Wednesday, October 21, 2015

"Back To The Future Day," Makes Me Visit My Diabetes Past

Today is “Back to The Future” Day and the Internet is all a buzz with everyone and their mother, debating what "Back To The Future II," got wrong and got right.   
 USA Today even ran a special edition today that is straight from "Back To The Future II."
People continue to bitch about the lack of hover boards and flying cars  - and I get it. 
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always been a fan of the hover-board concept. 
To me it would be like surfing on the land instead of the sea ( and I know it’s a skateboard sans the wheels, but whatever,) I could still really get into that.  
And as of late folks have been losing their shit because Nike has been hinting via teaser press releases re: the Nike Air MAG Self lacing sneakers becoming a reality. 
And that’s great, especially for older people and those who suffer from diseases/injuries that attack muscles and motor skills  - I fully support the idea of Nike Air Mag Self Lacing sneakers - and I love the fact that Nike is sending the first pair of those sneakers to Michael J. Fox, who lives with Parkinson's Disease. 
But when I think of the concept of going "back to the future", I always end up going back to my diabetes past -  I think of my busted pancreas magically staring to producing insulin after a 38 year hiatus and with no anti-rejection drugs. 
I think of my Peds Endo telling my 8 year old self that a diabetes cure was 5 to 10 years down the pike.
10 years became 20 and as of October 31, 2015 I will celebrate 38 years of living with t1 diabetes.
I’m incredibly grateful for the advances of diabetes technology and the advent of fast acting insulins, I'm glad to leave the Diabetes Dark Ages behind - I haven't had a day off from diabetes in over 13,000 days, I'm tired of adulting with diabetes, but am so very grateful for the life I live.  
Also, I feeling like I’m forever saying, ”HELLO.... MCFLY,” when it comes to talking/fighting/begging my insurance company to cover me for more infusion sets, more test strips and better prices on the life saving elixir of life called insulin - that I require to walk this earth as part of the living. 
Same goes for dealing with the public and the media's diabetes misconceptions.

Yep, a hover board would be awesome... but a busted pancreas that started to produce insulin without anti-rejection drugs would be better. 

So while I can appreciate the wave of nostalgia regarding “Back to The Future Day,” and the significance of October 21, 2015. I still find myself focusing on the significance of October 31st and what it represents regarding my diabetes past and my/our diabetes future~ 

No comments: