Guest guest Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 In a message dated 7/31/2004 8:38:30 AM Pacific Standard Time, n7eoj@... writes: I believe saying " I/he/she is diabetic. " is a consideration to all parties. You are declining by explaining you have a medical condition that requires monitoring and self-control, regarding consumption. They are being reassured you have medical reasons for declining their offer. I'm getting used to declining, because I am diabetic and my understanding friends are taking that condition into consideration before offering again. I've noticed it helps when offered an alcoholic drink. They don't feel you are shunning the drinkers. There are many reasons for not concealing the fact we have diabetes. I do say I don't want toput a sign in my front yard with the explanation on it though! LOL I do not hide it though for the obvious reasons we all can think of. I try to test privately, but if I need to turn a little towards a wall, I do. If something feels " wonky " I am going to check it, then. Those that know us, would much rather know we have this issue, than see us in trouble and not understand. They should not become the " diabetes police though! " Hugs, Marilyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 > I believe saying " I/he/she is diabetic. " is a consideration to all > parties. You ar > i think it depends on the situation though. The waiter at a restuarant doesn not need an explanation as to why i dont want desert. Aunt Betty Crocker would need the consideration of an explanation why i am turning down the cake she spent all day making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 > Hugs, Marilyn > > Just a comment here, what would REALLY help me on your replies is if you put a line or too of space between what your replying to and your reply, i enjoy your comments but often find myself searching for where your comment begins and what your replying to ends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 > " I am diabetic " reflects that reality in a way > my mind apparently didn't want to acknowledge so explicitly. > i think you are very right with all this! I also find it easy to say " I got diabetes last may " which is more soothing in a past tense sound, than " I am a diabetic " even thinking that I cringe still. Im very much having the trouble with the permanance of it, even cancer either goes into remission or kills a patient, diabetes is of a handful of disease that are progressive and life long with no remision and no cure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 Budd, I enjoyed reading your comments regarding the publics perception of Diabetics and the problems/challenges we face. My experience has been similar to yours with regard to my friends. It helps them to understand why you are declining the desert or cocktail. In addition, I enjoyed your distinction between the " I am Diabetic or I have Diabetes. " Very good points here as well. I had not thought of Diabetes in those terms (that I may have a communicable disease) but I see your point. Get on your soapbox any time. Vicki From: Budd We here all know & understand our condition, but I find the general public (including me until a couple of months ago) are pretty diabetes illiterate. As with any minority, we need to project an informed, positive image to help them understand our condition. I believe saying " I/he/she is diabetic. " is a consideration to all parties. You are declining by explaining you have a medical condition that requires monitoring and self-control, regarding consumption. They are being reassured you have medical reasons for declining their offer. I'm getting used to declining, because I am diabetic and my understanding friends are taking that condition into consideration before offering again. I've noticed it helps when offered an alcoholic drink. They don't feel you are shunning the drinkers. Saying " I/he/she is diabetic. " indicates to the listener we have a medical condition. Saying " I/he/she has diabetes. " often indicates to the listener we have a disease, which they may interpret as communicable. OK, the air is thin up here on the soapbox. I'll get off...for now ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2004 Report Share Posted July 31, 2004 I hadn't thought of this subtle distinction. Before getting any deeper into this discussion, I'd like to make two considerations. First, that I live in a Spanish speaking country. Moreover, Spanish is my mothertongue. There may be linguistic as well as cultural differences in our respective environments. Second, that I don't consider this a very important distinction, though I know people who do. That being said, I recall that during the first months after my diagnose, I found it rather difficult to say " I'm diabetic " , while I could say " I have diabetes " with relative ease. My own guess is that, unconsciously, the phrase " I have diabetes " didn't identify that condition with my very being. It was comfortably similar to " I have a cold " (which may disappear after some days, or, as we say in Argentina: " after a week if you take proper medication, or after seven days if you don't " ). Unfortunately, that's not the case with diabetes. If someone said " I am coldic " instead of " I have a cold " , that would indicate a permanent condition - someone who is always with a cold. Since diabetes is, within the present state of science, a permanent condition, the phrase " I am diabetic " reflects that reality in a way my mind apparently didn't want to acknowledge so explicitly. On the other hand, the verb " to be " (at least in the only three languages I speak) can have a wide span of meanings, one of which is identity or essence, as in " I am " . Obviously, though a permanent condition, diabetes is neither part of my " essence " , nor of my " identity " . You can say, I = , but not I = diabetic. The verb " to be " in the phrase " to be diabetic " is used in another way, more close to " I have diabetes. " In a nutshell, I really mean the same when I say " I am diabetic " or " I have diabetes " , and more often than not I use the two expressions interchangeably. Only when I'm feeling like nitpicking (as on a Saturday afternoon while reading a mailing list) do I really dive into such subtleness. Regards, P.S.: I've just noticed I've closed most quotations and parentheses following the Spanish style, that's to say, leaving the commas or periods outside of the quotation or parentheses. I'm not sure whether the English or the Spanish style is more logical. I feel too lazy to review and correct the post. Would you excuse this Spanglish popping up? > Saying " I/he/she is diabetic. " indicates to the listener we have a medical condition. > > Saying " I/he/she has diabetes. " often indicates to the listener we have a disease, which they may interpret as communicable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2004 Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 rofl... ----- Original Message ----- > In a nutshell, I really mean the same when I say " I am diabetic " > or " I have diabetes " , and more often than not I use the two > expressions interchangeably. Only when I'm feeling like nitpicking > (as on a Saturday afternoon while reading a mailing list) do I really > dive into such subtleness. > > Regards, > > > > P.S.: I've just noticed I've closed most quotations and parentheses > following the Spanish style, that's to say, leaving the commas or > periods outside of the quotation or parentheses. I'm not sure whether > the English or the Spanish style is more logical. I feel too lazy to > review and correct the post. Would you excuse this Spanglish popping > up? > > > > Saying " I/he/she is diabetic. " indicates to the listener we have a > medical condition. > > > > Saying " I/he/she has diabetes. " often indicates to the listener we > have a disease, which they may interpret as communicable. > > > > > > pancreatitis info > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePancreatitisPlace/ > > diabetic recipes > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetic_recipes/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 If I'm making detailed inquiries about how a dish is prepared, and asking for adjustments/substitutions, then yes, I will explain that I'm diabetic. Waiting tables is a difficult job, and he's entitled to know that I'm not making it more difficult because I'm a fussy eater or because I get off on making people's lives difficult, but that I have a legitimate medical reason for my inquiries. Re: [alldiabeticinternational] Perception soapbox The waiter at a restuarant doesn not need an explanation as to why i dont want desert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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