#IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes Day

Thanks to Kelly at Diabetesaliciousness who came up with the idea for that hashtag up there. You can read about the inspiration in her blog post here. People all over the DOC are chiming in with their own experiences. Here's my contribution:

I wish people knew that diabetes...

- requires my kid to inject himself with a synthetic hormone regularly for the rest of his life

 

- comes with a shortened life expectancy and higher incidence of depression than the general population

- may cause my son to face discrimination from future employers

- is often misunderstood by people who do not have direct experience with it (including myself before my kid's diagnosis), which can be very damaging to those who live with it

 - is frequently misrepresented and used as a punch line in pop culture, creating and reinforcing widespread myths and misconceptions

All of which sucks a lot. But I also wish people knew that diabetes:

- gets my kid into a summer camp where he can bond with other teens in the same boat as him

 

- has inspired active online communities filled with advocates speaking out and coming together for the cause

- is responsible for many friendships I may never have made without it in our lives

- has solidified my existing friendships, as people reach out to us to see how they can support our family

And guess what. Every single thing I listed above? Those are also things I wish people knew that transgender people have to deal with.

BOOM.

Let me be clear.

I am NOT saying that being transgender is a disease that needs to be cured.

I am saying that both diabetes and gender dysphoria are lifelong conditions that are greatly misunderstood by the general public. And by raising my voice, about both issues, I hope I can raise the visibility and remove some of the stigma surrounding them.

Check out my other blog for more musings on trans issues.