A bloke's perspective
by Troy

Yes, I know, I know, there are many things that are worse then Diabetes, such as Cystic Fibrosis, Motor Neuron Disease, all the various forms of Cancer, the list goes on... Not a day goes by without me reminding myself of this simple truth. However, this knowledge cannot possibly lessen the daily burden that being Diabetic places upon me and those people closest to me.

When I was first diagnosed, at the somewhat tender age of 13, I was informed by many people (that DIDN'T have Diabetes, of course) that being diabetic didn't mean I couldn't lead a perfectly normal life. Well, excuse me, but no "normal" people I know have to worry about hypo's, watch their diet so closely - including minimising the amount of sugar they consume, inject insulin, eat 6 meals a day, puncture their fingertips so they bleed in order to do a blood sugar level test.

Troy Wilkins

Little things, that people without Diabetes take for granted, are possibly the things I miss the most. I'd love to be able to sleep in in the mornings, instead I have to wake up, do a blood test, have my insulin, have breakfast, and then, if I'm still tired enough, I can attempt to try to go back to sleep, but only until it's time for morning tea. I LOVE food, but hate how restricted my diet has to be - I think the general public doesn't realise just how many things have large amounts of sugar in them.

I'd love to be able to be more spontaneous, to be able to live up to Nike's slogan of "Just do it", like most people can. Even sex is somewhat ruined, as a hypo while you're having sex is not exactly "a good thing". Sorry to those of you who know me, and to those who are not in a steady & loving relationship, for mentioning sex but I think it shows how Diabetes affects almost every part of a diabetic's life.

Personally, I dread telling people that I'm diabetic, because I never know how they will react. Some people automatically feel sorry for me, which I really don't want or deserve. Some people say, "Oh, my grandfather/grandmother has Diabetes, so I know all about it! You shouldn't need to inject insulin, just take tablets like he/she does!" - I wish I could 'just take tablets'! And some people don't believe me, they think I'm just trying to hide a serious drug problem!

Personally, I am not scared of dying. However, I am scared witless of diabetic complications. I consider severe hypoglycaemia to be one of the most scary things I've experienced so far in my life, yet this pales into insignificance when compared to the thought of some of the complications that can occur to diabetics. I mean, a hypo is no big deal, it goes away once it has been successfully treated, whereas some complications you're stuck with for the rest of your life.

One thing I find amusing about being diabetic is that most people forget that I'm diabetic, and so offer me sweet lollies and drinks, to which I of course politely refuse. Then they remember, and endlessly apologise. They think they've offended me, but I take it as a compliment, because I don't want people to see 'a diabetic' when they look at me, rather I want them to see Troy Wilkins, a human being, just like everyone else.

Having Diabetes is not something I would wish upon ANYONE, because it reaches into every aspect of your life, is relentless and unforgiving, and is largely misunderstood by the general public. For me, being diabetic is just another part of me, just like my arms or toes are. As you have no doubt worked out for yourself by now, I don't enjoy being diabetic, but have (mainly) accepted it as something I can live with. Furthermore, I realise that being diabetic has made me the person who I am today, and without it I would be an entirely different person.

If one more person tells me that there will be a cure for Diabetes "very soon now", I swear they will regret saying those very words. I know that they mean well when they say things like that, but I find it insulting. I'd rather hear that there IS a cure, until then I'd rather just get on with my day-to-day life. People have been saying there will soon be a cure for Diabetes ever since I was diagnosed, and I think there is more hope for prevention soon, rather then a cure for those who already have Diabetes. And after all, isn't prevention better than a cure?