[lemonadelife_blog]

When I think of my biggest supporter with my diabetes, I have* trouble pinning it down to just one person. I have so many people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in efforts to support me. Each person has been woven into my life like a quilt, keeping me warm and safe when diabetes is harsh and unforgiving.

The* square in the middle, the first supporters, are my parents. Whether it was taking time off work to drive me to the doctor’s office or calculating my insulin and carbohydrate needs, they were there every step of the way. They comforted me when the burden of diabetes became too much for my twelve-year-old shoulders to handle.

From there, the quilt expands with the many moments of support, both the thoroughly heartfelt and the quietly fleeting:

Friends switched from regular soda to diet soda, simply because it’s what they stocked in their houses for me. Friends made sure I didn’t fall asleep after a night of out on the town without testing my blood sugar.

My fiance stocked juice boxes in his nightstand and learned to test my blood sugar, just in case. He sends me high fives when the blood sugar comes in right where I want it to be, and shares sweet, but subtle support when it doesn’t.

My endocrinologists, all of them (I have been endlessly blessed), who understood life and that diabetes is just part of what I deal with everyday. And one really awesome diabetes educator who pushed me to take care of myself when the cacophony of college was overwhelming, and still remains a trusted adviser.

The diabetes community who reads my blog and gives me a constant chorus of “Me too!” and “You go girl!” lifting my spirits in a way I didn’t think several hundred strangers couldn’t possibly do. The New York City PWD, the women of ACT1 and the folks of the NYC Type 1 Diabetes Meet-up, who make me laugh and make me think, and have become real, true friends.

The twentysomething blogger community who also reads my blog and although they might not understand, they stick with me even when I blather on about insulin pumps and low blood sugars, and send me emails when something they read reminds them about me. They are learning, and that’s the biggest support anyone can give me.

For the most part, my diabetes is my own. I check my own blood sugar. I count my own carbohydrates. I wear the insulin pump. I feel the low and high blood sugars. But the support that I have received from each and every person has not been lost. My support network wraps me up like a warm hug and it is cherished.

My Quilt for Life quilt for Children with Diabetes

Filed under: Diabetes, Family, Identity, Relationships, The O.C.

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