Banishing Stigma Associated with Incurable Diseases

I've had Type 1 Diabetes for 12 years. They've been arduous years, packed with tears, blood sugar spikes, and innumerable shots, but I've learned to manage and accept my diabetes without allowing it to define me. Most days, I mindlessly go about my business, flying under the radar. But I've found myself in a few uneasy situations because of my condition. On multiple occasions, I've been asked to step outside a classroom while discreetly administering my life-supporting insulin because I'm "making others uncomfortable" by preserving my own life. I've been directed to the restroom while testing my surging blood sugar levels for the same asinine reason. While the definition of doing what's right varies from one individual to the next, I'm certain everyone with an illness who's been made to feel alien because of their condition would agree that discrimination on such a fruitless basis is not right. I'm sorry that my incurable disease doesn't conform to your societal norms, but I won't sacrifice my precious education or fundamental right to exist in order to accommodate an offensive request. Therefore, those moments presented me with a difficult choice: I could oblige, disrupting my education by leaving mid-class, or I could respectfully decline the offer. I chose the latter. But I shouldn't be placed into such divisive situations in the first place; nobody should be strong-armed by their accommodating nature into sacrificing their own betterment. A revolution of mindset is necessary, and if I must be the one to speak for the masses, I will step forward with my shoulders back and chin high and proclaim what no one else will. For all of us medical marvels, the first step towards creating a world devoid of these tense interactions is being open and unashamed of our diseases. I envision a future where I'm not seeking to hide the life-giving insulin pump on my arm, where my epileptic friend doesn't frantically apologize after every episode. There is no shame in having a disease. If anything, there's admirable strength and dignity within every individual who battles life with a condition. So, proudly write your blog. Confidently tell your friends. Take your medication even when your roommate can see, because your life matters much more than one small-minded individual's limiting opinion. Our conditions may rob us of countless pleasures, but we cannot allow them to cheat us of our human right to freely exist. I seek and urge everyone to destroy the stigma surrounding diseases; therefore, I'll make the first statement. Yes, I'm diabetic, but I encompass much more than can fit into one meager word. Everyone does. The one who is audacious enough to speak up holds the keys to society in their hands— bias crumbles and movements rise at their very beckon. I am willing and prepared to wield those keys.