This is Diabetes Blog Week. Five days of topics covered by lots of different diabetes perspectives (you can learn more and sign up here at Bitter-Sweet).
Today’s topic: “Often our health care team only sees us for about 15 minutes several times a year, and they might not have a sense of what our lives are really like. Today, let’s pretend our medical team is reading our blogs. What do you wish they could see about your and/or your loved one’s daily life with diabetes? On the other hand, what do you hope they don’t see? (Thanks to Melissa Lee of Sweetly Voiced for this topic suggestion)”
This is a genius topic and I’m emailing Benny’s endocrinologist today so he can read all the blogs. We’re very lucky to have a great relationship with Dr. V. He’s known Benny since diagnosis so he’s been with us since diapers and pacifiers.
I really like that Dr V and his wife have three young children. I feel like that helps him understand the craziness of kids. When Benny shows up with wild hair or mismatched socks and is cracking up while pretending to hide under the table, I don’t feel like I have to explain anything. That’s just normal (it is, right?).
So what would I hope our doc wouldn’t see? TCBY toppings. Filthy baseball hands that Benny insists are clean enough to test. Saturday mornings when we sometimes don’t check BG until he’s been up for an hour (or two).
What would I like him to see? How hard Benny works at this. How much he hates changing his inset but how he takes a deep breath and gets it done. I wish he could see our triumph of sending Benny to a birthday party with a check list and a cooler, trusting our awesome neighbors and his own knowledge and responsibility.
I’d love for him to see how Benny talks about his diabetes to other children. How he educates adults every day about what people with type 1 can do. Obviously, I’m proud of my kiddo, but I really would like all of our doctors to share in these moments. They’ve helped get us here.
Thinking about this topic makes me realize I’d welcome a tag-along by my docs any day. I don’t really have anything to hide from them. We live as normally as we can and sometimes we eat the “wrong” things or don’t plan or make mistakes just like anybody else. I want my doctors to treat my son’s reality not some idealized “diabetes plan” created by people who don’t understand.
So, Dr. V., you’re welcome to come along with us anytime. TCBY’s on me, just go easy on the gummy bears.