Abstract
Of the estimated 16.2 million diabetic patients in Japan, most have no symptoms in the earlier stages of their disease; these symptoms are primarily indicated by high blood glucose levels. Modern medicine problematizes the fact that many such patients "leave" their diseased condition untreated or "discontinue" their treatment program midway. On the other hand, some patients agree to undergo treatment and engage in coping behaviors despite having no visible symptoms. This paper examines interviews with incipient diabetic patients in a hospital diabetic education course in order to show how these patients' blood glucose levels pathologize their self-perceptions.
This diabetic education course instructs patients to monitor their blood glucose levels for self-control, which is considered as an autonomous and independent behavior. However, since their self-evaluation is based on their blood levels, they evaluate themselves based on the criteria of modern medicine. In this sense, the blood glucose level keeps "at risk" patients with little intention of seeking treatment within the domain of the medical profession. At the same time, if these patients can learn to access the indices directly without any symbolic interpretations of the physicians, they may be freed from their physical/mental burdens.
