Public Knowledge

This is my first-ever contribution to the DMSA Blog Carnival.

Does your employer/school/friends know you have diabetes? Why or why not?

Most people I actually know are aware I'm diabetic. Details vary based on closeness, interest, etc, but for the most part, everyone is aware. While I certainly don't introduce myself as "My name's Brian, and I'm diabetic," there are inevitably occasions where my pocket is beeping, or I can't join in lunch, or have to check out of a meeting, or, or, or, and it's easiest to say "Diabetes" than to make up a filmsy excuse.

Even in the earliest days of my diagnosis, I would admit Diabetes. But while I was on shots, I was nervous about doing that in public. Even checking sugar, I would try to do in private. I have no problem using my pump in public, and I'm now comfortable checking sugar in front of others, but I tend to think if I ever had to go back on shots, I'd still be private about that. It's probably because you're more exposed with shots: it may not be clear what you're doing, but it's clear you're doing something serious.

But in just knowing, it's easier to put the knowledge out there. I've been fortunate in not having many run-ins with food police and even then, the convenience of not having to remember who knows what and who can know and that sort of drama far outweighs the annoyance of know-it-alls. There's also the benefit that, should anything ever happen, people would be better equipped to respond, if only to pass additional context on to first-responders.

So I put it out there because I'm lazy and it's self-serving.