As a lady with a broken pancreas for almost 15 years, I’ve run into my fair share of awkward moments. From having to explain why you are sticking a needle into your body on a first date, to lifting your dress up in public to take insulin, diabetes never gives us a break when navigating through the already challenging waters of being a girl (or a boy tbh). So I decided to put together a little list of ways that diabetes can be a little awkward in our everyday lives.
1. Cramming your needles and snacks into the smallest purse you own because that happens to be the one that matches your outfit.
2. Not knowing where to put your pump when you wear a dress.
3. Asking the person you like to keep orange juice at their house in case you get low while hanging out with them.
4. Having your pump site rip out when you’re gettin’ freaky.
5. When your significant other thinks you’re being a brat because it’s your “time of the month” but you’re actually just low.
6. Giving yourself insulin at the table during a first date.
7. When you eat all of your roommate’s snacks at 2am because you were low and their snacks looked better than yours.
8. When someone says “don’t worry it’s not bad for you” when you’re looking at the nutrition facts label.
9. When concert venue security checks your bag and you have to explain to the entire security staff why you are single-handedly smuggling in enough fruit snacks and apple juice for an entire first-grade class.
10. Getting low while gettin’ freaky.
11. When your sugar is 400 but you NEED the cookie.
12. Pulling up your skirt up a few inches to take insulin and then making eye contact with a stranger…
13. Debriefing your significant other on how to administer your glucagon in case you casually almost die.
Have you had any awkward moments because of diabetes? Have you ever forgotten your insulin during a boat trip and had the entire crew turn around and wait for you to grab it? Have you ever had other kids become angry with you in elementary school because you were allowed to eat snacks in class and they couldn’t? Have you ever given yourself too much insulin while intoxicated and had to stop at numerous bars to ask for glasses of orange juice? I may share more insight into these stories later… but for now, please let me know your awkward moments so that I can feel better about mine!
– Ariana