Get It.

I do. Well, most of the time I do. Even though I don't have diabetes, I totally "get" what this life is like. This life with Type 1 Diabetes. Sometimes I get frustrated when people who don't "get it" claim to "get it". 


Got it?


I invited Crystal to pop in while I'm taking a break.  Today she shares a spin on "getting it" from a different angle.

As a PWD (person with Diabetes), I "get" it when other PWDs go through something Diabetes related because I live with and manage my Type 1.

As a person, a human, I can only "get" it on a small scale when it comes to others and countless situations, issues, illness, problems etc etc. My compassion towards humans plays as huge part but my common sense of simply, "I could never know." plays an even bigger role.

So why is it so difficult for NonPWDs to keep quiet? It's one thing to show you care. It's a whole other can of worms to speak about something you have no idea about. I admit with you, not knowing what you are going through, so why pretend you get it with me or have the answers?

Not cool. Never has been. Never will be.

This time though, the "other side" I want to bring attention to is knowing what a PWD IS going through.

I was on the phone with my dear friend Elizabeth. We were talking at random, catching up on our lives. Always in the background is her daughter, who adorably says Aunt Crystal and warms my heart. At one point Elizabeth told her she needed a minute, she felt low. Mind you, I've seen/heard others "getting" low. The speech is off, something is off. I can hear it, sense it. I felt nothing, Nada with Elizabeth. She sounded totally fine, acting like herself.

She tested at 27 mg/dl. I reacted as much as she did. I went through the normal/basic routine: suspend, drink, test. She did, the whole time telling me about the sweating. Her daughter was quiet and it was like she knew, I did not hear her much. Elizabeth ate, tested, hit 32 mg/dl, ate some more. We complained about Diabetes as a whole. We really ranted about lows coming on so strong and knocking you on your butt. She felt nothing. She said it felt more like 60, certainly not 27.

I tweeted for her that I Hate Diabetes. She appreciated that. She also knew what I was thinking, "You wish you were here, huh?" I almost cried. I did want to be there. I was fine, she wasn't. I wanted to whisk her daughter away so Elizabeth could concentrate on coming back up.

Throughout Elizabeth kept saying sorry. It pained me. My heart hurt. I do this too. We all do. But from one PWD to another? Wow. That hit me like a ton of bricks, truly. We keep telling each other, "No need. Never apologize." Yet, we do, every time.

I am tired of explaining and defending. Done. Fork please.

If you don't know what you're talking about, keep your trap shut.

We go through enough, daily, so just stop and think before you speak. Do that for all humans. Common sense goes a Long way.

Thanks, Crystal!  You're a great friend...even to "strangers"!


(PS -- That "stranger thing" is something between the 2 of us, so don't worry if you don't "get it"!)