June 27, 2010

Since I was diagnosed as an adult, I have had to navigate the ups, downs, ins, and outs of this disease almost entirely on my own.  My parents are not as involved as they would have been if I was diagnosed as a child.  Therefore, they are not as educated as I would like them to be, but I am partly to blame for this. 

I spent this weekend visiting my parents and their lack of knowledge was very apparent.  I found myself getting annoyed and angry with them at times.  For example, on Saturday night I woke up pretty low, so I got out of bed, ate some glucose tabs, and then went into the kitchen to get something more substantial before going back to sleep.  In the morning, my Mom asked why I was up in the middle of the night and I told her I was low.  She promptly freaked out and asked me if that happens a lot.  At first, I got so defensive because it felt like she was implying that I let myself get low and therefore did something wrong. 

I now realize that she just simply does not know any better.  As my mother, it is her job to be concerned for my wellbeing.  However, going low is just a part of living with diabetes.  I cannot afford to get worried every time I go low.  It would waste too much time and energy.  Instead, I focus on fixing it, trying to prevent it in the future, and moving on with my day. 

I realized this weekend that I need to educate my parents on what it is like to live with diabetes to (1) make my life easier and (2) make our relationship stronger.  It is so easy to get angry and defensive when you think someone is critiquing the way you manage your diabetes, but it is important to remember to take a moment and put yourself in their shoes to try and understand where they are coming from.  I find that it generally diffuses my temper and the situation.

Does anyone have any tips on educating loved ones about diabetes?  I have a feeling I am not the only one out there in this situation.  Family members have a lot of opinions, and they always like to share, whether you ask for it or not!