I will admit right here, right now that I admire people who accomplish incredible physical feats while also doing the whole diabetes thing. Climbing Everest? Hell yes! Ultra marathon? Hell yes! Hang-gliding across Iceland while knitting a sweater onto your body as it hang-glides? Hell to the absolute yes, why hasn’t anyone tried this?
And I’ll also admit right here, right now that I may never be one of those Everest climbing, ultramarathon’ing, hang-glide-knitter PWDs. Not because I can’t or shouldn’t but because my goals don’t rest in that arena. And that’s okay.
Sometimes the inspiration I’m searching for doesn’t come from the big, incredible-feat stories. They inspire me like whoa, but not as much when I was sitting looking at my stupid CGM graph that was frustratingly elevated while traveling yesterday. I needed someone to post a shitty CGM graph at that moment, so I could see that I wasn’t the only one not rocking “perfect” blood sugars, and that I could also regroup and move on.
I mean, I know I can regroup and move on. But it’s nice to see your own struggles/successes reflected in the stories from others.
The inspiration that I benefit from daily comes through social media, via ordinary, everyday stuff. These folks aren’t necessarily posting photos of their pump sites from the top of a mountain (although some do), but are showing their regular lives with diabetes. What they’ve overcome that day might have been an insurance battle. Or they finally paid off a medical bill that’s been looming for months. They might be snuggling their baby, who may have been marked as an impossible dream. Putting in a pump site on their arm for the first time. They might have just crossed the finish line on their first 5k, or gone for a run for the first time in their life, or went for a walk around their office building on a lunch break, making time for exercise even during the work day because they are worth it.
Ordinary as f^ck! And yet heroic, to me.
It’s parents of kids with diabetes shouldering the burden of the disease so their kid can roll through their childhood as unaffected as possible. It’s the adults with diabetes fighting back against societal stereotypes and insurance denials and insulin access issues. It’s the voices of people with type 2, who remain the majority of PWD but are woefully underrepresented in the online community. There are so many “small stories” that are making big differences, and I wish they were perceived as sexy/aspirational/inspirational as summiting a mountain.
I’m sometimes daunted by the Big Things being accomplished at times, wondering where smaller stories fit into the narrative of diabetes. Like, am I weird if I feel accomplished for renewing all my prescriptions? Or from losing 4 lbs of relentless baby weight by way of just walking? The small victories seem so small sometimes, especially on days when diabetes lives a little large, but they remain victories nonetheless.
Props to everyone who is doing something powerfully positive with diabetes … like living with it. Whether that’s climbing a mountain. Or raising a family. Or hang-gliding across Iceland while knitting that sweater onto your body as you hang-glide around. Or making toast. These stories – all of them – show diabetes in the context of real life. And all of these stories are inspiring in their own way.
It’s not about attention. Or accolade. Or high-fives for big deal things. It’s about looking at how diabetes is presented and seeing your story – the good, the bad, and the ugly – represented.
Type 1 IS small victories! Nobody takes up climbing and climbs Mount Everest the first day. Nobody does a super bolus on the first day they start pumping– unless they are insane.
My Type 1 likes to remind me every once in while, “Hey! I’m still here and can be as unpredictable and unreliable as the day we met.” So small victories are what I go for.
Someday, hopefully, my constant companion will be gone. I admit freely and with no shame– yes, I did it. I cut those doorknobs off in celebration of Type 1 being cured!
Until then, I will have daily victories that translate into monthly victories to years and so on. As a former roomie of mine was wont to say:
“By the inch it’s a cinch
By the mile it’s a trial.”
Here Here!
Bravo, two things inspire me always. The first is parents of children with diabetes. They are my heroes.The second thing is our spouses. No one puts up with more for less than these two groups.
I will remain in awe of them for ever.
I’ve been in a study you may have heard about, The DCCT/EDIC, for almost 34 years. DCCT/EDIC Is now studying us as seniors living with T1D for 40,50,60 and some 70 years. This was unheard of back in the 80’s. The current DCCT/EDIC study is looking at cardiovascular events and low BG. I am currently wearing a heart monitor, libre sensor and my Animas pump along with my personal Dexcom. The Libre is blinded. It seems there may be some evidence that ‘DEAD IN BED’ may be related to a cardio incident. I’m wearing these items for 2 weeks in hopes we learn something about our nighttime hypos! I’m excited about the results! Maybe there is more to my brother Danny’s death back in 1985.
Well said! Just what I needed tonite! :).
I had a very wise person who helped me with my diabetes tell me a person with diabetes could do anything but they don’t have to do everything. I was one of those who was always trying to prove to the world I could do anything and the diabetes wasn’t going to stop anything. Over time I realized that just being was ok.
And I so agree that parents of children with diabetes are Gods gift. I don’t know how my parents did it but I thank God everyday for them. They made me the person I am today!
Thank you for this post right now….when getting out the door (with a full pump, an attached CGM, emergency and non-emergency snacks, oh, and the 4 year old and six month old) is victorious. I am exhausted by the time I get to work.
Kerri, thank u!! This is EXACTLY what I needed to hear today!!! Oh & bet, my CGM has been shitty for two weeks despite my best efforts to change it!! I’m right there w u girl!!
As always, U ROCK!! Sorry I missed u at Unconferencd and Diabetes Sisters weekend!!
Sandy
Kerry, once again your timing is perfect. I have been struggling with the everyday-ness of diabetes and how even the smallest of encouragements means so very much. I hope I can take my need for this and turn it around to offer that same kind of support that others need. Thank you for sharing the everyday struggles with lows and highs and meals and shopping and caring for family while living with diabetes. You are where I often turn for the encouragement that I am not alone. Thank you. And keep writing!
Parents such as these are not only truly inspiring but they are the ultimate role models not only for all of us but for their children.