I have admit that I really love this post - Because I really love every single person with diabetes that this post represents!
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Though each of us has a different diabetes type, we all share many of the same diabetes gifts.
Each of us, regardless of our diabetes type, has found our hearts, our courage, our home, and our brains in the Magical Land of the DOC ~
The first assignment of the Second Annual D Blog Week is to write about a different type of perspectives among the ginormous number of diabetes blogs/bloggers out there. Blog authors run the gambit from Former children with diabetes who blog as adults with diabetes, newly diagnosed adult type 1's , LADA/ Type 1.5's, type 2s, parents of children with diabetes, spouses, you name the type of diabetes and I guarantee there's many a blog about it.
For some reason when I read about this particular assignment topic, I kept thinking about the imagery & lessons taught in the movie, The Wizard of Oz - For many reasons.
All of us have moments when we long for a better world, a world where our diabetes "troubles melt like lemon drops." And yes, I'm aware of the lemon drop reference is slightly ironical.
All of us have "the diabetes monkey on our backs," and while our diabetes monkey doesn't have wings or interesting outfits, they still drive us crazy!
In Diabetes Land, "Lions and tigers and bears," sometimes are represented by: http://diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com/2008/07/blood-sugars-insulin-pumps-needles-oh.html
Each type of diabetes, be it type 1, type 1.5, type 2, or type 3 represents a "Diabetes horse of a different color." FYI: There's a strong contingency that those horses are actually unicorns (diacorns? ) but I digress.
Each of us gets to be Glenda from time to time, allowing others to see themselves the way others see them - And that is a beautiful thing~
But the real lesson of the Movie is about the power that lies within each one of us.
At the end of the movie, Dorothy and company received for their courage, brains, a heart and a home. And unbeknownst to them, each already possessed the things they never thought they had.
And each of those things reminded me of every single one of us in the DOC.
WHY? Because whether we know it our not, much like Dorthy & company, we possess all of those very same gifts.
HEART
D Parents and siblings have heart, because they put their children/siblings first and fight the good diabetes fight, 365 days a year.
D Spouses have heart because they take the whole "sickness and in health" vow VERY seriously and love their spouses and their spouses pancreas'.
Type 2's have to have heart because they go through diabetes discrimination on a daily basis and having heart is what allows them to see the good in others in order to see past the negativity and focus on diabetes.
LADA/ Type 1.5's 's require the gift of heart in order to accept a new and different way of life and run with it.
Type 1's must have heart because many have grown up with type 1. Growing up with a chronic illness has the potential to close off your heart from the world. Type 1s hearts are wide open - And that's a wonderful thing.
COURAGE
D Parents and siblings have courage, because it's damn scary to be a D parent. It's scary and difficult to say no to your child when all you want to do is say yes. And even though the goal of every d parent is to eventually hand of the diabetes reins to their child when they become an adult, It's scary to prepare your child to eventually take over the reins of their diabetes management and it's even scarier to watch them do it.
I have the unique perspective of also being a d sibling - and I'm here to tell you - it can be very scary, but it teaches you to love and take care of the people that you love.
D Spouses have courage because it takes courage to love and it takes courage to sometimes be the one that has to be leaned on.
Type 2's have courage because it takes real courage to deal with being blamed for something that's not your fault, even though many who lack brains, think it is. Type 2s teach continually teach me that their diabetes struggles are just as trying as my own.
LADA/Type 1.5's have courage to be the person with a new category of diabetes, that many don't know even exist.
The bloggers who grew up (or who are growing up with) type 1 have courage. It takes courage to be a child with diabetes. It takes courage to see how your disease affects your family, and it takes courage to grow up and live a great life with your diabetes.
BRAINS
Dparents have brains - because they have to think not only for their needs, but their child's. They have to know carb counts and basal rates, and they have to continually think of new ways to encourage & educate their children with diabetes. D parents also must master the language of diabetes when most humans have given up on learning a new language.
D spouses have brains because they learn everything about diabetes they can so they can help their spouses.And Type 1, type 1.5 and type 2's have brains because brains are a MUST in order to deal with diabetes math & to get a grip on their diabetes. We are continually being bombarded with diabetes facts, figures, and calculations that would make a typical person sans diabetes heads spin. But we do it, and roll with it, and incorporate those diabetes facts into our every day diabetes reality.
YEP, each of us has a Diabetes Degree in Thinkology!
So basically, we are all are different, diabetically speaking. But each of us have incredible hearts, brains, courage and are living examples of those qualities.
And finally, each of us has found our HOME.
All of us, regardless of our type has found a home in the DOC, without ever having to click our heals 3 times. All we have to do is log in and log on!
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