THE STORY OF ONE FAMILY'S JOURNEY WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES AND CELIAC DISEASE.
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Friday, June 24, 2011

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"!)
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7 comments:

  1. Unfortunately society today is filled with opinions about everything, but hardly educated about anything. (ha....see....my opinion) ;)

    Thanks for sharing that story, it is comforting to know that someone 'gets it'. And yea, our house gets a rush of silence when a low is happening too...that is, after the slight panic.

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  2. Thanks for sharing your back and forth with your friend, nice insight from one pwd to another.

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  3. Ohh My LF (our nicknames for each other) I love you. You're big heart and the way you say what you think always. I can always count on you for your honesty!

    Wendy awesome guest post..I'm trying to catch uo..hope you're having fun! Xoxo

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  4. Oh, Crystal, I'd have wanted to be with Elizabeth too!! Scary. Glad she was talking to you and working through it on the phone. Can you imagine her being all alone? I watch over my daughter, but when they are grown, who watches over THEM?

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  5. Nothing compares to having others around that KNOW what we are doing, feeling, battling, every single day. I am glad you were there for her, it means the world to know you are not alone. :/

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  6. Crystal, what a great sharing. Thank you. I am so glad you were there for Elizabeth and she didn't feel so alone...also, the wanting to take over the care of her child so she could focus on coming up outta that low was touching. All these experiences are eye-opening to me. Even though I "get it" on a certain level (being Joe's mom and pancreas)...I feel I don't get it down to this level...stories like this will help me handle situations as they arise and to support Joe to the best of my ability. Thank You.

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  7. Hey all. I am so grateful to Wendy for posting this. Thank you so much for your comments!!! Means a Lot to me.

    I would like to specifically write to busymom.... can I imagine if they were alone? Yes. I live alone so lows happen when I'm alone. And who looks over them when they are alone? Friends, the community and most importantly parents. I'm 32 and I still call my parents when a bad low hits. While I was in San Diego I hit 77 after running over 250 for 24 hours. My D family was there and it was great but I was still freaking out....until I called my Dad.

    I promise she will never be alone. ((hugs))

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While I'm happy to share our experiences with what works, and what doesn't work, for the management of Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease in our house, please do not mistake anything you read here for medical advice. Decisions regarding your/your child's health care should be made only with the assistance of your medical care team. Use any information from this blog at your own risk.