Monday, May 12, 2014

#DBlogWeek: Changing The World & Changing Ourselves~

I lost my original day one of #Dblogweek Advocacy post this afternoon, thanks to technical difficulties on my work computer had to from scratch when I got home a little over an hour ago. Actually, I didn't have to start from scratch - But by the time I got home I didn't want to go with my original post & wrote this one instead.
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I started my diabetes blog because I wanted to bust diabetes myths and perpetuate diabetes realities in Hollywood and the media - And I still do. 
I pick up the phone or write emails whenever I see Hollywood or the media perpetuating a diabetes myth and I encourage every single one of you to do the same thing. 

But through the act of being an active participant in my community, I realized that there was more to my D advocacy than just busting D myths -

The DOC reinforced the fact that no act of advocacy was too big or too small and that one-on-one conversations were just as important as mass efforts.

The Diabetes Online Community showed me that when you receive support in all dimensions including diabetes, you want to give support in all dimensions~



And blogging made me realize something I'd never realized about myself before. 
Turns out , I’d been walking with an anchor of diabetes guilt around my neck for decades and I didn’t even know it -And that diabetes Guilt is a very real thing and has the potential to prevent everyone of us from being and seeing our best selves.
And once I realized that I’d been carrying that D guilt around me, I didn’t want anyone else to feel isolated or alone or guilty for having a busted pancreas or faulty metabolism. 

I don’t want another person to waste time thinking that they don’t deserve the best life.

I didn't want another person living with diabetes to feel alone or broken or unworthy. 

The Diabetes Online Community and Diabetes Advocacy taught me that busted pancreases and faulty metabolisms can make us weaker or they can make us stronger and more resiliant- The choice is OURS. 
The DOC continues to show me that having a community beside you, with you and sometimes carrying you, makes the choice so much easier. 
The Diabetes Online Community has given me the gifts of community, a D voice, diabetes hope that floats, and a passion for diabetes advocacy that has helped me brake free of the chains of diabetes guilt & empowered me and continues to empower me every damn day of my life and my life with diabetes. 

And I want help others to have Dhope and feel empowered in their life with diabetes and break the chains of diabetes guilt that hold them back from being the most amazing versions of themselves~ 

3 comments:

Laddie said...

Amen. As always, you've said it all.

StephenS said...

So few words... so much said. Powerful stuff. Thanks Kelly!

Unknown said...

Great Post Kelly!