Hey A$$hat! Listen up and listen good (the one where I am so angry I cannot even pick a graphic)

It takes a lot to make me mad during my birthday season. It takes a whole hell of a lot to completely piss me off on my actual birthday. But a$$hats: be proud. You’ve done just that. And while my intention for today was to blow off any work that was not absolutely necessary and just enjoy this crisp fall day, I’m pounding on the keyboard. Make that P-O-U-N-D-I-N-G.

Because on behalf of myself, my daughter with Type 1 Diabetes, the gabillion of people I know with T1D and everyone who cares about them, I’m boiling over.

Because right now my heart is breaking for a woman, a young soon-to-be-mom blogger who has had T1D since she was nine and started today thinking it would be a highlight of her life – in the very best of ways. But right now, she’s being made fun of internationally. All because she has T1D.

Thought we lived in a world free of that kind of backassward, ignorant, cruel and bigoted population? Think again.

Here’s how it went down. While almost never turn a TV on in the daytime, I ran to click mine on today to see President Obama’s Rose Garden Speech about the Affordable Care Act. Now yes, I in fact am passionate about affordable and fair health care for all, but that’s not the reason I was pumped to click on the TV. Rather it’s because a fellow diabetes blogger who had written a particularly wonderful post about The ACA had been asked to attend the speech—and stand just behind President Obama. Like health care or not; D or R; Tea Party or coffee klatch, whatever you are and however you think: that’s just freaking cool. It is. So there. I wanted to watch her in her glory moment and celebrate for her.

As I watched I noticed a few things: her dress was slammin! (I wondered if she bought it for this day or if she had it already). Her hair looked amazing (Did she do it herself? Wow~!) And: I can see her dexcom on her arm! Diabetes in the wild is always so fun.

I also notice the sun was right smack dab on her. But I didn’t think of heat stroke or plunging blood sugars ; rather I thought of how it made her hair look even better.

The speech went on. And kind of … on (no offense President Obama. It happens). And then, as time went on, I noticed something else: The young woman I’d tuned in for was getting …… that look.

You know, that look. The one that every single person on this earth who cares about a person with T1D knows. The one that sets us on alert. The one that seems to set an alarm off way down to our very core. The one that to us, means danger.

At first I tried to shake it off. But I felt it welling up inside of me. I actually YELLED at the TV screen. “You’re going low!” While my head said ‘please no please no please no not now,” I felt the urge to smash my hand through the screen and  just get to her. If you don’t love someone with T1D you might not get that. If you do … you do. In an instant I was pissed off at that sun that I’d so loved for making her hair shine. “Get off her! Can’t you see she needs shade?”

The young woman swayed a little, and then grabbed at the hand of another young woman standing next to her. Both looked confused as the young woman took deep breaths in and out (I could almost hear her counting it out). Finally, she swayed big time and the President of the United States – our commander-in-chief, stopped mid sentence, turned around and helped catch her before she went down. Someone came from the eves and escorted her off. The President cracked a polite joke and went back to his talk. (Not about her – it was polite).

I burst into tears. Because …. Sh** don’t you know it, Diabetes can really screw things up. The look I’d seen in her eyes haunted me as I sat there. And I kept thinking about how she’d probably woken up that morning thinking “This is a top 10 day in my life.”  She’s probably worried about how she’d look on live TV, how she’d hold up to the eye of history. I’m sure she had a slam-dunk blood sugar plan for those hours; she’s that kind of person. Never, never did she picture this.

And then I was thinking about her – being embarrassed; being worried about her low and the baby she’s carrying. Feeling like she let the diabetes world down.

I went on-line to check in with some of her friends.

And I that’s when I boiled over.

The world was making fun of her. Making fun of a woman who clearly had a medical emergency … at a speech about medical programs. There is no way the asshats poking fun could NOT have had an idea that the person chosen to stand just behind the President during a speech on health might just have some special health considerations.

Yet people were using it – no make that using herto make jaded, crass, far flung political statements. They took what happened to her and turned it into a chance to kick the President (You know—the one who halted ALL his intentions to reach back and help this woman). I mean gosh, maybe they just couldn’t find any more kittens to kick this sunny day.

So yeah, I’m f-ing bullsh**.

I’m mad that this woman had this happen at this time.

I’m mad that diabetes, no matter how hard we try, can jump and ruin any party any time.

I’m mad that we’ve worked so hard to fund so many studies and we have so many tools and still we get this.

But most of all I’m mad that people can be so absolutely ignorant, cruel, narrow-minded and, well, to quote a sage friend “douchewaffle-ish.

So here’s a message to all those who created gifs or buzzfeeds or not-so-clever jabs at the situation:

Diabetes has no cure. Every single moment of every single person with diabetes life is a battleground. They may not show it, but it’s there. They may not admit it, but it’s truth. And they may make it look good, but it’s freaking bad.

 

But you know what? It’s going to end well for the young woman. She’ll get a national platform to educate from all of this (at least she should). When she is ready to joke about it she’ll think of some great ones (that’s what we do in this d world). She’ll go on and have her baby and live a full life and savor it all. There’s no cure yet for her, but she’s going to thrive.

The good news for YOU, a$$hat, is this: there IS a cure for douchewaffle-ness. Educate yourself. Get some therapy to help you learn to take a breath before pouncing. I know you can be cured. And we’re all here to help.

24 thoughts on “Hey A$$hat! Listen up and listen good (the one where I am so angry I cannot even pick a graphic)

  1. VERY WELL SAID! As a mother of a T1 I was just as angry when I read what other’s were saying about this lady. Breaks my heart to see this. Would love to subscribe to your blog!

  2. I have experienced the effects of stage lights, stress and adrenaline on my blood sugar too many times to count. My mom and husband can spot a hypoglycemic (like me) or diabetic who is “crashing” (like we call it) from a mile away.
    It infuriates me that there are jerks in our world who would make fun of this. I’m glad there are people like you standing up against them!

  3. My blood is STILL boiling at some of the comments I have seen around this happening. I’ve been trying to type up my own blog post about this, but right now I’m so freaking angry I know I can’t make any sense. Mean people truly suck.

  4. As a mother of two T1’s and an individuals who has stood at President Obama’s side as he gave a speech I am appalled that the world is making fun of this lady. It is a once in a lifetime experience to share the stage with a sitting president, regardless of how you feel about his politics, and her’s was ruined by this horrible disease. To top if off people with no idea of what this disease can do to a person and how it ruins our most exciting events are making it worse. I’ve watched as my two boys struggled in sports games, on stage at events and even when we were on the front lawn of the White House for the event we attended and I hate this disease. I hate the people who make it worse even more.

  5. Its people like that unfortunatly that disincourage the teens trying to deal with being excepted. Our sons 23 married anddoes not like to talk about his diabetes in public and feels ashamed of having complications from diabetes at his age. It wasnt his fault but things happen and it angers the CR@p out of me that he struggles with what people think. Its the way people treet them. there human and alot darn stronger then a lot of people I know. every day kids deal with the emotions and stress of challenging there bodys to balance there numbers. guess some of those people should try being a pancreas for a week….. Not many people reach out to help my son with everything that has happened but they dont have a issue when it comes to judging what caused it instead of asking the truth. God bless Moira!

  6. You tell it Moira!! And bless you Kamel!

    Anger for sure at this shitty condition that is there when you least need to deal with it. At the end of the day it will benefit the cause of ACA, by showing the ignorance and insensitivity of those who use the occurrence of a medical emergency to make a stupid point!

  7. Call it strange timing, but I just saw the video on YouTube and read the comments (not many) below. There were a few claims of it being “fake” and a question of “what’s that on her arm?” Then, coincidentally, I clicked on this blog at the top of my Feedly list.

    I saw those six or so comments, but is the WORLD really making fun of her? That’s not right. Just not right at all.

  8. I read the article and it struck me as very sweet how compassionate the President was. My son has t1. It seemed like yes she went low, but i mean she was ok, right? Going low happens and yes sometimes can be very very serious. But in this instance it was a regular low, correct? If not I apologize. I sure hope not! Anyway if it was just a regular low i thinks its pretty cool in a way because she was made famous in a positive way, too. I never heard or saw the negative stuff. I am sure it was out there. Theres always idiots posting ignorant stuff on comments, no matter what the story is about. Someone could write a story about a fireman saving a kitten in a tree and there would be someone posting mean comments. The way i saw it was, hey she went low and who helped her? The Prez! Plus for every clueless idiot there is another person seeing this and maybe learning a little about type 1. Sorry if i am looking at it the wrong way. I have read her blog before, by the way, its good! Pregnant ladies with t1 have to walk a tightrope of control! I dont know how they do it!

  9. I just saw the video for the first time. Oh my goodness that was stirring to see her go low. I wanted to run up and give her juice! Wow. So many emotions right now. I just want to cry. God bless her. Wow, will she have something to blog about now!

  10. For once, I’m glad I was away and missed the hubub about this. I’m quite jaded usually, but the partisan reaction to Karmel’s event is still shocking to me. It bothers me that I’ve seen som man horrible comments, but it bothers me just as much that I’m having trouble finding any positive comments for her except the ones I’ve seen from the DOC. I guess it’s another opportunity for all of us to educate, especially Karmel. Thanks for your post

  11. While it frustrates me too, we all realize she wasn’t actually low right? She was dehydrated and hypotensive. Just to clarify. We don’t need to make this about diabetes. She’s a regular person and is pregnant and should’ve drank more water but INTENTIONALLY did not. Nothing to do with blood sugar that she has told anyone. Just saying…

    I’m glad she’s ok. I’m not glad to have the stigma of “the diabetic passed out on national television”.

  12. Outstanding Moira! Anger has its rightful place in situations like this and your passion doesn’t hurt either. Great response!

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