A Diabetes Memory

December 3: Oh Christmas Tree

This song will always make me think of one of my best childhood friends.  Her mother is German, so never knew the words that we knew.  I remember that I knew the words to this song in German at one point as a child, and then again in high school when I was taking German.  

Back to diabetes.  We love it, we hate it, we live it every single day.  But sometimes there are little changes that we miss.  Like grabbing a new bottle of strips for instance.  Today, if I forget to grab a new bottle, I come back to my apartment, or stop at CVS, Walgreens or Target and just buy a new box.  When I was in third grade, I was at my friends house, and it must have been a day we didn't have school because I needed to test, meaning I was eating lunch there.  I went to test (and you should see the bag I used to carry around, it was huge!), but there weren't any more strips.  Her dad piled us into the car and we drove to the pharmacy.  This is a local pharmacy (where if the pharmacist didn't get the prescription from my doctor, he'd at least give me enough to survive the day), and closer to my house than hers, and he buys me a box of test strips.  I show him the one I usually get (the largest one), and that's the one he buys me.  We go back to her house, and I'm starting to realize that this is big.  We finish our day, and her father brings me home and Mom & her dad talk, especially about the trip to the pharmacy.  Mom goes to her purse to pay him back and I remember something to the effect of "If you pay that much all the time, please let us do this."  It was a huge day for our family.  Firstly because I wasn't prepared.  But because someone else just picked up and took care of my diabetes the same way (but with less blaming) my family would. 

Good Diabetes Things from the course of the month

I'm going to start with my favorite of my Six.  This day made me feel so good, and so empowered to have this disease.  I felt normal; I felt that there were things I never put into words, but when others did, I thought, "yes!"  So here is my favorite of mine:
"I don't make a big deal about my diabetes.  I fight tooth and nail every day not to because I want to be treated like a normal person.  I don't want people telling me that I can only eat certain things, or that I can't participate in activities, or to use it as an excuse in a way that I am acting.  But it is a big deal, because it can affect everything.  The one day every year that I make a big deal about it is July 4.  And while I don't want people making a big deal about it every day, I want you to make a HUGE deal about it July 4.  Celebrating every anniversary has always been a big deal in my family because every year it is an accomplishment.  If it has been a bad year, then it means we survived and we're on to the next one.  If it was a good year, it is time to celebrate and give ourselves a pat on the back.  And hope for the same things in the coming year.  Every year is big; because every day is big."  


I was sitting in the waiting area of Girl Genius's gymnastics when I heard this conversation between a mother and daughter.  I was alert because I heard "my" pump beep, but nothing was showing up.  
"Well this is my sensor."
"How come you have diabetes?"
"I don't know.  Some people do and some people don't.  That's just the way it is."




This was a bunch of people's facebook statuses:

"Its Diabetes Awareness Month. It isn't pink or sexy, it doesn't involve boobs, football players or cute t-shirts. Its about being grateful when you or your loved one wakes up in the morning. Its about 3am blood sugar checks, needles, low blood sugars and the smell of insulin on your hands after changing a pump site, or filling a syringe. Thats a Diabetics LIFE. Repost if you love or loved someone with diabetes."

This was a facebook post on my page from Rebel (and not really good, but definitely funny):
voice mail from student health: "Hi melissa I wanted to let you know that the results of your blood test (from electrolyes and iron for running) have come back and it's urgent that you call me because your blood glucose was 200 and could be a sign of type 1 diabetes." please call me back !!! ... left 2 messages in a row.

I called and first thing i said was I know I have diabetes... and its in my chart. 0.o

This was a text message conversation:

Me: I don't know if you know this, but I have diabetes and I had a really bad low in the middle of the night and it made me a zombie this morning, so I need to get everything together tonight and then I'll go up in the morning.

new person: yea, I saw that Briley, I def know what you mean I have some friends who diabetics and I know what they go through.  I have some family members who are diabetics too so I understand completely!  thats ok you will still have fun tonight either way

Me: I'm glad you understand

NP: oh god yea i def understand for sure so never feel like you can't talk about it to me im all open to it and i def know how you feel!  i was actually going to tell you that at some point and be like never be shy to tell me that if u want to talk about it, im wicked open like that!

Me: That makes me feel a lot better, because I've definitely gotten some jerk comments before

NP: seriously?  well you know what then whoever said those comment to you are complete &*#$*&$ and have no idea!  friggen jerks out there i'll tell ya

Me: Yea...I feel like there is so much more I could say about it, but I'm going to keep it concise with a plain thank you.

NP: I def understand, believe me a thankyou is fine but never feel like you can't say more about it to me, i completely understand know where your coming from so no worries!


I was at an open house for a friend and her brothers because they were all in town at the same time.  It was like childhood all over again, except that no one recognized me.
Woman: And how is your diabetes doing?
Me: Oh, it's good (At this point I was a little irritated about the mention of it.)
Woman: You know, I always admired you for having diabetes.  I know you make it look easy, but you never complained and I'm sure it's much harder than we think and you just need to know that I've admired you from the time you were diagnosed.
Me: Thank you.  (What else can you say to a woman who you don't know very well, but you just want to jump up and hug?!)