I have had this blog set up for quite some time now, but I have never gotten around to publishing an entry. Maybe it has to do with anxiety over saying the perfect thing, or OCD about wanting to start on a day that was special to me and that made sense to my diabetes history... Well, today is the day.
Not only is today World Diabetes Day, but today marks the 100-Month Mark of my diagnosis. Sometime in the near future, an entire entry will be devoted to my diagnosis- but today has been a time for me to reflect on my precious time with T1....
One Father: My biggest fan and #1 cheerleader. (Am I allowed to do that? Well, I just did it.) Keeper of calm, and expert doctor-chauffeur. He has always kept me from putting the pressure and blame on myself, constantly reminding me that God is in control and my best is good enough. He is there always, right beside Mom, to help and encourage. He has always helped to carry the burden of D when it was too heavy for me to do it on my own... Make that Two Super Heroes.
One Brother: My big brother. Permanent playmate, encourager, competitor, and frenemy :) Sure, he doesn't have much of a clue when it comes to the ins and outs of living a D life...For him it meant that we got cell phones, the snack cabinet got taken over by medical supplies, random numbers were yelled across the house, and dinner got served with measuring cups instead of regular spoons. It meant that he didn't get to finish my desserts anymore--I had to finish everything on my plate because I already took insulin for it. It meant doing 2am blood sugar checks (which I know must have been an adventure) to help keep his little sister healthy. I've never heard him complain-- not about any of it. Most importantly, my brother was the first person to make me realize that diabetes doesn't make me any different-- I am still, and will always be, the same Me.
Church Family: The group of people, young and old, at home and at school, praying for me everyday-- asking me questions about my health (sometimes it gets annoying, I'll admit- but I know they care!) and investing time and care into my life.
Friends: Countless friends who try their darnedest to understand, even though we know they never quite will-- who check their blood sugars, bring me juice, and make ridiculous diabetes jokes-- who pray for me and encourage me and push me to be my best self.
These people mean more to me than any number. These people are my reason for celebrating today. So, thank you to the people in my life who mean more to me than they could ever know. And Happy World Diabetes Day :)
[8.33333... Years]
100 Months
[435 Weeks]
[3045 Days]
[73,080 Hours]
[4,384,800 Minutes]
[263,088,000 Seconds]
That's more than...
18,000 finger sticks; 2500 shots; 1,000 set changes; 40 trips to Joslin;
90,000 units of insulin (that's almost a can of soda!);
an ungodly amount of glucose tabs, juicy juice and gatorade...
Diabetes makes me think about numbers, as you can see. But those numbers aren't the important ones. What have kept me going these 100 Months, and will keep me going for hundreds more, are the small numbers.
One Mother: My biggest fan and #1 cheerleader. Keeper of records, pharmaco-magician, and expert nagger. My near-perfect control in high school? That was all her (as is evidenced by the difficulties that have come with being on my own in college... More on that later.) All the carb information I could ever want was taped up inside the food cabinet. Set changes were always laid out on a clean table and my test kit magically cleaned itself out ;) I don't know that I have ever or will ever give my mom enough credit for everything she has done and will do. I don't know if I will ever fully understand what it must be like to have a diabetic child-- worries, fear, anxiety... One Super Hero.
One Father: My biggest fan and #1 cheerleader. (Am I allowed to do that? Well, I just did it.) Keeper of calm, and expert doctor-chauffeur. He has always kept me from putting the pressure and blame on myself, constantly reminding me that God is in control and my best is good enough. He is there always, right beside Mom, to help and encourage. He has always helped to carry the burden of D when it was too heavy for me to do it on my own... Make that Two Super Heroes.
One Brother: My big brother. Permanent playmate, encourager, competitor, and frenemy :) Sure, he doesn't have much of a clue when it comes to the ins and outs of living a D life...For him it meant that we got cell phones, the snack cabinet got taken over by medical supplies, random numbers were yelled across the house, and dinner got served with measuring cups instead of regular spoons. It meant that he didn't get to finish my desserts anymore--I had to finish everything on my plate because I already took insulin for it. It meant doing 2am blood sugar checks (which I know must have been an adventure) to help keep his little sister healthy. I've never heard him complain-- not about any of it. Most importantly, my brother was the first person to make me realize that diabetes doesn't make me any different-- I am still, and will always be, the same Me.
Church Family: The group of people, young and old, at home and at school, praying for me everyday-- asking me questions about my health (sometimes it gets annoying, I'll admit- but I know they care!) and investing time and care into my life.
Friends: Countless friends who try their darnedest to understand, even though we know they never quite will-- who check their blood sugars, bring me juice, and make ridiculous diabetes jokes-- who pray for me and encourage me and push me to be my best self.
These people mean more to me than any number. These people are my reason for celebrating today. So, thank you to the people in my life who mean more to me than they could ever know. And Happy World Diabetes Day :)
Annie, very well thought out and well written. Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts.
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