November. I have noticed that the latest Facebook craze has been posting something on your wall, every single day, in which you are thankful for in your life. Reading through these posts, I can't help but notice that all of them have the same theme. Family, friends, God and so on. Which I agree, are all very important things and I am very thankful for those things as well. I have made the decision to not participate in this latest facebook craze. I am not defiant, but have chosen not to participate based on my anticipation of the public's perception. That's why I have a blog.
Yes November is highlighted by the ever so popular holiday of Thanksgiving. Not many people know that November is National Diabetes Month. I mention this because it leads into what I am truly thankful for in this life that I am currently living.
I am thankful for having diabetes. More specifically, type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Why in the hell would someone be thankful for a disease that has no cure and will eventually end his life someday?
I think of it like this. By me having T1D, maybe I took the place of some child having this disease. Being an adult, even though it is still very difficult, I am better equip to battle this disease. Many of you have heard me say that I wish that just me having this disease would have filled the quota for diabetes in our household. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I am also thankful for this disease because I feel as if it has changed my life for the good. I wasn't always the "poster child" for diabetes, but my daughter's diagnosis has flipped the script in my life. I do care about diabetes and am now focused on finding her cure.
T1D has also led to many great friendships and relationships. Not exactly how I would like to meet people, but I know that I may have never crossed paths with these people if diabetes was not the common denominator. These people have been so supportive and very unselfish with their time.
Diabetes has led us to JDRF. JDRF is by far one of the best organizations around. What I like about JDRF is the personal connection that the staff makes with each and every person with diabetes. I like that their focus is on the cure, prevention and treatment of T1D. I like that with their fundraising efforts, 82.5% of every dollar raised goes directly to funding research, which is a leader amongst all organizations when it comes to efficiency.
Yes I am thankful for a disease that is killing me slowly everyday. But while this disease destroys me from the inside, it has also made me a better person (or at least i think so).
Do I wish that we didn't have to "deal" with diabetes? Yes. That wasn't a choice we were given. God dealt us our cards, it is up to us to come up with the best hand to win. That doesn't happen if we look at those cards as a bad hand and fold. We don't have the option to fold. We will not fold.
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