He pointed at his lower leg as he explained how his diabetic former classmate had his leg amputated and then pointed at the other leg, then he pointed to the top of his thigh\u00a0as he explained how this fellow apparently had both legs amputated at 2 different spots. I possibly mumbled something about how I was sorry to hear that and how important it is to help and advocacy. \u00a0He told me how his classmate smoked and how it was a lifestyle thing in the South. \u00a0Hmmmm. \u00a0I let that go. \u00a0I wanted to leave. \u00a0He then added that his classmate had a GoFundMe page because he needed a special cart at one point and how they had all contributed to it.<\/p>\n
The conservation wound down, I left and walked a block and a half to the subway. \u00a0I thought about diabetes and 37 years of these moments and all the people I know with\u00a0diabetes and how we all live with this work called diabetes. \u00a0We keep trying and all I kept seeing in my mind was this man, who’s name I don’t know, in his bow tie telling me about leg amputations as though that’s a perfectly normal thing to tell someone with the very same condition because they “seem” to be doing so well. \u00a0Like it was gossip. \u00a0Well I knew \u00a0a man… \u00a0The lump was in my throat as I started down the steps of the subway and the tears didn’t start until I was standing on the platform, waiting for the train.<\/p>\n
I text a friend and told him to keep riding bikes and training people. \u00a0I happened to have therapy that night (not for my shoulder but for my brain) and my outline\u00a0to talk work, personal life, family was pushed aside\u00a0because I needed to\u00a0talk about how I felt as I left the office. \u00a0I cried\/talked as I relayed the story.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I was surprised to still be\u00a0upset. \u00a0Hours later, I realized I was upset with myself. \u00a0I complained to three friends already, I talked-it-out, and it was time to let it go, and that was the problem. \u00a0TIME to let it go? \u00a0I’m sure there will be people who disagree with me, but letting it go suddenly felt like saying it\u00a0was all\u00a0ok. \u00a0The 18 year old version of me who barely talked\u00a0about T1D nagged at me. \u00a0Make this right. \u00a0And then I over analyzed the entire thing and then I was so damn busy I never got across the hallway.<\/p>\n
Today I went across the hall (I did find out bow-tie’s name) and asked if he had a few minutes to chat. \u00a0I explained that the other night,\u00a0I think I did a disservice to myself and people with diabetes. \u00a0His eyes got big. \u00a0I explained how I knew he didn’t mean harm when he told me about his high school classmate who’d passed away or about his numerous amputations but that it was upsetting to me. \u00a0That the story he told me is part of the worry I live with everyday and that I think, and hope, he has a better story to tell now. \u00a0He apologized for upsetting me and I continued that the next time he meets someone who’s diabetic, he can tell them a better<\/strong> story. \u00a0He can tell them about this woman who works across the hall and how she’s been\u00a0in clinical trials for technology that potentially could\u00a0reduce some\u00a0of the stress of diabetes. \u00a0How that woman was on TV to share\u00a0information about this technology. \u00a0That she is an advocate and works like crazy to spread awareness and raise funding and that she is just one of many<\/strong> people working\u00a0to make this one part of the world a better place. \u00a0And then I added how truly sorry I am about his classmate. \u00a0He stood up and he hugged me. \u00a0Yet again, I did not see that coming. \u00a0He talked some more about people in the South and I left it at that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “You’re here awfully late.” I heard a voice behind me as I locked the office door behind me. Wednesday was a long day and I was on a call that took much longer than expected. \u00a0I looked over my shoulder … Continue reading ![\"IMG_8130\"](\"http:\/\/www.surfacefine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/IMG_8130-300x300.jpg\")
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