Invisible Illness Week

Diabetes is an illness that has no constant external symptoms; does that mean it's invisible?

in·vis·i·ble
~adjective

1. not visible; not perceptible by the eye
2. withdrawn from or out of sight; hidden
3. not perceptible or discernible by the mind
4. concealed from public knowledge

Is diabetes perceptible by the eye?
Yes, to the a keen eye (like that of a fellow PWD.) I often can spot an insulin pump or CGM from across the room and I know I am not the only one. So by that logic, yes diabetes is perceptible by the eye.

Is diabetes out of sight or hidden?
It can be, there are some people who are willing to display their diabetes for all the world to see, but there are others who prefer to keep their diabetes hidden away. I do not think keeping your diabetes completely hidden is ever a good idea and can be dangerous in the event of a hypoglycemic event, so that makes the answer to this question no diabetes is not hidden.

Is diabetes perceptible by the mind?
This one gets tricky. Yes diabetes is perceptible by the mind. How does the mother of a CWD know to check on their child in the middle of the night? Gut instinct AKA her mind.

Is diabetes concealed from public knowledge?
Diabetes is in the public eye now more than ever. It's on the news, in the papers and magazines, sneaking into sitcoms and TV drama's, heck even Oprah's talking about it. So, Yes the public is aware of diabetes.