PWDs….”There Came a Time in Your Life When…….”—–Please Share with Us.

toy boxDon’t you love kids? 

I was thinking today how I remember when Kaitlyn was younger that her only goal was ‘to get back out there’ and be a kid.

It was always like, ‘hurry–hurry–they’re waiting for me”…diabetes was a side note to her life.  I always wish, as parents, we could make diabetes a ‘side note’……don’t you?

We can surely try very hard not to have diabetes consume every aspect of our lives and some of us are very, very, VERY, good at that attempt.  But if you have kids with diabetes, you KNOW EXACTLY what I mean.

Watch them as they deal with their diabetes.   It truly is remarkable.  “Do it—do it—I have things to do.”  And off they go, back to whatever ‘we took them from’ to check their blood, give a shot, or what I call, to do diabetes-whatever.

At some point, the toys were outgrown, and diabetes became more real; and mom and dad no longer taking care of diabetes had to step in.

I would be very interested to hear from those PWDs who are now adults, who grew up with diabetes.  Do you remember what it was like growing up with diabetes?  Do you have the same attitude ‘of getting back out there’ today as you did when you were younger?

Did your parents’ concern/care for your diabetes allow you to just move forward or was it front and center with you during childhood as us parents make it in our own lives?

An interesting question.  To my PWDs friends, of course you are more mature now than a child but could you try to capture if there was a time that diabetes was just there and if there arrived a time when you said, “Crap, this is mine and I better deal with it.”

Would you be so kind as to share?

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

Even with Diabetes…..It’s a Wonderful Life…..What are You Thankful for?

Because we are in the Holiday Season:

The Scene:

I’m laying in the snow and Clarence, my guardian angel, is talking to me.

Clarence: Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives.

I wake up, I’m dazed.  Probably too much to drink.  I think I’m in a dream.  I know it surely would be better if diabetes never came into our life.  Clarence does not disagree but he says;

Clarence: I’m giving you a great gift, Tom: A chance to see what your world would be like had diabetes not entered your life.  Yes I know your kids would be better off, but don’t think nothing good  ever happened. 

And it is THIS sentence I would like you to think about today. 

It distresses me when people tell me that nothing good came into their lives since diabetes became the new normal.  the disease is horrendous, and no argument.  I have been fortunate to be on the receiving line of many fabulous things since that time and knowing that I would trade them all in an instant to have never been involved at all; I cannot to that as I HAVE been involved and I am incredibly fortunate.

At the top of the list are the people I have met; from scientists, to other parents, to PWD to great Docs, elected officials locally and nationally, to colleagues, to celebrities, and to so many who made a difference.  I have been across the globe and introduced at state capitols, Capitol Hill, and even the White House.  I have so much to be thankful for and I ask you to recognize the same this holiday season.

What are you thankful for because diabetes is in your life; admitting you would never want to be involved at all.  We get that; but we are here.  We are here together.  My life would be so empty had not so many of you been part of our lives.  And I thank you all.

What are you thankful for, that you presently have, that you would not have had diabetes not entered your life?

I hate diabetes and everything about it.  But the people involved have proved to me time and time again that now that it’s here…..that….well….I have a wonderful life.  And I would change it all in a minute for a cure.

Did you hear me Clarence?

I am a diabetes dad.