A Pensive Wednesday

This is not a normal Wednesday for me. As I write this, I am sitting in the waiting room at the hospital waiting patiently for my daughter’s 1 hour surgery to be over. Except now it’s almost 4 hours later. She will be fine, but regardless, it’s extremely stressful. The hardest part has been seeing how much pain she has been in for the last 8 months. That aside, I realize how lucky I am that I only have diabetes.

I know that may sound strange given I have type 2 diabetes. Truly, that is how I feel. I am well. I have the ability to deal with my diabetes and I have the supplies I need to do so. At present I have no complications. I do not need surgery. I am not in pain. Again, I only have diabetes.

Resolve to not be defeated

Why do I say that? Well, a couple months ago, I met an amazing group of people. It was at a gathering in March of people who had a variety of chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, different cancers, Parkinson’s, asthma, skin conditions and more. I sat in awe of these folks. They were dealing with diseases so much more serious than my own. I’m not saying diabetes is not serious, it is. Very serious. Like all the folks who I met back in March, my fellow diabetics are dealing with very serious stuff too. Many have had a really tough time. They have complications. For some, they suffer with the mental anguish that comes with this chronic disease. Some have more than one chronic disease at the same time. Others went to the doctor or hospital for one reason and came out with a second diagnosis of diabetes.

Compared to many of my fellow people with type 2 diabetes, I have had a pretty easy journey. As I view some of my life in the rear view mirror, I can see how I made some good decisions early on with my diabetes but, in fairness, I also had some pre-warning of what was likely to come. I started with gestational diabetes. I couldn’t help how my body reacted to the pregnancy. I couldn’t help the trajectory my body would stay on. But I could help how I dealt with the trajectory, with the next stage, the diagnosis of type 2. And I did. I took it all very seriously when I was diagnosed. I changed my eating habits. After I received some success, I worked on the exercise piece. I started walking. After I had some success with that, I focused on losing weight. I succeeded at all of it. I was lucky. I took the time to learn, then to do.

What has struck me most about all the people I met both in person a few months ago and in my online community was their strength; their resolve to not be defeated by their medical conditions. Their passion for sharing what they know, what they live with everyday. I was, and still am, truly humbled being in their presence.

And I am humbled being in the presence of my daughter. She has endured pain, disappointment, a system that screwed up on her and finally, surgery. She will not have to deal with this situation again. She is a brave, strong young woman. She will move forward now without pain, aware that disappointments happen but can be overcome.

Like her mother, she is lucky enough to only have to deal with this one thing.