I am writing these #DBlogWeek entries out of order (shocking, I know) and managed to completely miss yesterday (Tuesday’s) post. I’ll get to it.
If you’re interested in learning more about Diabetes Blog Week, go here. If you are interested on reading other diabetes blogger’s entries on the topic below, check THIS OUT (believe me, this will introduce you to some really great people in the #DOC and keep you very busy).
Today we’re going to share our most memorable diabetes day. You can take this anywhere…. you or your loved one’s diagnosis, a bad low, a bad high, a big success, any day that you’d like to share. (Thanks to Jasmine of Silver-Lined for this topic suggestion.)
I’ve been mulling this question over for days. I tend to be a look-at-the-bright-side-of-life thinker. I thought about some of my BIG diabetes moments and how I simply don’t remember them and what a good thing THAT is. Like when I was a little girl and had a severe hypo (unconscious and seizing) in my parent’s bathroom. Glucagon given, the ambulance didn’t show up in time, a local police lieutenant friend of my Dad’s arrived and transported me to the hospital, sirens blazing, while I practically cut my Dad’s index finger to the bone. My jaw had locked on my Dad’s finger as he was trying to keep me from choking to death. Nah, that’s not the kind of stuff that defines my life. That’s not my memory anyway. It is a horrific memory for my parents.
The guy who almost lost a finger:
What about the time in 5th grade when a school assembly was changed? Being on Regular insulin as short acting insulin didn’t encourage schedule flexibility (but at the time, that’s as far as technology had gone). I played the violin (terribly I might add) and orchestra practice was also changed because of the assembly change and well, you can see where this is going. My morning snack was thrown off, I don’t recall lunch, and apparently in one of my classes, I stood up, declared I loved one of my classmates, and dropped to the floor. My teacher tried shoving juice and food down my throat, although I was unconscious. THAT was a bad idea. I don’t remember any of this. I remember the assembly and waking up the next day in the hospital and puking like crazy. To this day, I have no idea who I declared I loved in my 5th grade class. My Dad must have scared the sh-t out of my classmates too because no one ever told me, they never brought up what had happened, and they sent me cards. Nope, this is not my diabetes memory, this is just a sad and scary blur.
I want this to be a good memory blog post. A REALLY good memory. My memory is from YESTERDAY. Yep, less than 24 hours ago. I hadn’t planned to mention this until everything was finalized but let’s face it, THIS keeps drowning out all my other diabetes success and failure stories in my own mind. If you know me or have ever read my blog or seen my tweets, you know how diligently I have worked over the years with JDRF. I am incredibly proud of my JDRF Friends and Family Team, Alecia’s Stem Cells. I am amazed by all the places we’ve walked (NYC, Boston, LA). I am in awe of all the people who tirelessly support our team and me. I am grateful to my parent’s for getting involved in JDRF when I was diagnosed in 1979.
I was fortunate to attend a JDRF Research Update last month presented by the president of JDRF, Jeffrey Brewer. I loved hearing about where the money is going, the technologies and research. I found it energizing. The timing couldn’t have been better as a month prior, it had been mentioned to me that I was a possible candidate for my local JDRF branch’s BOARD. Say what?!
Jeffrey said something that has been swirling around in my head for weeks (well actually he said a lot of somethings like when he spoke about micro occlusions in pump sites that go undetected by the pump which makes PERFECT sense to me). He talked about how the next generation of insulin pumps combined with CGM technologies are available in EVERY OTHER FIRST WORLD COUNTRY BUT OURS (oh yeah, I live in the US). He also spoke a bit about the FDA, lobbyist, and JDRF’s involvement. In my mind, these are the things I want to be involved in. As much as I truly enjoy my roll as a diabetes mentor and spreading diabetes education, I believe there is a next step for me. I want to be part of the change I wish to see in the world.
So yesterday I had lunch with the head of the nominating committee at my local JDRF. We had a lot in common and I didn’t hold back my opinions on my local chapter’s direction and off the cuff ideas for increasing involvement and community awareness. I am, by nature, a do-er. I am a planner. I love having goals. I’m also pretty nerdy and creative.
This morning I received all the forms I need to fill-out and the invitation to the meeting where my new role as a Board member will be announced in June. I cried when I called my parents yesterday to tell them. There have been a few instances in my life where I truly felt I had a calling to do something. This happens to be one of those moments in my life and it happens to be my diabetes memory.
