What would you tell others?

I will be hosting a walk on October 6 to raise money for The Iacocca Foundation.

I will be doing a couple of presentations at the walk. It is important to me to educate as well as raise money for a cure.

I’ve posted before that it is hard for me to really educate people about this disease. I can tell them statistics, I can explain that it’s an autoimmune disease, and I can tell someone how often Riley, my son, must check his sugar. But, somehow my words seem to ring hollow. I can’t quite describe what it’s really like.

Maybe it’s because I don’t have diabetes. I only have second-hand knowledge of the disease. I do know that it is so much more than insulin and finger sticks. But, I have trouble articulating exactly what it is other than that.

So, I have decided to do a presentation this year with Type 1 diabetes facts. You know, incidence of diabetes, that it’s an autoimmune disease, the highs, the low, things like that.

But, in between those stats, I want to put some quotes by some of you.

What do you want people to know about Type 1 diabetes? What is important for them to know?

Just a few sentences will do. Along with that please include your name (just first name will be fine), age, and how long you have had diabetes.

The quote can be about a positive or a negative. Whatever it is that you want people to know about this disease.

This is not just for the adults. Parents please ask your kids what they want others to know about their disease.

Sorry this is so last minute. If you can help me out I would really appreciate it.

If you want to participate you can leave your answer as a reply or you can email it to me at pennylane5001@mchsi.com

An example of how I’ll present it is kind of like this: “Riley is just like you and me, he just wears his pancreas in his pocket.”–Holden, big brother to Riley, age 5, living with diabetes for 2 years.

Thanks for your help.

No one is immune from Diabetes. Men, women, children, young and old. Every nationality. Millions out there have it and don’t even know it yet. The only way to truly be safe from it is to find a cure.

Chris
34 (as of Oct. 3rd)
Type 1 Diabetic for 20 years

You should check out Joe’s blog entry “The Medicine Ball” for a well written metaphor about diabetes.

For myself I’d say “it’s like running an ‘egg race’ all day and all night, carrying a raw egg in front of you on a spoon and trying not to drop it.”
Terry, T1

“Diabetes never takes a break; not even on your birthday”

Sain, age 8
type 1 since age 5

(Today is Sain’s 8th birthday and she told me all she wants for her birthday is a cure so she can eat as much cake and ice cream as she wants.)

Oh, I’m so sorry. Tell her happy birthday from me.

There’s not much of a reason to care about diabetes, until you or someone you love gets it.

Hi Penny:

Hmmm…I would want People to know of a Family Friend who died in a Coma when he was 13.
About my high school Friend who died in a Coma when he was 21. About another Friend who
had one leg amputated, wanted the Drs. to remove the other leg since the pain was so bad.
She could only see shadows. She died at age 37.

I would want them to know of my 2 dear Brothers who have passed away too young(52 & 49)
just within the past 5 years. And my other loved ones.

I would want them to know of the Coma I almost didn’t make it out of. Also the time I was
severely over-dosed by a Nurse in the Hospital and my heart stopped. The Nurse got
suspended and probation. I got a painful experience and lost memories.

So mainly, I want them to know that, Type 1 still kills Kids and Adults weekly like it did when
I was a Kid. I hope they care.

Best Wishes to your Sweet Boy Riley…and thanks for your time and effort. Penny. ; )

I’m Terrie
Age 48
(Sugar Diabetes-Type 1)since age 3
(dxd. 45+ yrs. ago)

oh my god. Are you serious with that crap? Everyone out there walks a fine line between life and death every second of their lives, if it isn’t diabetes it is something else. Just because we are diabetic doesn’t make us martyrs. Just be glad you can live a reasonably normal life and don’t have cancer, cystic fibrosis, or mental retardation. At least with diabetes, if you have some self control and a little bit of foresight you don’t have to walk the line every second of your life.

It’s really important for other’s to understand that it’s a daily struggle for us to keep those bs at the right numbers. I don’t know how the others here feel when they run high or low (ya know that tight rope) but when I’m really high or even slightly high I feel like it takes every ounce of energy to walk across the floor! I have been over 700 and at that time the slightest thing like breathing has been a hard effort to do! Not too long ago I woke up critaclly high and couldn’t even breath or talk enough to tell my hubby to call 911. PPl that was thanks to a pump malfuction that I thought would clear up after changing sites and didn’t! Everyday small things like eating what you want when you want makes a BIG difference for us! I’ve had this for 35 years not always in the best control and it does make a difference. When I 1ST took it there was no such thing as bs moniters we had to pee in a cup then drop so much pee then so much water into a test tube drop a (wait a minute don’t tell me OH shucks can’t remember what kind of pill it wasbut you couldn’t put into your mouth or it would kill you) and then wait for what seemed like an hour but I think it was 3 minutes to get a negitive 1plus 2plus 3plus or 4plus on your urine! Years later they decided that you could drop sugar that had been in your body for up to a week (I think) in your urine! In other words if you gave insulin to correct that high you might not be high then and that extra insulin would make you fall low later that day! Tell everyone about the advances on this deaise and hopefully the more to come!