Diabeetus (or Wilfred Brimley says what?)



I am alone in the house, standing a room away, running water and rinsing dishes.

Suddenly, a piercing sound cuts through the kitchen noise and I hear one word reverberating through my brain -

"Diabeetus".

Hearing this is like hearing nails on a chalkboard to our family.

Wilfred Brimley, actor and representative for Liberty Medical , a diabetes supply company, is on our television discussing his own personal battle with type 2 diabetes and urging the viewing audience to try a free, non-painful meter courtesy of his paid advertiser.

Listening to this commercial makes all of us at home cringe.

How can someone be a spokesperson for a cause if they can not even pronounce the cause correctly?

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, diabetes, a noun, is pronounced \ˌdī-ə-ˈbē-tēz, -ˈbē-təs\.  If you click on the link to the dictionary, an audio clip of the correct pronunciation is available.

A quick Google search of Mr. Brimley will turn up 100s of  humorous YouTube videos showcasing his incorrect grammar. 

For my viewing audiences pleasure, I chose a rather tame version of Wilfred Brimley's diabeetus.

There are others on Youtube.  Some appropriate and some not.  This is a family blog after all!

What is most bothersome is knowing that millions of people hear that same pronounciation and do not realize that he is saying it incorrectly.  My in-laws continued to say diabeetus even after being repeatedly corrected by their grand-daughters. 

"No, Grandma, it is diabetes - not diabeetus."

Does it sound fancier to say it this way?

"Excusez-moi, mais avez-vous le diabèètus?"

I am pretty sure that this would cause some serious eye-rolling and maybe even a hit on the head with a loaf of bread among anyone in France who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Stupide Américain Wilfred Brimley!

No need to translate that.

The other part of this commercial that is mystifying is the lack of separation between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.  It continues the sterotype that all people with diabetes are old, overweight and a bit stodgy.  This is not the role-model that I want for our children nor the image that I want to present to the rest of the world regarding type 1 diabetes.

Our family does get a chuckle out of the idea that there is a pain free meter waiting for us if only we switch to Liberty Medical.

Is that even possible?  Checking blood sugars 8-10 times a day means that there is a zero possibility of having no pain.  The tattered fingertips speak for themselves.  Ouch!

Eventually someone (perhaps the American Diabetes Association?) did manage to get Mr. Brimley to correctly pronounce diabetes at least once. 

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? 

Terror Level Orange - Are you prepared?

Type 1 Diabetes = Terror Level Orange

In a recent phone call with a dear friend of mine, who also parents a child with type 1 diabetes, we discussed how our emotions and actions are always on high alert when it comes to our children's lives.

My friend analyzed it this way.  She explained that she feels like she is a walking alert system, preprogrammed to Terror Level Orange.  While the rest of the world is on the Terror Level Green, parents of children with type 1 diabetes are in a position of never fully disengaging from the possibilities of what could happen next.

We prepare for each day as though we are going to encounter the worst and yet, on the surface, we have to act as though we are fine; remaining calm and in balance with the rest of the "green level" world.

On your way to ballet class?  Be sure to pack the backpack filled with life-saving equipment.  Headed to school?  Inform every adult that comes into the path of your child on how to handle type 1 diabetes.  At the grocery store and your child has a melt down?  Test their blood glucose before determining if it is a temper-tantrum or hypoglycemia and then rip open that package of fruit snacks despite - the frowns from witnessing shoppers who have no idea that it is type 1 diabetes.

As a parent, you learn to relax.

As a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes, you learn to never relax.

You just learn how to blend.

Mid-Marking Period - What is an "A"?

My oldest daughter brought home a letter today which outlined the new procedure for parent-teacher conferences at her 5th and 6th grade school.

Back in the day (and I am child of the 70's, so this might sound familiar to some), parents would meet directly with teachers, usually after the dinner hour, in order to get a glimpse of what their child was working on in the middle of the marking period.  This meeting set the entire tone for the school year.  It was all done rather secretively and the child was not allowed to attend as it was strictly for adults.  Later, the parents would focus on the need for improvement or if you were lucky, wouldn't say much of anything at all.   I was always terrified during these moments.  Would my teachers say good things?  Would my parents be happy?  Would I become grounded for the next month?  Waiting to find out was pure torture.

Times have changed.

This school district has adopted a policy which instills the power of learning directly into the hands of the student.  Mid-marking grades are distributed well in advance of the conference so that feedback may be provided prior to meeting.  On the day of the conference, the student does the talking and guides both the teacher and the parent through their learning; identifying strengths and next steps.  Everything is discussed openly and there is absolutely no secrecy regarding progress or behavior in the classroom. 

Proudly, I can report that once again, my daughter is doing well in school.  Her grades are on target and her reading, math and writing (even with that broken scaphoid) are coming along nicely.

Words from her teacher:

"Oldest daughter is a great citizen.  She follows directions, is respectful and is a pleasure to have in class."

My heart swells when I read this.  I feel happy when I think of oldest daughter in school and knowing how much she enjoys the entire experience; developing relationships with friends and teachers and implementing the new skills she is learning. 

Then, the bittersweet emotion sets in because even though I know my daughter is a wonderful kid, I can't help but wonder on how much more extraordinary she would be if she wasn't hampered by type 1 diabetes.  And do the adults and students around her appreciate how much harder she has to work - even through episodes of hypo/hyperglycemia?

What does type 1 diabetes rob her of during the day and how much harder does she have to try compared to the rest of the kids in the class?

The standards are the same for every child and while I am thankful that even with type 1 diabetes, my oldest daughter is doing well, I also reflect on how much more challenging that is for her. 

Which makes me very aware that this mid-marking assessment is lacking.  There is no mention of her ability to handle challenges, to overcome obstacles and to perservere in spite of type 1 diabetes.  There is nothing said of her steely backbone and her high tolerance of pain and discomfort.  No one mentions any of these physical and mental challenges that come along with type 1 diabetes.

And neither will I.

Sadly, type 1 diabetes is just part of her life.  No special considerations will be made as she enters young adulthood.  She will need to learn to compensate for all of the "extras" that come along with type 1 diabetes.  Future college professors and even employers will not bat an eye for missing assignments or feeling sick because she has type 1 diabetes.  She will have to be stronger than the rest of her colleagues in order to compete.  There is no way around this fact.

I know as she leaves the carpool this morning, that she isn't just bringing a backpack and a lunchbox, she is also bringing her type 1 diabetes and she is doing it successfully.

That is the most important grade of all.