It may be more politically correct in the diabetes community to say "person with diabetes," but to be honest, I’ve never really had too much of an issue with the term "diabetic."
When referring to Charlie, I suppose I use "diabetic" more in writing than I do in speaking. For example, if speaking, I’d say ...
"Excuse me, gentlemen. If you would be so kind, might you stop holding Charlie down and pouring sugar down his throat? You see, Charlie has diabetes."
I most likely wouldn’t say, "You see, Charlie is a diabetic."
Especially in a situation such as that. I wouldn’t want to make him feel worse.
I don’t know why I use the term more in writing. Maybe because it’s easier to find words that rhyme with "diabetic" than it is with "diabetes."
Diarrhetic, pathetic, Dianetics, anti-semitic.
Just in case I needed to.
After Charlie’s hockey game the other night, I approached the mom who was handing out the snacks.
"I’m just checking to see how many carbs are in these," I said, lifting and turning the box the juice pouches came in.
She was confused for a moment, but then remembered.
"Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot he’s diabetic."
"No, it’s fine," I said.
"I would have brought something sugar-free," she added.
"No, no," I said. "It’s OK. He can have sugar. Just need to see the carbs."
She happens to be very nice, but ...
"I forgot he’s diabetic."
I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit.
Here's one place where the T1/T2 divide becomes a wide gulf. Many of us with T2 (especially those of us who do not require exogenous insulin) do not have the tools with which to correct for an unexpected snack or munch. Because we are often having to worry about calories (that diabesity-and-hypertension thing), sugar-free is sometimes an option that will reduce both calories and ingested carbs, and play more nicely with our diabetes and our diets.
None of which applies to a child of normal weight who has Type 1 diabetes and wears a pump.
My kid is not a fan of the term 'diabetic' and she usually narrows her eyes and growls a bit when she hears someone say it. She has the same reaction when she sees Oprah or Dr. Oz. Or a magazine cover announcing that cinnamon can cure diabetes. While her peers are rolling their eyes at their uncool parents, she's expressing her pre-teen annoyance by targeting clueless media types.