awareness: raised?

Saturday was the end-of-season pizza party for L's soccer team. I was wearing my Big Blue Test shirt, and as I approached the parents' table, one of the dads asked me about it.

Him: Big Blue Test, huh? Is that a Michigan thing? Is there a game today?

Me: No, it's a diabetes thing. November is diabetes awareness month, and the Big Blue Test is where you test your blood sugar, then exercise, then test again and share the results online. For every result shared, a person with diabetes in need gets help and supplies.

Him: Oh man, I guess I should know about that stuff, I'm a diabetic.

Me: Oh yeah?

Him: Well, that's what my doc says, but I kinda refuse to believe it.

Me: Oh, so you're a DENIAL-betic then? j/k lol

Him: Yeah, for sure. I know I have it, but I refuse to admit it.

We then got into a rather detailed conversation (for a pizza party anyway) about how he was diagnosed and what his BGs have been and what meds he's on and how they're not really working, even though he's lost weight, etc etc and eventually I was just like, "Look dude. I don't mean to get heavy on you in the middle of this joyous occasion, but there's a possibility that you may have been misdiagnosed with Type 2 when you might actually have Type 1.5 or LADA." He had never heard of it, so I encouraged him to ask his endocrinologist about it. Then he told me he didn't actually have an endo.

Long story short(ish), later that night I sent him some links and hopefully he'll find a good doc that can dig a little deeper and get to the bottom of what's really going on. Oh and I also told him to come by and pick up some ketone strips if he wanted to. Because I just can't leave it at pizza party advocacy; I have to take it to the maybe-you-should-pee-on-a-stick-to-make-sure-you're-not-gonna-go-into-DKA level.

Because, if you're gonna have the conversation, then you know, HAVE the conversation. (warning: boobs)