Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Dblog Week Day 3: Language and Diabetes

I'm a person with diabetes, but I'm also a diabetic. I'm a person with depression, but I'm also depressed. I check my blood sugar, but sometimes I test it.

Words matter. What you say to others and how you present your ideas matter. I understand the concept of using person-first language when dealing with the chronically ill; sometimes we just want to be seen as people, not as diseases. I agree with treating people with respect, and for most of the diabetes folks online that means calling them a person with diabetes (PWD) instead of a diabetic. Symbolically they are saying that diabetes doesn't define them; they are more than a diagnosis. I understand the position they are taking, and I will fully support them by calling them by PWD if that is what they want.

I am a diabetic. I am a PWD. In regards to this issue, I don't care what people call me. I respond to diabetic, PWD, hey bitch, and most of what people want to call me. Personally, I have a thick skin and I don't feel more or less defined by diabetes if someone calls me a diabetic.

---EDIT---

I do not suffer from diabetes, even when it's making my life super hard. I live with diabetes. I endure diabetes. I battle diabetes. No matter what, I refuse to be known as someone who suffers from diabetes. Diabetic, PWD, whatever, but I am not a diabetes sufferer. 

4 comments:

  1. I agree, I am both, I refer to myself as a diabetic and a PWD. I do understand that some people get offended but I don't mind. Good blog

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do not suffer diabetes. It suffers from me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I never hear people say "your son suffers from diabetes". Is that a thing? Ugh! Nice post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also hate how the word "suffer" is thrown around.

    ReplyDelete