December 27, 1999
Social Issues: School and Daycare
Question from New York , USA:
I am a 14 year old female, and have had diabetes for 3 years. I am on many sports teams and sometimes go from school to practice to another practice or game. It is very hard to keep myself not from getting out of control. My problem mainly is my teammates. They think I’m slacking when I need to eat or test. It’s getting real annoying for me to put up with their behavior towards me. Sometimes, to make up for the time I was to be practicing, I’ll run extra, because I am not a slacker. How can I explain my diabetes to them and not sound stuck-up?
Answer:
One of the hardest lessons of life is to let go of what “other people think”! It is especially hard at your age, when you want to fit in and be accepted more than almost anything.
Tell your friends that you must respect yourself and take care of yourself. You don’t need to apologize or feel less than anyone. You sound a lot more mature than those friends of yours! In time, you will be glad you chose to honor yourself by looking after your diabetes. Friends come and go, but you must live with yourself each day.
CMB
