World Diabetes Day 2011: Devil with a Blue Dress On

Oh dear god how I wish I had a blue dress to wear today!  Instead, I settled for a blue camisole under a brown printed wrap dress that I like.  The blue is for diabetes awareness.

The brown is because...diabetes makes us feel like crap? *grin*

Diabetes sucks.  Diabetes is everywhere in the world.  It shortens people's lives.  It kills children and adults in places where good care is not available or even remotely affordable.  Diabetes is right here in Philadelphia, and unfortunately, it's huge.

We can try to light buildings in blue or have fun flash mobs or advocate for a symbol to unite everyone with the cause of diabetes.

Diabetes, for many, is deadly.  If current trends continue, 1 in 3 Americans could be diabetic by 2050.  I'll be 68.  I love the Diabetes OC, but look, if every 3rd person in the US has a d-blog by then, I'll never catch up!  Heck, I barely catch up now.

I'm not saying I need the country to be purchasing blue appliances, but it might be nice to see some blue circle magnets on the backs of cars.  I want to see people to actually unite on World Diabetes Day the same way people rally around World AIDS Day.  We don't see advertisements of crying, hugging families after the JDRF or the American Diabetes Association walks, but breast cancer walk advertising is everywhere.  Pink things are everywhere.  People are definitely aware of breast cancer. 

I believe diabetes is an even bigger threat than that, and our levels of "awareness" on the whole in this country are pretty sad.  You might think you have a touch of the sugar.  You may think you can be cured, just like Halle Berry. (*snort*)  Diabetes is here.  It's not going anywhere.  I think it's high time everyone in this country realizes it is a serious problem. 

What have I done on this World Diabetes Day? I have a blue camisole on. I used blue post-it notes.  I went to the dentist, where I sat in a blue chair and was informed I have to have more cavities filled, which made me...blue.  I paused to think about mortality--it is Dr. Frederick Banting's birthday, and without him, we may not have ever had the insulin that saves all of our Type 1 lives.  I realized, returning from a Symlin vacation of a couple of weeks, that there are blue circles on the Symlin pen.  I took a deep breath, thankful for all I have, maybe just a tad nervous for next week's endocrinologist appointment.

Happy World Diabetes Day, everyone.  I hope that in the coming years, diabetes gains the ubiquitous awareness it rightfully deserves.