Your health should be your priority. Always! However, your family, friends, and coworkers might not always understand just how serious your condition is. They might need some (not so) gentle reminders from time to time. In a very honest post on the AITA online group, internet user u/DiabeticBridesmaid opened up about how her sister, a bride-to-be, tried to pressure her to take off her medical equipment for the wedding. Why? To look better in the photos.
This was something that the diabetic bridesmaid was completely against, and it sparked a bit of a family drama. Scroll down to read the full story, which had a surprisingly positive twist. Bored Panda has reached out to the author, and we’ll update the article once we hear back from her.
Diabetes is nothing to joke about. It's vital to monitor and regulate your blood sugar levels
Image credits: monkeybusiness/Envato (not the actual photo)
A diabetic bridesmaid revealed how her sister, a bride-to-be, tried to convince her to take off her medical equipment for the wedding photos
Image credits: ASphotostudio/Envato (not the actual photo)
As the Big Day approached, the drama took an unexpectedly positive turn
Image credits: Getty Images/Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: DiabeticBridesmaid
Insulin pumps can provide you with more flexibility and precision in your life if you're diabetic
The Cleveland Clinic explains that insulin pumps, which are small wearable medical devices, essentially mimic how a person’s pancreas naturally releases insulin.
These pumps provide a continuous flow of rapid-acting insulin underneath the person’s skin. “Insulin pumps are an alternative to multiple daily injection (MDI) insulin therapy (syringe or pen injections) for people with diabetes who require insulin to manage the condition.”
Image credits: halfpoint/Envato (not the actual photo)
“The technology for insulin pumps is rapidly evolving. All pumps available in the United States today integrate with CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) technology and offer the ability to automatically adjust your insulin needs based on your current glucose levels,” the clinic shares.
Insulin pumps can be used by people with Type 1 diabetes, some individuals with Type 2 diabetes, and folks with Type 3c diabetes or monogenic diabetes.
Here are a few reasons why you may want to use an insulin pump:
- You find it hard to reach your target blood sugar range using multiple daily injections;
- You want more flexibility and precision in insulin dosing;
- You have unpredictable eating habits or lifestyle schedules;
- You require small doses of insulin;
- You have gastroparesis, experiencing delays in food absorption.
However, these pumps might not be the best option if you have problems with manual dexterity, have low vision or blindness, or have issues keeping the equipment attached.
Standing up for your interests and protecting your boundaries is vital. Especially when it comes to your health
According to the author of the post, u/DiabeticBridesmaid, she has Type 1 diabetes and wears two medical devices. One is a blood sugar monitor, and the other is an insulin pump. In short, they automatically monitor and regulate her blood sugar levels.
“This basically means I don't have to prick my fingers to test blood sugar or give myself insulin injections, the system does that automatically and makes my life way easier.”
Though the devices are small, the woman’s sister tried to pressure her into taking them off for her wedding, so that the photos would come out better. The author’s mom later pressured her, too. However, nobody should take off essential medical equipment without first consulting their doctor.
Image credits: Fellipe Ditadi/Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Luckily, u/DiabeticBridesmaid had other family members in her corner. Her brother and granddad backed her up. Since the latter was paying for the entire wedding in the first place, he had a lot of sway. “Grandpa apparently drove an hour into town this afternoon just to tell my mother how disappointed he was and that he must have gone wrong somewhere raising her. He told her that if they didn't apologize and make things right, my mom should figure out how to pay for all of the outstanding wedding costs herself.”
This led to a refreshingly positive twist. The woman’s sister and mom actually apologized to her. Instead, they decided to look for ways to dress the medical equipment up, using a corsage or shawl.
In this day and age, it’s also possible for wedding photographers to do some very subtle and graceful photo-editing, too, to hide these devices. Though you could also easily argue that having this equipment is nothing to be ashamed of. They reflect the reality that the bridesmaid is diabetic. It might be healthier for everyone to embrace this reality than to try to cover it up.
What are your thoughts about the way the entire wedding drama turned out? Has anyone ever asked you to change something crucial about yourself for a big event? If you’re diabetic and have an insulin pump, how would you feel about being told to take it off for wedding photos? How does an insulin pump affect your daily life? Tell us what you think in the comments, at the bottom of this article.
The vast majority of internet users stood up for the bridesmaid. Here are their words of support
Unfortunately, some readers were less than empathetic in their responses
