And I will leave a trail : learning to live with type 2 diabetes, a narrative curriculum
Date
2000
Authors
Taylor, Sue Ellen
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path and I will leave a trail (Anonymous, 1998). This thesis chronicles my journey of learning to live with type 2 diabetes. The thesis is the trail lam leaving as I explore my own experiences, the experiences of other people with diabetes, and the literature about diabetes as I try to understand what it means for me to be diabetic. The thesis functions as a curriculum of my own process of understanding my diabetes and may also be used as a model for others to reflect upon their experiences with diabetes.
The journey begins with a description of my motivation for the thesis and the research methodology including a description of how others may use the thesis as an inspiration for their own reflections about diabetes. It continues with narratives of seven participants with type 2 diabetes and creates a broad overview of the experiences and feelings of people with type 2 diabetes. A literature review of diabetes follows which allowed me to increase my understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetes and its treatment. This literature chapter is written for the lay reader so as to facilitate an understanding of the complexity of diabetes. The thesis concludes with personal narratives, poems and journal writing which describe my experiences as a diabetic.