October 31, 2012
Tomorrow is T-1Day – and the start of Diabetes Awareness
Month. November 1st and the whole month, mean a lot to our family. This is our
chance to make sure all our friends and family and all their friends and family
know and learn about diabetes – specifically Type 1 diabetes and the need for a
cure!
The last year and a half have been the most challenging of
my life. I have dealt with a lot in my life, but nothing is harder than seeing and
realizing the challenges your child has to face every day, every hour, every
minute with a hidden disease that you cannot make go away. Most people that know me – know I am not a “downer”
kind of person but I have definitely had my moments this year (read some of my
blogs.) I will not lie about it – I will not pretend that our life is easy and
all is great – that isn't fair to others that also deal with this every minute of
every day – pretending life is normal is not something I can do. Normal after all is just
a setting on a washing machine, not in life.
But I will keep smiling, keep educating, keep a watchful eye
on my daughter and never let diabetes “win” this war with our family. It might win
a few battles and scar us along the way but it will NEVER win the war with us –
and we hope and pray it doesn't win the war with anyone.
Take some time this November to educate yourself about
diabetes – all types. Learn the differences so you don’t say something stupid
to me that doesn't relate to our family and type 1 diabetes and learn the symptoms for
yourself and others of type 2- catching it early can help so much!
I will blog each day in November (just like last year) – some
of it will be while on the road and on our family vacation at Disney as well as our overall journey with this disease! My son Ryan will again be wearing a diabetes support
shirt every day this month (his way of literally wearing it on his sleeve for his sister) and our whole family will be wearing the grey ribbon
with the “dot of red” each and every day to help the world understand.
Join us and teach the world that we can eliminate this monster
from my daughter’s (and so many other’s) lives!
Need a ribbon – let me know – I will do my best to get you
one!!
Until there is a cure,
Jennifer Holdgreve
