Having JUST diabetes in our lives.......

Some days I feel like diabetes is all I talk about or all I think about. I know that diabetes is not all my life is about – we have very full lives despite this stupid disease, but since God picked us to deal with it – we do deal with it – every second of every day. In reality we don’t think about it 24/7/365 but it is always there and will never go away unless we do something to change that fact. This is why we do what we do- for our daughter to one day not have to think about it 24/7/365 – for her life – literally.

Recently I was faced with a question that really affected me – all the way down to my core. Why do I bring so much attention to my daughter - she JUST has diabetes. Yup – that hurt – on many levels that hurt  me. Was  I expressing too much to the world, am I putting my daughter in a place she should not be in, am I making to big a deal about having diabetes in our family?  The answer to myself was a big fat NO. So I decided to respond to this person on social media and the response I got from my friends and family showed me that I was not doing anything wrong in my path. I was teaching, I was helping, I was fighting the good fight.

The responses did make me think about how and why I decided two years ago to tackle our lives in the open. I realize everyone does it differently and I never ask anyone else to talk about how they deal with this stupid disease, it is a very personal struggle. If others want or need to share I will be the first one to listen but I have never expected others to be as open as I am, after all my husband even tackles it differently.  My response to the question of why I put my daughter’s disease out there was because if I can help another family not feel alone, if I can help someone not say something stupid to someone dealing with this disease, if I can bring more money towards a cure or if I can help someone save my child’s life in an emergency – I have succeeded.

However, after reading all the responses from my friends and family, I learned that I did not answer the question fully. I showcase all our families UPS and DOWNS because our family needs help. We need support. We need to know that  all of our friends and family – near and far – are there for us. I want them to see and hear how they can, and have, helped our family. That is just basic human nature – to need and be needed. The responses I received made it clear to me that it is not about my need to showcase our lives but to get the much needed support that all humans need when placed into a situation in their lives that they just cannot handle alone. I am not capable of maintaining my sanity on a daily basis with diabetes in our lives without my friends and family.

I also want to help every family diagnosed with this disease – help them realize they can do it – it is hard (I never sugar coat it) but it is doable. If the Holdgreve’s can do it anyone can! But I can only be honest with other families about our ability to handle this disease – because we have help, we have support. We are so lucky to have a network of support near and wide across the entire world. I have definitely learned that every family deals with the diagnosis of this disease (and other diseases) in their own way. My way is to continue our fight for a cure and to help others that are placed onto our path and I am going to do this in the open for all to see. Educating, advocating and keeping the support of my friends and family. Maybe I will teach enough people to not ask a parent with a child with diabetes why they make such a big deal about their kid – it is JUST diabetes.

I have learned from this – I need my village – and I am glad to have one that is always there for me – even if it is JUST diabetes.

Until there is a cure,

Jennifer

P.S. – The person that posed this question to me never responded outwardly but they did send me an apology for not realizing more about the disease – after I sent them a TON of information on having JUST diabetes. So another person educated!