November is Diabetes Awareness month. I sit here and wonder what that all means to me. I think it is great that there is an entire month dedicated to diabetes...however, i never really see much media coverage or attention focused on diabetes this month...or any time during the year for that matter. I mean sure I see the odd commercial on tv for blood sugar meters and such...but nothing really to speak of. However, ever time I go to the grocery store it seems like I am surrounded by a sea of items on the shelf that have now "gone pink" to support Breast Cancer research. Now please don't get me wrong....i am all for breast cancer research and for them getting all the support they can as well. My Grandmother is a breast cancer survivior. I am in no way saying anything bad about the support they get at all. I just don't understand why at least for this month....i can't walk into the grocery store and see a sea of items that have "gone blue" to support JDRF or diabetes research and awareness? Why does it seem that diabetes is just kind of shoved in the corner? It's given the old "oh...yea we will get to that disease once we are done figuring out the other big more important ones first. You just hang tight, diabetes...you're fine anyways! just stop eating so much sugar and go out and get some exercise...you will be fine until we get back from trying to fix the other diseases!" It drives me crazy if I think about it too much. It makes me want to go out to every single store with my blue ribbon and wrap it around every single shelf in the whole place. It makes me want to call up the news and tell them that i am going to walk across the entire country on my own two feet while I am dressed entirely in blue and handing out brochures about type 1 diabetes....just to bring about awareness...just to maybe educate a few people. What would it take to grab some attention for this disease? Whatever it is I am willing to do it...i would do anything. I know i complain about having to always be the diabetes educator and advocate for Emma....but honestly, I will continue to do it until my last breath. I will stand up for her and speak out and fight and hopefully it will all pay off one day. It has to...
They say that to reach your goals you need to visualize yourself achieving them. I know that I am not smart enough to find the cure for diabetes on my own. However, I am smart enough to raise money for the cause, tell my daughter's story over and over and over again, and be there to support people who are living this life every day too. I visualize myself being able to drive to my daughters school...run into her class room and scoop her up in my arms...and tell her that it's OVER! It's done...they have a cure!!! I visualize the look on her face...the pure JOY and relief...the realization that she no longer has to get any more needles...she no longer has to consider diabetes as a factor in anything she does every day. I visualize that beautiful face of hers realizing that her nightmare is over...she can wake up now and never have to worry again if she is low or high. I visualize her being able to sleep in...or run and play all day without having to stop for lunch or a snack. I visualize her face when i can tell her. I feel like that day is so close...it's so close i can taste it...i can almost feel her arms around my neck squeezing with excitement and happiness. What I wouldn't do to have that day be today...
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