I’ve drafted a version of this post at least a dozen times. Each time, fear causes me to hit the “delete” button. But I believe these words are more important than the reactionary fear they may bring. Truth should always outweigh fear.
For a while, I’ve sat back and watched as the Diabetes Online Community has morphed into a mean and somewhat evil-spirited know-all. It’s obviously there’s a lack of education and knowledge with diabetes. Many people don’t know the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It’s frustrating and sometimes, it’s even infuriating. But I don’t believe yelling and screaming is the answer to the problem.
In our world, we are large and vocal. We band together and work hand-in-hand to educate people on the differences. But in all actuality, there are only 3 million of us with type 1 diabetes in the U.S. While that’s a large number to any normal person, comparatively throughout the country, it’s not. When a reporter, a news anchor or writer misidentifies a diabetes fact, we take it personally. I don’t think we always handle it well.