Diabetes is a 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week, 365 Days a year job. Diabetes doesn't stop. In honor of American Diabetes Month (November), I'd like to take a moment to thank my personal unsung Diabetes Heroes.
My Husband, Kevin. Though he does not have diabetes, he deals with it nearly 24/7/365. He always provides support and encouragement. He goes to appointments with me, helps me troubleshoot issues, nags me when I need it, and is there to listen when I get frustrated.
My Uncle, Gary. He also has Type I Diabetes and has been a positive role model for me. He has shown me that it is possible to live a full, happy, life without diabetes slowing you down!
My Mom. She was in the hospital with me on the day I was diagnosed. We were there all day, but fortunately I didn't have to be admitted. We were on a trip out of town. We drove the four hours back to our house and we read through the 'Diabetes 101' book that a nurse gave us. She listened and helped me come up with questions about the disease, complications, and treatment.
My Dad. I can credit him with saving my life by force feeding me Necco's. Dad has a sweet tooth and always has candy in his pocket. We were out hiking one time and I very nearly lost consciousness from a low blood sugar episode. It happened so quickly that I didn't have time to react. I was very out of it and didn't want to eat anything. He had to shove Necco's in my mouth and force me to chew and swallow them. I can be stubborn sometimes, especially when I have low blood sugar!
My friend Hillary. Last year at scrapbook camp I woke up with extremely low blood sugar in the middle of the night. I have something to treat low blood sugar with me 99.9% of the time. This is the 00.1% when I didn't have anything - I had accidentally left my snacks in the scrapbook room. She had to get up in the middle of night, run through the woods and get to the scrapbook room where I had left my snacks. I think she made it there and back in two minutes flat!
My Diabetes Educator, Mary Lee. I have been seeing Mary Lee for years and years, maybe even a decade. She is always available, I can email or call her anytime. She is extremely knowledgeable about diabetes and nutrition and really takes time to listen to you and provide solutions. She always informs me of the latest and greatest advances in diabetes.
My Physical Trainer, Marlene. She has the patience of a saint! She has been trying to get me off of Diet Soda for almost three years now. Even though it is diet, it can affect blood sugars and overall health. She knows I have diabetes and always watches carefully for my energy levels and asks how my blood sugars are doing. She will modify my session as needed. She says she watches for the color to drain from my lips and knows that I need to eat something. Fortunately this has only happened one or two times.
Thank you, again, to my unsung diabetes heroes for all of your support!
My Husband, Kevin. Though he does not have diabetes, he deals with it nearly 24/7/365. He always provides support and encouragement. He goes to appointments with me, helps me troubleshoot issues, nags me when I need it, and is there to listen when I get frustrated.
My Uncle, Gary. He also has Type I Diabetes and has been a positive role model for me. He has shown me that it is possible to live a full, happy, life without diabetes slowing you down!
My Mom. She was in the hospital with me on the day I was diagnosed. We were there all day, but fortunately I didn't have to be admitted. We were on a trip out of town. We drove the four hours back to our house and we read through the 'Diabetes 101' book that a nurse gave us. She listened and helped me come up with questions about the disease, complications, and treatment.
My Dad. I can credit him with saving my life by force feeding me Necco's. Dad has a sweet tooth and always has candy in his pocket. We were out hiking one time and I very nearly lost consciousness from a low blood sugar episode. It happened so quickly that I didn't have time to react. I was very out of it and didn't want to eat anything. He had to shove Necco's in my mouth and force me to chew and swallow them. I can be stubborn sometimes, especially when I have low blood sugar!
My friend Hillary. Last year at scrapbook camp I woke up with extremely low blood sugar in the middle of the night. I have something to treat low blood sugar with me 99.9% of the time. This is the 00.1% when I didn't have anything - I had accidentally left my snacks in the scrapbook room. She had to get up in the middle of night, run through the woods and get to the scrapbook room where I had left my snacks. I think she made it there and back in two minutes flat!
My Diabetes Educator, Mary Lee. I have been seeing Mary Lee for years and years, maybe even a decade. She is always available, I can email or call her anytime. She is extremely knowledgeable about diabetes and nutrition and really takes time to listen to you and provide solutions. She always informs me of the latest and greatest advances in diabetes.
My Physical Trainer, Marlene. She has the patience of a saint! She has been trying to get me off of Diet Soda for almost three years now. Even though it is diet, it can affect blood sugars and overall health. She knows I have diabetes and always watches carefully for my energy levels and asks how my blood sugars are doing. She will modify my session as needed. She says she watches for the color to drain from my lips and knows that I need to eat something. Fortunately this has only happened one or two times.
Thank you, again, to my unsung diabetes heroes for all of your support!
***
Please visit DiabetesMosaic.org to see the mosaic of 'A Day in the Life of Diabetes'
(See if you can spot my photo)
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Great post, Taun!
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