Defining Symptoms (Not Defining Who I Am)

Seventeen years later I am given my original "symptom list" that I wrote for my doctor before I was diagnosed with Type 1. Please bare with my horrific, yet due to my young age, kinda adorable, spelling errors. I imagine my mother told me to write everything I was feeling (which may have led to my compulsion for list making in current day life).  I have included a copy below.

Let me translate. 

-Noes (nose, hey I was close its similar to toes)

-Stomakach ("K" is the universal substitute for "C" .... Right? That was my impression after  my parents named all three girls standard American "C" names, yet used the letter "K" instead)

-Ear r (pretty self explainable)

-Pee 

- Throt (still missing the "a")

-Drink (score! Got one right)

-Headach 

-Wallclagehret ( I've stumped myself. I assume this is somewhere along the lines of "when walking my leg hurts." Honestly, your guess is as good as mine)

-Sleepalat (sleep a lot)

-Hungery batcant eat (hungry but can't eat) (Oh how I wish I had this problem now, maybe then I could wear my skinny jeans!)

The ironic thing about this list is the symptoms or side effects have remained the same, all these years later, minus the spelling errors of course. 

A word of encouragement: this disease can bring drudgery to your plans, ideals, moods, and many other things, but the key is to embrace the fact that it can be good. There are so many blessings that can come to you and others if you choose proper response. Some people have diseases that never lets them have a good day or even a good hour. Diabetics can have many a good day. Some more than others and some periods in life more than others. If you let the bad times dictate who you are you will lose the battle. If you choose to "take captive your thoughts" (2Cor10:5b) that are led by emotional and or physical distress and welcome the Holy Spirits Peace, you will truly live. 

If this helps in any way with understanding things you or your child may feel, or if it just made you laugh due to the exuberant spelling, I've reached my goal. 

God bless!

Perfect Perspective

 

Forgive me for sounding cheezy, but in all honesty, my mother has always been my guardian angel. So much more than in the realm of my health and diabetes, although in that area she sure knows how to shine. If you ask her she says “Krystal does it on her own, I haven’t given her a shot since she was 10.” Well, she is honest in only the later part, as she is part of the reason I stay half sane! (Although many will beg to differ with my sanity, I am sure.)

Just recently she shared a wise perspective to take towards strangers or ignorant people who care, but just don’t understand what, why, where, when and how diabetes works.

(So….that applies to just about everyone, including myself sometimes.)

All joking aside, let me share her wisdom as it may bring you some sanity, as it did me. Her newly found perspective arouse after 29 years of parenting. We were having a “catch up on life” conversation and she was expressing some frustrations she had been having with some of my younger siblings (in their early 20’s) . These are common place frustrations in themselves, but due to the longevity of parenting years, they have become what seems to be redundant. Humble as she is, my mother begins on bringing to light her need for patience and tender heartedness towards the abusive and well, just annoyingly immature decisions of these siblings. “Its not that they had made these mistakes before, it’s that I feel like I have taught or corrected them time and time again” was her claim. Makes sense right? She continued and encouraged me by making a connection with my interactions, as a diabetic, with strangers and ignorant people.

She says “my frustrations are probably similar to when someone talks to you and says some ignorant statement about diabetes. You tend to get frustrated and scream in your head ‘I have told you a million times, that’s not how it works!’ You must remember, they HAVEN’T been told. It only feels like that because you have had diabetes for almost 20 years. Even though you have told it so many times, it hasn’t been that person who has heard it.”

My mom is wise and humble. It is a wise and humble ability to choose to look at anything, a disease or parenting in these cases, from another’s perspective. Patience is important. Perspective is important. I think the world could learn a little from this seemingly simple concept.

Just cause you see it, hear it, learn it, experience it in your own perspective, that doesn’t make it the only considerable or right perspective.

Thanks again mom!