I finally heard it...

I have ready many a blog post and twitter post about how irritating (and wrong) it is to be called "fragile" when referring to diabetes. Until recently, I had never heard it first hand.

My daughter recently graduated high school (I am working on a post about that too.. I am a Proud Mama Bear, after all) and she wanted to tell the world, or at least everyone she's known for the past 18 years. One very dear couple moved away a few years ago, and I couldn't find their updated address. I really should get an address book, but who sends snail mail anymore? Anyways... my daughter called and left a message to call me back. J called me back and we played catch up for about 20 minutes. They are a retired couple, and traveled in accordance with the seasons. Snow birds. J and her husband lived in our area around the time I had my diagnosis corrected. She is a retired nurse and thoroughly enjoyed hearing about all the new information I had, and all the new technology. She had never seen an insulin pump before, so that was a lot of fun. 

Needless to say, she asked how I my diabetes was doing.  Yes, that is a frustrating question, but you gotta pick your battles, right?  I explained that I have my good days and bad days depending on what I ate, how I slept, the direction of the wind, and if the butterflies in Africa had beans for dinner or not.  Lately, I had been running really high, and my recent A1C came back .6 higher than my last one.  It's not like I'd been running non-stop for two months or anything.  Nope.. not at all.  I told her that it had been a rough little while, and she replied, "Oh.. so you're still fragile?" (hear concerned grandma voice).  REALLY?!  Had it been anyone else I might have said worse, but I bit my tongue (literally), and said, "No.. not fragile, just human." 

I know her comment wasn't meant as insulting.  In her defense, she is from the time period that "fragile" was an actual description, and she has been retired for many many a year and isn't up on all the latest.  It still hurt.  I'm still mad.. not at her.. just mad. 

We're all fragile.  Everyone, whether their pancreas works or not.  Don't call me fragile, diabetically speaking.  Call me fragile and yourself fragile and everyone fragile, humanly speaking. 

I saw a plaque not too long ago, and I think it's appropriate here:

Life is fragile.. handle with prayer.