Humour is a great way to deal with stress that sometimes comes with a diagnosis like type 1 diabetes and “D-slang” is a way many young people choose to do this. But for those not in the loop it can seem like a whole new language.

Asking someone “are you high?” is just one example of how “D-slang” can be misunderstood. It translates to: “are your blood glucose levels high?”

Diabetes Queensland member Ashleigh Doss said using slang with others who have type 1 diabetes is not only fun but creates a sense of community.

“What’s the fun of being in the non-functioning pancreas club if we can’t invent our own secret language,” she said. “But it does complicate things when you have to remember not to talk about getting high, shooting up, sharps and needles at airports.”

Here are some other commonly used terms:

• D-Bag: A bag to carry your diabetes supplies in.
• Needing “a pen”: No, this doesn’t mean you need to write a letter. It’s when you need a shot of insulin through an insulin pen.
• Food police: Those people who question every piece of food you put in your mouth and often say things like, “Should you really be eating that?”
• Poker or pricker: Another name for your finger pricker.
• Saying “I’m beeping” or “my pancreas is just talking to me again”: When your insulin pump beeps.
• Shooting up: It may sound odd to someone who doesn’t have diabetes, but this means taking your dose of insulin.
• Diaversary: The anniversary of your diagnosis.
• Diabuddy: A friend who also has type 1 diabetes.
• Diabestie: Your best friend with diabetes
• Hypo hangover: When you’ve been up all night with low blood glucose and are over tired the next day.
• A gusher: When you do a finger prick and blood spurts everywhere and the finger keeps bleeding.

Read the article online at: http://www.diabetesqld.org.au/media-centre/2014/may/d-slang.aspx