The Ethical Diabetic
I grew up in the 90's. I consider myself always growing up, even at 41, but my youthful 13 to 22 years took place during the time of Nirvana, email, recycling, and Earth Day. Those are the years I started to look around and decide some of my own values, watching how other families worked, other kids made decisions, deciding if I was going to get tattoos, start smoking, or become a vegetarian.
I knew that the earth and it's future mattered to me, I knew that I hated big business and corruption and I liked the idea of living in a big farmhouse near a field, and questioning authority.
I became a journalist, learned how to garden and pick berries and make jam. I wanted my footprint on the earth to be small and my impact on good change to be big.
And all of that is well and good until I was given the daily challenge of Type 1 Diabetes.
I needed the plastic wrapped needles to give myself insulin. I needed the vials with their plastic tops, and the thousands of test strips, and devices that required batteries and charging. Opting out of these things has never been an option.
Alternatives for what is harmful to the earth have always been around if you look and take the time and effort and money to commit to those things. Think of hybrids, bees wax sandwich wrappers (I own 2!) organic foods and clothing. Think of aromatherapy, and homeopathic remedies, and glass! The 90's taught me how to seek alternatives and be outside the norm, and tread carefully on our planet. But really, when your doctor writes you a script, you fill it and take home the giant bags and boxes and packages full of what keeps you alive. How to marry the thoughtful, earth conscious, natural woman to the necessities of diabetic care?
Today I'm using the Omnipod and totally love it. I also use Dexcom's G6 and feel so thankful for the constant monitoring adding to my personal care. They are easy, and relatively painless ways, with much less poking, to manage my disease. But the packaging is massive, all plastic. In writing this I discovered that Omnipod used to have a recycling program for used inserters, but stopped the program because of low participation. And isn't that why we are in this predicament now? (https://www.nytimes.com/section/climate).
I cannot live without batteries and charging stations. I fill my fridge and cabinets with all of these necessities, thrown into the garbage after use.
Each device is a blessing to a diabetic, but also a curse to the earth. These plastic things will not break down in 10, 15 or 20 years. They will float on the ocean (https://www.theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/), or get packed in the dirt poisoning our planet. And this is just the impact of one disease and its victims. All medical care comes with rubber gloves, and plastic wrapped tubes, and antiseptics, and all things not natural.
In raising my own children to be aware and careful with our earth, I have learned to ask them not necessarily what they will be, rather, what problem will they solve. I remind them to recycle, turn off lights, and the water when they brush their teeth. But they see our bathroom garbage full to the brim with packaging made of plastic from my Omnipod. It's a conversation worth having with our doctors and medical companies, and children. And ourselves. What can we do? Of course recycle, maybe make some funky art installations in the yard. Honestly the plastic garbage from my T1 stuff is not incredibly inspiring.
It's hard not to look the gift horse in the mouth with this one, and I know the value all of these things bring my life. But I still worry and consider the preciousness of our planet every day. And all the while, so thankful I get to walk gently on it.
I knew that the earth and it's future mattered to me, I knew that I hated big business and corruption and I liked the idea of living in a big farmhouse near a field, and questioning authority.
I became a journalist, learned how to garden and pick berries and make jam. I wanted my footprint on the earth to be small and my impact on good change to be big.
And all of that is well and good until I was given the daily challenge of Type 1 Diabetes.
I needed the plastic wrapped needles to give myself insulin. I needed the vials with their plastic tops, and the thousands of test strips, and devices that required batteries and charging. Opting out of these things has never been an option.
Alternatives for what is harmful to the earth have always been around if you look and take the time and effort and money to commit to those things. Think of hybrids, bees wax sandwich wrappers (I own 2!) organic foods and clothing. Think of aromatherapy, and homeopathic remedies, and glass! The 90's taught me how to seek alternatives and be outside the norm, and tread carefully on our planet. But really, when your doctor writes you a script, you fill it and take home the giant bags and boxes and packages full of what keeps you alive. How to marry the thoughtful, earth conscious, natural woman to the necessities of diabetic care?
Today I'm using the Omnipod and totally love it. I also use Dexcom's G6 and feel so thankful for the constant monitoring adding to my personal care. They are easy, and relatively painless ways, with much less poking, to manage my disease. But the packaging is massive, all plastic. In writing this I discovered that Omnipod used to have a recycling program for used inserters, but stopped the program because of low participation. And isn't that why we are in this predicament now? (https://www.nytimes.com/section/climate).
I cannot live without batteries and charging stations. I fill my fridge and cabinets with all of these necessities, thrown into the garbage after use.
Each device is a blessing to a diabetic, but also a curse to the earth. These plastic things will not break down in 10, 15 or 20 years. They will float on the ocean (https://www.theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/), or get packed in the dirt poisoning our planet. And this is just the impact of one disease and its victims. All medical care comes with rubber gloves, and plastic wrapped tubes, and antiseptics, and all things not natural.
In raising my own children to be aware and careful with our earth, I have learned to ask them not necessarily what they will be, rather, what problem will they solve. I remind them to recycle, turn off lights, and the water when they brush their teeth. But they see our bathroom garbage full to the brim with packaging made of plastic from my Omnipod. It's a conversation worth having with our doctors and medical companies, and children. And ourselves. What can we do? Of course recycle, maybe make some funky art installations in the yard. Honestly the plastic garbage from my T1 stuff is not incredibly inspiring.
It's hard not to look the gift horse in the mouth with this one, and I know the value all of these things bring my life. But I still worry and consider the preciousness of our planet every day. And all the while, so thankful I get to walk gently on it.
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