No one cares, I am all alone. How many times have we all felt that feeling? Our families do not understand, our schools do not understand, our friends do not understand, and on and on and on.
Wendy Rose, who is very well-known in the Diabetes Online Community with her fabulous Candy Hearts Blog, has an incredible talent for writing, only surpassed by her heart of gold. Wendy has a daughter with both diabetes and celiac. Wendy, a registered nurse, shares what she has learned in her blog about living with these two diseases and the dealings of everyday life in this household of much faith.
Yesterday Wendy shared a story that just made my knees weaken. Every now and again, a story comes along that lifts our spirits to new heights. Today is such a day. She has graciously allowed me to share the story of what happened with a new neighbor that just moved in to the neighborhood.
My daughter was invited to a sleepover this weekend. It’s a new neighbor, and she really doesn’t know anything about the diabetes/celiac daily grind. Our girls have fun playing together, but there really hasn’t been an opportunity to go over “Autoimmune 101” with her.
I was honest in my reply, and explained it’s hard to condense all the information. I told her that it could mean a 2 or 3 am sugar check…it would mean needing to know how to recognize a low blood sugar and being ready to intervene with glucose. I shared a link about low blood sugar and some general info, and asked her to think it over before we mention it to the girls. I told her I’d completely understand if she’d rather try it another time, after we’ve had a chance to talk about it a bit more.
This was her reply:
“Wendy, knowledge is power and as long as I have the proper knowledge, then I have the power to help her when or if she needs it. It’s only scary if I am clueless. You have filled me in and I read through your link and will print it off as well.
Little girls love sleepovers and just because A was dealt a bad hand on the autoimmune front, doesn’t mean she should be left out. Rest assured, I will call immediately if the numbers are outside of the parameters you wrote to me.
How’s this sound for a menu: pizza for the girls and a gluten-free one for A on Saturday night. Gluten free brownies that we all make together and Breyer’s vanilla ice cream on the side. For breakfast on Sunday, scrambled eggs, Ore Ida hash browns (which their website says is gluten-free) and fruit.
Let me know if A would or wouldn’t do well with any of these…for both the celiac and the blood sugar?
I mean……..seriously? Gold……just pure gold. Right?
We all need people in our lives like Wendy’s new friend. If you have a story like this, please share it as it would be nice to read about friends who care. It will inspire all of us and helps us all to realize super friends ARE OUT there. So if you have something like this, please share with us by replying.
Thanks Wendy.
I am a Diabetes dad
9 replies on “WOW! What an Inspiring Story…….Share this With Everyone You Know.”
I, too, LOVED this story. I had a friend like that — who from the start just learned what she had to and make it work for Lauren going over her house or getting driven to dance with her or whatever. That friend took it more steps too, doing the walk each year, coming to our jdrf gala and donating big. Three years ago … her son was diagnosed. Incredible. The ONE person who REALLY did all the right things and never said stupid stuff…but now we laugh about the bond we have — how we totally “get” one another in a way we did not even back then.
Amazing. What a fabulous friend to have….I bet as she was there for you, upon her son’s diagnosis, you were surely there for them. Thanks for sharing your incredible story. Regards,–DD
I have said it before. There is no cure for stupid but for ignorance the cure is knowledge. The neighbor stated straight forward what her knowledge base was and what information she had obtained. She had taken the bull by the horns and had a plan that she was able to show the girl’s mother. I can only commend both of the ladies for being so straight forward.
Love that line Tom, I really do. I am constantly amazed….and not just in diabetes….how a few simple questions answered go such a long way to create a smoother……anything.
Thanks for chiming in.
–DD
Type 1 diabetics/ Celiacs need more friends like this… Great story!.. We have both D/C here.
I think what really got me was one of my son’s young friends. His mom (my best friend) has hypoglycemia and has a pretty good working knowledge of t1 so she has never, ever shied away from my son. However, whenever we went to their house to play, and specifically at lunch time, his friend always wanted to check his sugar, too! From the age of about 3 (they are now 6) he wanted to experience what his friend felt. He also wanted to know WHY…he had and has amazing compassion. The same friend had also attended every JDRF walk.
He also has another friend that donates her whole piggy bank when their school does a coin drive in honor of my son, benefitting JDRF. These children are amazing!
Make sure you show her that you said thanks to her—-great to hear the story I posted is not an isolated case.,,,,so great to hear.
My t1 is also allergic to eggs and peanuts. Her friends at pre- school watch out for her. Sometimes I think those 4 yo get it more than the moms and dads. But last year, one of her school friends was having a birthday party. Now, I have “special” cupcakes at school for my dd to have on any occasion. She can’t have what the other kids have b/c of the allergies.
So I get a call from the mom, who wants to know how I make my cakes and cupcakes without eggs. Her daughter wants a cake at her party that Riley can eat, and one at school. She doesn’t like it when my Riley has to eat something different. She refused my offer to make the cake, but I took her what I use as a substitute and told her what to do. I almost cried that night. She even took frosting, that we knew was safe, to the bakery that decorated the cake. My girl felt like a queen, even though it wasn’t her party.
I guess the bigger thank you is to you for sharing the window to this episode in your life. For every one of tehse stories are so many that do not turn out so good so every chance I can, I share stories such as yours. It made my day as did your comment today. Thanks Wendy.