Crossroad: It Starts Today….You make the call.

CrossroadThere was a family I knew growing up.   Three boys until they finally had the girl they wanted.  They were a regular family, like any other regular family; whatever that may mean. 

I’m constantly amazed at people who, after their child is diagnosed with diabetes (or with anything for that matter), think the world has ended.  Do not misunderstand me; at diagnosis it is absolutely the most devastating news and all of us have gone through that feeling.  And if you are going through that now, allow yourself the time to go through the entire process.  Give yourself time to adjust.

But there MUST come a time when you decide at a crossroad, “I will either control diabetes (and I do not mean just blood glucose) or this disease will most assuredly control me.”  Look at the world around you and the kids that do so much.  Look at the world around you and look at those who let diabetes stop them………from nothing.  THAT crossroad comes at a time to all of us, and sometimes more than once.

Now the family I mentioned above has no diabetes in their family.  None.  And yet fate is about as cruel to them as I have ever seen.  This week, this family will bury their third son.  All three for different reasons, which do not matter.  None from a chronic disease, self-inflicted, nor by any means other than fate.  All three at different times.  Imagine thinking this cannot happen again, and it does, and it does again?  Imagine.

I remember when Rob was diagnosed.  The second child diagnosed.  But I also remember that when Kaitlyn was diagnosed sixteen years earlier that we were going to move forward.  Nothing was going to stop what we would and could learn, and continue to learn, in both the management and cure-focused research world.  And nothing has and nothing ever will stop us.  When needed again, we went back to the road chosen a long time before, and we chose it again.

It was a decision we made and it has never wavered.  Even in times that seemed the darkest we knew there would be light because we know where our energy truly lies, and we know our feet are planted on solid ground.  Even if we had to reaffirm when faced with another child diagnosed, or whatever else life may hurl at us; we stay the course
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It sounds like such rhetoric to say, “….someone else has it worse…..” but stop and ask yourself how much you control diabetes in your life and how much diabetes is controlling you.  Today, start to push back and get your life back.  I know so many who are angry at the world because they never came to grips with diabetes in their life.  Diabetes is winning.  They blame the world for everything and their spirit has become so deflated.  You can hear it in their words and you can see it in their actions.

And yet, others are solidly planted and understand what they need to do every day on this un-asked for journey.  How did they get to that point?  They seek knowledge, not merely from hearsay or just reading from someone else; they root themselves in real knowledge by asking a million questions and fully understanding what is truth and what is merely talk.  They are razor-focused in what they do.  It is not a lazy road, it is a road of work, it is a road of constantly seeking, and it is a road that is best travelled to fully understand diabetes and how it impacts your family.

For anyone, and we have all been at that crossroad; it starts with one day; it starts with one step; it starts with one decision.  For you; make it start today.

I am a diabetes dad

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Travel…….High Anxiety! One Very Simple Rule will Go a Long Way at TSA!!!!!!

There is a list full of things to do when you are about to embark on travel that will take you through security.  You can find them all over the internet and I’m not going to rehash all of it again today.

I have read where parents have had nightmare experiences with their children and their children have been traumatized by the entire experience of merely going through security.

Here is something we did for years and years ago; and it actually goes way beyond just those with diabetes.  Perhaps it is the actor in me (see my bio) but there is one simple thing we did with our kids that you can do also that may alleviate much of the anxiety.

Role play.

Don’t make it or call it a game (it is not), but take a tool that your child does not recognize which resembles a wand, and have them stand with their arms out and ‘wand’ them with whatever odd-looking item you own. 

“Pat them down” and look through their diabetes supplies like the TSA would do.  Start this a few weeks prior to your trip and maybe even now and again make a beeping sound  and check their pockets. 

If your children are used to something—-they are used to something.  Do not make your actual vacation be the first time they see how security works.  Kids are afraid of the unknown; make the process as normal and as ‘known’ as possible and it will cut down on everyone’s anxiety.  Perhaps not all anxiety–but much.  It is the world we live in now, show them.

I’m a Diabetesdad.

Be Honest, Don’t you Really Just Want to Shoot Someone, Sometimes?????

Did you seriously say that about my child with diabetes?

No I did not give them too many sweets.

Ever have anyone come to you and with all sincerity in their eyes say, “I know exactly what you are going through, my dog had diabetes.”

Really?   I mean Really?

When our second child was diagnosed;
“Tom, God will never give you more than you can handle.” 
“How lucky that you already have one, now you know what to do.”
“What a blessing that God trusted you over so many others.”
Seriously?

And of course some ‘ol time favorites.
“Bet you were grateful it was ONLY diabetes.”

Don’t know about you, but I clearly could have shot a few people over the years. 
“Your dog.”  Really.

What was some doozies people told you?  Please share.  Hit reply and share some comments that wanted you to just shoot someone.

I’m a Diabetesdad.