Friday's Topic was Freaky Friday, yes I know it is Saturday. I spent the day in Hershey with my parents who are in town visiting. We left bright and early and I did not get home till about 10 pm. Long Day! Today we are headed off to Amish land so they can see some places there. They wanted to eat at Shady Maple and then go to some Amish stores to get some baked goods.
If I could trade Diabetes for any other chronic medical condition, I am honestly quiet not sure what I would pick. Everything has its good and bad sides. I know many people who will say when finding out I have T1D "at least its not cancer". But then I met a girl who had cancer. She was 14. She was my roomate at Childrens hospital when I was a patient there about 8 or so years ago. We got to talking and she asked what I was in the hospital for. I told her I had diabetes and was just diagnosed with asthma. I was in the ICU for a bit then the ICP (step down) and now on the regular floor and went thru what was happening. Explained how the steroids to keep me breathing put me into DKA and how the two were not working well together.
This brave little girl went to tell me about her leukemia. She told me how she has been in and out of the hospital since she was about 4 getting treatments. Then I said I was sorry she was sick. The little girl said to me something well don't be sorry because I am chronically sick too and she could have more issues than just cancer and was thankful it was just cancer. She went on to tell me how she meet all these cool celebrities, new friends she made in the hospital, positive experiences she has had because she had cancer. This really stuck in my head.
I always did the what if I had this instead of Diabetes stuff. After talking to this young girl she completely changed my attitude. I no longer want to trade T1D for another illness. I am thankful I just have diabetes as much as it sucks at some times. This little girl made me realize no matter what disease you had you will always find the downsides of it and instead to pick out the good. So now I look at all the positive Diabetes has brought me and I roll with the punches as they come along.
If I could do one thing I would like to take all the diseases away from all these young children and I will roll thru them myself. Even if I could just do that for one day. Having every possible disease for a day and every child with them being disease free would make me happier than me trading diabetes for another illness.
People like this young girl that I was roomates with in the hospital and DOC members have changed my opinions on others with chronic medical conditions. Before I got "sick" I though people made these things up for attention, people caused themselves to be fat, diabetes was your fault, etc. But having roomates who were ill and the DOC and my own personal medical experiences has helped me grow and realize that these problems are not your fault. I look at people with chronic medical issues, over weight, etc as strong people. They may be weak health wise, but to keep trucking along and keep at it I give them a lot of credit.
