Why are Others SO Far Ahead of Me?

It does not matter of you are starting anew job, or learning something new…….like diabetes care.  Self doubt enters the picture.  Others seem so far ahead in the process. They speak of their kids doing this or doing that and we don’t think we will EVER get our kids blood sugars below 200……much less take them to hockey practice ever again.

Take a breath.

Listen.

No one went from stop to 100 mph overnight…..all of this is a process.  Sometimes slower than others and sometimes a bit faster…….it’s not a sprint it’s a marathon.  Now I do not mean to spout a list of cliché meaningless sentences but you must come to grips with the fact that this ‘new normal’ of diabetes takes time.  Lots of time.  But know this, you are so far ahead of where you were even yesterday.  Remember the day of diagnosis…..you were never going to live.  Life would stop.  And even a week later, look how far you have come.

As I have stated a million times, the equalizer in diabetes is education.  Learning what is new, better, and best.  I do not mean in a support group or in an online community, as important as they are; learn for yourself.  If I listened to ONLY what I heard; my child would have an entirely different life style in this diabetes world.  Opinions have little value to me if they are not based on facts.

That is an important understanding.  Who cares what I think if it’s just an opinion, we might as well discuss politics.  When it comes to diabetes, there is data and facts out there for you to make an informed decision.  Experience counts and listen to those with experience, BUT this is not a one size fits all in ANY SHAPE or way.  Seek out what you need to know.

Will you make mistakes?????  You BET!   And believe me when I tell you that I have made some real doozies in my life when it comes to my kids and diabetes.  But both my children who have T1D are doing very well.  Mistakes will happen but I will also share this and hear me clearly; the more you know/learn the better your child will do.  If you coast, you will meet obstacles—-this disease needs your attention and your full attention.

If you know….I mean KNOW something to be right for your child because of the work you have done…..no one will persuade otherwise; because you know.  That only happens with educating yourself.  Ask a million questions, read everything you can and move forward.

But……

…..this does no happen in one night or one day.   Time.  Learn constantly and I assure you that you will look back every few days/weeks/months and not believe how far you have come in this journey.  And it continues just as life does.  I have to be honest with you, I learned more about life dealing with diabetes than dealing with just life itself.
I learned:
>that tomorrow is always another day
>there are people worse off than we
>there are people more fortunate than we
>a mistake can be corrected a second time around
>I am the best advocate my child will ever have, as inferior as I may feel sometimes
>I cannot teach unless I know
>I cannot know unless I really learn something
>every time I look back over a certain amount of time…..I find we have ACTUALLY moved forward.
>success is relative only comparing ourselves to ourselves

So relax…….YOU got this and it will get better tomorrow……..8,753 days into this, I can tell you that all of this is what we make it.
I am a DiabetesDad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.
.