#IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes

Today's post is inspired by Kyle Schwartz, a third grade teacher in Denver Colorado who created a trust building lesson plan for her third grade class called. “I wish my teacher knew.” 
The honesty in the notes the students wrote are going to hit you in the heart.   
Kyle shared some of her students notes on twitter with the hashtag, #Iwishmyteacherknew.  
Soon, thousands joined in the conversation and many teachers feel that Schwartz lesson plan changed the landscape of the classroom, encouraging trust and honesty between the students and teachers. 
According to interviews, Schwartz hopes that #Iwishmyteacherknew will encourage a dialogue that will help teachers connect students and their families with resources they need.
I've given the Kyle's trust building lesson a diabetes spin a'la "I wish people knew that diabetes.....," and with the hashtag -  #Iwishpeopleknewthatdiabetes. 
Hopefully you can relate and share your own wishes~ 
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#IWishpeopleknewThatDiabetes

 I wish people knew that diabetes is lot harder than PWDs (people with diabetes) make it look. 
 I wish people knew that diabetes is NEVER ENDING - and that I haven’t had a day off from type 1 diabetes in 13,690 days  - nor did/do I get time from diabetes for good behavior, national holidays, weddings, funerals or mental health days. 

I wish people knew that diabetes is hard - REALLY HARD - and that there are days when the last thing I feel like dealing with is diabetes - but I don't have a choice, so I do. 

I wish people knew that diabetes can be exhausting. 

I wish people knew that because of diabetes, when I look at the food on my plate I see numbers first, food second.

I wish people knew that diabetes wasn't my fault.

I wish people knew that diabetes IS NOT a character flaw and that all people living with diabetes and regardless of the type, are amazing. 

I wish people knew that diabetes makes me cry sometimes.

I wish people knew that my diabetes has caused me a tremendous amount of guilt since I was 8 years old.

I wish people knew that diabetes causes me to say "I'm sorry," even when I'm not. 

I wish people knew that even when you do everything right with diabetes, your blood sugars can still eff with you. Same goes for diabetes complications.

I wish people knew that people with diabetes usually have a really twisted sense of humor.

I wish people knew that diabetes complications can happen - And that people shouldn't judge someone because of their diabetes complication(s).

I wish people knew that people with diabetes can have, had are having children - And that throughout the ages, PWDs have become parents. My two aunts with type 1 had children in the 1950's, so did my dad. My oldest sister with t1 had 3 children in 1976, 1980 & 1990.  
And that today women with diabetes in the DOC and beyond are having boatloads and boatloads of beautiful children - and those wonderful women with diabetes worked (and are working,) damn hard to deliver those beautiful and healthy children. 

I wish people knew that diabetes is not the reason I don’t have children. 
Life is the reason I don’t have children - it doesn’t mean I didn’t want them, because I did and I do and that it breaks my heart that I don't.
But if diabetes is the reason for someone not having children - You shouldn't judge or ignore them for not having children, diabetes or not - And you should remember that for many, it's a very personal and potentially painful subject. 

I wish people knew that I am more the sum of my parts- including my beautiful, busted pancreas. 

I wish people knew that diabetes gives you boatloads of strength and empathy. 

I wish HealthCare Professionals who still tell their patient(s) with diabetes that they "noncompliant," would stop using that term - it's offensive and defeatist and most likely will not garner the effects the HCP was hoping for hoping for. 
I wish they'd say: I know you struggle with your diabetes - lets make a game plan and work together to get you up to speed.  

And I wish they'd go a step further and let their patients with diabetes know that they are not alone and suggest seeing that they see a Certified Diabetes Educator and a therapist. Encourage them to join online communities & read diabetes blogs so they can find peer support and encouragement. 

I wish people that just because I wear an insulin pump, doesn’t mean I have the bad kind of diabetes - It means I have the kind of diabetes that makes shit gold ingots. 
Kidding! It just means my body doesn’t have the ability to produce insulin.

People with diabetes need insulin to live - and I’ve found that wearing a bionic pancreas clipped to my hip works for me. 

I wish people who worked for my insurance company realized what an infusion site actually was BEFORE they denied me my fourth box of infusion sets. 

 And I wish people who worked at health insurance companies realized that like a person who makes their own insulin, my body requires a different amount of insulin EVERY DAY - And that tile floors can and most almost always bust insulin bottles BEFORE your days before your refill is due.

And I wish my insurance company (and yours) realized that a 30 days worth of pump supplies does not equal 10 infusion sets - because life, in the form of deadspots, doorknobs, SPANX, exercise and million other things get in the way and 10 X 3 most certainly DOES NOT = a 30 day supply.

I wish people knew that the cupcake I’m just about to eat required copious amounts of testing my blood sugar and carb counting - and I will continue to test my blood sugar like a mad woman for hours, afterwards. 
And yes, I can and will eat that cupcake, because I’ve done the work to eat that cupcake. 

I wish people knew that cutting out white foods, drinking miracle water and downing massive doses of cinnamon WILL NOT cure my diabetes. 

I wish people knew that insulin is NOT A CURE for diabetes, but insulin has saved millions of lives and I'm grateful to have access to it every damn day. 

I wish people knew that insulin is lifesaving and that there are so many people around the globe who desperately need insulin, but don't have access to it. 

I wish people knew that after 90 plus years, insulin is still ridiculously expensive  - even if you have insurance. 

I wish people knew that diabetes is indeed a family affair and that parents, siblings, spouses, extended family, and friends who are family, have their own diabetes challenges and struggles. 

I wish people knew that every person with diabetes does try - and that my sister Debbie did try - she just didn’t have the right emotional tools or diabetes technology back in the Diabetes Dark Ages to succeed - And I wish I'd realized that sooner and had been more patient.

I wish people knew that diabetes and blood sugars factors aren't so cut and dry as most think and I wish people knew that there are at least 22 things that contribute to blood sugars. 

I wish people who wrote sitcoms actually wrote funny/truthful diabetes jokes, instead of offensive and stereotypical jokes. 
Diabetes is not punchline and your offensive jokes directly affects funding for the diabetes cure. 

I wish people, including healthcare professions, knew that the diabetes online community exists and is beneficial to every person living with diabetes and their loved ones. 

I wish people knew that diabetes requires emotional support as well as insulin. 
I wish people knew that Diabetes Burnout is REAL. 

I wish people knew that the only thing I can’t do because of my diabetes is make insulin, everything else is GAME ON. 

I could go on, but I want to know about what you wish people knew about diabetes - I'd really love and appreciate your thoughts on the subject - lets get the dialogue going! 


Addendum: On Wednesday, April 22nd, YOU CAN KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING. 

Also, please checkout http://mydiabetessecret.com  - a place to share heartfelt & anonymous D secrets in a safe/supportive environment.