Last June marked my 35th anniversary of having diabetes. For some reason it felt like a really big deal. I once saw an article in a diabetes publication that described a little boy whose parents gave him a cake each year on his “diabetes day”. That’s one way to celebrate. I did a couple different things. One of them was to interview my family members individually to find out what it was like for each of them at my diagnosis. That was actually a very cool experience (and long overdue). I had no idea that my mother was disappointed in herself because she wasn’t comfortable giving me my injections. I only knew that she wasn’t very good at it and I preferred having my dad give them (until I learned how and then no one was allowed near me).
My older sister and younger brother had strikingly similar responses. They both immediately said they missed sugar cereal, because it was no longer allowed in the house after I was diagnosed. I am being completely honest when I say that I have absolutely no recollection of my parents ever having sugar cereal in their house when I was little. I do remember that when I came home from college, on breaks, there would be Golden Grahams in the cabinet. After hearing my brother’s recollection about the cereal, I wondered if he pleaded with Mom and Dad to buy the “good stuff” once I left home – he denies this vehemently.
The other thing I did, in honor of my 35 years with diabetes, was to visit the hospital where I was diagnosed. I only have a few memories of that experience – my amazing nurse, Sue, who let me follow her around while she took vital signs,; the five-year-old whose wheelchair was given to me when a door closed on my finger and I had to be wheeled to xray (for a finger); the same five-year-old who assured me as they put in an IV, “don’t worry, it hurts more when they take it out”; the food; my first diet soda; visits from my uncle and his fiancee; and presents. I also remember sitting through classes that my parents had to attend.
I had a little panic attack when I thought the building that I stayed in at the then Springfield Hospital was torn down (now it’s Baystate Medical Center and they are working on a huge, new building). Luckily, the original building was still there and I even got to go inside and see the lobby. It really did bring back a lot of memories. I’m sure the place is very different now (lots of new buildings and rearranged units). I don’t even know if any patients stay in that old building. I was reminded of quarterly trips to that hospital for “fasting” blood tests, followed by breakfast with my dad. Later the same day we’d go back for the “non-fasting” blood test and then meet with my endocrinologist. We did that for years.
I was recently called in to work to see a girl who was in ICU. I quickly discovered that she and her family were doing fine and did not have any questions for me. She figured out, while I was in the room, that that very day was her two-year anniversary with diabetes and we laughed at the irony. Her mom commented that had they been there even one year earlier they would have been a mess, but now they knew what they were doing and could get right back on track again.
Any excuse to celebrate is a good one. How do you celebrate your diabetes anniversaries?