From Mommy

I'm sitting up late (sorta) right now. Never fall asleep after work, but before dinner. I sign into my Facebook and this is what I see. 

"Did you know that Diabetes kills more people each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined???  Yeah, neither did I.  I, quite frankly, find that more than a bit disturbing.....and scary. 

Over the years I have known people who have Diabetes.  I always knew that Diabetes was bad...but, I am ashamed to say, I really never gave a whole lot of thought to it...nor did I research it to find out more about it.  I don't know why, I just didn't.   That is, until recently, when my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1.  Scary?  Oh heck yeah!!  I mean, she is my kid....come on!!  And now she has to poke her finger what, 4-5 times a day to check her blood sugar levels??  THEN she has to poke herself in her belly or thigh or butt another 4 times a day to give herself insulin?  This is not something that is going to go away.  She will live with this disease for the...rest...of....her....life. 

It just plain sucks.  And ya know what else sucks?  I am her Mom and I can't make her better this time!!  :(  Not like when she was little and I could kiss it better or put a bandage on it.   All I can do is be the best support system for her that I can be.  And trust me, it's a little more difficult with 3000 miles or so between us...such a long physical distance.  BUT, we have an emotional closeness, and no matter how far apart we are physically, I will forever and always  be there for her emotionally. 

She is a trooper, I have to say. One strong chicky!  She went through several days of, well, hell, when she was sick and spent 3 days in the ICU....yet she sounded cheery when I talked to her on the phone.  Who does that???  She knows this is a life long ordeal for her....something she has to learn to live with and I haven't heard her complain much, if at all, about it.   When I finally could get ut to L.A....my heart would ache every time I watched her do her sugar test/insulin routine.  It had only been a week or so since her diagnosis, but she poked her self and gave herself insulin like she had been doing it for years.  All the while I am thinking.....I could NEVER do that!! 

Ya know....I know it's not cancer...or heart disease or the like.  BUT....Diabetes is one of the top 5 fatal diseases!  Yep, it is and THAT is scary......and MY KID has it!!! 

So what can I do?  Well, I have been thinking about that ever since her diagnosis.  She is 22 years old ( but still my kid!! hehe) and she has started a life of her own out in California.  She has a wonderful guy in her life who is taking great care of her and for that I am sooo greatful!! But...what can *I* do??  Like I said, I am 3000 miles away.  I can't cook for her so she eats right.  (They are doing a great job of that also btw!)  I can't be there to make sure she takes her insulin every day when she is supposed to.  I can't go to her doctors appointments with her.  I can't make her get her exercise in knowing that that helps lower sugar levels.  What can I do?  I can love her and support her and call her and message her and buy her diabetic cookbooks and, and, and... there are a million things I CAN do!! 

One thing I am doing, with Peter, is participating in the Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes. Right now...this is what I CAN do.  I CAN help raise awareness and I CAN help to raise money to help find a cure for a disease that has chosen my daughter's body as a place to take up residence....as well as many many others!

I hate asking anyone for anything.  Ever!   Anyone who knows me, know that about me.  And I am not asking for anything now either.  I do have a tab on my profile called "step out".  Peter and I would love anyone to come walk with us on October 2.  It costs nothing to walk unless you wanted to make a voluntary donation.  It's a wak to fight diabetes.  There is also a button on my profile page that you can click to make a donation if you would like to do so.  Again...I am NOT asking for donations!

Sam will be ok.  I am confident of that.  But I am her Mom and I will worry about her every single day no matter how old she is.  So, every day I will find out something new about Diabetes...and I will do whatever I can, whenever I can to fight this with her and for her.

My kids mean everything in the world to me.  They are an extension of me and what hurts them, hurts me.  If I could take this away from her and give it to me, I would.  But I can't. 

God chose this for her.  Why?  I don't know.  But I know he has a plan.  It may sound odd to some, but I find comfort in that.

I love you, Sam."

 I am also going to be involved in a Step Out walk here in California on November 13. It's taking place at Universal Studios. Not the theme park, but the actual studios. We get to walk through all the sets used in so many TV shows and movies. I've only seen it from the Universal tour at the them park, but I am so excited to walk through. I know I won't have a huge group with me, but I'll have those who matter. I'm 4000 miles away from my closest friends and family. I'll have Frank by my side and that's really who will matter the most. 

I'm not even asking for money. If anyone wants to donate cool. It's in no way for me, but for us that have diabetes. It's to find a cure so us rare Type 1's don't have to inject ourselves three times a day.. along with poking our fingers to get a blood sugar read. 

View my Team page with Step Out to get informed. (My goal really isn't $500, it supposed to say $150. But I have raised $200)

I can't believe that my whole life changed almost one month ago. It's crazy how fast time has gone by and how quick it took to get back into my normal life activities.