Sometimes diabetes really does come in handy in school. The knowledge I have obtained throughout more than fifteen years of this disease leads me to information overload. All this information gives me insight into the psychology of chronic illness, the details of diabetes, an overview of complications, and the added bonuses of nutrition, exercise, and all that jazz.
The two health classes that I have taken are prime examples of this information overload. When we reached the chapters covering diabetes, I didn't even have to study to pass that part of the exams. I already know the warning signs of type 1 and type 2, the treatments, and the list of complications. It's easy and saves me some time that I can devote to other diseases.
Occasionally, diabetes really frustrates me with this information overload. More times than not, I know more about the disease than those teaching me. Usually, professors keep to the book and don't add their comments. Sometimes, you just get the wrong professor who likes to pretend they know all about the disease.
My nutrition class is a prime example. Granted, the professor has only mentioned type 2. But he mentions it in broad generalities. According to him, type 2 wholly depends on proper nutrition. He also leaves out that nutrition can affect other types than type 1 and type 2. Good nutrition in gestational, LADA, or MODY...apparently, it doesn't matter.
When he began covering food labels, carbohydrates were quickly skipped over. His actual reference went to the Adkin's diet. He couldn't think of a single practical use of carbohydrates. Counting carbs is a major part of my life so a basic nutrition class should note that carbohydrates on food labels are important for a large part of the population. Honestly, I was just waiting for him to cover "sugars" and relate it to the old ways of eating.
In his PowerPoint presentations, diabetes appears multiple times from noting that diabetes needs structured diets to obesity in diabetes. However, there is no differentiation between type 1 and type 2 or between any other types of diabetes. Obesity increases the risk in all types of diabetes, according to him. An autoimmune disease that's brought on by obesity? Makes total sense to me!
Overall, I wish there was a way to exempt from this class. Not only have my previous health classes covered all of the topics in this class, but also diabetes gives me the majority of this information. I know how to read a nutrition label. And my increased health concern has led me to knowing the basics of nutritional planning. If only colleges would give credit for diabetics in health and nutritional classes...wouldn't life be so much easier!
