So, I was thinking that we often talk about the idiocy and annoying, uneducated things people say and do regarding T1 and I was wondering if anyone out there has stories about being pleasantly surprised by someone who actually helped them or knew more than they expected them to? Does anyone have positive experiences with school, work, family etc that they would like to share?
Early senior year of high school, I was getting really close to one guy, but was still nervous about telling people about my diabetes. One day in completely normal conversation, it came up that his sister was diabetic. I let out a quick "me too!" and pointed to my pump. He just kinda shrugged and replied "I guess I'm so used to it I didn't even notice you had a pump" and continued our conversation. I was so excited that someone finally accepted it without changing their view of me entirely. He has been my best friend since and his family has been my support system.
That is a great story! I was just thinking of some that I might have...
I met a girl on myspace about 4.5 years ago, Jenna. She is 11 years younger than me and we met because of our mutual admiration of "Carlos D", the bass player from the band Interpol. We immediately hit it off and started communicating frequently. She was my first internet friend! We kept discovering that we had more and more in common (baking, crafting, sewing, art, music...) and I felt this unexplained big sisterly bond. I felt protective of her and impressed with her tastes in art and music as well as her sewing talents! Any time she was upset about something I wanted to kick whoever made her upset!
Long story short: I had updated my myspace page and included some stuff about T1 diabetes that I had never shared on my page previously. Soon there after, Jenna sent me a message saying "Do you have T1 diabetes? I do." It turned out that she in California and me in Texas had been carrying on this internet friendship for over 3 years without either of us realizing that we shared the bond of diabetes! For some reason it made so much sense then. I was so HAPPY to learn that I actually did have a friend with T1. And no wonder it was so easy to communicate with her despite our age difference. I was diagnosed later in life, 22, but I have noticed that people who deal with it at a younger age seem to be more mature and self aware than kids who do not have these obstacles...
Actually i have a blog about this in a one two punch kinda way. Each story starts out with an idiot and ends with a pleasant surprise! you can read about them here .
I hope that everyone can experience the kindness of strangers.
I had a great experience with a massage therapist. It was my first visit and in my paperwork I indicated that I was Type 1. When she was explaining how the appointment would go and what would be happening ("If you find I am applying too much pressure, just let me know. You may find you get very warm, as your blood flow will be stimulated due to the massage.") She then explained that if I felt like I was having a low, she would fetch my glucometer and some juice from the fridge for me. It turns out that her mother is T1 and she really seemed to understand what a low was all about! It was really lovely.
i met a girl in my swimming lessons. we were talking in the change room after and i noticed i had the same backpack as her, they were just advertising diferent things. my backpack i got in the mail, it was the diabetes bag of hope. her backpack was advertising a camp. i told her that i had the same backpack but it advertised diabetes companies(accu-check and jdrf). she said oh do you have diabetes? then we got in a conversation about diabetes and she asked if my pump was how i got my medicine and she has a lot of friends with diabetes.
Just a few days ago I walked up the street with my boys to meet the parents of a "friend-of-a-friend". First, I was really impressed that the (adoptive) parents wanted me to meet them before they let their kids play at our house. But, on meeting the parents, I was very pleasantly surprised that when I mentioned that William was diagnosed with T1 2 months ago, and so it was just simpler to have friends come and play at our house, both parent's responses were "well, of course, you need to really watch him for the first few months". What a RELIEF that was, just to have a pair of non-T1 parents understand the complications and concerns of the first few months after diagnosis.
Needless to say, their kids are welcome at our house anytime :)
Mo
Once and only once, But that is good enough for me :)
Around 2002/2003 I had to get some work done at the dentist, it was going to take a few hours. I had wrote on the sign in forms that I was T1. The dentist himself (before starting the treatment) came in and told me that at anytime while he was working on my teeth if I needed anything (take my blood sugar, insulin, juice, water) just raise my hand, and he or the nurse would be happy to help me out. That really met a lot to me and I told him how much I appreciated that. He seemed to know a good amount about T1, but never said why, and I did not ask. Great memory, great thread :)
I play golf for my school, and at our district tournament this spring, I was waiting to tee off at the tenth hole. We always get put into a group with two other students from different schools, and one of the girls in my group was waiting next to me. I was feeling a little bit low, so I just took out my meter from my golf bag and started to test. The girl that was close to me was watching me for a few seconds, and then after I was finished testing (not low!), she just said, "You okay?" I told her that I was fine, and then she told me that T1 ran in her family, but she thankfully didn't have it yet.
It was nice to have someone who understood what I go through, and to know that she would know what to do if I happened to pass out on the golf course or something. It was also reassuring to have her ask if I was okay, also. Usually, I don't like when people ask that, because they always seem pushy and like they're trying to control me, but she was just curious and really nice about it.
Also, a few holes later, I was low, so I popped a few glucose tabs. She just smiled at me and was like, "Mmmm. Glucose tabs. Gotta love 'em." It was nice to know that she hated them, too. (=
|†~*Sarah*~†|