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geetika bhardwaj has heard all kinds of myths and misconceptions about diabetes. in her life, she has navigated three different diabetes diagnoses – gestational diabetes, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes – and throughout her experiences, she has heard all kinds of comments:
“just be happy that you got pregnant and had babies.”
“you’ve been eating too much sugar lately. what happened, geetika?”
“it’s just diabetes; it’s not that serious.”
“you’ve been eating too much sugar lately. what happened, geetika?”
“it’s just diabetes; it’s not that serious.”
every time she heard one of these misinformed comments, geetika would have feelings of blame and shame that came unnecessarily with her diabetes diagnoses. these feelings would compound with her own hesitation to speak up about her personal health issues shaped by cultural expectations around health, and she would feel herself shut down, even from her healthcare providers.
geetika’s experience is common in canada. in 2024, diabetes canada released a report to share findings from a first-of-its-kind national survey exploring the social experiences of living with diabetes in canada. the survey found that nearly 90% of people with type 1 diabetes and nearly 70% of people with type 2 diabetes experience shame and blame for having diabetes – through no fault of their own. and according to the same report, 40% of people with type 1 diabetes and nearly 60% of people with type 2 diabetes rarely or never ask for help when they need it.
this alarming statistic shows that when it comes to diabetes, stigma not only affects a person’s quality of life, but it can also affect health-seeking behaviours and outcomes.
high rates of diabetes in the south asian community
after immigrating to canada from india in 2001, geetika established her career as a broadcast journalist within a year of her arrival, working at omni television as a host of a south asian community program, where diabetes was a frequent topic due to high rates in the community. she knew then that there was a need for greater awareness and education about this complex condition as it was too often oversimplified or underestimated despite so many members in the community having a diagnosis.
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many cultural and ethnic groups in canada are at a higher risk of developing diabetes compared to white canadians, with south asians having the highest risk. in fact, south asian individuals are 2.3 times more likely to live with diabetes than white canadians – a fact that geetika wished more people knew.
however, it wasn’t until her two pregnancies when she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, where her own journey with the relentlessness of this chronic condition began.
her own journey with diabetes
during gestational diabetes, a person’s body cannot produce enough insulin to handle the effects of a growing baby and changing hormone levels. for certain women, gestational diabetes may be preventable with enough early support, education and intervention. for others, with complex risk factors including stress, genetics, age and ethnicity, it may not be preventable, explains dr. lorraine lipscombe, endocrinologist, a member of diabetes canada’s board, and the chair of the organization’s mission committee.
women can sometimes think they brought on gestational diabetes by gaining weight, but according to dr. lipscombe, between 6-10% of women get gestational diabetes and far more gain weight in pregnancy without a gestational diabetes diagnosis.
despite a family history of diabetes, geetika felt unprepared for this diagnosis. geetika recalls she was sent to a high-level workshop for her diabetes management that left her with more questions than answers. despite the excitement of growing her family, geetika describes it as a scary time with this diagnosis, particularly during her second pregnancy when she was prescribed insulin.
motherhood, caregiving and managing her health
gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that resolves when the baby is born. however, one in two women with gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. only 14-50% of individuals return for postpartum glucose testing, and only 20% will continue with annual follow-ups because they’re often unaware of their elevated risks (source).
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during geetika’s second pregnancy, she experienced additional health issues that caused mobility issues. she was bedridden for four months while caring for her new baby and toddler. at the time, she was also coordinating home care for her mother who had just undergone triple bypass surgery.
“gender plays a role in how we care for ourselves, and the role of motherhood is often in competition with self-care,” explains dr. lipscombe, in describing her role as lead researcher in a program to help moms previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes lower their future risk of type 2 diabetes. “in particular, people from traditional societies prioritize their children and family members over themselves. we’re trying to help women recognize that, advocate for support, and not feel like they have to put their own self-care aside.”
for the next few years, geetika’s focus continued to be on adjusting to motherhood, informal caregiving for her mother and overcoming her ownhealth challenges. during this time, a prediabetes diagnosis was casually mentioned at a doctor’s appointment, without guidance or a plan for type 2 diabetes screening or prevention.
“at least i knew what diabetes is and what it involved because my mother lives with the condition, says geetika, “but we had different journeys, because she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life. i started my journey with gestational diabetes, and i didn’t understand fully the health risks of developing type 2 diabetes, so it was difficult to make my health a priority – particularly as a woman, mother and caregiver.”
geetika’s resilience in action
in 2024, geetika was hospitalized for other health issues, and it was there that she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
“i understood my gestational diabetes was gone and even though i had a conversation here or there about prediabetes, i still felt very shocked at this diagnosis,” geetika recalls. “i wasn’t happy about it because i felt like i had lost control of [my health].”
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she is still grappling with her diagnosis; learning how to manage such a complex condition while resolving feelings of shame and blame for what is too-often misunderstood as a “lifestyle disease” despite the clear genetic connections. however, once she came to terms with her diagnosis, she became very motivated to learn how to manage her diabetes. she knew she could still live well with her diagnosis.
today, geetika has transformed her personal experience with diabetes into a powerful platform for support for the south asian community through her podcast, geetika ki canadian diary. she is also a certified medical interpreter in toronto, where she helps newcomers and immigrants navigate their health care with confidence — bridging gaps in communication through her fluency in english, hindi, and punjabi.
geetika believes that with empathy, education, and culturally sensitive care, people can feel empowered to take charge of their health.
“as i take control of my health and my recent type 2 diabetes diagnosis, i can only work on the path forward and try my best; a lesson that all immigrants live every day in canada,” explains geetika. “we each need to navigate our own journey, and we need to speak up, even in the face of judgement.”
geetika’s journey highlights the need for culturally sensitive care and community support. you don’t have to carry the weight of diabetes stigma by yourself. for support you can trust along the way, visit diabetes.ca/typeresilient
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