“Just like in the movie, today we’re doing a swap. If you could switch chronic diseases, which one would you choose to deal with instead of diabetes? And while we’re considering other chronic conditions, do you think your participation in the DOC has affected how you treat friends and acquaintances with other medical conditions?”

Since I am familiar with it, I think we’ll go with Celiac Disease. As I’ve said earlier in the week, John was diagnosed with diabetes in February of 2005. In August of 2007, his older brother, Luke, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
Celiac definitely puts a cramp in socializing. Everything revolves around food and it seems that gluten makes the world go round.
Taking our own food and being careful on those rare occasions we eat out as a family makes it more doable, though still complicated. I don’t like potlucks. Really I don’t. I have a fear of the unknown and I want Luke to feel well and be healthy.
With that said, I’d still take Celiac any day over Diabetes.
With celiac, as long as Luke has safe food, he’s good to go.
Obviously, with diabetes, just having insulin does not mean John is good to go. The testing, 8-10 times a day, the site changes, the night times (which his daddy, aka Super Daddy, does 90% of the time), monitoring exercise and illness.
No comparison as far as immediate health or long-term health.
From what I understand (and I am not a medical professional), a compliant person with celiac should have no ill health effects. Maybe ever.
From what I understand (and again, I am not a medical professional), a compliant person with diabetes can do everything “right” and still have issues. Anytime.
But really, what it there to understand about diabetes. It is a frustrating disease that can change on a minute’s notice. I feel like we”re in a bad Star Trek episode and being “beamed” somedays. Just when I get the blood sugars where I want them: “beam”–allergies, sickness, vacation lows, vacation highs, etc.

We have had more people express sympathy over celiac, it seems, just in the “Poor Luke, he can’t eat this gross, plastic-tasting birthday cake from XYZ discount store.”
Honestly, (and I have said this nicely) I would give the whole family (all eight!) Celiac if I could take away John’s diabetes. Yes, I would. In a heart beat.

The Six Sibs going round without gluten!
On the front row, Luke is on the left and John is in the middle.

I will answer the second part of the prompt a bit differently than it was meant, since this week is really my first real “participation” in the DOC. I had never heard that term until the last few months. It was just after the 7 year diagnosis mark that we received an e-mail newsletter from Medtronic, which contained a review from Meri. I had been reading blogs for several years, but it didn’t occur to me that there would be diabetes-specific blogs.

Anyway, I would say that just having a child with a chronic illness has made me aware of others with chronic illness or disability. We’ve had people say things like “I don’t think I could do what you do,” But I respond with “You do what you have to do.” I look at children with autism, in wheelchairs, needing liquid nutrition, etc. and sometimes think the first sentiment, then realize that their parents probably echo my thoughts. They have been called to different trials and I appreciate them for their loving care and perseverance.

Romans 12:12 (NIV 1984)
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”