Diabetic Recipes
Last week when I suggested that the diabetes community design an awareness symbol akin to the breast cancer campaign's pink ribbon, I apparently hit a nerve with someone.
Nordtorp says he's not into the secret handshake thing and that ribbons and pins don’t make a difference. He doesn't think that wearing a trinket will cause more money to be funnelled into diabetes research.
I have to say that I whole-heartedly disagree. If someone asked you what are the major illnesses -- chronic or otherwise -- that affect the U.S. population, would the common person identify diabetes as one of them? Without a connection to diabetes, I doubt it. Does the common person even really understand what diabetes is? Not many.
I've said it before and I know others have to: diabetes is an invisible disease. When cancer strikes, the patient loses hair and we are reminded of the struggles a person with cancer goes through; if you meet a person with multiple sclerosis, you may have to walk slower to maintain a conversation while they walk with crutches or braces or ride in a wheelchair and we are reminded of the struggles of MS; a person with AIDS may slowly waste away and spend inordinant amounts of time in the hospital and we are reminded of their struggles.
What are our outward signs? You can't see the scars of fingersticks unless you're really looking. We often hide to check our blood sugar or take a shot of insulin or put our pumps in our pockets. We hear "But you don't look sick," we run marathons and have babies. And there are so many treatment methods out there that diabetes is becoming more manageable, more maintainable. Yes, our lives are being extended.
But we're still invisible. So why shouldn't we do whatever we can to raise awareness? If wearing a trinket or a button or an insulin pump makes people ask questions, then we're doing a good job (I'm still waiting for the day when someone looks at my hip and actually says something instead of staring. I'd love to hear: What *is* that thing?). If those questions lead to people giving money to diabetes research then we're doing the right thing.
Now, I'm not saying I want people to take pity on me because I am not defined by this disease. But doctors and researchers are making strides for better treatment methods because of increased awareness. And my hope is that with better treatment methods comes a cure. And if a cure comes because I wore a button that says "Cure Diabetes" and someone asked a question that sparks a conversation that leads to another conversation that inspires someone to sponsor someone's JDRF team, then I'm proud of that.
So this isn't about secret handshakes or belonging to a group. This is about awareness. This is about being heard. This is about obliterating diabetes. So if wearing a trinket or a button is what it takes, then that's what it takes.
Interesting thing about "visibility"... one of the local JDRF chapters does its annual walk on one of the local boardwalks... at a time of day and season where there are a lot of casual passers-by on the boardwalk. Once you've handed in your pledges/money, they don't care if you actually walk the 5k or not. Last year (my first), I went expecting a racewalk, and everyone else just casually strolled up the boardwalk and back, stopping and playing at the arcades, shopping, or just hanging out... wearing our various team walk shirts... in essence, *being visible*... Maybe that's what we need to do -- go out in easily-recognizable groups among the general public and field the questions if-and-when they come...
Michelle, I understand why you believe that visability may help; yet, I don't think it will really change things. People don't lose their hair from cancer it is the accepted treatment for cancer that does the internally hidden damage that creates the hair loss. To this day they still don't to my knowledge give a treatment for elephant skin, caused from the treatment of type1 diabetes, internal scaring from the skin from the needles. Found something for it; yet, my doctor won't prescribe it for me. The rates of type2 diabetes appears to be increasing more then type1. This in my opinion has to do with the eating disorders triggered by many factors. Teach the children to eat properly and diabetes2 will disappear. Foods were more wholesome until the industrial giants took over. Your idea has it's merit; yet, if their ever is a cure for diabetes1, the very industries that make profits off of this condition would get turret syndrome. Have a great day.
Davido is on the right track. The increasing rate of diabetes itself is a symptom of our whole planet and food economy being out of balance. Why is grain so cheap? What types of crops and agribusiness get the big govt subsidies? (Hint: not the family farm organic veg growers) Why is corn syrup being insinuated into every processed food possible, including those that don't go with desserts, such as mayonnaise and BBQ sauce? Why aren't we eating the types and proportions of foods our ancestors ate while they were evolving our diabetic-prone genes? Could it be those plants and animals have gone extinct, or almost did? (Buffalo, anyone? Look up the history of how Indian fry bread came to be...it is glorified concentration camp food for when the Navajo were force marched out of their homes and given nothing but flour and grease to live on.) It goes on and on. So it isn't easy to stuff all that karma into a single graphic, because you'd have to drag in issues of the environment, politics, oh yeah, and some amount of personal education and responsibility too. Heck! I'll just give up eating meat on Fridays and donate the money to a health education cause. OK, on a more constructive note, I think the best way to raise awareness is through school and TV ads just like for anti-cigarette smoking. School 'nutrition' education, such as it is, should make a direct and very blunt connection among portion size, diet choices, and diabetes. Just mention diabetes in the very first class.
Davido is on the right track. The increasing rate of diabetes itself is a symptom of our whole planet and food economy being out of balance. Why is grain so cheap? What types of crops and agribusiness get the big govt subsidies? (Hint: not the family farm organic veg growers) Why is corn syrup being insinuated into every processed food possible, including those that don't go with desserts, such as mayonnaise and BBQ sauce? Why aren't we eating the types and proportions of foods our ancestors ate while they were evolving our diabetic-prone genes? Could it be those plants and animals have gone extinct, or almost did? (Buffalo, anyone? Look up the history of how Indian fry bread came to be...it is glorified concentration camp food for when the Navajo were force marched out of their homes and given nothing but flour and grease to live on.) It goes on and on. So it isn't easy to stuff all that karma into a single graphic, because you'd have to drag in issues of the environment, politics, oh yeah, and some amount of personal education and responsibility too. Heck! I'll just give up eating meat on Fridays and donate the money to a health education cause. OK, on a more constructive note, I think the best way to raise awareness is through school and TV ads just like for anti-cigarette smoking. School 'nutrition' education, such as it is, should make a direct and very blunt connection among portion size, diet choices, and diabetes. Just mention diabetes in the very first class.
I totally and wholeheartedly agree. Just last weekend I was talking with Alex from Team Type 1. I said that there is going to be a 'next' disease symbol. We've accepted the pink ribbon. The Livestrong rubber bracelets are mainstream. Both ideas have been copied. I think diabetes needs to come up with the next new idea. Not a ribbon, not a rubber bracelet. What will it be?
i think that sounds great.
but lets have two symbols-one for type one and one for type two!!!!
i hate it when i tell someone i have diabetes and they think i have type two because im overweight!!!
lets show the media a seperation of the two diseases.
I think having a symbol to raise awareness is a great idea. Obviously if you dont want to wear it you dont have to but I think it would help in so many ways. Not only would it raise money but think about how many people complain about non-d friends, family and co-worker who either dont ask enough questions, are unsupportive (sometimes with out knowing it) or try to give incorrect advise. There is alot of information out there but before you were diagnosed with diabetes did you think to pull up the websites or read articles about it. Most of us did not and without awareness more people are just going to keep getting it. Maybe with a little education it will keep someone from getting it and I am all for saving someone from the misery I go through dealing with insulin, needles, finger pricks, diaries, and lets not forget the pills I have to take to save my other organs from the complications.