Everyone has them. Those moments that grab you by the heart and shake the living shit out of you. I had one yesterday.
O had an endo appointment in Boston. We were driving in, talking about, of all things, Northern Ireland and the situation there now compared to ten or twenty years ago. Then we got on the topic of what we were going to discuss with Dr. Ricker. We talked about getting her on the study for the MM 722 prototype (which O wants just about as much as I do) and about how that works. She then said that she was talking to her school nurse about diabetes the other day, telling the nurse she had this endo appointment and the nurse said "You're the best diabetic I know."
Wham. Right in the chest. I choked out a laugh and a strangled "Well, that was nice of her to say," and as O prattled on about the nurse and the other things she had told O, my brain was screaming "But I don't want her to be the best diabetic. She should be the best piano player or best hopscotcher or best big-brother-botherer." Blah. And once again, I'm reminded, forcefully, how much I hate this fucking disease.
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Bedhead? what is that?
Me too, Julia.
Me. Too.
((HUG))
I know....and it truely does suck.
I commented on this over at Michko's... she asked why people weren't more open about their diabetes. For me, it's because I don't want people to think of me as the best (diabetic) gardener, or the best (diabetic) educator, or even worse, as the best diabetic (and oh yes she does do a few other things as well).
So I wait until they know me before I mention it explicitly. Not that I won't test or give my insulin in front of them, and if they ask, I'll say, oh yeah, I have diabetes. You didn't know?
You know as O's mom, that she is so much more than her diabetes. And I think it might be time to have a word with that school nurse. That maybe she should praise O for her singing or her straight a's or her volunteerism or her smart-ass attitude... not just her diabetes care.
Pete - well, first you have to have hair....
art-sweet - Yeah, I suppose I should. I get so fucking sick of education supposedly educated adults sometimes that I could spit. They really should teach Common Sense and How Not To Put Your Foot In It 101.
Hmmmmm....sounds like O deals with it better than her Mom.
I'm happier being a diabetic than the parent of one. I wouldn't trade places with one of you brave souls for 10 million bucks.
Hmm. I guess I'm in the minority here, and I'm also not the parent, but the person with diabetes. If someone told me I manage my diabetes well, or that I'm a great diabetic, I'd agree with them and be like "Damn straight I am."
A school nurse doesn't see Olivia in the same way a teacher does, so I'm not surprised that a nurse would comment on a medical condition. How would a nurse know if Olivia is a terrific dancer, or the best in her class at math?
And finally, we can all be great at managing our diabetes AS WELL AS great at writing, or dancing, or math, or whatever. There isn't a limit on greatness.
Ellen - Dr. Ricker was much more enthusiastic over the DexCom than the 722, although she did say she'd put O in for the trial if they had one in kids. Depending on what her a1C is, we may put her on a 3 or 6 day CGMS to see what we're not catching.
or get O to talk about other stuff she's involved in(to the school nurse), that might generate some more favoriable compliments..
Ugh.( "Best Diabetic"- what a questionable compliment)
I think Wil might be right, being a diabetic isn't something I'd wish on anyone, but being a parent of one must be brutal. Even the thought of my daughter being diagnosed throws me over the edge, even though my knowledge of the reality is there. Perhaps the nurse could call her the best scientist next time.
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