I used to be scared of needles. I love them now. I have learned to fight the pain. I guess it's like those guys that walk over hot coals :)
Seriously I would far rather have lived being diabetes free my whole life and have dropped dead last week from something else. Forty six years diabetes free is better then 75-80 with diabetes any day of the week. Anyone will tell you quality of life is far more important then quantity. Feeling like hell most of the time and being a slave to a disease is anything but quality. For those who walk around thinking things could be much worse I remember some years back it was either a video clip or an article online in regard to diabetes and I remember it was the physician himself stating of all the diseases out there he feared getting diabetes more then anything. I don't really think its even fair to compare diseases but honestly every single one of them is horrible and this one is no different.
I love to eat come from a eating family ,so I am thankful for the big D because if I had not got it I would probably have a weight problem . Even though I am thankful for it it is still a pain in the A@@ LOL
My POSITIVE side to having T2 diabetes:
1. Saying "No" is easier. it's true! usually when some one offers you sugar and you dont really want it often times you take it to be polite right? well with diabetes you have an excuse. sorry, diabetic, cant.
2. Motivation. yup that's right im not a very motivated person but with diabetes i am more motivated to diet exercise eat right and even spend more time out doing stuff
3. Willpower, like motivation i had no willpower my brain would say food! and my body would jump and fly to the kitchen and find sugar. not any more. now with diabetes my brain say's food! my fingers say oh heck no! it's not eatin' time! lol. my poor lil' finger dont like to be poked.
4. Compassion. i know that sounds weird right? let me explain... at first i was soo hard on myself, so angry. i have learned that it really ISN'T my fault! i didn't eat to much sugar or have too many soda's. I didnt do it to myself. and now when my number hits the 130's i dont get mad and beat my self up. i do get annoyed, but i sit and think, ok what did we eat? and how much walking/cleaning do we need to do to get this UNDER 120?
5. Commitment. not what your thinking! lol. before i would start a project or task and anyone who really knows me could tell you how 10 out of 10 i wouldn't complete. now, i probably do 4 out of 5.
6. i've made some great new friends since my diagnosis :)
Wow. Thanks. Do yo know that because of the many negative responsee to this post of mine (over 2 years ago!) I stopped using this site? This is the first time I have actually signed in…and I’m glad I did, to read your post MrsStaggs. Thanks.
oh wow i am so sorry! i know people can be absolutely horrible some times! i hope you get lots' of good responses now!!
my husband asked me to tell you:
i am not diabetic, but my first wife was type one and my wife is type 2. i am thankful for the lessons i have learned being married to both types. i have learned a lot about how to truly love some one in way's that show it and i have learned how to take much better care of myself and the woman of my dreams. i have done and would again at a moments notice; things i never would have thought i would do or would have done with or for any one else. many people believe being married to a t1 and t2 would be the worst thing ever. but it's not! i thank god ever day for my wife and i never take her for granted. i know ever moment i have with her is pure magic!
Awe. Cheers for that!
My husband grew up with a T2 step-father (whom he lost at a young age) and his mum’s boyfriend was T1, so I was fortunate to find someone well versed and understanding about the disease. Thanks to you both. You made my day. 
there are some days where i can reflect on the good things that diabetes has given me: knowing my body REALLY well and being in better shape because of exercise and a healthy diet
other days i really hate it and cant think of anything good! and then i see someone in a wheelchair or i think of friends who have other illnesses(MS, crohns, HIV) and i think, wow, im really lucky! at least i have some control as to how all this goes.
I think having the choice, the opportunity to do things to help myself every day is a very positive thing when it comes to chronic illness. the positive side of d would be that i have a choice.
:)
If not for T1D and an horrendous two years because of it being misdiagnosed as T2D resulting in my hospitalization and readjustment of my life, there's a 99% chance I wouldn't have met my wife and had children or earned a graduate degree.
As the song goes, teardrops and laughter go hand-in-hand, but it is largely what you make of it.
Good for you! Thanks for a kind response.
Agreed! Thanks for sharing.
hi bec! welcome back to tu!! I haven't been on here as much either as Jacob is getting more and more independent but I still like to connect with people that understand the 'battle' and thrive with it, as your post suggests. there are going to always be people in life that don't agree with us, that is just life don't let that throw you, they are just in a different place of acceptance or do not have the coping skills or innate bright spirit that you have! keep shining and I hope your baby boy is growing strong and is the light of your life as mine continue to be teenagers and all! life is what you make it as you suggest. blessings, amy
Thanks Amy! So glad Jacob is finding independence - massively important for all teenagers but especially those with added responsibility.
My wee is growing up too fast! He starts Kindergarten in the fall.
Cheers again, have a fabulous weekend with your family! Bests, Bec
oh so cute! :)
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott can be a tremendous and practical inspiration for PWD. His own life proves his statement that, “Our lives aren’t defined by our challenges. Instead, we get to define our lives by how we respond to those challenges.”
When he was a law student, a tree fell on him while he was jogging, crushing his spinal cord. He has been a paraplegic for 30 years and is confined to a wheelchair.
Despite this life-altering tragedy (or perhaps BECAUSE of it), Abbott has made a huge mark in Texas. He later became a District Court judge, was elected to the Texas Supreme Court, and has been Texas Attorney General for many years. He will almost certainly become the next Governor of Texas in the 2014 election.
Thank you for sharing this.
Another inspiring story is that of Sonya Sotomayor, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who grew up poor, Latina and...Type 1! I've mentioned her memoir, My Beloved World on here before. It is well worth a read, and she is an amazing woman.
And another positive share. Cheers!
I like to think things happen for a reason. It helps me personally deal with tough situations life throws at you. I think I was given T1 to help educate and counsel young children and teens with diabetes and their struggle. Diabetes is definitely not easy, and given the chance I would get rid of it but since I am likely to have T1 forever I choose to focus on what I can change instead of what I can't. I am working on trying to take my negative experiences and difficult times and help others avoid them. It makes dealing with my highs and lows just a teeny bit easier. At 21 years old I know I have a lot of life left to live and am going to make the best of it!