There is a uniqueness to this life. The one I lead as a mom, wife, daughter, friend, and sister, coupled with the daily maintenence and minutia of my diabetes, is one that I don't think anyone quite understands unless they live it. Daily. Getting diagnosed as I entered my teen years made me feel even more different from my peers than I already felt, and I knew no one else in my shoes. I knew no one else who had tips for finding good injection sites, or a nod of understanding when I couldn't even write clearly in school because my blood sugar was so high.
Fast-forward to 2005, when I was working so hard to get my A1C within an acceptable range to have a baby, and searched the internet for others' experiences getting and being pregnant as a diabetic. I stumbled upon www.diabeticmommy.com, and it was life-changing. I found others who struggled with the daily woes of diabetes, who shared my frustrations with resistance, who wanted nothing more to have a healthy baby. Just like me. I could not believe the number of women who could understand, relate, and as a result, support me as I entered this new phase in my life. The answers to the questions I posted on the board led me to the doctors in Boston who took such care with my diabetes and pregnancy (thank you, Cate Mann!), and led me to meeting several of the women who live locally. We have met up, gone out to eat, and gotten our kids together. Sometimes we talk about diabetes, sometimes we don't. But they are doing the same thing I am doing: trying to balance everything. My friend Pam and I were talking about how close we end up feeling to all of these women in such similar situations to us. Strangers become friends, even if we can't get together with all of them. In addition to the Diabetic Mommy forum, many of the women have migrated over to Facebook, where we can "check in" with each other, or send a quick message. It is so comforting to know that support is at my fingertips. Through this community of women, I found support I otherwise wouldn't have, and shared the two most special and stressful times of my life with them. And now, they are right here with me as I get healthy, lose weight, and lower my A1C in addition to everything else.
We started a fun little "biggest loser" challenge, and it's just what I needed right now. We had our first weigh-in on Friday, and I am happy to report a 4.5 lb weight loss from my starting weight! That is 10 total from my highest weight. I think I am finally, finally turning a corner with all this exercise and diabetes adjustments. I would not be at this point without the support of my diabetic moms, so I am dedicating this blog post to them. Above is a picture of a few of us getting together a couple of years ago. I love them all.
While I don't need the same kind of support I needed before and during my pregnancies, challenges come in all forms. Once you enter the Diabetic Mommy sisterhood, you are always a diabetic mom. Needs change, kids get bigger, life takes twists and turns, but I know where to go.
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