Linguistic research by a fellow Type 1

[Angel_]

Hello all!

My name is Angeliki, and I am a doctoral researcher in Applied Linguistics at Queen Mary University of London. Most importantly, I have been living with Type 1 diabetes for 13 years now, which has been the main source of motivation for the current study.

In this PhD project, I am investigating the language that people and organisations use to talk about diabetes in the UK, focussing on the use of metaphors (for example, is diabetes seen as a fight, a journey, a full-time job?). For this purpose, as part of my research, I will collect different threads that have been produced in this forum in order to find out any diabetes-related metaphors that are commonly used. My aim is to examine the functions and the possible effects of these metaphors, so as to see whether some metaphors can be more beneficial than others when we talk about the condition and whether some metaphors can contribute to shaping certain attitudes towards diabetes. The results are hoped to be used in the form of specialised and empirically based guidelines which can help communicate the condition more sensitively and effectively and raise better and more genuine awareness about it. Language matters!😉

The study is text-based, which means that I won’t be using any of your personal information (if provided) in the forum. Additionally, usernames will be replaced by unique identifiers in order to make sure that your identity is protected. Other identifiers such as avatars, pictures, age, or geographical locations will be redacted.

I value your contributions to the forum discussions, and I believe your insights can greatly enrich this research. However, I also want to respect your privacy and preferences. As such, I am reaching out to give you the option to choose whether you would like your posts/comments to be included in my analysis. If you are comfortable with your posts being part of my research, there is no need for any action. Your contributions will remain in the dataset. If, on the other hand, you prefer that your posts are not included in my analysis, please contact me by 10th November. I will promptly remove your contributions from the dataset, ensuring your privacy and preferences are respected.

Your participation is entirely voluntary, and your decision will not affect your standing in the forum community. Your insights are valuable, and your privacy is a priority.

Thank you!🙂

Warm regards,
Angeliki

This study has been granted approval by the Ethics Committee of Queen Mary University of London.
This study has been approved by Mike @everydayupsanddowns

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

My late wife often used to refer to my diabetes as an ‘inconvenient houseguest’.

Like a sort of irascible lodger that you can’t get rid if who keeps messing with your plans, timings, and generally getting in the way.

 

[JJay]

What a fascinating piece of research that will be! I do hope you will be able to share the results with us.

 

[Adup]

This is great - I have given this subject a lot of thought as I believe it's really important to use kind and considered words and analogies. I try and think of the day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute management and adjustments involved as 'tinkering', as if its a very time consuming hobby!

 

[khskel]

I regard it as a constant experiment.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

I love the positive observations given so far and I will try to adopt any or all of those metaphors, if only to make a determined effort to reduce my own self-inflicted down-beat reactions.

But in truth, currently, when an essential "alert" (= alarm) "intrudes" into my awake (or asleep) moments I just immediately "resent" that yet again I have to stop what I'm doing and pay attention to what my CGM is alerting me to. I know this is bad for my own mental state and that in turn is bad for my health and won't help my D management - and I do sometimes be "graceful" about hearing the alert and making a "timely intervention" (= look, assess and do something or deliberately wait and see). When I get that response a bit wrong and actually go hypo I "blame" myself rather than accepting it is just part of the "fickleness" of my particular, brittle D.

Language does matter and in this medical context it needs to be both clearly audible and recognisable as well as helpful. Positive metaphors are far more beneficial than an instant negative reaction which I'm prone to do. Anything that helps nudge me in a positive direction can only be beneficial. Some of the medical jargon in reports from Consultants or GP notes are neither easily intelligible nor necessarily appropriate and that doesn't help.

Their language and vocabulary also needs to be appropriate and beneficial for the Patient. For example I recall during a telephone consult during Covid (about 6 months after my pancreatectomy) with a Consultant I'd not met nor spoken with previously, getting a report recording that I had had numerous "excursions" below 4.0 mmol/L and it just leapt out as though this was a pleasurable experience and akin to a nice vacation. I do understand that the word excursion can have that clinical meaning for medical purposes - but it doesn't feel appropriate for recording when something bad has happened without due caveat or context; he and his medical colleagues would have understood but the patient didn't (me, in this case). "Never mind the Facts, Perception Matters Most" and my perception was that this seemingly well qualified Consultant simply didn't understand my distress and difficulty AND as I read further was offering absolutely nothing to help. It was a further 6 months before I got Libre 2 from a different Team.

I wish you the very best of success @Angel_ with this Linguistic Research.