Wednesday, July 3, 2013

23 Ears

Today marks 23 years since my diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes.

I typically celebrate my diaversary with an ice cream cone. And some insulin.

Each year, I go through the events of that day in my head. I close my eyes and wish I could thank each of the paramedics and doctors and nurses who saved my life that day. I squeeze my mother's hand, knowing that she had to walk in and find her little girl on the floor of the kitchen in the state I was in.

This year, I celebrate with my husband and children. I kiss Hubster a little longer before he heads out the door. I hug Dibbs a little tighter, bury my nose in his squishy cheek a little longer. I smile and laugh with my long-hoped for daughter. I leave the kitchen messy. (Who am I kidding? My kitchen is always messy.)

I wish I could share this video with that ten year old girl in the ER. The one whose parents are scared. Because if they were to hear the voice of their future granddaughter say the word "diabetes" with this much sweetness, they might worry a little less.

4 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness I could listen to her giggle and little voice for ever. Bounce Bounce!

    you are amazing and beautiful and funny and sweet and so smart and knowledgable and just a ball of awesome.

    thank you for sharing your life with us. I don't know if you can possibly grasp how much your video - your children - their smiles and laughter - how much it all means to me and likely parents just like me.

    Maybe you can't go back to show your own parents this video but you have done the next best thing sharing it with other parents that like yours - have fears and wonder - oh so quietly in their heads - what diabetes means for our kids as they grow - what it means for their kids.

    Thank you Mel. Thank you.

    And congrats on 23 years of kick'n Dass.

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  2. Happy Diaversary Melissa! I hope you bring your daughter, and your 23 year of experience with you to FFL and share your stories with the families who are just going through diagnosis and honeymoon period. Like Christina said above, you are proof that things are going to be okay. This post celebrates you and the work you do by writing. Thank you for sharing this. And I am really happy that someone so awesome is in the D club. See you next week!

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  3. Happy 23 ears for sure!!!! So sweet, thank you for sharing!!

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  4. Awww, happy 23 ear diaversary!!

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