what term do you use?

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bev

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Hi all,

Alex has asked me whether diabetes means he has an illness , a disease, a terminal illness or is just disabled! I really didnt know what to say to him so thought i would ask you all what you call it? I hope i dont upset anyone - its just the way a 10 year old thinks! I have also asked on a childrens forum what their children choose to call it - and will be interested whether adults and children view it the same way. Thanks. Bev
 
I tend to describe type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes as chronic conditions - chronic means long standing, in contrast to acute, which means short lasting; it does not have any meaning in relation to seriousness. If anyone ask me "how are you?", my answer depends on eg absence / presence of a cold, rather than on diabetes, although I'd probably say that I'll feel better when I've eaten something if I'm hypoglycaemic or if I'm simply hungry, which happens far more often.

Gestational diabetes is a special case, as it is generally limited to pregnancy, so not really a chronic condition, unless it doesn't end with the birth, and it can reappear as type 2 diabetes later in life.

It would be interesting to hear back the answers from the children's board, too, so please report back.
 
Hi bev, I think it's 'officially' a disease, but that makes me think of things like cholera and typhoid, so I prefer to call it a 'condition' - maybe, like Copepod, a 'chronic condition', although the term chronic is often misunderstood.

As long as I am able to keep my blood sugar within non-diabetic levels, then I feel I am perfectly healthy, it's just that I have to be pro-active in ensuring I stay that way!🙂
 
I call it a condition as I don't consider myself to be ill - I just have a broken pancreas
 
Condition.

Definitely not a terminal illness. Definitely not a disability and my lawyer will back me up on that one 😉

At one point I was bothered by being referred to as "a diabetic" That wore off after about 3 months.
 
condition for me as well yet trying to get insurance they class it as a disability which I put them right. Diabetics are definatley discriminated against when getting insurances
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Hi all,
Thank you for replying to this thread - i have looked on the childrens forum and they have given the same answers as on here - they all call it a 'condition'. I think that makes it sound less 'desperate' and is a far more accurate description of diabetes in my view. Thanks again. Bev🙂
 
I tend to think of it more as an inconvinience, although long term medical condition might be more appropriate. It is an inconvinience if I'm out with friends and they want cakes from the baker and I have to get an apple or banana from some other place.

I am not ill and although we are covered by the disability discrimination act, I do not consider myself disabled.
 
I'd like to think of me as having a condition. Not a disease because well I don't think it is & I wouldn't like to go as far as saying it's a disability because I don't feel like it has that sort of impact. I agree with matts, my pancreas is a bit broken. No I'd call it a condition.
 
No question about using condition, when I heard that officially it is a disease I felt a bit brassed off, but I soon shook that one off.
 
yep, another here who calls it a condition. I don't mind being called a diabetic, some people get a bit hung up on it and want to be called 'a person with diabetes'. Doesn't bother me though.
 
sofaraway said:
yep, another here who calls it a condition. I don't mind being called a diabetic, some people get a bit hung up on it and want to be called 'a person with diabetes'. Doesn't bother me though.
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Same here. In fact I always say "I am diabetic" rather than "I have Diabetes" because I think the latter makes it sounds like I have a disease, in my opinon!
 
Another 'condition' one here! THOUGH sometimes when trying to describe to others what it actually *means* in terms of management, etc, I do sometimes say 'it's like a chronic illness' -- because people understand the term insofar as it highlights long-lasting, and needing intervention. Whereas leaving it at 'chronic condition' may imply something that you don't do anything about to those who don't know...

I'm careful though not to leave 'illness' hanging long in conversation. My son isn't ill, nor does he have a disease.
 
Ditto... Condition for me too.
 
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