[Richard157]

What’s So Funny About Diabetes?

By Kerri Morrone

When you think “chronic disease,” you don’t exactly think slap-stick humor. More like ketone-stick horrors. There is nothing funny about kidney disease or diabetic retinopathy. Testing blood glucose levels, counting carbohydrates, and keeping track of medications – all the daily tasks of diabetes care can become overwhelming, making it tough to find the humor in diabetes.

Which is exactly why we need to find the humor in diabetes.

This disease takes up so much of our time. There are very few moments in the day when I’m not at least considering my diabetes. And while I am not ruled by my condition, in order to survive and live a wonderful life, I need to focus on the details of diabetes to maintain good health. I need to maintain good mental health, too.

My grandmother used to tell me that laughter is food for the soul. My endocrinologist used to tell me that laughter is the way to achieve balance. Even Readers’ Digest told me that “Laughter was the Best Medicine.” This is true for people with diabetes, as well as people with other chronic illnesses.

I often find amusement in the places I find discarded test strips. Multiple daily finger sticks are a part of my daily duties, and the strips are expensive, so that’s not particularly funny. But finding a test strip in my shoe or seeing my little kitten trot by with one in mouth does make me smile. Priming my insulin pump is sometimes an arduous task, but my boyfriend walking by and saying I look like a mad scientist as I tap out the air bubbles from the cartridge makes me smile. It may not be funny to some, but it’s funny to me and it makes my diabetes burden far less heavy.

There are also phrases that other people aren’t able to toss around so lightly. The phrase, “I feel so high,” has a definitive meaning to a person with diabetes, but may raise the eyebrows of those who aren’t “in the know.” Or “Excuse me, I have to go shoot up.” Out of the context of diabetes, those words aren’t normally thrown around at dinner parties.

There are also the moments that you laugh because, if you don’t, you may burst into tears. I have experienced severe low blood sugar reactions where I’ve come to my senses and noticed juice staining my shirt, my hair stuck to my forehead with sweat, and my meter in a thousand pieces on the floor after having thrown it at the wall. Moments like these are enough to break you in two. But sometimes a laugh bubbles up from deep inside you, where you are the most scared and the most vulnerable, and it escapes. It gives you strength. It helps chase the fear away for a few minutes.

There are certain benefits to laughter There are people who make it their mission to bring mirth to the masses. And there is that special, silly jargon that people create to show their diabetes who’s boss. When diabetes gets a little tough, it’s hard to find that silver lining.

Laughter has a way of illuminating it.

[notme]

Does standing in the backyard in 20 degree weather talking about non existant hungry birds count as humorous? My daughter found me in the backyard in mid December (winter) stressing about birds when I was low. Now that I look back on it......it was pretty funny.

[AJ21]

very interesting article....
nancy - thats the dog i used to have!!!! a tri-color cavalier king charles! the next dog i get is so going to be the brown and black one!
sorry... just that picture made me smile

[willie4004]

I have wonderd that as well and actually posted some funny experiences with other about a month ago

something different for once?

[steamfan261]

I believe that diabetics are the ONLY people on the planet who can say the following with a straight face:

"Oh darn! I didn't bleed enough!"

P.S. My avatar is my much loved little granddaughter eating a lemon wedge.

[Mich]

I inwardly chuckle every time someone begins the litany:
"Well, my third cousin's sister-in-law is a diabetic and I've learned..."

or
"Have you read the news that drinking a tea made from stinging nettle and ______________(fill in a Chinese herb) will cure both types of diabetes?"

I'm stil waiting for
"I'm not a diabetic, but I play one on TV and I know all about how to live with diabetes...so here's my take on it..."

Oh the irony. Oh the eye rolling silliness. Every person on earth has the right to tell you how to best treat your diabetes.
___________________________
And for pumpers:
Is it just me,or is it like dropping buttered toast?
Every single time I go to plug in my tubing to my infusion set,it is UPSIDE-DOWN!??? The law of averages would have it be 50%, wouldn't it?

[gettingby]

Originally Posted by Mich

I inwardly chuckle every time someone begins the litany:
"Well, my third cousin's sister-in-law is a diabetic and I've learned..."

or
"Have you read the news that drinking a tea made from stinging nettle and ______________(fill in a Chinese herb) will cure both types of diabetes?"

I'm stil waiting for
"I'm not a diabetic, but I play one on TV and I know all about how to live with diabetes...so here's my take on it..."

Oh the irony. Oh the eye rolling silliness. Every person on earth has the right to tell you how to best treat your diabetes.
___________________________
And for pumpers:
Is it just me,or is it like dropping buttered toast?
Every single time I go to plug in my tubing to my infusion set,it is UPSIDE-DOWN!??? The law of averages would have it be 50%, wouldn't it?

I laugh at those statements too. The one that really gets me is when someone first learns I have diabetes. Their first comment is "Well, you don't look like a diabetic". Ok, what does a diabetic look like?? Leaves em speechless when I ask that in response.
Ya know, I read Kerri's blog daily and I just love her attitude on diabetes. She's a wonderful role model, especially for the younger generation.

[bryan42]

Originally Posted by notme

Does standing in the backyard in 20 degree weather talking about non existant hungry birds count as humorous? My daughter found me in the backyard in mid December (winter) stressing about birds when I was low. Now that I look back on it......it was pretty funny.

Thanks! I needed that today!!!!

[caswellhb]

I can usually find something to laugh at. Like the time I was about to test and one of my cats decided to "help" by scratching my finger for me or when my son took my insulin pen (a novo classic), thinking it was a posh pen in a case, to do his college work. It wasn't until he had pulled the top and put the needle through a page that he realised. Duh.
Humour is so important with a chronic disease so keep those smiles coming.

Heather.

[davef]

I have started refering to the desert menu in restaurants as diabetic porn. Most of my friends have heard the line before, but I was out with a group last Friday, it was a group of people from our Church and we are celebrating completing/surviving a course, there were a couple of people sitting near me that I didn't know too well and when the desert menu arrived one of my friends asked if I want to see the porn page, I replied of yes please I love looking at the porn ... talk about looks of shock !

I did explain a few minutes later.

[Glycem]

Well said! I really enjoy telling ppl I got to shoot up and such. It always has given me a good chuckle.

Beautiful CKCS in pic above. Always wanted one till I found out how much they cost. :P Now, we have a good silky terrier mutt from local pound.

I've done some pretty stupid things while low that apparently have given my friends and coworkers a good laugh, like once at Domino's I was told that I was eating raw buffalo wings straight from the bag and then was trying to bite a screwdriver handle. I asked the guy when he was telling me this, "Why didn't you get me a coke"? He replied, "Everyone was too busy laughing"... Eventually, I obviously managed to get the coke myself.

[Tinki]

Originally Posted by steamfan261

I believe that diabetics are the ONLY people on the planet who can say the following with a straight face:

"Oh darn! I didn't bleed enough!"

Ok, I read that and laughed so hard!!! 10 minutes ago I tested and muttered, while squeezing my finger, "you'd better freaking bleed cause that hurt and I'm not doing this again...lol"