REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES RELATED TO
DIABETES
My name is Amar. I am 20 years old
and I am a chef, food blogger, cookbook author and a diabetic. Being a diabetic
and someone whose life revolves around food, you will never fail to receive
comments from people about how you became diabetic because of your lifestyle;
and I must admit that they are right, if only I had stuck to eating a bowl of
salad with boiled chicken with no carbohydrates for the better part of my life,
I would not have to inject my abdomen with insulin shots every time my blood
sugar levels rise abnormally. However, I would like to point out to them that
their opinions do not matter as they are wrong. I did get diabetes because of
my eating habits, but only so because I was at a higher risk of diabetes than
other normal human beings. My family has a long history of diabetic people so
my chances of getting diabetes was pretty large. So, with this of myth thrown
out the window, I would like to share with you the life - experiences of
diabetic people in social and working situations.
During social gatherings and
activities, especially in Malaysia, food tends to be put centre stage. We do
not typically bring the food from the buffet table to our own private table to
chat and eat, rather, we choose to chat and eat at the buffet table so that the
food is nearer to us. Don’t get me wrong, diabetics can do this, no
restrictions imposed upon them, but they have to be mindful of what they are
stuffing in their mouths. Healthy people can just pick whatever they want and
eat it without a worry in the world and talk to their acquaintances at the same
time. Diabetics on the other hand have to watch what they are putting in their
mouths just in case the food they are eating might send them into a diabetic
coma. Other than that, we can do what other normal people do.
In a work setting, there is no
distinctions between diabetic and non-diabetic workers. We do not get paid less
or are given less work because of our medical condition. We only need a little
time to check our blood sugar levels throughout the day and maybe administer
insulin, only a few minutes is needed (Non- diabetics might take longer coffee
breaks than our “insulin breaks”.. There might be a little bias during the job
interview when the employer sees your medical history for the first time, but
other than that, nothing much.
Now, I am not writing this story
because I am trying to gain sympathy for diabetics, but essentially, I want to
dispel the myth that diabetics are different from other people in this society.
The fact is, the only thing differentiating us from the rest of society is the
occasional insulin injection, medical check-ups every now and then and that we
have to watch what we eat.
(Word count: 503 including title
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