If you read that headline and stated, “I’m going to read what he has to say and then I’m going to blast him for saying it”……..well…….you ‘sort-a’ fell into the trap. So welcome, pull up a chair, and let’s chat.
Since I can remember, from the time our journey started, which is over 22 years ago; more than this organization vs. ‘THAT’ organization, more than one form of modern technology vs. standard practice; and even more tired waiting for a cure—-there has been this notion that one form of diabetes is worse than the other. “Don’t make us part of them, my child had no choice.” Sound familiar?
I’m not here today to debate this point, and I surely know people will believe whatever they will believe, but from a sheer power-position of numbers and the strength therein, it may be time to re-think this whole entire T1D vs. T2D discussion.
Here’s why.
Disease is disease. If we can, first and at least, get people to take notice; we just might be able to educate about the differences between the two types of diabetes (and more). Think I’m crazy—-okay let me ask you this; ever heard of Stand Up To Cancer? Sure you have. Want to see what the very first thing that smacks you in the head when you look at their website homepage:
Stand Up To Cancer is a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.
Now off the top of my head I can name 10 different forms of cancer and the person I know who has; had it, has it, and/or died from it. With that notion in their head, someone at Stand Up To Cancer; or SU2C, figured there was strength in numbers. They are right.
We want the media to ‘get it right’, we want the world to ‘get it right’, we want those we know to ‘get it right’, but somewhere before diabetes entered our households we were under the same ‘blindness’ about what diabetes is and all of a sudden one day, ‘poof’—-WHY DOES NO ONE KNOW WHAT I GO THROUGH AND HOW HORRIBLE THIS DISEASE IS? The outside world is clueless for the same reason we didn’t know until it hit home……what makes us think the world would all of a sudden change? What makes us think we have a right to downplay someone else’s battles as worse than ours? Add to the mix that WE CANNOT EVEN GET IT RIGHT that someone who lives with T2D has all the same emotions and fears as the rest of us do…..and so do their loved ones.
The complications, as oppose to the daily care, approach, and cause; CAN BE virtually identical. The same pain, the same fears, the same end. Yet, continually, so many feel obligated to let the world know about those “….fat people who do not take care of themselves so they ‘got’ T2D and THAT is not what MY CHILD goes through”. I cannot list how many people I know at a size 8 or less or with a 36 waist or less who have T2D. And yet, it is felt by adding the disclaimer, “Although there are exceptions people with T2D slam-slam-slam-slam-slam”, makes it all okay to say. It also does not help bridge the gap when it is said, “I don’t care what people think whether I have the right to say it but type 2 is slam-slam-slam-slam again.”
To what end?
I’m merely suggesting that for over 22 years now I have heard these discussions. Almost a quarter of a century. I have also heard that we need more…….well everything….when it comes to diabetes. With 1.5 (or 2, or 3, or .90–whoever you are reading) million people with T1 and almost 30 million total with diabetes might it be worthy of a discussion to see about joining together, albeit philosophically, about an approach with one voice to let the world know how devastating it is to live with diabetes?
Even if you do not agree completely, we have tried the one way so long and we are where we were 22 years ago, still……..even for that reason alone, might we want to at LEAST try a different approach? Even try?
Is 1V2ED—–One Voice to End Diabetes—-such a dumb idea…..really?
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