Diabetes, Philosophy and Et cetera

Last night, I was really excited to find out that Halle Berry was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes at an early age. And then I wondered what had got me so happy? I realized it’s because, one of the perks of being Diabetic in Bangladesh is that, we get to hear the dark side of the story so much that we shut all the doors around us. We subconsciously avoid each and every discussion that reminds us of this crude reality, even the inspiring ones!

As I googled, I found many such celebrities who were diagnosed before they even had started their career, yet they were successful. I wondered why it took me so long, almost 8 years, to know the story of Halle Berry! Truth is: The fear is embedded so deep that you do not even feel like acknowledging the problem, and hence run away from it. Over time you miss out on the education that could instead make your struggle better; the problem degrades and silently eats you up. Sooner or later, you eventually reach a tipping point, when it’s now or never, for some people it’s “Now”, for some, it’s “Never”. I chose “Now”!

Medical practitioners in Bangladesh barely are inspiring or equipped enough to “counsel” a juvenile on how s/he can adjust with the growing hypes about fast food and junk lifestyles. The disease is more than just those prescriptions they all are trained to write, it’s more than the warnings they have been cramming on for years. We have no central networks, no summits- absolutely nothing to ensure there is a mutual sharing of experience and knowledge within this cluster of the youth. I personally have tried to connect to such networks but failed. There is a weird stigma around it, it’s neither too bad that NGOs would be flooded with money to launch seminars/bootcamps, nor is it too small to be ignored. We think these discussions are too negative to take place in our living rooms; and the places we bond most at, are so full of junk foods, that bringing up these talks just doesn’t go with the spirit of the check-ins! 

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is a disability that can be very well lived with. Diabetes to me is a lifestyle condition which if diagnosed early, can be miraculously beneficial to your life. It allows you to see beneath the reckless consumerist abusive lifestyle choices people make. It allows you to value your health, your time and productivity in a way that other individuals don’t. It allows you to recognize your own authority over self. To me it is a disease better understood by philosophy than medical science.

Diabetes is not just about living on Glucometer and medical tests, freaking out over ways to avoid dialysis or retinopathy. You understand diabetes, you understand the economics of “Lifestyle” ; You understand diabetes, you understand dialectics; You deconstruct every single choice you made in life that has brought you to this day and defined you as a person; with or without your consent . You find the link between your disease and the moral fabric of the society, the government, the tax laws, the TV shows and what not! You understand the most crucial trade off, whether to “Live to die” (Live reckless, as you’ll die anyway!) or “Die to Live” (You’re so cautious about life that you don’t live at all!). And that point triggers your need to redefine everything, how you view yourself, how society views you and vice versa!

As far as my case is concerned, it got better just when I started talking. I strongly believe talking helps in Diabetes more than those insulin shots. Talk! Talk to yourself, talk to Google, talk to your doctor, your parents, your spouse and your children. It will only get better from this point on! Just when a member of the family is diagnosed positive, it means the whole family is diagnosed with the disease, and I’m not talking about the clinical characterization here, but the philosophical one! Diabetes is not a disease; it’s just a symptom of a more ingrained philosophical disease that needs addressing!

For further reading:

http://www.economist.com/node/21556201

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/diabetes-philosophies-mine-and-yours/

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/37/1/e9.extract