I never thought I\u2019d have to defend my right to eat a protein bar on a flight. But on a trip from Chicago to Seattle, I found myself doing just that\u2014arguing with entitled parents who believed their child\u2019s \u201csensory sensitivities\u201d outweighed my medical needs. I\u2019ve lived with type 1 diabetes since I was twelve. Managing it means acting fast when my blood sugar drops\u2014something that couldn\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n
As the plane taxied, I felt my glucose crashing. I quietly reached for my protein bar, only to be asked not to eat because it might bother their son. Against my instincts, I agreed to wait for the snack cart, even as my symptoms worsened\u2014sweaty, shaky, lightheaded. I was putting their comfort ahead of my health, and I knew it.<\/p>\n
When the cart finally came, they doubled down\u2014asking the flight attendant to skip our row entirely. That\u2019s when I spoke up, loud enough for nearby passengers to hear: \u201cI have diabetes. I have to eat now, or I could pass out.\u201d The attendant immediately brought me food. The parents objected, but the people around us backed me up without hesitation.<\/p>\n
That flight reminded me of something vital: advocating for your health is never impolite\u2014it\u2019s necessary. Just because my condition isn\u2019t visible doesn\u2019t make it any less real. No one\u2019s personal discomfort trumps someone else\u2019s medical safety. Especially not at 30,000 feet in the air.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I never thought I\u2019d have to defend my right to eat a protein bar on a flight. But on a trip from Chicago to Seattle, I found… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n