These days I wear a few different hats: business owner, massage therapist, blogger, board member for JDRF. Everyday I wear, at least, two of my hats and often by the end of the day I’ve lost my mind!
One of my favorite hats is outreach chair for JDRF Capitol Chapter. Since I’ve lived with diabetes for 37 years and had to walk the emotional and physical path of the disease, I speak purely from experience. My strong belief is keep it positive and I look for inspiration for my own life! I read materials that are positive and meaningful, articles that make me laugh with irreverence! I try to keep things simple, because we tend to get caught up in the minutia of what I call “stupid!”
Stupid is tabloid material that gets us emotionally charged about something. Stupid is mind-numbing television that preys on human weakness. Currently, I’m on a news fast, I’ve had it with tabloid news! Take two extreme opposites to talk about a topic, most of the time you get an argument with no closure on the subject for the public!? Ugh, drama!
When a family has to deal with a new diagnosis stress is in abundant measure. Add to that the drama other people will bring to it and it turns into a pressure cooker for everyone and suddenly your life looks like a television drama!
I had received an email from the National office from someone who had a newly diagnosed teen and was looking for a web based community for her. I finally contacted the mother this week. I could tell from her email, that level of frustration and worry and the drama. She wrote,
“Thanks for contacting me, Ann. After three weeks we are still processing information and figuring out how to cope. My daughter, who is 15 and was diagnosed less than a month ago, is doing well as far as accepting the insulin as prescribed, but emotionally she's not there yet. She refuses to tell anyone (of course I insisted on telling the school and her best friend), does not want to read information or join groups, has turned the dining room into a heap of supplies and trash from the daily routine... has nightmares...and is feeling gloomy most of the time.
In time the information you provided will be useful, I'm sure. For now I am happy she will follow doctors orders and is slowly changing eating habits.”
This is a ton of issues to sort through! When I talk to groups and individuals about diabetes I explain "Cuddle the child, don’t coddle the diagnosis!" For most of us who live very normal healthy lives, I think part of that is the parenting we received! The issue of diabetes is layered and difficult. But the best thing a parent can do is continue to parent the child just as before! How else are they going to feel grounded? Cuddling is not accepting the drama, but figuring out coping skills and continue to be the parent, it’s critical!
