Diabetes Week Recap

I know that I didn't finish diabetes week, and there are a few reasons for that, so I am writing now to finish up that obligation I made and to also explain why I seemingly dropped out of the blogging process.

Prompt 5 asked us if we could swap illnesses, what would we chose. So the idea was behind it was if you could pick any chronic illness to replace diabetes, what would you chose and why. The main reason I didn't answer this post was because I found it kind of offensive. Why? Well, there are multiple reasons.

I have spent years since my diagnosis trying to educate myself and others on juvenile diabetes, and diabetes in general. I have worked hard to be successful despite my illness, and I think on the whole I have done a pretty good job. This questions makes me feel like diabetes can be taken lightly and just swapped out for something else. What also made me dislike this question was the thought that other diseases are easy to handle. If you are asking me to pick a different disease, you are essentially asking me to pick one that I think would be easier to handle. I don't think that exists, and I also think that such a question is discourteous to people who suffer from another illness. From my perspective, if someone with a disease said they would rather have juvenile diabetes, I would be upset, because it SUCKS! The constant finger prints, blood work, having to deal with highs and lows and injections? I wouldn't wish this on anyone, and I wouldn't wish to have a different disease either.

I have met people with cystic fibrosis, Crohn's Disease, cancer, and other types of serious illness. Everyone handles their medical issues in their own ways, and I have met many incredibly strong and courageous individuals. To say I would rather have one of their diseases would mean that I was discrediting the severity of their illness and also my own.

Prompt 6 asked us to create a piece of art that symbolized our diabetes. I thought really hard about this one in advance, and couldn't think of anything. Looking back after a week and still thinking about this topic made me think about a picture that was unfortunately lost when I changed phones last year.

I taught my nephew, Lucas, how to give me an insulin shot. One day we were sitting on the couch watching TV when I needed to take a shot of insulin (I was off the pump for a few days). He wanted to see what I was doing, and was in this very helpful stage. I showed him how to fill up the syringe and how I inserted it, and then I let him push the plunger. I was able to explain to him what I was doing and how it wasn't a game but something to keep me healthy. He was fascinated and wanted to learn more, and that weekend, I let him help give me shots. My sister caught a picture of it one time, and it was really sweet, this tiny child with such a look of concentration on his face helping give me my medicine. It has stuck with me since then, because he showed such maturity for a four year old and took it seriously every time. That would be my piece of art: That picture showing wisdom beyond his four years.

Finally, Prompt 7 asked us to share three new blogs we had read. Well, I found a lot of good blogs, all that I would encourage you to read if you are interested, and you can find the entire list at Bittersweet Diabetes.