A Question of Health
Am I sick?
Think before you answer.
Here’s how I figure it: Yes, I have diabetes. But thanks in part to medication, my A1C is within the recommended “healthy” range for people with diabetes. That said, without those meds, I would not be well. But then, without modern medicine I would probably have been dead at 13 from a burst appendix. Instead, the worst I live with are glucose-meter finger sticks, fleeting hypoglycemia, occasional migraines, seasonal allergies—and a faded scar from that long-ago appendectomy.
By law, I have a disability, because the law needs people with diabetes to have a disability so it can protect us from discrimination. I am glad that this seems to work, but it’s not a meaning of “disability” that has any relevance to me outside of a courtroom.
I am most definitely not well if you think of me as a statistic. But that has more to do with the science of public health and the shorthand used to talk about diabetes. You will read, for example, that diabetes makes you more likely to have problems with wound healing, or circulation, or infection. But often what’s meant is that uncontrolled diabetes raises your risk. It is often faster, more effective, or at least more impressive to lump us all together. But it doesn’t say anything about an individual situation, mine or yours.
In fact, the only times that I have actually felt like a “sick” person have been within the medical system. The most extreme instance: when an anesthesiologist balked at administering my sedation before a hospital procedure. In his calculation, a person with almost a decade of diabetes has an increased risk of gastroparesis, a condition in which the stomach empties more slowly than normal, which in some cases can be dangerous under full anesthesia. I explained, as calmly as I could, that I did not have gastroparesis. He remained unconvinced. Fortunately, a determined nurse convinced him that, really, he needed to listen to me, and I got the proper treatment.
These crises are rare. But day to day, it’s important to me—given how often I have to think about my disease—to consider myself healthy. And I am happy when I feel healthiest, swimming around in the pool with my daughter, jogging laps in the park, taking walks with my husband.
Diabetes may make it harder to stay healthy, but that doesn’t make your wellness any less genuine. A healthy person with diabetes is a healthy person.
Former Editorial Director Sara Sklaroff will be writing a monthly column about living with diabetes.
Comments
Comments are subject to review and will not be posted immediately. If you have an urgent medical question, please consult a health care professional. If you have a question for the staff of Diabetes Forecast, please send it to Mailcall@diabetes.org.anesthesiologist/Medical community wanted to make me MORE sick
RE: November 2011 Editorial Director Sara Sklaroff article In one way this is bittersweet knowledge- first I thought HEY the SAME thing happened to me- from a Dr. F. of UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. On May 1, 2009; I was in surgery for a vitrectomy with a great retinal specialist (she helped create the new vitrectomy surgery); Dr. Tara McCannel. I came in at 5am and my BG was 200. I wanted to bring it down PRIOR to surgery because I remember reading an article either in DF or other diabetes magazine about the importance- can cause permanent brain damage to be under anesthesia and having higher than 160 BG. Also, there is a constant BG monitor AND a IV drip if glucagon if needed during the surgery--- so MANY safety options if the IDDM patient goes too low in her BG during anesthesia procedure. NOTHING if they are too high. Dr. F. REFUSED my request to take my own insulin I had with me- Novolog pen. I contacted the friend- who happens to be an RN; to come and assist me because this man , Dr. F., was YELLING at me about how I am too stupid to know what he knows and just a whole hostile, unprofessional environment like this. And many staff were there witnessing- and that was all they were doing. Dr F. left the room and one nurse apologized for Dr. F. and she said she would find some insulin for me- she brought me something so archaic I recall only using it in the 1970s! PORK insulin called NPH. I refused this. My RN friend came and she spoke to Dr. F.- all this time my BG were INCREASING- so now I was 370. I demanded to speak to Dr. McCannel. She said she was NEVER told of the situation and OF COURSE it is necessary for me to bring my BG down- the surgery was delayed for TWO HOURS all due to this one anesthesiologist! Then the POST surgery horror this same Dr. F. gave me!!! He would NOT allow me to leave the hospital; stating I had to stay overnight "because (he felt I) she is new to this disease and she may fall and go into insulin shock...it is obvious she has no idea how to take care of herself to come in with a high BG and needing a vitrectomy in the first place..." My RN friend kept me calm and explained to this doctor F.- I was diagnosed at age 4- now having disease for 38 years and NO complications until recently due to loss of my husband's life in the USAF/ Afghanistan war. I know more about my disease than he knows about any Type 1 IDDM and to give me the benefit of HIS doubts to allow me to go home. I had to go to hospital mediators and other community actions to expose such a horrible experience and the blatant ignorance and discrimmination because I am a Type 1 IDDM. I was told Dr. F. was going to be reprimanded and I found in the UCLA medical directory he is no longer listed. Why does it have to come to this? Such ignorance in the professional medical community can end a person's life. If I did not have an advocate/friend with me; and I shutter to think if she were NOT an RN- this Dr. F. never would have listened to her either. He proved he chose to ignore me- the lifelong Type 1 IDDM and then chastised me because I was in need of medical procedure and was willing to risk my life simply because he had pre judgements against me. And no staff member took any initiative to correct the matter. The patient had to DEMAND escalation of the matter. Just at Univ of Pennsylvania right now-- whole administrations, staff and direct professionals will choose to ignore one person in need of help. Please publish my comments so everyone knows; even at the most prestigious facilities- you MUST have a n advocate/friend with you AT ALL TIMES. YOU MUST be aware of your rights as a patient. DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED for any reason. DO NOT DOUBT yourself and your knowledge of what is right and correct for your health. Share the joy- not the pain, Lauran Derek Type 1 since 1973 ladymermaid@mac.com PS- Even as recent as October 28, 2011 at the Providence Healthcare Center I was given penicillin. It has been in my medical profile I am allergic to penicillin since I was 17 years old. Also, I have medic alert necklace, etc. EVERYWHERE it is alerted. My pharmacist and the fill in for my primary GP ignored this information and on October 29, 2011 at 5am I awoke with the inability to exhale- I could not breath. Ambulance came. And I brought to the attention of the doctor who prescribed it- she said my reactions had NOTHING to do with the antibiotic. My GP simply said never go to her again. The pharmacist I spoke to and he pointed out that it is a penicillin duplicate and the computer only picks up direct penicillin and put all the blame on the doctor.... Now, I look EVERYTHING up on drugs.com/google it - doctor can prescribe anything to me. I don't fill the RX until I look it up myself. I hope I am still capable of doing this when I am in my healthy 80's.... I am the only person taking care of myself right now and I thought all my medical alert bracelets, etc; at home medical alert phone service, etc and even a service animal would be enough; but NOW I have to double check my doctors and pharmacist! Lastly, it seems like a Seinfeld episode.... but I found only thru my life insurance policy that in my medical profile is a condition I have NEVER been aware of- and only males get. I went to my GP to find out WHY? He said it is SIMPLY A MISTAKE, but this medical profile is now in all the life insurance databases and I will ALWAYS be denied because of the diabetes and now this! Of course, I had to hire an attorney and demand the doctor write corrections to all necessary agencies to clear up my medical profile. It is worse than personal identity theft- an American citizen can be denied a career, life insurance, highest health insurance fees and even denial; as well as entering certain environments all due to what is in their medical profile! Your readers should always keep a check on theirs just as they do an annual credit report.
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