Hi there sweethearts! My goodness, it has been a busy couple of weeks! With my pump fun, the holiday, and some other "fun" we've had to deal with, it has been so busy and I haven't posted because of it! But I'm here and thought I would give a shout out and a big Hello!
Today, I wish to address the importance of a support system in the life of a T1D. As I've told you before, this disease is a constant. There are no breaks. There is no skipping medications. You just have to plow through everything because you literally have no other choice. Can you imagine going through something like that alone? Having nobody who understands, nobody to confide in, nobody who knows the inside view of what you do everyday. What a lonely and devastating scenario! There are far too many T1D's out there who try this route. They aren't typically successful. Many T1D's experience depression and anxiety as a result of having to try and deal all by themselves. I don't know what it is about this world sometimes, but we need to treat each other better. Nobody should have to feel that alone!
I'm grateful that throughout my life with T1D, I have had family and friends who stuck by me and loved me. They took me as the whole package, T1D and side effects included. I come from a big family full of fiercely loyal people. We love one another sometimes to the point of going overboard. But every time I have had a T1D issue or illness come up, they have my back. I am so grateful for them! Blood sugar fluctuations can make you do and say some crazy things. Some stories come to mind, but I'll save those for another day. Even in those crazy moments though, they have never blamed me or treated me badly. I have always had them in my corner!
When I met my husband, he was incredibly supportive of my T1D. I had just barely started pumping for the first time, and when I showed it to him he was genuinely interested. It was one of the first qualities I loved about him. He wasn't grossed out. He didn't tell me to go do my T1D stuff in a different room. He didn't treat me like a human biohazard. He just loved me as a whole, and everything else was just pieces of the whole. He still, to this day, reminds me to buy glucose tablets, asks what my blood sugar is, tells me when it gets close to time to take my medication for my insulin resistance (yes, T1D's can be insulin resistant), and makes sure to high 5 me when my A1C has been great. I'm thankful God gave him to me! I couldn't have asked for more. So many out there don't have a supportive and understanding spouse. I promise you, it can make all the difference!
Another incredible part of my support system is my beautiful daughter. She is beyond ok with the T1D thing! She ALWAYS wants to read my blood sugar number, asks me if it is high or low, and checks to see if I need to "eat some sugar", watches me take my insulin, helps me change my infusion sets, and more! While I was pregnant with her, I remember being worried about that. Most kids don't really do the whole needles thing. But she actually asks me sometimes if I can check her blood sugar. She always hopes she'll be low like Mama is sometimes. Lows =Candy. Smart girl! I have to turn her down most of the time, but I've said yes a few times too just to give her the experience. I'm so very proud of her. I was so exhausted this past week from some stressful car problems we were having. My blood sugars were a bit off which added to being worn out. She let me lay down and rest on the couch while she watched a movie. She's an amazing kiddo!
If you are a T1D who feels alone and like you have nobody who understands, I encourage you to reach out. So many have no idea what you go through. So let them in on it in small and simple ways at first. Share what you can! Holding it in completely can hurt you in so many ways. If you don't have family or friends to turn to, seek out social media or blogs. There are so many out there like you!
If you are part of the functioning pancreas crowd, and you know of a T1D friend or neighbor, ask them about it. Show interest, and show them you care about what they deal with. Showing even a small bit of support, it can make a life-changing difference.
You don't have to do this alone. Frankly, we CAN'T do this alone.
Night night sweethearts!
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