When I moved to the city, I made some good friends. I also made a best friend. Not only were they fun to be around and talk to, they became such an important part of my life. From the beginning, I valued our friendship. I guess I really began to realize how special this person truly was the day I figured out they were so interested in my diabetes. This person learned more about diabetes than I ever would have asked anyone to. One day, they just came out and told me what beta cells were...I was so impressed. Soon after, they learned how to test my blood sugar...what a good number was...what a bad number was...how to inject glucagon. They even let me insert a pump site into their stomach just so they knew how it felt.
Up until I met this person, I never really thought about how much I appreciate people taking the time to learn about diabetes. Not only learn about it, but truly understand all the of annoying-ness, pain-in-the-butt, craziness that comes along with it. As soon as I realized this person was doing that, I became even more thankful for having them in my life. I am SO LUCKY.
In the end, this person became my support system. Sure, I have my mom and sister at home, but this person was my NYC support system for life and diabetes. I cannot begin to explain how much this has meant to me. This person needs to know that they are so, so special. I was able to count on them to listen to all of my diabetic problems. They offered me support, advice, and inspiration. They made my life in the city ten times easier and I love them for that. They may not know it yet, but I know they will do great things and help so many other people.
This relationship has taught me how important it is to have an awesome support system. I can't just rely on myself for getting through this. I need people in my life like this and I need to stay connected to the DOC. It makes all the difference.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.
What a great friend! You are lucky.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your voice, and being a part of the community. You're so right: D can be such a heavy load to carry sometimes, and it can feel so much lighter and easier to deal with when there's a community of shoulders to help you carry. Here's to the DOC!
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