Each Wednesday I invite readers, who may be new to D-Mom Blog or to our story, to read a particular post from the past. I am going chronologically through the Archives. This week’s featured post is apropos.
Let me explain.
As I read blogs early this Monday morning, I of course read what Allison Blass of Lemonade Life had to say. (Allison is among the first D-Bloggers that I began reading.)
Her post Choice of Words: Suffering From or Living With? struck me because I often think about the words I choose to use and what they project.
I tend to be a glass-half-full person and I think that what you project is often what you receive in return.
In response to Allison’s post, I wrote:
My daughter definitely doesn’t “suffer” from diabetes. In fact I think she is a thriving, fantastic little girl. (And this by no means implies that she accepts it 100% of the time.)
My hang up are the words “disease” vs. “condition.”
At diagnosis our CDE’s told us they prefer to use the term condition and I whole-heartedly agree.
“Disease” implies illness, being sick, and degeneration. My daughter is none of these.
Miriam Webster defines disease: a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms : sickness, malady
Whereas one of the definitions of condition is: a usually defective state of health
I know it is a semantic difference, but I choose not to label my child as “sick” and having a “disease.”
It is interesting to read others’ thoughts on the subject.
In response to Michael‘s comment, I encouraged him to read the very post that I intended to highlight this week saying:
So yes, I think for us choosing to say “condition” is a choice for the type of life we want her to have. A life without people thinking she is sick and contagious.
I encourage you to read this post as well. Though I wrote it over a year ago, it brought tears to my eyes as I reread it and then saw the comment that Michael left.
Control Issues, originally published September 6, 2008.
My daughter proclaimed her diabetes to people as if she was announcing the weather. My husband and I realized that we can’t control others’ reactions to her, even if we wish we could.
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