You Don't Look Diabetic

You don’t look Diabetic!

Huh!

Has anyone ever said that to you? How did you reply? I’m usually too stunned to ask “What, the hell does a diabetic/person with diabetes look like?”

Yeah I know, they probably think you have to be overweight to have diabetes. I wonder where they got that idea from!! Sarcastic rhetorical question.

I once had someone say “I wondered why you looked the way you did” when I said I had diabetes. I had no idea what the person meant! I had only just met this person through another person so I didn’t feel that I could ask and now it’s too late now to find out but it’s always something I remember.

However, I’ve been thinking lately that if someone really wants to know what diabetes looks like: come into my house, open my fridge, have a look in my handbag, look at my bedside locker, look in my utility room, look in my wardrobe . You will see diabetes everywhere!

My glucose meter on my kitchen counter

Month supply of insulin and emergency supply of insulin pens and glucagon

The Month supply of test strips, glucose tablets, lancets and pen needles

My Pump Supplies in my Bedside table

Close up of My Pump Supplies in my Bedside table

The old meters and extra pen needles in my bedroom closet

People with diabetes come in all ages. Yes from zero to 100+. People with diabetes come in all shapes and sizes from super skinny to not so slim.

If you are one of those people who does say “You don’t look diabetic!” to people with diabetes you should probably know that it’s no. 1 on every list of stupid things to say about diabetes.