Crossfit or Crosstwit?

In light of the CEO of Crossfit, Mr. Greg Glassman, tweeting some ignorance about diabetes the other day....I thought I would share just a few things that I have heard over the years...so I can set the record straight.

Did she get diabetes because she ate too much sugar (drank too much juice/pop? Ate too much fast food? Ate too much ice cream? Had too many candy bars?)?

No, that's not why my kid got diabetes. In fact that's not why anyone gets type 1 diabetes. It is an auto-immune disease and her pancreas no longer produces insulin because her body one day decided to attack the cells that produce insulin. It just happened. She was only 4 yrs old and had never even had a soda before in her life actually.

Did you hear about that magic okra/cinammon/hemp seed oil/ moss that grows on a single majestic tree found in the remote rainforest of Costa Rica? It will cure her diabetes. I know because my sisters neighbours step brothers teacher from 1962 has a cat that is best friends with this one dog that had diabetes once and then he ate that stuff and now he doesn't.

Yes.....yes, I've heard of that stuff....and your sisters neighbours step brothers teachers cats best friend is a liar. Stop telling people that. Instead tell them that there is no cure yet, but you know this one chick who is raising money for people actually looking for a real cure and she sure could use your help.

Should she be eating that?

Yes....she can eat anything she wants....as long as she gives herself insulin for it.....except for poison.....and beets...cause beets are just gross.

How long has she had "diabeetus?"

Unless you're Wilfred Brimley, you're not allowed to call it that. It's "diabetes".....pronounced "dye-a-beet-eez".....and she's had it for seven years now. Long time, eh? And she eats sugar every single day. Look how healthy she looks! Weird, right?

So, when will she outgrow it?

Never. The answer is never. She will have it until a cure is found....so how about that $5 in your pocket? I'll gladly take that off your hands for you and give it to people looking for a real cure.

So, can I just get her some of that sugar-free candy instead so she can still feel included and like she still gets to be a kid?

Sure, you can get her whatever you'd like...but I probably wouldn't waste your money on the sugar-free stuff cause it will just wind up in the garbage. It still has carbs in it...so she'd still have to give herself insulin for it...and the sugar-free stuff is fake chemically manufactured gross tasting stomache inducing garbage...so I prefer to just give her the real stuff.

Awww I feel so bad for her...such a shame that she has to go through all of this...I could never do it or I could never stick my kid with needles every day.

Don't feel bad. She doesn't need pity. She needs you to learn the facts about this disease so she doesn't have to encounter ignorance every day. And yes.....yes you could do it...and you would do it. She does it every single day.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I just want to say that I've heard the ignorance over the years more times than I care to think about. It used to piss me off every time. Now, it just exhausts me. It makes me sigh. It makes me sad to know that people like Mr Glassman, who have even a slight amount of clout or power in their public voice, have the ability to spew their ignorance out into the world and shatter every single moment that I fought...every moment that I spoke up...every moment that I screamed and cried and shouted the TRUTHS about this disease from the rooftops. He had a fancy to tweet something that he is misinformed on...probably just to benefit his company...which lines his pockets with obscene amounts of cash.....and his tweet had the power to shatter everything I fight for every day for my daughter.

Education is EVERYTHING, my friends. If you're unsure, ask. If you want to learn, ask.

Mr. Glassman, I hope that diabetes never invades your life like it ours. I suggest you pause for a moment before you feel the urge to spread your ignorance to your followers...pause....open a book....google diabetes...call your local JDRF...ask me. I will gladly share our truths with you.

The Meaning of Why

You've been doing this for so long that it shouldn't bother you anymore. The ugly a1c number...the high blood sugar that won't quit...the never ending assembly line of pump site changes and needles and trying to decipher why a certain blood sugar occurred...the why of it all...the why.....sigh...the why.

In the beginning of this life, the why meant something different to me. Why did my kid have to get this? Why did this happen to her? And now....nearly 7 years later, the why is usually more of a WHY the hell did this stupid blood sugar number happen? Where did I go wrong? Did I count carbs incorrectly? Was it the rainy weather? A growth spurt? Hormones? Why? Why dammit? I just wanna know why so I can change it so it doesn't happen again!

Sometimes life seems to be a vicious cycle of why's....interspersed with making dinner and driving her to gymnastics lessons.

I'm sure I'm just having a pity party tonight...table for one! Amy, your table is ready! Nonetheless, here I am pissed off at the fact that hot tears are slowly leaking from my eyes. I'm pissed off that I feel like I failed at being her pancreas the past couple months. I'm pissed off at the ugly a1c this time. I'm pissed off that I'm letting the number get to me this time. I'm pissed off at hormones and growth spurts and the fact that pancreating an 11 yr old girl is SO hard. I'm pissed off that I feel like people don't care anymore. I feel like they expect me to always make jokes and be funny and laugh it all off. When in reality, all I needed today was for someone to hug me and say hey....you did good kid...I see you trying and it's totally ok to be pissed off for a minute.

Just because I'm not new to this game, doesn't mean that I don't ever need a moment to be pissed. It doesn't mean I don't need a hug. It doesn't mean I don't need a friend to be there for a second.

Just because I'm not new, doesn't mean that it still doesn't hurt once in a while.

Sigh.

Well, now that I got that out....I think I'll take my seat at the pity party and browse the appetizer selection....and maybe even the wine list...because, ya know.....wine not, right?