Tuesday, April 1, 2008

"MARCIA,MARCIA,MARCIA!!!!!!!!!!"

Introducing a Post on the "New Type 1 Diabetic." Not to be confused with her more popular sister Type 2 Diabetes

Sometimes having Type 1 Diabetes makes me feel like Jan Brady.

The neurotic Brady sister #2 who was just as smart (some say smarter), just as pretty (some say even prettier), just as annoying (I say MUCH more annoying), and just as much the fashion victim as her "Golden Girl" sister Marcia. But,alas, poor Jan always spent each episode living in the shimmery shadow that the glorious Marcia cast.

Right now, you might be saying to yourself, "Kelly - your nuts, what the heck do you mean?"

Well dear Diabetesaliciousness reader, sometimes (and by sometimes I mean most of the time) I feel that Type 2 Diabetes gets all the "glory" in our Diabetes Brady family.

All, or most of the articles I find in my "research" regarding Diabetes breakthroughs, studies, etc always seem to have a T2 spin to them. Even today, April 1, 2008, on my very own blog's Diabetes News Feed, all 4 articles featured are for type 2 Diabetics. It's really great that Australian researchers did a study on the Ti Chi benefits for T2 diabetes. BUT, wouldn't Ti Chi help me? For your local Philly/Tri Stater CN8 watchers, (WHAT IS TI CHI?)
Why was the study just done on T2's?

I get all excited when I see the headline for a new diabetes breakthrough, and then I realize it's all about "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia." Or in my case, Type 2 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes.

Sometimes it seems that only when a T1 tragedy strikes, does Type 1 make the news.
Then our hearts our broken and are tempers flare because we know that the tragedy could have been prevented, had the proper authorities been notified, and the proper info regarding T1 had reached the public.

Instead, T1& T2 causes, symptoms, & treatments are all lumped together, when in actuality they could not be more different. They are in fact, two very different diseases, who happen to have some characteristics and a name in common.

What about T1's? Are not we "Jan Brady's " of the Diabetes family just as important as out Marcia Brady T2 Diabetic counterparts? We my be a different branch of the family, but we are just as important.

Where's the love, where's the money for the research, and where the hell is the cure?

I don't blame my T2 compadres, they have their own issues and I feel for them, I know they get discriminated for other reasons that I don't have to contend with.

No, I blame the media for lumping us all together, not differentiating between the two, and printing information that might help t2's, but could really harm t1's. For example, every media outlet Printed Halle Berry's statement regarding her switch from being a t1 to a t2. You know the one, where she said something along the lines of "I used to be t1 but now I consider myself a t2, and I weaned myself off insulin through diet and exercise." You remember the brew ha, I'm paraphrasing and I won't bore us by replaying ,reprinting, or linking the video and various articles regarding said statement.

Maybe I'm just tired of having to explain my disease to people who continuously confuse it with the other more flamboyant member of my Diabetes family.
At this point, I'd settle for John Q. Public knowing the difference between T1 and T2, and never, ever having to hear some none-diabetic say to me, "Your on the insulin pump, you must have diabetes real bad!" How freaking "groovy" would that be!

13 comments:

Araby62 (a.k.a. Kathy) said...

Amen! We really need Mike Brady to intervene and remind everyone how special we Jans are in our own right.

k2 said...

Araby 62 -
Where's Mike when u need him??
k2

Not Your Type 1 said...

That's funny.

Shannon said...

I had always likened T1 to Rodney Dangerfield because I feel like T1 gets no respect.

I like the Marcia analogy. The Brady Bunch was a staple in my life.

k2 said...

Nikki -
Glad u thought this was funny. THANKS

Shannon -
Love the Rodney Dangerfield Analogy - Can I use that in my act?
Yes, The Brady Bunch was a staple in our house as well ;~
k2

Shannon said...

Yeah, by all means, use the Rodney analogy, LOL.

Windy said...

That's a great analogy!

I would love to see your act! Too bad you live so far away from me! My husband and I LOVE stand up.... we have "little ears" around now though so we stick mostly to Brian Regan and Jim Gaffigan.

Anonymous said...

it would be AWESOME if the general population could know the difference.

i think the first step is renaming type 2, because it's a totally different disease.

i propose halfabetes. orundiabetes.

or maybe, just maybe type 2 is what diabeetis is?

but different names, less confusion.

teh4 said...

Kelly, I agree with you. I think this may because so many people at risk for developing type 2 diabetes are ignoring the risk factors and signs.

Off topic, I just read this alarming article and thought you everyone might want to check it out. I'd be really interested in your thoughts about the validity of this - the author makes some pretty bold claims "Up to one-third of women with Type 1 diabetes skip or skimp on insulin doses in a dangerous attempt to lose weight"

Dying to be thin
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/03/31/dying_to_be_thin/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed5

k2 said...

Shannon -
Thanks for letting me use your analogy!

Windy -
Glad u like the post! Will let you know when 'm performing at a Diabetes org or group in your area!

Ashley -
Personally, I thing Type 2 should be called 2 Brimley, but that's just me!

Teh4 -

Welcome to Diabetesaliciousness!

Type 2 is on the upswing.

As far as the link, I am currently researching Dia-bulimia and plan on writing a future post regarding the dangers of playing "Diabetes roulette" with insulin in order to lose weight.

As the article in your link states, it is a very real problem, with deadly consequences.
Thanks for the link!
k2

Diane J Standiford said...

I worked across st. from 20 somethin with type 1, we talked about it, I never knew anyone with it b4; my mom was dx typeII in her late 60s, she was clueless about type I. The media--YES. I NEVER hear about it. Jan for sure (but she WAS the best actress).

Anonymous said...

Kelly, I'm sorry to submit a comment so late, but I wanted to say thanks for this post. It frustrates me to no end that the media lumps us all together!! Just this morning I wrote two letters to the editor (one to O Magazine, and one to Health magazine) and begged them to differentiate between the two types, because they kept publishing articles saying that certain foods and habits "increase the risk of diabetes." I asked them to please say TYPE 2 diabetes from now on, and explained that Type 1 is not related to lifestyle and is not preventable. My next letter will be to Runner's World, because I saw the same thing in their most recent issue.
Who knows if these letters will help, but at least I know I tried!!

k2 said...

Katie -
Welcome to Diabetesaliciousness and no need to apologize, submit for ANY post ANYTIME. I'm just happy that you got something out of a post I wrote!

I share your frustration on the media lumping us all together and have wrote many a letter to "The Editor" on this issue.

If "certain foods" could cure or cause Type 1, I know that we'd all be chowing down or staying away from said foods. It's amazing how little research those who write the diabetes articles for mainstream publications actually do. There are two types of diabetes out there amn both are drastically different from one another!
Looking forward to reading about u on Tu Diabetes and please come on over to visit anytime!
Keep DOING what your doing w/the letter writing and you WILL be heard!
k2