okay, so its been a while since i last posted.... had a tough time getting over hazel passing away so just haven't had the mental strength to actually write on here.
i know I'm a bit late but i wanted to talk about an event i helped out at just over 2 weeks ago.
This year i was lucky enough to be able to volunteer at a diabetes UK family care weekend in Winchester. i can honestly say that it was THE most amazing experience ever!!
for the first time ever it was NORMAL to test and inject at the table.
it was NORMAL to count carbs
it was NORMAL to treat hypos and highs
it was NORMAL to discuss insulin pumps, pens, different insulin's, meters, ratios etc etc wherever we happened to be
it was NORMAL to hear numbers shouted across a room to let someone know what your levels are like
it was NORMAL to be diabetic.
that is the most amazing feeling ever.
i cant describe just how upset i was to leave there. that was the first place i have ever felt truly safe no worrying about whether i might collapse and no one know what to do, no panicking that there wouldn't be any hypo supplies. the people around me all knew and understood my life.
then there was meeting the other diabetic volunteers, some who'd had diabetes just as long as me others who'd had it much much longer. some who'd had children and others that are going through the preparation phases to get pregnant. people with pumps and others on injections.
all different ages but all fighting the same thing.
simply amazing.
just talking to these people showed me that life with diabetes is possible, i know they tell you this all the time, but for me this was proof.
then there were the diabetic children. many of whom have had diabetes longer than me, but others who were all new to the journey. some families with more than one diabetic child and others with just the one.
to me they were all inspiring.
the strength so many of them showed was incredible
i remember one girl coming up to the table volunteers were sitting on to say to the paediatric dsn that she was going to do an injection in her tummy for the first time. she was so proud of herself and it was only through the encouragement of the volunteers and seeing other children doing so that she got the courage to do this.
i can honestly say that if i ever have a child with diabetes i will be going on one of these events. and i will definitely be volunteering again next year. i felt so welcome there and i can only thank the diabetes UK care events team that put these things together.
