Wednesday, May 12, 2010

You Are The Champions, My Friends.

Welcome back to Diabetes Blog Week. It's Happy Hump Day, folks. You're 1/2 way through the week, my employed readers, stay strong!

Today: Day 3. The topic: Your Biggest Supporter.

No, it's not my bra.

Wow. This topic is a hard one for me. So often I feel completely alone with my disease. This is not said in a 'poor me' fashion, so please don't misunderstand. This is said in a 'if you don't have it, you don't know about it' fashion. I have been a Diabetic for 25 long years. Many of the people in my life do not know much, if anything, about my disease. It's not their fault and I certainly don't blame them, it's just as I said. They don't have Diabetes.

This doesn't mean that they don't support me. I know they do. My best friends daughter has Cystic Fibrosis. I know very little about CF but I support my girl through anything, anyplace, anytime, always.

In the end, I think I have a plethora of supporters. I am so very thankful to be surrounded by wonderful people. I truly am blessed. But for this short & sweet post, I will shine the spotlight on a very precious few.

#1. Amanda. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this child is my biggest supporter. Amanda probably knows me & my disease better than anyone. She started saving my life at a very young age. I have no doubt that I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for her. She knows when my sugar is dropping, sometimes before I do. Once I asked her how she can tell and she said she can see my eyes change. Whoa.

Amanda is a super sweet, kind & timid young lady. A girly girl. She's nice and cares about everyone. BUT she can turn into one hellfire vixen if I need help. Anyone not assisting or is getting in her way had better watch out. She doesn't play.

Amanda is amazing. She hears me moan in the middle of the night & is up to take care of me. Whether she is testing my blood sugar, making me a pb&j or calling 911, she is on task. Then, she will wake up the next morning with a smile on her face & carries on making the world a better place. I know she worries. I know she gets scared. I know I have hurt her. I know this is hard for her. But she is my biggest fan, loves me more than anyone and will continue to support me in every way for all eternity. I always say that the Universe gave me the perfect child for me. Thank you, Amanda, simply for being you.















#2. Bill. I met Bill in 2000. We didn't instantly become friends because I was a snot but he eventually won me over. When Bill found out that I was a Diabetic, he told me that his mom was, too, and a different kind of bond was created. Bill introduced me to his parents, Stan & Rissa, who also became people I could count on. Rissa was the very first person I met who was a Diabetic. This, for me, was huge. She was the first person who I knew understood.

Bill has also saved my life on several occasions. He has taken life threats from me, weepy, sad pathetic tears from me, bum fighting from me, 6 car pile ups from me and 'I don't know where I am' phone calls from me. The best thing about Bill is that when I return to the living, we sit and laugh about the episode that just happened. Thank you, Bill, for being the humor in my disease.















#3. Shesh. Diabetes made Sheshie & I friends, I won't lie. We had met previously once or twice but never really connected. When she found out she had Diabetes, she contacted me and we have been inseparable. I was even a bridesmaid in her wedding last month. Awww!

Shesh & I have the same Endo and Doctor. She is the only friend I have that truly knows and understands what I go through every day. What I have gone through every day for the past 25 years. She gets it. She understands. To have a best friend that 100% gets this awful part of you is an amazing feeling. Priceless.

We call ourselves the T1Ts. The Type 1 Twins. We talk sugar, carbs, insuelawn, pods, feeling bad, feeling good, feeling like fattys. Our friendship is so special for many reasons other than Diabetes but we love to say 'a chronic disease made us friends'. For all the bad this disease has brought & will probably bring, our bond is something wonderful Diabetes created and can never take away. Although I definitely would have preferred her not getting a chronic disease. Psh! Thank you, Shesh, for getting part of me that not everyone gets and still loving me.















#4. The Diabetes Community. I have blogged about them before and how I love them. My Sick of Pricks. You can read D-Blog Day if you haven't already or forgot. I only wish I had this kind of support from the very beginning. When I was laying in a hospital bed, choking down Diet 7-UP, wondering what the hell just happened to my life and how everything went so drastically wrong. But, better late than never. Thank you, DOC, for being the amazing sweet treats that you truly are.









So, in typical Vegas style....because I won't be able to use it much longer....

Thank you, thank you very much.

*Peace.

4 comments:

  1. You inspire me to be a better person-THANK YOU

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had an easy time with this post. Does that make me weird?
    I am grateful for the constants in my life. We've had our ups and downs, for sure. But without my parents, I would not be who and where I am today.

    I am so glad you have those IRL people. I secretly wish I had a Diabetic BFF. I think I just crossed the weird line and back a few dozen times.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's funny when you think about how much support we do have, and yet how alone we feel, it can be very misleading. Somehow it is still a lonely disease.

    GReat post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. And what great champions they are. I loved reading about each of them and through your descriptions of them, getting to know you better. These seem like very powerful, special bonds.

    ReplyDelete