I am a diabetic.
Someone asked me a question recently that made me think. I don’t have an easy answer.
How do you think of yourself? Are you a diabetic, or a person with diabetes? Is the term “diabetic” a form of disablist language when used to describe a person?
The thinking behind using the clumsier but more politically correct “person with diabetes” is that it identifies the person rather than the disease. By using that term, the disease belongs to the person, so the theory goes, not vice versa. I can definitely understand why some people prefer this terminology.
For myself, perhaps it’s just because I’m still new to this disease and am still trying to get it under control, but I don’t feel like I own my diabetes, not yet. I tend to use the term “diabetic”, although I also accept that might be in part because my father had diabetes and I grew up with the word.
In the end, it’s a matter of personal choice. I believe we pick the battles that are important to us, and for some people, this is a very important and enabling issue.
Personally? I think we occasionally fool ourselves into thinking we’re making a difference by using nice, careful words. And I don’t always feel like being nice to my diabetes.
The fact is, yes, I am a diabetic. I am also an agnostic. I am a pacifist. I am a writer. I am a Batttlestar Galactica fan. I am a father. “Ich bin ein Berliner.” I am a jelly donut. Whatever. If you try to sum me up in a single word, you’re going to fall short, no matter which one you choose. Unless you call me a prince. I’d kind of dig that.
So what do YOU think?
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7 opinions for I am a diabetic.
Bald Man
May 3, 2006 at 10:14 pm
I think you look like Peter Sarsgaard.
chanpheng
May 4, 2006 at 4:27 am
Where I live, diabetes is translated “bao waan” which means “sweet urine.” So when I say “I am diabetic,” it literally translates to “I am sweet urine.” I much rather say, “I am diabetic” and some people are using the English word.
Raina
May 4, 2006 at 3:26 pm
Actually, the Greek derivation for diabetes basically means a disease involving the discharge of lots of urine, wheras the mellitus bit means it’s sugary, so it’s pretty much the same idea.
Rob Rummel-Hudson
May 4, 2006 at 4:52 pm
Who knew we were such a bunch of pee freaks?
I don’t know who Peter Sarsgaard is. Is he a deformed freak? Do I want to know?
Bald Man
May 4, 2006 at 6:51 pm
Peter’s an actor. His biggest role of the recent past was as the air marshall in Flightplan, co-starring Jodie Foster.
Hsien Lei
May 5, 2006 at 3:39 am
My husband is a Battlestar Galactica fan too. Maybe I’ll start calling him BG.
AmyT
May 5, 2006 at 8:54 am
Ooh, Rob, this is a much-debated issue. See my column on “The Diabetes Name Game” at http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/daily_living/Viewpoints/amy_dec05.html.
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