The Quest
The quest is a heroic tale of treasure recovered and enemies vanquished.
The ultimate quest, of course, is for the cure. The thing that will end the suffering. The thing that will restore the treasure of good health.
This quest has not met its heroic conclusion for people with diabetes.
So people with diabetes end up on lesser paths. Not able to pursue the cure on his or her own, the goal becomes better blood glucose management, or getting a medical device, or avoiding complications.
The obstacles faced are purely man made. Doctors who need to be persuaded. Insurance companies that need to be convinced. The self who needs to be committed. It can feel like the 12 labors of Hercules. As soon as one hurdle is cleared, another appears. And in a cruel twist of fate, just as the finish line is within view, just one more obstacle appears needing to be handled.
For people with diabetes, it’s the never ending quest.
The Quest is one of the seven basic plots identified by Christopher Booker in his book The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. This week I am looking at life with diabetes through the prism of these seven basic plots.
