Diabetes Onstage for St Patrick’s Day: Man Bites Reality
In the most intimate of venues in which I’ve performed, some people who’ve witnessed my show may have also seen my pre- and post-set regimen of blood glucose testing. This is, sometimes too often, followed by the regimen of downing glucose tablets or getting juice from the bar.
I must confess. I have Type I Diabetes. Now, contain yourself. I have a strong aversion to puns and cute expressions to refer to diabetes: “the sugar [whatever]”, “the beedies”, for example. I have diabetes. I do prefer saying, “I have diabetes”, rather than, “I am a diabetic”. I might say, “I am diabetic.” I’m not, however, a dogmatic, non-noun person. I do believe people have more going on in their lives than being diabetic. So, I believe it follows that referring to someone as a noun phrase that refers strongly to one aspect of that person –A diabetic, A deaf-mute, A junkie- waters down any discussion of that person as a whole person with a full life, family, and aspirations.
Semantic dogma aside, I am a musician with Type I Diabetes, and I think it’s time to start speaking up about it. Type I diabetes was once commonly known as Juvenile Diabetes. I hope that, in publishing some of my thoughts, and what my day is like, that others, friends, co-workers, adults, children, and parents of children with diabetes might find something useful in what I see and feel.
One thing I found out, when I was diagnosed, is that people have no idea what Type I Diabetes is all about. Its causes, its treatment, and the side effects of its treatment are all full of mystery, and, unfortunately, a lot of myths. In the coming months, I’ll discuss these in more detail. I hope to compile a section on my site for musicians and others with Type I (or even Type II) Diabetes, and how to handle the interruptions it can cause. Believe me, I know about these interruptions.
Tomorrow, I have a long day of performing. Saint Patrick’s Day, for me, involves the most performing I do in any single day of the year. I commonly spend 6-9 hours on stage, singing and playing. This amount of time under lights, using all my skeletal muscles for an hour or two at a time, eating, and adjusting my pump, all play against the delicate balance of my body’s insulin and blood glucose. I’m pretty good at this balancing, but I have my share of low blood sugars and subsequent late starts to prove I can’t always do it. This is all hard enough in a two- or four-hour show, so Saint Patrick’s Day is a real challenge.
I’ll write up my experience, tomorrow. So, tune in. Maybe, someday, I’ll drag a video crew around, and we can create a new reality show: Who Wants To Be The Next Type I Diabetic Irish Musician?!?
Cheers!
Tags: musician+with+diabetes diabetic+performers diabetes type+I+diabetes type+1+diabetes st+patrick’s+day saint+patrick’s+day
