June 2016 – Cut the B.S.

It’s my Diaversary

I felt particularly anxious yesterday and could not quite put my pricked finger on why. I even tossed and turned until 2:00am before falling asleep and didnt’ know why. It wasn’t until this morning when I realized the date: June 28th. It’s my Diaversary, meaning it has been 4 years since I woke up in a hospital bed and was asked, “How long have you known you had diabetes?”

For months, I was trying to figure out how I was going to celebrate this day. Life then took over and I shifted my party plans. I thought I would still want to party it up despite the fact that this day snuck up on me. It was surprisingly somber for me, though. Remembering this day 4 years ago took me to a dark, sad, and hopeless place. I seemed to have been brought back to a place that I have fought so hard to keep behind me.

That’s when I reached out to my dia-buddies via text message. Of-course, I true Dia-badass fashion they came through for me. I received virtual hugs, words of encouragement, and suggestions of our now traditional test strip shot. Need a visual? Here you go:

After dinner, my husband took the girls swimming and as I watched my beautiful family happily jumping into the pool, my eyes welled up with tears. “I’m so happy I’m here!!!” I thought to myself. “I’m delighted I get to watch this and be a part of this, all of this!” All the reasons why today is a day to celebrate came to me all at once.

I get to watch my girls continue to grow into the intelligent, creative, enterprising, and fun young women they are.
I get to continue to plan trips and plan a kick ass future with my husband, best friend, and hero.
I get to participate in research studies that help diabetes medicine and technologies move forward.
I still get to help others with Diabetes or Pre-diabetes by way of this blog, Team Cut the BS’s fundraising efforts, and just by being me.
I get to watch more Indycar Races and cheer for Charlie and Conor, so that children with diabetes can follow in their sweet and fast footsteps.
And I get the opportunity to experience much, much more!!!

With a new outlook on today, I took my friends up on their suggestions and poured myself a shot for all the insulin shots I’ve taken since June 28, 2012 (A loosely estimated 5,840 shots, probably more.) Happy Diaversary to me. Cheers.

One for the Soul

I was working as a greeter/brand ambassador at a tradeshow when I saw their CFO, this slightly older, but extremely glamorous and successful woman walk between the two showrooms drinking a glass of green juice. This was my second season with them and so I felt a little more comformatble speaking with the higher ups of the company. She walked by again snacking on something.

“Lane, what healthy thing are you eating now? I noticed you with your green juice earlier.”

She quietly opened her hand to reveal a colorful and tiny handful of…M&Ms. She winked at me then graciously and equally glamorously said,

“That was for the body, these are for the soul.”

She then strolled into the next room to meet some international contacts of hers. I almost felt like I was in a White Diamonds commercial with Elizabeth Taylor. I stood there grinning, feeling like she had imparted some huge secret of the world, in our brief interaction. I continued welcoming and scanning in tradeshow attendees with a little more wisdom.

I just loved that. Something for the body, something for the soul. I find that this is a great lesson in life and an even greater lesson in diabetes life.

When we get newly diagnosed as people with diabetes, we face fears and stigmas of losing our vision, losing our kidney function, losing our limbs. As a result, it is very easy to shut down, I know I did for a bit. I don’t blame anyone else for shutting down either. But if someone told me during those early days of diabetes learning, that I can still have something for the soul, things I like to call “shot worthy,” I wouldn’t have been as scared as I was of the life ahead of me. I wouldn’t have tried to shield myself so hard from people who stay things like, “Should you be eating that?” I could have confidently said, “Why yes, sweetheart, it’s for the soul. You should try it sometime.”

What an awesome rule to live by. I sooooooooo want to to be her when I grow up!

What things do you do for the body? I’m more curious about what you do for the soul. Tell us in the comments!