It’s the same word as “disabled”. Those of us who are T1 really are disabled; a part of our body doesn’t work. It is completely correct to say I have a disability, but disablement is not productive; I can’t produce insulin, but I sure as hell can tell you you are a fool. I don’t because each of our disabilities are an essential part of who we are.
A recent topic, perhaps not here, comes to my mind. I am a cyborg; I’m an artificially enhanced human being. I’m proud of that; I can do things other human beings cannot do because of my enhancement, though I would never denigrate another human for their lack of BG control.
One thing I have noticed throughout my years as lame>crippled>handicaped>disabled is that the change came because a perfectly accurate word became negative and an insult. That says a lot about us humans.
My supervisor told me not to take shots in the lunch room. She said I should do it in the men’s room, to which I replied “Do you know what people DO in there?”
When I was first diagnosed in 1974 I was on a train and one of my insulin bottles got loose. It rolled a few feet and sprang up to get it, but the vial was spotted by an older lady who commented to the other that i had insulin. Yes the first lady said, you know that stuff is addictive.
I started laughing so hard, I think she thought I was high. Yeah lady, that stuff is very addictive.
I have been in Boston for over 40 years, and have been a diabetic for 15. So some of my colleagues in the area haven’t heard the news that I became a T1D at 50 y.o.
I was at a work-related cocktail party and saw a guy that I’d worked with in the 1980s. So I started telling him about my health issues, and he got a little upset.
@bostrav59 I think we get to an age that medical issues become more a matter of fact and we tend to discuss them more…some more than others. YDMV and openess to discussion vary by the person greatly. Perhaps you’re more open to sharing and your friend is less so…but @CarlosLuis might be right!
When I was growing up, guys had a saying: “Don’t sweat the load.” It was a way of saying that we all have our problems, and I don’t want to hear yours because it can only make me feel worse.
It’s different with a closer friend, where commiserating is a form of entertainment and mutual support.
