Ten things I hate about you, Diabetes

(Day #4 of D-Blog Week.)

Yesterday's assignment, posted today because Blogger was having technical difficulties: Having a positive attitude is important . . . but let’s face it, diabetes isn’t all sunshine and roses (or glitter and unicorns, for that matter).  So today let’s vent by listing ten things about diabetes that we hate.  Make them funny, make them sarcastic, make them serious, make them anything you want them to be!!

I usually don't use the word hate, but for a disease like diabetes it does seem fitting.  My list of the ten things I hate about diabetes:

1.  Poking my fingers.  Usually it doesn't hurt too bad, but other times it just plain smarts.  Also, sometimes it takes a while to stop the bleeding.
2. My children knowing about diabetes. They shouldn't have to know about the complications of diabetes, what different glucose readings mean. They don't need that worry.
3. Watching what I eat.  I want to eat a package of Girl Scout cookies without that sick feeling that comes with high glucose.  (No, I haven't done this since being diagnosed, though I do get that high sugar feel that I can't stand.)
4. Lows.  When I work out, I can get a sudden low due to my body actually using the insulin to break down the glucose in my blood. Lows suck!
5. Not looking sick.  Not that I want to be sick, but having a chronic disease where you don't look sick makes it hard for others to understand how serious your condition really is.
6. Heredity.  Sometimes it's awesome, like the hazel eyes I got from my parents or the blue eyes my second child got from her father.  Other times, like diabetes, it just plain sucks.
7. Sweats. I don't like the sweats I get when my glucose is off.
8. Hypoglycemic unawareness. I can't always tell when I'm going low.  I've had a few lows sneak up on me and it scares me.
9. Not knowing if I'm high or low, just that I'm "off."  There are times I can tell that my glucose levels are "off," but I'm not sure if I'm high or low since many of the symptoms are similar.  Testing is the only way to know (see #1).
10. Lack of urgency and public outrage.  (see here for my rant on that topic)

My littlest one (6.5 yrs) came up to me while I was writing this.  I was reading what I had so far.  When I read #3 to her, she asked me, "When will your diabetes go away?" "Never, unless they find a cure.  Otherwise it will never go away."  "I hope they find a cure so you can eat a whole box of Girl Scout cookies."  She has no idea how much that touched me!