The Proof is in the Pudding

"You have diabetes? But you're not old. Or fat."



OK look. I get it. Most people have no reason to learn or understand anything about diabetes. I don't expect you to know all of the clinical facts and medical jargon. But for those of you who want to tickle this ginger's fancy, here's a quick synopsis brought to you by the always accurate experts at Web MD.

"Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells)."

Yup. That's right. Type 1 diabetics have this disease because we were born with it. We did not OD on sugar as a child and fall into the rabbit hole of diabetes. We don't have to inject ourselves with insulin because we ate one too many sugar filled, chocolate glazed, deep fried donuts in our lazy lives. This is the card we were dealt. Other than a less-than-perfect endocrine system, we are perfectly normal people. (For the most part, I can't speak for all of the weirdos out there.)

This isn't meant to be an ass-chewing for everyone out there who doesn't know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It's understandable. After all, this is what we are used to seeing as the face of diabetes:

But as a Type 1 diabetic, it's not fun being judged for something you can't control. (Ironically because we dedicate most of our time trying to control it...) And trust me, I have my big-girl panties on and I'm dealing with it. This is just a bee in my bonnet. Like people who clip/file their nails in public or smack while they chew.

Disclaimer: I'm also not dogging Type 2 diabetics. I will never, EVER, be one of those "Oh you brought it upon yourself" people. Ever. 

No, we don't look like the starring character from the 1958 film, 'The Blob.' Yes, we know all too well what the inside of a gym looks like. No, we don't pronounce it 'dia-beet-us.' Yes, we counted carbs before it was cool.

So moral of the rant? Don't judge a disease by its stereotype. (You can go ahead and judge a book by it's cover. We're pretty narcissistic people. We like our covers.)

**This post is dedicated to a few of my fellow favorite diabadasses, all of whom are hot, healthy, hilarious, and have crappy pancreases.