The (sch)ROCK

First and foremost, Heather and I appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers that were given to us yesterday by our friends and family. It was a routine check-up with a twist. We had Micheala checked for Celiac Disease yesterday, only because we were concerned and because diabetes has offered her a greater opportunity of developing this disease. We currently are not seeing any signs of this, so far, but we have to be prepared for whatever is placed in front of us.

Our doctor, Dr. Vanessa Curtis at the University of Iowa is awesome! She works with us and not against us. With her commitment, I have know doubt that we will be getting Micheala headed towards good health before too long. What a relief. And yes, I did give her a copy of Micheala's walk video, which she took with much excitement. She stated that she wrote down the walk date on her calendar after our last appointment in October. Such a champion medical professional going above and beyond. Much respect to Dr. Curtis.

So, my wife will probably be unhappy with me, but she understands that I am transparent and I share everything. So, sorry Heather, but I must share our conversation on the way home from Iowa City.

Heather gets frustrated this time of year. JDRF Walk for the Cure time that is. Not because she is selfish and not because she is seeking any sort of fame. Her frustration comes from "being placed on the back burner".

During this time, I am fortunate enough to get all of the "glorified" duties in our quest to find a cure for juvenile diabetes. Micheala and I have our pictures posted everywhere, I write a blog, I speak at events, I do videos, I do photo shoots, I send letters and here in a couple weeks will be a front page story in the local newspaper. Most of the "fun" stuff that comes with advocating for a cure. I get recognized for doing a lot of this because it is in your face and a lot of people see it. However the work that I do does not even compare to the things that Heather does, and never gets recognition.

Heather is the only reason why I am able to do what I do for Juvenile Diabetes. Heather handles all of the medical appointment scheduling, most of the day-to-day care of Micheala, visits to the pharmacy and anything else that comes up. She stays home with the kids when I am out and about advocating for a cure. She keeps the kids occupied so that I can have time to work on various JDRF projects at home. She does all of the things that nobody ever sees, but needs to be done. Example: Her and our neighbor made over 20 tutus from scratch for our "Race for the Cure" event. It took them hours upon hours, but they got it done. In short, what most of us do in the next 2 months in preparation for the JDRF Walk in February does not even compare to what she does all year around, yet she still stands in the shadow.

While Heather stands in the shadows, her desire and motivation for a cure is at a level that is unmeasurable. This I do know. I know because she makes those sacrifices and doesn't complain. She allows me to do the "glorified" work because she feels the same passion about a cure that I do. She understands what she needs to do and how that gets us closer to a cure; even if that doesn't come with an abundance of praise. She is the ROCK....or more importantly...the (sch)ROCK.

So, as the praise may often times fall short, the appreciation never will. What she does on a day-to-day basis far exceeds the amount of work that I do. I couldn't imagine me standing tall without her holding me up.

So we know what a cure would mean for me. We know what a cure would mean for Micheala. I hope now, that everyone understands what a cure would mean for Heather.