OK, there was a really horrific diabetes article on-line, by Wendell Fowler over at the South Side Times. You can read by clicking, HERE or here: http://www.ss-times.com/2011/07/15/pandering-to-diabetics-you-bet/
For some reason, the site wouldn't allow me to log on with my wordpress password/id and after a million attempts( damn near,) I was finally able to register under a new name & password and was able to comment a few minutes ago (it's still awaiting approval)- And I didn't hold back!
My comment to Wendell is below.
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Wendell – You speak of of magic and truth for the greater good – And I agree, truth for the greater good is indeed magical.
However your article is neither truthful, magical or good.
On the contrary Wendell, your article is incredibly dangerous, grossly offensive and guilty of perpetuating diabetes myths and stereotypes in the media and to the public. Speaking of your job Wendell, you’re research skills regarding both the event and people that your writing about SUCKS.
Diabetes is not “avoidable.” Are you even aware of the various types of diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is certainly not avoidable, and just so we’re all on the same page, the event you so carelessly mocked was held to benefit “The Diabetes Foundation of Indiana,” an organization devoted to providing both education & support to children with type 1 diabetes. Smooth move, Wendell!
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The body of a person with type 1 actually attacks the part of the pancreas( the islet of langerhans) that produces insulin (which every human being on the planet needs to live) and destroys our ability to make our own insulin, rendering those of of us with type 1 diabetes depend on injections for the rest of our lives. Your diabetes myths of SUGAR CONSUMPTION & LACK OF EXERCISE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
As a type 1 for over 30 years, I was diagnosed as a skinny 8 year old little girl. I was 20 pounds under my normal weight at my diagnoses. Undiagnosed type 1s resemble starvation victims because of our inability to make insulin actually starves our cells. I come from a type 1 family.
2 of my sisters had/have type 1, as did my father, my 2 aunts, my cousin & my brilliant and talented nephew. We did nothing to deserve our faulty pancreases and sugar consumption had nothing to do with our diagnoses! If it were that easy, my family would have gladly given up the demon sugar years ago!
As a matter of fact, I indulge in ice cream from time to time (cupcakes too) and my Endocrinologist (one of the top in the country) is more than fine with that.
As a person who lives with diabetes,I test my blood sugars litigiously, sometimes as many as 14 times a day. I count the carbs for every piece of food I put in my body and then administer the proper dosage of insulin to cover said carbs & blood sugars & I haven’t had a day off injecting insulin into my body for 33 years.
Now Wendell, if you can find away for those of us with busted pancreases to magically start producing our own insulin, go for it man – knock yourself out.
If you could do that, you could win the nobel prize for medicine and become a hero to millions – if not billions, and you’d never want for money again. Monuments would be built in your honor and every family would name at least one of their children Wendell (regardless of gender) and there’s a good chance the Vatican would anoint you the first canonized living saint.
But….. I’m not going to hold my breath.
And as far as my diabetes brothers in sisters in the type 1.5 Diabetes or LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) and type 2 branches of my diabetes family tree are concerned, – they are not carry the shame and weight of society’s blame either.
Type 1.5 LADA Diabetes is (and this is the Cliff Notes version) also autoimmune related and occurs in normal sized adults (mostly) who gradually lose the ability to produce insulin. Their inability to produce insulin usually occurs within months, have positive diabetes antibodies and low c-peptide levels.
Type 2 Diabetes is a considered a metabolic disease/disorder and genetics plays a large part in a person Type 2 diagnoses. Yes, weight and food are also known factors. But I know many type 2s who eat right and who aren’t over weight. Unfortunately, their parents, grandparents, and great parents were all insulin resistant.
And as long as were pointing fingers, how about you look in the direction of food manufacturers who over process the foods they produce and replace sugar with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) so they can have a larger profit margin.
Do you really think its a coincidence that in the past 40 years, since HFCS was added to our diets in ever increasing amounts, America’s weight has continued to climb?
FYI: HFCS is outlawed in Europe.
And here’s where more damage is done because of what you wrote.
YOUR WORDS directly effect fundraising and research efforts for a diabetes cure. People tend not to donate research funding when they think the people living with a disease “deserve what they get.”
I can assure you Wendell, nobody deserves diabetes, regardless of the type.
And HOW DARE YOU put research for a diabetes cure in jeopardy!
So before you write about my disease,and a disease that many of my friends; family, and coworkers have, take the time to at least GOOGLE! Take the time to know ALL the facts,do you’re research, and stop the diabetes blame game!
FYI: Karma is a bitch! And if you think Karma is a bitch, wait until you encounter “Diabetes Karma.”
Diabetes Karma is when people with diabetes, or who’s friends, family and loved ones who have diabetes read your callous words – And start to make noise.
And by noise I mean emails and calls to your editor; publisher and the many advertisers of the SS-Times, and let them know exactly how we feel about what you wrote.
You want Karma my friend, YOU GOT IT. You wanted people to talk about your article? Congrats – We are talking! And we are writing; posting, facebooking, tweeting, & picking up our phones. Our numbers our strong & our voices are very loud and we are incredibly passionate about our diabetes cause!
Sincerely
Kelly Kunik
http://diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com/
I urge all of you to comment and call the SS-Times (and please be kind and professional to the people on the phone if you call, they didn't write the article) and let them know what you think! And a big shout to Mike over at: http://www.thediabeticscornerbooth.com/ for aalerting me/us to this guys words & for Ronnie over at http://thepoordiabetic.com/
for teaching me the login tricks of the trade!
As of 11:22 pm this evening, my comment has not appeared on Mr. Fowler's post as of yet - Which is exactly why I posted my response here - just to be on the safe side ;)
*** It's 3:30 am and I couldn't sleep. SO I decided to cut, past and attempt to repost my comment - sans my blog address. And it looks as if it actually posted - 9 hrs after I originally submitted. Apparently, if you put your blog url in the post, your comment requires actual human approval.
OK, now we all know - NO URLS in your comment!
