My pregnancy was a surprise. It was a happy, warm, lovely, surprise, but also a terrifying one. My diabetes wasn't well managed and my life wasn't where I thought I wanted it to be before starting a family. I was gearing up to write my masters thesis and, well, I'd recently been mugged and was … Continue reading Diabetes and Motherhood
On the question of disability… (again)
I am currently taking my last formal class toward my PhD in Disability Studies. Yahoooo for milestones! The class is called Disability Oppression and Resistance. In class last week, my professor made an argument that clarified the question of disability as it relates to diabetes (though he wasn't applying his argument directly to this). He … Continue reading On the question of disability… (again)
Where I’ve been
I've been silent on this blog since May of last year because I took the time to focus on my MS thesis and then passing my preliminary exams toward my PhD. Oh, and I had a baby. You can look forward to this blog picking back up now. I'm a working mom who brings her … Continue reading Where I’ve been
Diabetes Blog Week: Day 1
I'm so happy it is May already and it is Diabetes Blog Week!! Thank you to Karen at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes for once again hosting this important week. EIGHT years folks! Woop-Woop!! Today's prompt is: Click here for the Diabetes and The Unexpected - Monday 5/15 Link List Diabetes can sometimes seem to play by a rulebook that … Continue reading Diabetes Blog Week: Day 1
An Open Letter to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK)
Dear committee members of The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, I am Heather Gabel, student researcher at University of Illinois at Chicago, diabetes advocate and fellow, and blogger in the diabetes online community. I would like to thank the committee for hearing my perspective of the funding structure and policy of the National … Continue reading An Open Letter to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK)
The Things They Don’t Want To See.
Last fall, I took a class called Disability and Culture. In said class, students were required to develop and produce a creative project about disability-related conundrums. Disability conundrums are complex dilemmas. They have no right answer and the more you try and find one, the more fuzzy the situation becomes. Consider the act of staring. … Continue reading The Things They Don’t Want To See.
Examining Representations of Diabetes
I'm enrolled in a course this semester called "Disability and Culture." In this class we are looking at representations of disability in film, art, writing, etc. A major take-away from our first lecture was that representations of disability are inherently value-laden. This means that every single time a character or piece of art presents with a disability, there … Continue reading Examining Representations of Diabetes
Could it be the Novelty?
Many of us (people living with diabetes) share a story: we have experienced periods of isolation due to diabetes-specific challenges. Some of us went years before ever meeting another person living with diabetes. And perhaps most pertinent to Diabetes Online Community (#DOC) members, we know that magical feeling of complete relief when we are finally … Continue reading Could it be the Novelty?
On Saying Yes: Another MasterLab Reflection
Have you ever been witness to something unjust - someone being teased or treated unfairly? Chances are you have. Chances are also high that upon witnessing such an event, you have felt a specific kind of deep-seeded urge to somehow restore that balance and justice. However, if you are anything like me, that urge is … Continue reading On Saying Yes: Another MasterLab Reflection
What is the Story We Tell?
The following post was inspired by the twitter chat #dsma on June 1st. Diabetes Social Media Advocacy is a great organization in the diabetes online community that connects people with diabetes to the support they need via social media in many ways. The twitter chat using #dsma is one such method. With that said, this post is … Continue reading What is the Story We Tell?
The Chronic Scholar 