So my son is at that age where he’s starting to consider colleges and career choices. So this recent headline really got our attention: “Diabetes Discrimination: A New Headache for Employers.” Obviously, we would never want our son to be the victim of discrimination due to a disease that he had no choice about getting.

So we read the article. And though the article contained some insights about issues employers are dealing with when it comes to diabetes, it was more insightful to see how terribly uninformed people are about this prevalent disease. The reporter failed to acknowledge any difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The recent court rulings seemed to place diabetics in two categories. Either they have the disease under control and are therefore, not protected under the American’s with Disabilities Act, or they are out of control and can be fired because they are a liability to the company.

As my son embarks on higher education and making a career choice, it certainly doesn’t help to have these perceptions in the marketplace. Though he has less than perfect control, he’s never missed a day of work or been unable to fill an assignment with his current employer. We can only hope that the next few years brings more understanding to the workplace.

We love taking road trips. Seeing new sites and getting away from the daily grind are always a welcome relief. However, with a diabetic in the family, traveling always brings it’s own share of challenges.

1) How do we keep the insulin cooled? Depending on how long your trip is and where you’re going, this can be a significant issue. For longer trips, we always use a small ice cooler specifically for the insulin. We try to plan ahead for where we’ll be able to get it back in the fridge or get more ice. Sometimes we leave ourselves a note on the car steering wheel to remember to get the insulin out of the fridge when it’s time to head home.

2) What do you take for emergency carbs? We try to keep some juice boxes always in the car—not just for road trips. If we’re doing a lot of hiking or walking around outside of the car. We like granola bars which can be stuffed in pockets and provide both quick carbs and a little fiber and protein to last.

3) How do you remember all your supplies? There are so many different supplies for diabetes. Especially for those on insulin pumps and/or continuous glucose monitors. If our trip is more than just a one day trip, we find that we have to make a list. We think through the whole routine and then gather all the supplies into one bag/carrying case. If we ever just try to wing it, we inevitably forget something. And if you’ve ever tried to get diabetes supplies in a remote town or when you’re far from home, you know what a pain that is.

4) The tester, the tester, the tester. Whatever you do, don’t forget the glucose meter. And make sure you bring extra test strips. No matter if you’re sure you have enough, grab another canister of test strips. You just can’t be TOO prepared.

Finally, it is often helpful to make sure you have a diabetes ID bracelet or necklace. Whether it’s entering a stadium or a theme park, the last thing you need is someone in security getting all worked up about a needle or a glucose meter. Often, the diabetes ID bracelet or necklace is all they need to see.

Have fun and remember, always always double check.

So my son and I will graduate together. He will be graduating from high school and I’ll be graduating from graduate school. We stay up late doing homework together. We commiserate about teachers. We celebrate good grades together. And we console each other when a test or assignment doesn’t go so well.

But what my son doesn’t understand is how much his diabetes has to do with my schooling. It’s not like I’m in medical school or something. I’m not researching to try to find a cure for diabetes. In fact, I’m in business school. And I guess that’s appropriate because it’s the business of diabetes that drove me back to school. As the reality set in of just how much this disease costs and the length of time my son will need to be on my insurance, I realized that I must find a way to make more money.

My professors have explained that MBA students rank the highest in the “what’s in it for me” personality types. Truthfully, I don’t fit in great with that crowd. But as I sit in a classroom full of those who are openly aspiring to be CEO’s, I realize that though my motivations may be a little different, I too am driven to achieve a larger paycheck and the added responsibility that goes with it.

And I hope that along way toward my MBA, I just might build a stronger relationship with my son as we learn about life and what it will take to take care of his diabetes for a lifetime.

Diabetes and diet soda seem to go hand in hand. So whenever diet soda is in the news, you know every diabetic is paying attention. Here’s an excerpt and a link about a recent study that looked at links between soda drinking and weight gain.

News About Diet Soda
By John Crowley Father of a teenage diabetic

You probably saw the article from Reuters under the headline, “No Safe Haven: Diet Sodas Linked with Health Risks.” It was as if I heard a collective “Oh, great!” from the whole diabetic community. You’ve tried to be good. You’ve avoided those full-sugar sodas for years thinking that you were making the healthy choice. And now this news. What does it mean?

Click here to read the full article.