it to argue with someone who wants to tell me about how I can cure my diabetes. Even when it comes from a place of love, the advice is insulting because the implication is that they know my disease, my body, and the field of research more than I do when Iāve spent my whole life learning about and living with it. Unless youāre an endocrinologist or someone actively engaged in diabetes research, I really donāt want to hear it.ā ā Jess H.
- āWherever I am, Iām always looking out for people either wearing an insulin pump or a Dexcom⦠I get excited when I find one of my people!ā ā Michelle A.
- āThe number of endless calculations we make throughout a day for each meal and every activity we have to do or plan for.ā ā Michael N.
- āSomething that people donāt realize I do because I have diabetes is checking my Apple watch or phone, even in the middle of a conversation or meeting. I do this because I wear a continuous glucose monitor that allows for my blood sugars to be displayed on my phone. People also donāt realize that the reason I, a 26-year-old, am chugging a juice box is because I have a low blood sugar.ā ā Isabella S.
- āSneak Jelly Babies in my mouth when Iām having a hypo but donāt want to draw attention to it!ā ā Lotty
- āI try to find the humor in all situations. Living with diabetes can be such a dark and intimidating thing. It has caused me to truly appreciate the good times and to laugh whenever thereās an opportunity to do so.ā ā Emily G.