She's got it pretty bad huh?!

Is that what all of your D-Moms out there hear when you tell someone that your young kiddo is using the insulin? Pumping it so to speak? Mainlining the insulin??? Sorry, had to say the last part, it seems that's the way everyone is thinking when you speak to them about Type 1.

Today, a neighbor asked me how Grace was doing. I never know quite how to respond. I want so desperately to say 'Chronic. She's doing chronic these days.' cause that's how I roll and I would find it darkly and strangely humorous to say that to someone. But you know what, that little editor-man in my head, who so cautiously guards my words before I speak them, who saves me heartache and heartbreak, he reviewed this comment gave it a rousing thumbs down.

So, I went with 'Well, she just started an insulin pump last week.' which was met with the said titled response.

"She's got it pretty bad huh?!"

First let me just say that I find it wrong on so many levels to say this to a mom of a child with diabetes. It's like saying - "Gosh, you got a raw deal on the whole diabetes thing, cause there are people who only have a little wee bit of the diabetes and they don't have it as bad as you." or "Wow, she must of - or frankly you as her mother must have done something - really, really bad for her to get the diabetes this bad." or the standard 'Thank God I am not in your shoes!" That's exactly how it feels to me when someone says it. Like, gee, you got the worst case.

So, I am coming up with some other responses to this statement.

"Actually, she has it pretty good. She has insulin to take care of her blood sugars. She has a family who loves her. She is brave and courageous. She has great doctors and good health care. Yeah, she actually has it pretty good."